more than a shallow puddle of stereotypes others judge him by. He’s more than the king, more than just a leader. Give it time, and his behavior today won’t surprise you. It’ll be what you expect from him.”
Rain picked up the only trunk he kept in the room, now full of the clothing he had left all over the floor, and walked out.
She’ll see. If anyone can help her find her place in the world, it’s him.
6
Mave
Mave sat with her husbands, the rest of the Company, many of the different leaders from around the valley, and in one tiny section of the war room, Seanev and his closest warriors. Kenav was missing from this drama, something Mave was glad for. They were still waiting on the western army to come back from the spring campaign Kenav was leading.
The first thing Allaina had done was explain to her the full scope of what Lilliana was. Mave had felt terrible for her reaction, absolutely awful. Allaina had echoed that but didn’t give any sympathy. It was just what they were. When Andinna, like bedrus and ahren, existed, they were against the natural order of their people, which left dominant females in charge. It only made sense a dominant female wouldn’t want anything different.
“You are a real asshole,” Luykas said, breaking the silence. “Really, Seanev. He’s just found a consort, who is also a cherished member of our community, and you bring an ahren and dump her on his head without a single warning.”
“Take it up with my wife,” Seanev said stiffly. “I wanted to slowly introduce them. Tell Alchan she existed first. The right way to…try to do what Leria wanted. She was the one who packed Lilliana up and put her on the road with me.”
“And what did Leria want to do?” Mave asked, making more than a couple of people in the room pale. “Someone, please explain.” She had a feeling, but she wanted Seanev or anyone to fucking own up to it.
“Arrange a marriage of convenience,” Seanev explained. “Alchan needs to produce heirs. If we win the rebellion, there needs to be someone who can take over after him. He’s not allowed to grow old and die without having children. Leria and I have known about Lilliana since she was born. She’s even a good age, only nine hundred years old. She’s young enough to be healthy and old enough to carry—”
“Don’t talk about her like she’s a broodmare. No female should ever bear a male’s child without agreeing to it,” Allaina growled from her place. Mave looked over to see Yenni reach out and grab her, holding the mativa in place. The last thing this situation needed was a female attacking a male, especially a mativa attacking another mativa’s husband. The infighting that would set off would destroy the rebellion from within.
Mave stood and looked around the room, trying to guess the mood. There was a lot of anger—anger she could fall into if she wasn’t careful—but in the absence of Alchan, she and Luykas were his representatives. She would stop Allaina with Yenni if she had to, but Senri’s growl behind her made her realize there were a lot of dangerous females in the room. Even pregnant, Senri knew how to swing a battle axe.
And she had her battle axe.
“I agree with you,” Seanev said, bowing his head to Allaina. “That was why I thought this needed to be done slowly. To give them a chance to meet each other, to understand the need, and come to their own agreement. That’s how it’s been done before when the times called for it.”
“She wouldn’t have said no,” Senri snapped. “Just because she would say okay doesn’t mean she wants it. That’s the problem with ahren. They have no backbone, and you put one in the path of the most dominant Andinna alive, a bedru at that!” Senri snarled and stormed out of the room.
“Allaina, Yenni, will you go with her?” Mave asked, hoping to make herself the only female in the room. She agreed with them, but their tempers were somehow hotter than hers.
But only because her rage was cold.
Allaina opened her mouth, then closed it, narrowing her eyes at Mave. After a moment, Allaina smiled, revealing fangs, and turned her cutting glare to Seanev.
“I’d say good luck, but honestly, I hope she fucking castrates you.” Allaina turned on her heel and walked out of the room as Seanev’s guards tried to step forward and surround him.