To Love a Prince (Knights of Valor Book 1)(29)
Burying the strange feelings, Eli held Auburn close as he kept his face expressionless. He breathed in the exotic scent of her, letting it soothe the ache in his chest as he twirled a lock of her hair around his finger.
He stared at the copper strands and bit back a curse. The last thing he needed was emotion clouding his judgment. Prince Eli prided himself on his cool detachment, and it annoyed him that he was struggling to maintain it.
Forcing himself to concentrate on the issues at hand, he thought again of everything he knew about Fredrick and Premal. Eli was certain the two were connected, but he hadn’t figured out how.
That worried him. If Fredrick was plotting something, Eli’s informants should have already learned about it. But his cousin’s machinations had caught the prince off guard, and that worried the prince more than anything. Intrigues rarely surprised Eli. He’d survived the game too long for that.
After his mother’s assassination, his father and been so consumed by grief that he hadn’t protected Eli from the worst of court politics. Without meaning to, King Garrett had thrown his son into the game. Prince Eli had been far too young, he’d learned quickly, and he played to win.
A key component of winning was understanding your opponent, what they wanted, and how far they’d go to get it.
Eli had learned none of that about Premal or Fredrick. With Tamryn across the sea, it was almost impossible to learn more about Fredrick. Premal, however, was a different matter. Eli may not have spent a lifetime cultivating an information network in Qumaref, but there were still ways to learn things.
While the prince wouldn’t be able to hide his intelligence gathering from Premal, Eli could use that. There were mundane ways to discover a great deal. Records of taxes paid, shipping manifests, merchant documents. Given what he knew about Premal, the more the sultan’s adviser had to hide, the more aggressive he’d become if Eli’s informants got too close to discovering anything.
It risked Premal’s wrath, but the game had already escalated to assassination attempts.
As Eli considered his plan from several angles, Auburn slipped off the sofa and glided across the room to pour two large glasses of water. After taking a sip of one, she nodded and crushed fresh mint leaves into each. Gathering up several plump pieces of ripe fruit, she placed them on a tray and brought them back to him.
Eli took a glass of water and drank. There was little he could do about Premal that evening, but he could hone skills that might be useful later.
“Up for helping me work on learning more of the Qumarefi language?” Eli asked as Auburn settled beside him.
“I’d be happy to help.”
“I see you’ve been reading my books. Tell me what you think about the ones on Qumaref.”
“What I think?”
“You’re educated, insightful, and well versed in the realities of Qumarefi royal society. I can think of no one better to offer a critique on them.”
Her cheeks colored.
“Is my assessment incorrect?”
“No, but no one’s ever said such things to me.”
“Then they’re fools.” He thumbed over her lush lips as she curled up in his arms.
The scent of her intoxicated him, and the heat of her teased his flesh and ignited a desire he hadn’t imagined himself capable of feeling. He shifted and resettled her to hide the evidence of the effect she had on him.
She discussed one of his books in her native language, and as he listened to her, Eli appreciated again what a perfect companion she was. Intelligent, kind, and insightful, she even knew how to disagree with him in a way that made him listen.
She’d be an excellent adviser if he could keep an emotional distance from her. Yet, as she sat beside him, he could think of little other than his need for her. He wanted to carry her to the bed and feel her warm, soft and yielding beneath him. See her face overwhelmed with pleasure as she cried his name.
He caged the thoughts, but that was becoming increasingly difficult. His iron will was being tested, and he wasn’t sure how much longer it would hold. He fought for what he wanted, and the only thing stopping him from getting it was that he wanted Auburn to be happy.
He knew how much the promise of a son meant to her. She deserved a good husband to give her that child even if that husband ended up being a Knight of Valor. Auburn could do a lot worse than someone that would care for her and protect her.
But would a Knight love her? Put her needs above all else when he’d already devoted himself to Dracor? Eli didn’t know, but the thought of another man even kissing Auburn made his chest constrict and his fists ball. He was terrible at denying himself what he wanted, and up until now, it hadn’t been a problem.
The prince swallowed back the emotional maelstrom and reminded himself he was supposed to marry Lady Daniella. Not only would it be a good political match, but the prophecy said Duke Calloway’s daughter would become the next queen. The duke had only one living child, legitimate or otherwise, and Eli had used his spy network to make sure of it. Last thing he’d wanted was for his plans to fall apart because of a bastard no one knew existed.
Eli would make his mother’s sacrifice to mean something. Unless Dracor chose another before then, he’d take the throne and rule Tamryn when his father died. Eli had spent half his life maneuvering to make that happen. He’d further his claim by marrying Lady Daniella and leveraging the nobility’s belief in the prophecy and Duke Calloway’s political clout.