wondered ‘how many’ of the women at Stronghold have been in your bed?” she spat. “Neither your hands nor your mouth are exactly virginal! It was one night, part of my training as a Sunrunner that happened before I’d ever seen you in the Fire!” She took a step closer, glaring at him. “Did you think I’d try to father another man’s child on you? Is that the real reason you’re waiting so long before marrying me? How dare you ask ‘how many?’ How many has it been for you? But I promise you now, my lord prince—there’ll be no other women once you become mine! I may have no right to question you about the past—but your future is mine.”
She stalked out of the cave and the Fire vanished with her, leaving Rohan alone and speechless in the dark. He stayed there for some minutes, his adult brain telling him he’d made a fool of himself. But something wiser chuckled softly with satisfaction. The inner laughter continued as he picked his way carefully out into the sunlight. He found his sword, the thing he’d ostensibly come for, and sheathed it before pausing at the ledge to watch Sioned’s swift descent. A little of the laughter escaped. His smile did not fade all during the long ride back to Stronghold.
Sioned flung herself across the blue-green bedcover, having just slammed her door in Camigwen’s startled face. She had no desire to attempt an explanation of her refusal to attend the evening’s banquet, nor to hear reasons why she should change her mind. Punching an inoffensive pillow into lumps, she spent a great deal of creative energy cursing men in general and Rohan in particular. Stupid, arrogant, thick-skulled, jealous, possessive—
A knock on the door interrupted the muttered invectives. “Go away!” she shouted, and punched the pillows again.
The door opened and a soft voice that was not Cami’s said, “Perhaps I can help, my dear.”
Sioned leaped to her feet, crimson as she made her bow to Princess Milar. She had spoken only once to Rohan’s mother, formal words in company with the other recently arrived faradh’im, and there could be no reason for this visit that Sioned could think of—unless Andrade had been talking. She gulped as the princess smiled and seated herself in a chair.
“I’m glad we’re going to have this little talk,” the princess said with a disarming smile. “I’ve been waiting for the right moment, but we’ve all been so busy.” She gestured to the other chair. “Please. Unless you’d prefer I came back another time.”
Sioned sat down, unable to say a word.
“Now we can be comfortable while we discuss things. I was about your age when I came here to marry Rohan’s father, you know. What a difficult man he was! Nearly as bad as his son, if you want the truth. It’s a strange place, the Desert, and its rulers take as much adjusting to as its climate. When I arrived here, Stronghold was in a terrible state, without a comfort to be had. Can you imagine, the only table in the Great Hall was Zehava’s and everyone else had to stand while they ate! But I changed all that, and I changed Zehava, as well.”
She went on in this vein for some time while Sioned wondered wildly what she was leading up to. But during the princess’ seemingly aimless chatter, the tension gradually seeped from her. Milar was as crafty as Andrade in her own way. Sioned smiled.
The princess noticed at once and interrupted herself in the middle of a sentence about the gardens. “That’s better. You see, you needn’t be frightened of anything here, especially not of me. Certainly not of tonight’s banquet.”
“I’m not frightened, your highness,” Sioned told her. “Only a fool.”
“That makes you a perfect match for my son,” Milar said dryly. “But we’re all a little foolish at times, aren’t we? My sister seems to think I’ve made a career of it. You mustn’t worry about any little misunderstandings between you and Rohan. I had plenty with his father! Oh, the names we used to call each other! You really must appear tonight, you know. We want to thank you in public for saving Jahni and Maarken. Don’t worry about what to wear, I’ve taken care of that. You’ll come and enjoy yourself, won’t you? Please say you will!”
The blue eyes were so artlessly appealing that it was impossible to refuse. If Rohan ever looked at her this way, she’d be helpless. And