Thirty-seven

Volas scowled out of the upper window as one of the Cemiri Ladies pushed her head in front of it as well and peered out.

“Should it be taking them this long?” 

“They… must-ah walk. Carefully.” One of the others said haltingly in the lilting Cemiri accent. 

“You may speak Cuphisian if you wish.” Volas softened his face. “I enjoy the Cemiri accent but you speak as if you have yet to master the Arek tongue and my spoken Cemiriss must be improved.”

The Lady blushed slightly. 

“Not all of them grew up hearing Arek.” The one still peering out of the window spoke with some amusement. “Aleesia and Anrae need the practice. Ossa and I grew up with it.”

He smiled faintly. “I must thank Lady Aleesia for her note. It was clever and appreciated.”

“It was…” The Lady frowned and then sighed, switching to Cuphisian, “It was part of my duty. You have no need to thank me, your Highness.”

“It put you in danger, dear Lady. Had it been discovered that you informed me of the messengers being waylaid you might have been killed or their Highnesses parted from all of their servants.”

“As they have been now.” The one in the window scowled. “I should have charmed my way back in. I can’t bear this.”

Volas chuckled. “You think you could have? After I bared my blade and offered war and the ending of the royal line?”

“Lady Celaena could have charmed them at the table with your blade still in it and had them laughing and offering you breakfast, your Highness.” Lady Ossa joined them with a wry smile. “Even if you don’t want to like her you can’t help yourself.”

The woman in the window turned to give an impish smile. “Who wouldn’t want to like me?”

“Her mother is my father’s b*****d sister, your Highness. The women of her family are known in certain circles for wit and charm, and Celaena has more wit, charm, and ambition than any one woman should possess.”

“I inherited some from my father.” Celaena’s eyes sparkled. “Lord Aebras-”

“An Arek name?” Volas grinned.

“He’s half Arek. My grandfather couldn't find a wife to his liking and crossed the border.”

“He was a wealthy Arek merchant and he married an impoverished Cemiri Lord’s daughter, his only child.” Ossa folded her arms. “They improved their fortunes together and rose in society. Celaena has risen even further by sheer strength of will.”

“Charm! Strength of charm!” the impish woman at the window laughed and then shook her head glancing back out again. “I appreciate the attempt to distract me from my worries, Ossa. I’ve never seen her Highness so pale. If she isn’t brought soon I’ll go back in.”

“It is commendable that you would risk yourself but armed men-”

Celaena turned a disturbingly bright smile on him and Volas fought the urge to take a half step back.

“I have the knife my father sent with me and I’m as good with it as Princess Marravae. We spar together. They would be gutted for roasting before they realized my smiling face was a threat.”

He cleared his throat, slightly taken aback at her cheerful tone and Ossa broke into laughter. 

“Don’t use the Arek curses, Celaena, they start thinking of us as Arek women and not Cemiri Ladies.”

“I can correct that too.” The playful blink the smiling woman gave reminded Volas of Marravae on their first meeting.

“When she brings you all to my father’s Court, I will have husbands found so that you can remain close to Marravae. Cemir should never have contemplated such a loss with nothing in return.” 

“My father is the Duke of Sey, for me to marry an Arek Lord would be a very delicate matter.”

Volas couldn’t help but chuckle again. “My brother Malvas, perhaps. Enlist Lady Celaena to help you stop him from quarreling with Hevas over the matter.”

“There they are!” Celaena darted from the window and out of the room followed by the other Cemiri women.

Stepping closer he could see that someone was being brought on a litter. Two men carried it but they were moving quickly and the form on the litter… cursing under his breath, Volas hurried down the stairs. 

“Open the gate and have your weapons ready.”

“Your Highness?” Lady Ossa frowned and gave him a sharp look.

“Marravae isn’t the one on the litter.”

The Cemiri Ladies brushed past his men and met those hurrying toward them.

“Where is Princess Marravae? What…” 

“Prince Myrin, may his flesh be charred,” Ellus spat on the ground, “attacked Prince Gaeleath. The Cemiri Prince struck him down and offered war. As we tried to leave with the Princess… The coward had us attacked by guards, more than we could defend against. The Prince is wounded, he was stabbed as he tried to keep his sister from falling to the floor and the Princess was taken.”

“War is what they shall have.” Volas beckoned for men to help them. “Take him in and do all you can for him. There was a Cemiri healer?”

“He remained with the Princess.”

“Your Highness!” One of his men got his attention and pointed to the Cemiri women marching toward the palace.

“Send riders.” Gaeleath tried to sit up and Volas moved closer to press him back down.

“You believe they will harm the Ladies?”

“No, he wanted them. Witnesses. Send riders to my father and yours. He intends to force my sister to marry him. The arrangement has not yet been struck down. That fool thinks he can marry her against her will and the matter will be laid to rest.”

“As if your father would allow it to stand.” Volas snorted. “I will send the riders and try to send some servants to make certain the Ladies and your sister are unharmed.”

The Cemiri Prince nodded and took a shallow, pained breath. “If I die, she becomes the Crown Princess of Cemir.”

“You will not die, my friend.” Volas gave the grim looking healer a glance and then squeezed the Cemiri’s arm. “Ellus will tend to you as if you were me.”

The litter was carried past and he stood a moment looking at the shrinking figures still moving purposefully. If Marravae became the Crown Princess of Cemir… a marriage would be out of the question. Turning back he barked a command as he crossed the threshold. “I need riders, armed and willing to kill to get their messages through. Commander Akras, make certain our fortifications will hold. We are at war.”