The Blacksmith Queen (The Scarred Earth Saga, #1) - G.A Aiken Page 0,53

waiting for, but when it came to his mother . . .

She had proven herself to him in ways others had not. And not merely by being his mother. Marius didn’t believe in automatically giving respect to someone just because she had expelled him from her body as a million other women had done through time.

No, his respect came from the brilliant guidance his mother had given him over the years. With that, she had earned his loyalty. But still . . . he had more important things to do right now than meet some woman his mother would like to see him marry.

The driver opened the carriage door and lowered the steps. Maila stepped down and immediately moved to him, kissing him on both cheeks.

“Come along, my dear,” she said. “Don’t keep my son waiting.”

The small woman, bundled up in a fur cape, stepped down from the carriage. She pulled the hood of her cape back to reveal her face, and the men beside him gave polite coughs or began to shuffle their feet. All of them looked down or away.

She wasn’t hideous, but she wasn’t worthy of a king either.

Speaking from the side of his mouth, Marius said to his mother, “She’s a little plain, isn’t she?”

His mother sighed. “Marius—”

“It’s all right,” the woman said. “I don’t get insulted.”

With a straight back and a confident walk, she came to stand in front of Marius.

“So you’re . . .”

“Beatrix.”

Marius stared at the muff she had her hands stuffed in. “Is that blood on your fur?”

She glanced down, cursed. “I’ve been trying to get that out.”

“Were you injured?”

Maila took Marius’s arm. “Let’s go inside and—”

“I don’t mind answering,” Beatrix said. “I killed my sister. This is her blood.”

With a smile, she entered his tent.

Marius locked his gaze on his mother.

“Really?” he asked.

“I promise there’s a reason. A good one!”

“Uh-huh.”

* * *

Beatrix studied her fur muff. Studied the blood on it. Her sister’s blood. It was strange . . . she felt nothing. She’d thought she’d feel exhilaration. She’d taken her first human life, and she’d always read that such a thing was exciting. But no. It wasn’t nearly as exciting as she’d dreamed.

Then again, her sister had not cried out. She had not fought back. She had done nothing.

Not like those cats. The barn cats they used to have. Her father and Keeley had blamed the demon wolves from the woods for the cats’ deaths, but it had been Beatrix. Because she wanted to see what it was like to take a life. She’d been three at the time and the little cats had put up such a fight. Even the kittens.

Gemma had seen the scratches on Beatrix’s arms. Tried to blame her for the cats’ deaths, but Keeley wouldn’t hear it. She always protected her. It was a shame she’d had to kill her.

Especially because that hadn’t been the plan. It was Gemma she should have left bleeding out on the floor. The one greeting their ancestors. But gods-damn Keeley wanting to help everyone with their back problems had created this dilemma as much as anything else.

And now having the War Monk still living after seeing what she could do in battle was . . . troubling. But it was too late for regrets.

Now she was in the thick of it. And Beatrix had to admit . . . this was exhilarating.

Prince Marius walked into his tent along with his men and his mother.

“Explain to me, woman, why I shouldn’t kill you right now.”

“I don’t know why you’re upset, my king. I thought it was common among royals to kill their siblings. Besides, wouldn’t killing me now just be kind of boring when I could be your queen instead?” Beatrix asked, examining the maps stretched out over the wood table in the middle of the tent.

“I don’t want to be rude, Lady Beatrix, but you are not pretty enough to be my queen. Or anyone else’s.”

“Marius!” Maila gasped.

“It’s all right. I’m not pretty at all,” Beatrix admitted. “I know that. And words about it don’t hurt me. Besides, I’ve compensated for my lack of beauty with something more important.”

“Intelligence?” he asked, mocking.

“Ruthlessness.” Beatrix pointed at one of Marius’s generals. “Did you know that he’s been communicating with your brother? The Devourer?”

“Lying whore!” the general yelled.

Beatrix put her finger to her lips and whispered, “Shhh.” Her gaze moved back to the prince. “But he is not your worry. He just wants to keep his options open should you fail. I,