Kristian would not allow me to do something I wished to do?
It was not I who had gone mad. It was him.
No. That was inaccurate.
The entire world had gone mad all around me, taking me with it.
My parents were imprisoned, never to breathe free again.
I was being kind to my maid, asking her to call me my given name and calling upon her to make decisions on matters of great import, like who was going to attend my person and my clothing and my bedchamber.
I was allowing Noc to interfere in my life at any given moment, these moments chosen by him.
My cousin Frey liked me. His wife also liked me. Further, their friends liked me.
Those friends, the female and male ones, had accompanied me on a trying engagement simply in order to be near should I become upset.
My dead lover’s voice sounded in my head.
The queen of the entire bloody country had spoken to me like she was my nanny and later teased me like I was a fond friend of her daughter’s she’d known since they were in the schoolroom.
And worst of all, it seemed I had no control, not a whit, over any of it.
“What’s this?” Aurora queried.
I opened my mouth to intervene in hopes I could get my brother to remain silent, but he spoke before I could make a sound.
“My sister wishes to journey across the Green Sea,” he declared. “She intends to leave right after Brikitta and I depart for home, your grace.”
Queen Aurora assumed a severe expression. “Franka, is this true?”
I clenched my teeth, managed not to grind them and turned my torso to face the head of the table.
“Yes, my queen.”
“She won’t be doing it,” Kristian railed on, looking from Aurora to me. “If you don’t wish to return to your apartments after you’ve lost Antoine, which his understandable, Sister, then you’ll travel back with Brikitta and me. You can stay with us until you’ve made a sane decision about where you wish to go next. Hell, you can stay with us for good, as far as I care. The house is big enough and I know you like it, no matter what you’ve said.”
Brikitta made a noise during my brother’s latest that I deciphered as fear and panic, and I found myself intervening not only on my behalf but on hers as well.
“Brother, you know that’s not a good idea. I’m much better living on my own,” I replied swiftly, wishing I didn’t have to and further wishing that such private matters weren’t being shared in public.
But again having no choice.
“You’ll turn over a new leaf,” he sniffed, looking to his consommé and dipping his spoon into it, stating, “And that’s a matter sorted.”
“It is not,” I retorted, doing my all to keep the snap out of my voice and not exactly succeeding. “I’m quite keen on my plan and have no intention to alter it.”
Kristian rudely dropped his spoon in his consommé and turned back to me. “I believe you’ll change your mind when the pirates board your vessel.”
“No pirates will board the vessel,” I scoffed.
“Tell that to the many sailors who never returned, who likely felt the same before the pirates boarded their vessels,” Kristian retorted.
“Merchants make that journey often,” I replied.
“Merchants try to make that journey often,” Kristian responded and didn’t allow me time to counter. He looked to Frey. “What say you, Drakkar? How many go and how many come back?”
Frey was looking amused, which I was certain made me look annoyed since I felt that but didn’t feel like hiding it, as he answered, “I’d like to say the stakes are fifty-fifty. But I’d wager it’s more like thirty-seventy.”
I blew out an exasperated breath before I asked my cousin, “Have you been across those waters?”
“Yes,” he answered.
“How many times?” I inquired.
“Twice,” he stated.
I sat back in my chair smugly. “Then I’d say the stakes are far better than thirty-seventy, surely.”
“I’m a good seaman,” Frey retorted. “I’m handy with a variety of blades. Not to mention bows. My men are arguably better than me…at both. My ship is fast. And I have less scruples than a pirate when it comes to saving my men and my necks.” His lips formed a slow, superior grin. “Oh, and there’s the small fact I command dragons.”
I huffed and took up my spoon, requesting, “Can we please move on from this topic? I’m sure we all agree it’s no one’s business but my own.”
“My sister taking, at best, a fifty percent chance with her life to cross an expanse of water only to perhaps best that challenge, if she’s fortunate, to arrive in lands most of us know nothing about?” Kristian asked, his tone dripping in disbelief. “I think it’s anyone’s duty to talk her out of such foolhardiness.”
I didn’t even attempt to keep the snap out of my, “It’s not foolhardy.”
“It is,” Kristian returned heatedly. “Sheer folly. And reckless. And, frankly, absurd.”
It was me who rudely dropped my spoon in my consommé as my voice rose when I demanded, “How dare you!”
“I dare very easily when I’ve finally gotten my sister back only for her to decide to do something rash and idiotic that might make me lose her again,” he replied.
I snapped my mouth shut as my throat completely closed at his words in a way it was a miracle I didn’t immediately start gasping for air.
“You’re going to come home with us,” Kristian decided. “You’re going to get to know my wife and my son and the child my wife now carries once he or she comes,” he went on and my gaze flew to Brikitta who was now blushing.