A Kiss of Fire (A Kiss of Magic #2)(39)

Ariana had been sitting in front of the fireplace and she jumped to her feet at his arrival. He saw a brief flash of relief in her eyes before she schooled her features. Relief? Was she glad to see him?

Damn it of course she was! He had left her with nothing to occupy her mind. No books or stitchery or whatever it was she liked to do to occupy her mind and hands. Hadn’t he just been telling himself that she was a woman who would become easily bored with too much time on her hands? Cursing himself for a fool, he held out the cloak to her.

“I thought you might like to come outside.”

Again that wild flash of relief. Every time he saw it he wanted to kick himself in the head.

“I suppose,” she dissembled, taking the cloak from him. “If I must.”

He smothered a smile, though he could not say much as to whether or not she could see the expression in his eyes.

She swept the cloak about her shoulders and clasped it at her throat. She bent to slide her feet into the fur boots and this time, when he held his hand out to her, she did not blow him off as she usually did. She placed her hand gingerly within his.

He led her out of doors and instead of leading her to a saddled horse, he walked out of the courtyard with her and down the worn dirt road that led into the temple and away through the town. The ground was frozen solid, ruts and puddles having been frozen into place. He helped her step over each and every rough spot, sometimes just by holding her hands, others by lifting her by her slim waist and hopping her over the spot in question. This was the way they walked into town.

The town was a thick grouping of new and half-raised buildings. Over the two autumns since he had moved the temple, these businesses had cropped up, remaining convenient to the needs of the temple and the farms that surrounded it. The temple itself sat on acres of prime farmland, and had agreements with several farmers that they would work the fields for the temple and in exchange would be given a place to live the full annum, all of the fuel and food they would need, and a portion of any profit made by the crops. Add to that the protection of the temple guards and it was a very attractive offer to any farmer who was not willing to risk what a bad crop would mean for his family. A bad crop for one of the homesteaders could mean the difference between survival and starving to death. A bad crop for the temple farmers…well, the temple was still promised to feed them and see to their winter fuel.

It made for a good bargain all around.

So it had meant there was a need for close by businesses and the business owners were profiting nicely. Of course it was nothing compared to Capitol City, but it one day might rival that great city. It was his fondest dream that the Temple City, as it was being called, would one day be the hub of commerce and trade that Capitol City was.

One day.

That day was a long way off.

“So you have set aside land for town and cities?” she asked him. “Land that is not to be farmed?”

“Yes. For every twenty parcels there is a parcel of land set aside should they want to build a town and develop businesses there. There is also a parcel, usually a forested section, set aside strictly for hunting lands…so that we do not chase all of the game away in our efforts to farm the land.”

“That is very wise. Can anyone hunt on these lands?”

“Anyone on the surrounding parcels.”

“So it is like a hub and the farms are like the spokes of a wheel.”

“Exactly.”

She seemed impressed. “You have thought this through very carefully.”

“I have dreamed of what I would do if given lands to farm for many autumns. But finally, it reached a point where I could no longer afford to dream. Action was necessary.”

“And so you attacked us.”

“I tried to reason with you first.”

She was surprised at that. “You did?”

“With your predecessor and Hittite and Felone. They refused me.”

“My predecessor was my father. It does not surprise me that he would refuse you. He was very much against all things Kiltian. He would not even let me keep a Kiltianan horse, though I wanted one terribly.” She was quiet a moment. “Going to war with the Kiltians was one of the first things I did after I ascended to the triumvirate. I was so green…I had to act based on what Mason and Jutsin told me would be best.”

“Did you ever regret the choice?”

“Every day of the war I regretted it. I was…I was very angry with you for putting me in that position.”

“And are you angry now?” he asked.

A surprised expression flitted over her face. Then she admitted, “No. Now I understand you better. I no longer have the comfort of blind anger and hate.”

“You find hate and anger comforting?”

“I find them easier. It is easier to blame you than it is to blame ourselves for our own failings. We should never have been so selfish. I see that now. I am disappointed in Mason and Jutsin. They are usually so much more giving.”

“As you said, your father was the loudest voice. He was also the most senior member of the triumvirate. I’m certain Felone and Hittite were only bowing to his greater wisdom.”

“Which is what I did when I helped declare war. It all seems like it was such a waste. All those lives. And we ended up giving the land away anyway.”

“To be fair, I did ask for the whole of the Triagle Territory.”