The Winner's Kiss by Marie Rutkoski Read Free Book Online

about a hand? At least some fingers. Arin, where’s your hospitality?”
    Arin, laughing, embraced his friend.

    He choked on his first lungful of smoke. “This is vile.”
    â€œI told you you’d like it.” Roshar bit the stem of his pipe, lighting the tobacco. He shook the match out. For a few moments, he smoked in silent contentment. Both the silence and the contentment were, in Arin’s experience, rare for the prince. “Try it again,” Roshar said, “or I’ll think you’re rude.”
    Arin, ignoring him, went to open a window. Sweet warm air washed into his father’s study.
    â€œArin,” Roshar complained. “Shut the window. I’m cold. Why is your country so damned
cold
?”
    â€œIt’s summer.” The first day of the season, which Valorians celebrated as Firstsummer, had already passed.
    Roshar shuddered. “I want to go home.”
    â€œWhat
are
you doing here?”
    â€œAdmit it. You missed me.”
    Arin looked at him. Softly, he said, “I did.”
    The prince squinted at him through a cloud of smoke. “You seem better.”
    Arin frowned, leaning against the casement. “I wasn’t aware that I seemed all that bad.”
    Roshar snorted. “As one of Dacra’s royal line and educated in the finest points of grace and discretion, I shall pass over any description of exactly how you were when you set your no-good, illegal foot in my city.” Roshar eyed him closely, then his gaze wandered to the sword that Arin had unbuckled and slung by its belt over the back of a chair when they’d entered the study. “What happened to your dagger?”
    â€œGone.” Arin had dropped Kestrel’s dagger into the sea.
    Roshar toyed with his pipe. “As for why I’m here, the queen thought that you could use someone with authority.”
    â€œI’ve been managing fine.”
    â€œSo I understand. Xash is impressed. Also, he hates you. But your delightful little power struggle is moot now that I’m here and outrank you both. Don’t I?”
    Slowly, Arin said, “Of course.”
    Roshar smiled. “The queen sends her greetings.”
    Arin was silent.
    â€œHoping for something a little more friendly? Well”—Roshar’s voice went sly—“
you
know how she is, don’t you?”
    Arin flushed. “I think we should discuss possible scenarios for a Valorian attack.”
    â€œBoring.”
    â€œWe don’t have time for—”
    â€œOh! Oh! The Valorians are battering down the door
right now
. We have to
do something
.”
    â€œYou can go home now.”
    Roshar settled comfortably into his chair. “Speaking of Valorians, I hear that Lady Kestrel and Prince Verex married in secret. Yes, word has it that they were so consumed with passionate love that they disappointed hundreds of wedding guests with a private ceremony right after the lady’s birthday at the end of spring. The amorous couple simply couldn’t wait.”
    Arin doubted that “passionate love” had much to do with it. He shook his head. “She wants the empire. She gets what she wants.”
    â€œThey’re on a lovers’ holiday in the southern isles.”
    Arin shrugged. His shoulders felt tight. Roshar didn’t appear to notice. “You
are
better,” said the prince.
    â€œCan we talk about the war now?”
    â€œWhat ever you want, little Herrani.”
    Arin unrolled a map and spread it across his father’s desk. They studied the western coastline, the cliffs and rocky shores that would offer the Valorians an opportunity for a surprise attack, and the beach, known as Lerralen, that led to flat land running right into the southern Herrani estates.
    When daylight had darkened and Roshar’s eyes grew slowly heavier, Arin realized that the prince’s gleeful needling had hidden a genuine fatigue from his journey. Arin told him