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weeks drying on the back of a cart or being bruised in the belly of a ship. It will be fresher and bring a correspondingly higher price.”
    “Boats and a harbor?” I questioned my father, ignoring Garrett and his soothing smile.
    My question clearly made my father uncomfortable, and his chin bunched behind his beard. He knew as well as I the threat another force on the water, no matter how small, would bring.
    “Trust, Tess,” he said. “Trust is expensive, especially with the history of—ah—your birth. The tracts of land we will receive will delve deep into Misdev. King Edmund deserves proper compensation.”
    Lips tight, I turned to Garrett. “And what will you gain from this, Prince Garrett?”
    Garrett, though, didn’t seem disturbed by my obvious ire. He sank down to a crouch before me.
    “Besides the satisfaction of knowing I’ve won a beautiful lady as my bride instead of an old hag with warts and an ugly nose?” he said as he took my hand. “Nothing. The boats and harbor will be managed by me only until such time as my brother becomes king after my father.”
    Beautiful lady ? I thought. I was a flat-chested, narrow-hipped woman who looked like she should be tending fires, not lounging before them. His flattery fell flat, pulling me into mistrust. My heart pounded as I caught a dark emotion flickering behind his eyes. Jealousy. Garrett was unsatisfied with being a second son. That was dangerous. No wonder his father was so generous with his land. He wanted Garrett out of his kingdom and safely settled.
    Garrett raised my hand to his lips, letting them linger a shade too long upon my fingers. My eyes jerked to his. A chill slid through me, and I struggled to not yank my hand away.
    This wasn’t right. None of it. But it wasn’t as if I wouldn’t be able to keep an eye on him. I would be queen after my parents; he would never be more than what he was now. With me, he would have at least the illusion of his own kingdom instead of a castle on the outskirts of his brother’s realm.
    I began a steady pull away from him, and annoyance flickered over Garrett as he was forced to let go of me or make it obvious I didn’t like his touch. “Then it’s settled?” he said, his tone light as he rose to stand over me. “Perhaps we can choose the boats tomorrow?” He smiled, but it no longer warmed my soul.
    “Tomorrow?” my father said haltingly.
    Garrett stood and drew me reluctantly to my feet. He was taller than I by half a head, outweighing me by several stone of sword-worked muscle. My heart gave a thump as I took in the faint scent of horse and leather, the familiar smell having lost all its comforting memories. “Everything is in place,” Garrett said. “I suggest we move the wedding up to circumvent any possible retaliation concerning the Red Moon Prophesy.”
    Shocked, my breath caught, and I reddened. How dare he speak so cavalierly of my private heartache? That burning-fool fantasy was the bane of my existence.
    “We can be married in place of the betrothal festival,” he continued. “All the important guests will be here.”
    “No,” came my mother’s faint protest. She had a peculiar expression, dismay and… guilt? “The wedding has been planned for the turning of the year. We have set arrangements for informal parties, teas, and joint excursions to provide time to become better acquainted. That you’re here early does not change our timetable. We have been fighting assassins for years, Prince Garrett. You are safe.”
    Garrett seemed unperturbed. “I insist,” he said softly, and I stiffened when his grip on my arm tightened and then relaxed. “I will send my guards with news of the changes. They will be faster on horse than your ships. I’m only thinking of my bride’s safety.”
    I stood stiffly beside him, disgusted at his impatience. He was thinking of my father’s ships and harbors, not me. Slowly I tried to pull away. They wouldn’t make me marry him if I didn’t want