The Princess of Ash novel · Chapter 10 of 24

Chapter 10: The King Comes

My father rode up the mountain road at dawn, under a white flag, with forty horsemen and Lord Hask at his side.

We saw them from the wall, a thin black line on the grey pass.

Auren had been in dragon form in the courtyard since first light, waiting for the sun to clear the ridge.

Now he stood beside me on the battlements, a man again, with his hands braced on the stone.

His shoulders were shaking.

"He came for the corpse," I said.

"He was sure the cup would work.

"He came to claim his daughter's widow's portion, and his daughter."

"Stay here," said Auren.

"No."

"He is under the law of salt.

"If he asks bread at my gate, I cannot touch him until it is eaten."

"Then eat slowly," I said, and went down the stairs.

They were in the great hall within the hour.

Dragon-kin stood along both walls, and the Speaker sat at the high table with his iron staff across his knees.

My father came up the long black floor in his pale blue velvet, with his gold circlet on his head.

He did not look at the walls or the faces or the crack in the stone floor where the poisoned jug had fallen.

He stopped in front of the dais and looked at me.

It was the first time he had looked straight at me in eleven years.

"Thessaly," said King Berengar.

"You look thin."

"Father."

"This has gone on long enough.

"A foolish quarrel between your husband's people and mine.

"You will come home."

I felt Auren come up beside me, silent and enormous.

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