He snagged the fork and speared a roast potato, no doubt pretending it was my head. Instead of eating the thing, he smeared it around in the gravy over and over again. “Thank you, Your Majesty. I do so thrive on your compliments.”
He’s hurting.
Be patient.
If you kill him, he’ll only kill you back.
“What’s wrong with your face?” The facial hair reminded me of our father. Probably not the best thing to say aloud considering Rían had despised the man.
“I ask myself the same thing every time I look at you,” he muttered around a mouthful.
I snagged a potato for myself. Before I could slip the greasy morsel between my lips, Rían shifted it right out of my hand and stuffed it into his mouth as well.
Not fair. I hadn’t had my dinner yet either. “I’m hungry.”
He stabbed a carrot. “Then get your own dinner and leave me alone.”
He would be so lucky. I stuffed my hands into my pockets and eased onto the corner of the desk.Hold on. Was that a stain on my brother’s shirt? This was worse than I thought. “So, how’s life?”
“Funny you should ask me that considering you’re ten seconds from losing yours.”
Better get to the point, then.
I understood what Ruairi had been trying to do by letting Rían believe he and Aveen were a couple. To be honest, I was shocked it hadn’t worked better. Clearly Rían had no intention of going to Aveen. I wasn’t averse to helping her learn how to use her magic, but there was only one person strong enough and smart enough to get her to this castle.
And he was sitting right next to me, shoveling steak into his mouth.
For Keelynn, I would risk my brother’s wrath.
“They’re not together, you know. Your one and Ruairi.”
He slammed down the fork and collected the bottle from the corner of the desk. “I don’t give a shite who she fucks,” he muttered before taking a swig.
And another.
And another.
“I’ll be sure to tell her that when I see her tomorrow.”
His pulsing jaw didn’t scare me as much as the dead look in his eyes as he tilted the bottle toward me. “Don’t tell her a feckin’ thing. Why are you seeing her, anyway? If the Queen finds out—”
“The Queen is too busy poisoning the land to worry about my comings and goings. Besides, I’m taking precautions. You could do the same, you know.” If he wanted to see Aveen, he could. Unlike me, stuck talking to my wife’s corpse until she came back.
He slammed the bottle onto the desk. “If I ever come to you for advice, you have my permission to kill me.”
“You’re not the only person in this castle feeling miserable.”
He eased back on the chair, chewing slowly as he studied me. His throat bobbed when he swallowed. “Are you trying to bond with me?” His eyes widened. “Holy shit. That’s what this is, isn’t it.” He glanced around behind me. “Where is it?”
“Where’s what?”
“Your olive branch.”
“Feck off.”
“Shall we cry on each other’s shoulders? You can wipe away my tears and I’ll wipe away yours. Wait! I know! Why don’t we plait each other’s hair and swap corsets?”
I shoved away from the desk and started for the door.“At least I’m trying.”