“Certainly, if I wanted to be selfish. But I think our marriage is the only thing keeping my father from declaring war on the Galantasa. He covets the north for its iron mines, and with everything that’s happening in the empire, it’s a perfect time for him to strike.”
Keriya nodded. Fidgeting with the ends of her sleeves, she asked, “How long have you known you’d have to marry her?”
“When Seba was born, King Wavewalker sent an emissary to my father seeking the union. He’d hoped it would soothe tensions between our two kingdoms.” He shook his head, turning the fish to cook its other side. “Guess it doesn’t matter now, does it?”
“It does if it’s preventing war,” she conceded. “If we can delay the states fighting each other, it gives Thorion and me more time to do our part.”
Thorion had a
