Birthright

by Missouri Vaun

  Warmth spread through Aiden’s body from her mother’s touch. She wanted to close her eyes and relish the moment, but she was afraid if she closed her eyes her mother would somehow evaporate.

  “How can I come home? Balak doesn’t want me here.”

  “Balak is a truly unhappy man.”

  “Why does he hate me so much?”

  “He was second born to your father, Edward. The only way he would ever sit on the throne was if his brother died. Unfortunately, Edward lived long enough to father an heir, so the only thing that stood between Balak and the throne was you.”

  So it was as simple as greed and ambition. Aiden could be anyone, but by birthright, the throne was hers so Balak wanted her dead. If she didn’t return and face him, would she have to live in fear for the rest of her life? Could she even hide from him if she tried? And what about Kathryn and his threats to invade Olmstead?

  “I know what you’re thinking, sweet Aiden. But this is a thing you cannot escape.”

  “I want to do the right thing.” Aiden’s voice cracked with emotion. She longed to embrace her mother. She wanted to fall at her feet and weep. “I just don’t know what the right thing is, and I’m not sure I’m as strong as you think I am.” Aiden wiped at tears with the back of her hand, careful not to release the wolf with the other.

  “When the time comes, you will know.” Isla brushed a tear away. Her blue eyes pierced Aiden’s soul. “And the strength of your ancestors will be with you when you need them most.”

  Aiden wanted to ask more, but something caught Isla’s attention. She looked over her shoulder and then back at Aiden. “Someone is looking for you. You should go.” Isla stepped away from her, and the scene began to falter and fade to darkness.

  Someone touched her shoulder and Aiden flinched.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.” Venn was leaning over her in the chapel. Aiden looked for the wolf, but she already knew the animal was gone. It had retreated as fast as the vision of her mother.

  “I must have dozed off.” Aiden didn’t want to explain to Venn that she’d seen her mother again. Venn looked at her as if she doubted what she was saying, but she let it go.

  “The dinner celebration will start soon. When you weren’t in your room getting ready, I thought I might find you here.”

  Aiden nodded and got to her feet. “Thank you for finding me.”

  “We can get changed and then go down to the great hall together. It might be better if you aren’t alone since you’ve probably never attended an event like this before.”

  Aiden was grateful to Venn for looking out for her. Not just in the bigger way of saving her life so many years ago, but in the little ways too. And with any luck, she wouldn’t be required to dance. Despite her afternoon lessons, she wasn’t sure she could pull it off. As they climbed the staircase to the second level and then parted for their separate quarters, Aiden was lost in thought. She puzzled over the things her mother had said. But at least now she understood why she’d had such a strong desire to travel to the sea when she left the monastery. She now knew that her people lived on the shore of the southern sea.

  It was an odd sensation to have new details of her origin revealed to her and at the same time have some sense that she’d known those things all along.

  Chapter Thirty

  Kathryn admired herself in the long mirror propped against the wall of her chamber. She’d chosen a gown with a deep golden color. The fabric had a slight sheen so that when she moved, the long full skirt caught the light. One of her personal maids knelt on the floor making final adjustments to the hem.

  Someone knocked.

  “Enter.”

  Rowan closed the door behind her and crossed the room. “Kathryn, that dress!”

  “Yes?”

  “Stunning. Truly.”

  “Thank you.” She pulled at the sides of the skirt to check the length. “That will be all.” She dismissed the maid, who curtsied as she retreated with her sewing basket.

  “I came to claim you. The head cook is impatient to put the feast on the table before it cools. Besides, all your guests are eagerly awaiting your arrival.”

  Kathryn nodded. She’d taken longer than she’d intended to get ready, but she’d had a hard time deciding how to style her hair. In the end, she pulled it up to highlight the elegant neckline of the gown she’d chosen. She could tell by the look of approval on Rowan’s face that she’d made the right decision.

  “Is Gareth coming tonight?” Rowan fingered the cloth of a dress that had been considered for the night but then tossed over a chair.

  “He’s invited to sit in the great hall, at one of the lower tables, but I haven’t seen him since we returned.” Kathryn dabbed a bit of powder on her nose and cheeks. “If he’s going to be in such a horrible mood I’d just as soon he not come.”

  “He’s not at his best when forced to deal with reality.”

  “What do you mean?” Kathryn put the small container of powder on the vanity and smoothed the front of her dress.

  “For Gareth, you falling in love was only ever in the abstract until now.”

  Kathryn’s heart skipped a beat at Rowan’s suggestion. “I’m right aren’t I? You are falling for Aiden.”

  Kathryn felt herself blushing, and there was no way to stop it. She hadn’t had the chance to tell Rowan that she and Aiden had spent the night together, but she could see that her perceptive cousin already suspected.

  “We spent the night together last night. But I haven’t seen her today.”

  “I have. And she was glowing.” Rowan tucked an errant strand of Kathryn’s hair back into place. “And so are you.”

  Kathryn smiled. “I do care for her. And last night was…well, I don’t quite have the word for it.”

  “Sexy, amazing, electrifying, earth shattering, romantic—”

  “Yes, yes, yes. All of those things and more.” Kathryn laughed and tugged her cousin toward the door. “Now let’s make an entrance and get this evening started.”

  Rowan and Kathryn descended the grand staircase with arms linked. The crowd of nobles at the bottom of the stairs, dressing in finery, looked up with smiling faces to greet them. Kathryn searched the crowd for Aiden but didn’t find her.

  She welcomed her esteemed guests, announced that dinner was being served in the great hall, and asked that everyone join her in taking their seats. As she turned, a flash of deep red caught her eye. She spotted Aiden at the far side of the room. She was wearing a fitted jacket with a rich crimson pattern. The collar was stiff and stood up at each side just touching her jawline, but the jacket was open to reveal a hint of flesh and the brilliant white open-collared shirt underneath. The dark gray pants she wore were fitted also and tucked into almost knee-high black polished boots. Her tailor had done well. Aiden was stunning, and as she’d predicted, it likely wouldn’t be long before every eligible woman in the room noticed.

  Maybe calling for her tailor had been a bad idea. Deep down, her ego desired for Aiden to reach her full potential, and then Kathryn wanted that full potential on her arm. Was that so wrong?

  Kathryn felt the intense heat of Aiden’s penetrating gaze as if her skin were too close to a flame. She looked away, as one of the guests spoke to her, but feared she was already blushing.

  Aiden followed everyone through the large arched doorway of the great hall, but never took her eyes off Kathryn. She’d thought Kathryn looked lovely in the emerald dress she’d worn the previous evening, but the gown she wore tonight was truly spectacular. How could she hope to be with a woman such as Kathryn? Forget that Kathryn was royal born; even if she weren’t, her sheer beauty and grace made Aiden doubt her worthiness. Yet last night Kathryn had chosen her. That had to mean something.

  She’d wanted to speak with Kathryn all day, but every time Aiden caught a glimpse of her she’d been busy with some business affair or at least tasks that appeared official in some way. Aiden could now see how demanding Kathryn’s dai
ly schedule must be. Some of the comments Kathryn had made to her about things being more layered and complex once they returned to Olmstead were beginning to make sense. She’d had no real context for them before now.

  Venn was walking at Aiden’s elbow as they found their seats at one of the lower long, elegantly appointed tables. Venn had explained to Aiden that the seating for the feast would be based on status. The most important guests would be at the table on the raised dais at the front of the Hall. Everyone else would be seated at the lower tables. Since no one knew Aiden’s true identity, that included her. The central area of the hall had been left vacant for dancing following dinner.

  As she settled into her chair, Aiden saw that Gareth was seated almost directly across from her. Perfect. And next to him was some formidable woman in a military looking blue dress uniform.

  “That’s probably the commander of the imperial guard.” Venn must have followed her gaze.

  Aiden nodded to Venn and took a sip of wine to settle her nerves as soon as it was poured. Then the food began to arrive in waves, and Aiden tried to focus on her plate rather than on the people she didn’t know seated around her. She had an unhindered view of Kathryn from her seat, and that only served to upend her already nervous stomach further. Every time they caught each other looking, they held each other with their eyes. And every time, Aiden felt the tug of Kathryn’s gaze as if it were a physical force.

  She wanted to hold Kathryn. She wanted to take Kathryn away from all of this noisy gleeful mayhem and take her to bed. Aiden wondered if Kathryn could read her thoughts. If she could, would she like what she saw there?

  Chapter Thirty-one

  Aiden watched those seated around her to glean social cues—when to ask for more food, or not, which silverware was for which purpose, when to sit and when to stand. Toasts had been offered to the queen and to other honored guests in attendance. None of whom Aiden knew. She was trying to sip the wine slowly. She felt she’d more than learned her lesson at the pub in Eveshom, and she wasn’t going to make the mistake of over indulgence again, especially in a situation where she needed her wits intact.

  She and Venn had moved away from the table and were watching couples begin to dance in the center of the great room. The large hall had extremely high ceilings constructed of successive archways supported by marble columns. The acoustics in the room were very good. The orchestra didn’t have to play very loud for the music to reach every corner and reverberate off the arched stone ceiling.

  Aiden was studying that ceiling, probably a dead giveaway that she was from somewhere else, when she heard someone speak to her.

  “Aiden, I’d like to introduce myself. I’m Frost Sylven, commander of the imperial guard.” Frost extended her hand to Aiden.

  She’d been right in her assumption that the blue uniform had military roots. She figured Gareth had told Frost who she was since he’d been sitting next to Frost during the meal. She looked for him now, but he was nowhere in sight.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Frost.” Aiden shook Frost’s hand. Beside her, she sensed Venn stiffen. “This is my commander at arms, Venn.”

  Venn and Frost gave each other a terse nod. According to Kathryn, Frost was the only other person in the castle who knew Aiden’s true identity. Aiden wasn’t sure how she felt about Frost, her first impression gave her little information about the stiff soldier.

  “I trust your journey here was pleasant.”

  That seemed like an odd thing to say. Surely Kathryn, or at the very least Gareth, had told Frost about the attacks they’d suffered en route. Maybe she was waiting to see what Aiden would reveal. “I enjoyed traveling by wind ship. I’d heard about them but had never been aboard one of them before.” A neutral, yet friendly response.

  “If possible, at your earliest convenience, I’d like to brief you and Venn about the current status of Belstaff.”

  “Thank you for the offer.” Aiden wasn’t sure what the proper response should be. She also wasn’t sure what sort of information Frost could relay that would be helpful or that she didn’t already know. After all, she already knew her uncle wanted her dead. He’d made that painfully clear. And she’d been to Belstaff earlier today, with her mother, but she wasn’t about to bring that up. She didn’t know Frost, but she exuded the sort of strict disapproval likely to scoff at visions brought on by enchanted white wolves.

  Frost looked as if she were about to say something else, but she was interrupted by a very attractive redhead in a flowing dress. The bodice of the dress fit snugly, pushing up her breasts until the fullness of them spilled out the top of the gown. A garnet necklace hung just low enough to dip into the top of her deep cleavage. Aiden tried not to notice, but that was impossible.

  “Captain Frost, you always look so serious.” The woman flirtatiously brushed her hand across Frost’s arm. “And at such a gala event as this too.” She looked in Aiden’s direction with sparkling green eyes. “Aren’t you going to introduce us?” She held her hand out toward Aiden.

  “Yes, of course. Miss Lauren Jeffers, this is Aiden—”

  “Lyons. Aiden Lyons.” Aiden cut Frost off. She wasn’t sure what Frost was going to say, but she and Venn had decided earlier that if necessary she would use Venn’s last name. Aiden held on to Lauren’s hand for a moment. Then Lauren’s grip tightened.

  “So charming. Let’s dance, shall we?” Lauren tugged Aiden onto the dance floor.

  Well, at least this had given her a chance to get away from Frost. There was something about Frost that Aiden found a bit unnerving. She glanced back to see Frost say something to Venn and then walk away. Venn looked at Aiden, but it was impossible to read her expression.

  “Your jacket is quite handsome.” Aiden sensed Lauren’s hand on her shoulder. Lauren let it slide down Aiden’s chest and then back to her shoulder.

  “Thank you.” As they moved to the center of the dance floor, Aiden thought maybe she should compliment Lauren’s dress, but she was too busy struggling to remember the dance lesson Rowan had given her earlier. Make a box with your feet, that’s what she’d said. One, two, three. One, two, three. Aiden felt as if everyone was watching her, but she quickly realized that in reality all the couples around her were in their own world.

  Lauren seemed like a nice enough woman. Aiden surely didn’t want to injure her toes as a result of inept footwork, so she tried to focus.

  *

  Kathryn kept her seat as the small orchestra began to play and couples moved to the floor to dance. The raised platform gave her a good view of the entire room. But she spent most of her evening watching Aiden. She wanted to ask Aiden to dance, but she didn’t want to seem too eager.

  Then she saw Frost cut across the room in Aiden’s direction. Kathryn was just about to attempt to intervene when the chancellor who’d been seated beside her pulled her attention away to make an introduction. When she looked back a few minutes later, Aiden was gone. Kathryn slowly scanned the crowded hall until she caught a flash of crimson and black hair. Aiden was on the dance floor with Lauren Jeffers. Kathryn felt her pulse quicken at the sight of another woman in Aiden’s arms, especially that woman. Lauren was noble born, well-endowed, and sexually aggressive.

  Kathryn left the raised dais and cut across the floor toward Aiden. Someone stopped her as she passed through the revelers. She was polite but brief so that she could keep moving before Lauren pulled Aiden into some dark corner of the castle. Not that she didn’t trust Aiden, but she suspected Aiden had no experience with women like Lauren. It was her job to protect Aiden. However, even as she lifted her skirt to hasten her steps, she knew in her heart that she had motives other than protecting Aiden’s honor in mind.

  “May I cut in?” Kathryn could tell Lauren was about to protest when she realized who’d asked the question.

  “Of course, my queen.” She curtsied with respect and stepped aside. “Another time, Aiden.” She winked at Aiden as she turned to exit the dance floor.

  Kathryn
placed her hand in Aiden’s. And Aiden lightly settled her other hand on Kathryn’s hip.

  “I’m so happy to see you.”

  Kathryn could barely hear her over the string orchestra. And she wasn’t sure she’d heard what she’d said. “What did you say?”

  Aiden leaned in, and when she spoke, her breath caressed Kathryn’s cheek. “I’m happy to see you and you look beautiful.”

  Kathryn smiled. “Thank you. This jacket suits you. I’ll have to offer my tailor a bonus for his fine work.”

  They circled the room slowly, as if they were dancing to some music of their own.

  “What are you thinking about?” Kathryn couldn’t read Aiden’s expression, but she seemed far away.

  “I was just thinking about how stupid I am.”

  “That’s what you were thinking? At this very moment? I’m not sure what that says about me.”

  “Oh, no, I’m not stupid about this. Not about dancing with you. I just meant I’m dumb, in the classic sense of the word. In the larger scheme of things.”

  Kathryn smiled as Aiden tried to retract her words.

  “I’m glad to hear I’m not included in your assessment of intelligence.”

  “Absolutely not.” Aiden’s fair complexion reddened. “I was thinking about the day I left the monastery and how I thought I knew everything, when in fact, I knew barely anything.”

  “I think you’re being a little hard on yourself.” Kathryn squeezed Aiden’s hand.

  “Maybe. At least I was smart enough to follow you when you asked me to.”

  “Yes, at least there’s that.” Kathryn smiled. “And now I’m following you.”

  “Rowan deserves the credit, or I daresay your toes would be in mortal danger.”

  Kathryn laughed and moved closer, lessening the open space in their embrace. Aiden was gorgeous, and the air between them pulsed with desire. Kathryn wondered if she was the only one who felt it. She wanted to steal Aiden away from the crowded room. She looked around the hall for a moment, mentally calculating how soon she’d be able to sneak away.