“Kieri—excuse me, Sir King, but this is madness. This is your realm now. That’s in your past.”

“I’m responsible,” Kieri said. “By Falk’s Oath, I cannot ignore my part in whatever he does.”

“But your duty’s here—”

“Yes, until I’ve sired my replacement,” Kieri said. “I’m not planning to storm off tomorrow, after all. But in time—” Now that he had time, having learned of his half-elven heritage … barring accidents or illness, he could expect at least another seventy years of vigorous life and a slow aging after that. By their standards, he was now in the prime of life.

“Well, then,” Garris said. “You’d best get to courting, don’t you think?” He picked up the maps and schedules and left the room, his shoulders stiff with disapproval. Kieri stared after him. He had not expected that reaction … yet when he thought about it … about leaving his father’s and sister’s bones to go to Aarenis … the weight of his inheritance dragged at his earlier determination.

Orlith was his next visitor. Surely, Kieri thought, he would not bring up marriage.

“The Lady was pleased with the taig’s response to you during the Midsummer ceremonies,” Orlith said. “She suggested that I advance your training.”

“I see,” Kieri said. “And in what way?”

“She saw you talking to one of the younger elf-maids,” Orlith said. “But it appeared you did not understand the maid.”

“I think I did,” Kieri said.

Orlith smiled, a particularly superior smile. “She liked you,” he said. “She made you an offer of marriage. The Lady had permitted it; the taig approved. You did not understand—”

Kieri put up his hand. “Yes. I understood she found me attractive and might consent to marry.”

“And you did not—”

“She is my mother’s age—the age my mother would have been,” Kieri said, trying to keep his voice level. “I cannot marry … someone like that.”

“She is very young for an elf—”

“I understand. She told me.”

“Which was a great honor and a compliment to you.” Orlith folded his lips in and crossed his arms. “I tell you, you did not understand. It would fix the taig-sense in your line for generations.”

“Is that why the Lady did not let me approach her?”

“The elf-maid?” Orlith’s brows arched high.

“No,” Kieri said, trying to control his voice. “Herself. Was the Lady keeping me away to force me to talk to the elf-maid?” If Orlith wasn’t using her name, neither would he.

Orlith’s mouth tightened. “I doubt the Lady ‘kept you away’ but merely had no need to speak to you at that time.”

“I had a need to speak to her, as I have had these past tens of days, as you know. I have invited her repeatedly; I asked her to come early the first night of Midsummer—”

“She had, doubtless, more urgent matters than yours.”

Kieri felt anger rise and pushed against it. “She is my co-ruler; she has responsibilities to the realm.”