“Broderick holds great affection for his cousin, he would never –” Aurora started but Valeria interrupted her.
“Affection gets lost when land, power and coin are in the balance.” His mother spoke the truth as she definitely understood it then looked to her son. “Everyone knows Baldur got the short end of the stick when King Halldor split Lunwyn. Regardless of our ice, the bounty lies within Lunwyn’s borders and Middleland is but a bunch of rock and sparse vegetation, none of which is useful except that which butts Hawkvale. It is so desolate, even when the land was Lunwyn, the elves refused to tread there.”
“Yes,” Drakkar agreed. “But that which butts Hawkvale is exceptionally fertile and the rock you disdain, if forged, makes arrowheads coveted even in the Southlands. And under that rock is an abundance of coal which, if mined for the country and not to line Baldur’s coffers, would make the nation rich. Broderick isn’t greedy and reckless as his father is and could easily capitalize on these to bring prosperity to his people rather than increase his personal treasury. If he were to do this, he wouldn’t need Lunwyn.”
“Perhaps you should petition to be his advisor, dear Frey, rather than Phobin,” Franka suggested on a distastefully catty curve of her lips making her implication clear.
And with that, Drakkar was done and therefore demanded, “Let us dispense with this play and talk straight. Do you know that Broderick is plotting against Seoafin?”
Franka shook her head but responded, “I know that Hernod Grieg, prior to his recent untimely demise, traded exclusively with Middleland. I know he was there almost more than he was here though I don’t know who he consorted with when he was but one can guess. And I know that his final words were ‘Unite Lunwyn’ which could have been called true or could have been a final attempt to cast suspicion off those who truly are behind the schemes to do away with the princess who will birth our future king.”
“So you’re piecing this together through conjecture?” Drakkar asked and Franka shook her head again.
“The story of Circe and Baldur’s departure is true. The information that a valuable asset held by Phobin was purloined is also true as is the fact they are both angry about it. The rest, indeed, my dear cousin,” she inclined her head, “is, as you say, conjecture.”
He studied his cousin then his mother.
It was conjecture but good conjecture and important information. If Broderick were to wish to move on his father, now would be the time. And if he would wish to gain momentum for this campaign, and earn the loyalty of those who wished to see Middleland reunited with Lunwyn, time would be of the essence. Without Finnie, Lunwyn would eventually fall in Broderick’s hands and that would be far sooner if he only needed to await the death of Atticus, not both brothers if he were to move on his father’s throne now. It would only be a matter of course, and one which would be supported by many in both countries, enough for them to be moved to pick up arms, for Broderick to move against Atticus, securing both thrones, reuniting Lunwyn and with Finnie out of the way, doing so without direct competition for rule. Hell, half of the Houses of Lunwyn would bear arms to unite it again with Middleland.
Bloody hell.
Not to mention, Phobin might not be clever but Broderick was no fool. He would piece together Drakkar and his men being in Middleland at the time the adela bough was stolen and this would only add fuel to their fire.
Bloody hell.
He pulled in a breath in an effort to prepare to say something he meant but didn’t wish to say and let it out, muttering, “Although conjecture, I am grateful for your time and the information you shared.”
Valeria’s brows went up and without hesitation she enquired, “Grateful enough that, upon return from delivering Lunwyn’s waters through the Northlands, you’d share the profits of a galleon? Say…” she hesitated, “half?”
Drakkar stared at his mother. Then he asked back, “So, you’re here for coin and not your concern about your daughter-in-law, a woman your firstborn son has come to care for deeply who also happens to be your Winter Princess and the future mother to your king?”
“Well, Frey, if you put it like that it sounds positively dire,” Franka murmured through a small smile.
“I apologize. I didn’t mean it to sound dire. I meant it to sound disbelieving and snide,” Drakkar replied and Franka’s smile got bigger so she pulled in her lips and bit them to hide it, an effort that didn’t succeed just as she intended.
His mother’s already hard eyes grew harder. “I see, my son, you do not change.”
“I am a Drakkar,” he retorted. “This cannot be a surprise, especially considering the fact that you have exposed you have not changed as well as you expect payment at all much less the amount you do for aiding my efforts to do something as crucial, not only for our country but to my happiness, as keeping my wife alive.”
Valeria opened her mouth to speak but Aurora got there before her. “I see there are family issues here that are unlikely, even with a great deal of discourse, to be resolved at that present time.” Drakkar and Valeria looked to their queen as she went on. “Drakkar has expressed his gratitude verbally. I would like to express mine too and you will both receive a gift selected personally by your queen delivered to Valeria’s home on the morrow. You can rest assured, although not the worth of half the profits of a galleon filled with Lunwynian waters, you will not be disappointed as my gift will indicate just how grateful I feel that, for whatever reasons, you have come forward to aid my daughter, my country’s princess and the mother of our future king.”
Both women, with nothing for it, shut their mouths and inclined their heads to Aurora.
Yes, it was now certain. Drakkar quite liked his mother-in-law.
“Now,” Aurora began while standing, forcing both women to stand too, “my daughter soon will be home. She and Frey leave on the morrow and she and I have plans this afternoon to go skating in Ulfr Park. I’m keen to spend as much time with her as I can before I again lose her and Frey to their adventures so…” she trailed off, extending her hand to the door and Valeria and Franka took the hint and started moving that way.
Drakkar stayed where he was as Aurora guided them to and through the door then deposited them in a hovering servant’s hands with murmured words of farewell that he was not about to offer before moving back into the room, closing the door and coming directly to him.
And he knew he had her trust when she dropped her mask long enough to snap, “I am sorry if you find this offensive, my new son, but your family is repugnant.”
Drakkar bit back laughter before he replied, “I don’t, Aurora, find that the least offensive for it is unfortunately true.”
Her eyes held his, he saw hers light as her lips twitched then she regained control of her features and spoke on.
“Franka knows of the adela branch,” she noted.
“This is not surprising. As I told you and Atticus, The Finnie was detected, Baldur forced a confrontation and Broderick clearly put two and two together but either he, or more likely Phobin, was not smart enough to keep his mouth shut about it.”