Reyr the Gold (Dragonwall Series # 2)

Chapter 38 - A Blunder of Words

Kastali Dun

Claire's eyes widened when she looked at the contents of the box King Talon had given her as a truce gift. "It belonged to my mother, Queen Ahlessa." His voice sounded far away to her. While he spoke, her gaze remained fixed upon the box's contents. "I want you to have it now."

A diamond and sapphire necklace lay in folds of black silk, glittering up at her. Each sapphire was the size of a coin, a quarter perhaps, with perfectly cut facets that glistened with dark blue shadows. The sapphires, of which there were six, were held in place with a pave of diamonds.

She ran her fingertips over the kingly gift, completely unsure; this jewelry was a gazillion times more extravagant and more valuable than any piece of jewelry she had ever owned. Part of her felt unable to accept something so lavish, so superfluous. Yet, how could she refuse when the king looked at her like he was now? His gaze was eager, but his body was tense. She caught the way his arms were held tightly to his sides, as if this moment created undue suspense.

She managed to find her voice. "I—I hardly know what to say, Your Grace. I can't imagine what it was like to lose your mother...I know she meant a great deal to you. Thank you for such a meaningful gift. I will cherish it."

"You—you like it then?" He still appeared tense.

"I'm smitten with it. Yes, I like it very much. Thank you." She offered him a warm smile.

He exhaled and leaned back against his chair. "Good...good. That's good."

Once more, she looked down at the jewels, admiring them.

"I thought it would look well with your blue gown," he added, reclaiming her attention. "There were no jewels about your neck yesterday. A gown like that ought to be worn with jewels—with those jewels there." He glanced at the necklace before his eyes returned to hers.

She released her breath slowly, turning chaos into order as she got a grip on her emotions. "It's an incredibly thoughtful gift, Your Grace. You impress me. You could have merely gone to a jeweler and purchased whatever you liked. Instead, you picked something that holds great meaning to you." Her words earned a flicker of a smile. A stray thought occurred and she added, "So...you really weren't angry about the color of the dress? We do not share blood..."

"Lady Claire, I have taken you under my protection," he said, growing serious. "You are my ward. You may wear whatever color you like. But I do admit I took pleasure in seeing you wear that color specifically."

"Then you would not mind more of the same?"

"Hardly." The side of his mouth turned up. "Now, we ought to eat before the food gets cold. I have already taken up enough of your time." And just like that, he was King Talon once more—all formal politeness and unreadable visages.

King Talon stood and began to carve the large bird in front of them. He placed a chunk of meat on her plate and then set about getting some for himself. She began dishing up several items including sweet potatoes, mushrooms in a cream sauce, caramelized carrots, and golden buns. It almost felt like Thanksgiving. Thoughts of the holiday reminded her of her family. For a moment her face fell, but King Talon's voice immediately drew her mind away. He was likewise finished dishing up his food and had begun to eat.

"It occurred to me last week while I was in Lincastle," King Talon said, "that you would have taken a fancy to the market there. It is a coastal city, you know, much like ours." He then went on to tell her much about his time there and what progress had been made with the Gobelin raids. She was taken aback by his openness, especially regarding his private war efforts. King Talon was finally giving her what she wanted. Whether he realized it or not, he was giving her an opportunity to be included. A flicker of a smile threatened to break free when she thought of it, but she dared not smile while he spoke of such important topics.