Esmeray stood with quite a struggle, anger and embarrassment burning through the Dane descendant’s veins as she glared at Aegir and Marella. She was unsteady on her feet, weakened from the birth. Four pups wriggled at the young woman’s feet as she glared at the rulers of Ranjord, both of whom had now each given her an earful. She was disgusted and irritated at their audacity to tell she, Esmeray, she was going to be packed off to Tarben. Like a piece of chattel! What was she, a pretty pawn to be auctioned off? Realm peace could go f/ck itself.
She waited for Aegir to finish. Then, Esma launched a tirade of her own. “Yes, yes, lock me up to rot, why don’t you. I don’t care if you want to sell me off! F/ck realmwide peace, we all know that sooner or later that’s going to break -”
“Yes, when Erik and Kublai find out that you despoiled yourself and our arrangement by daring to sleep with another man,” interrupted the queen. “As Aegir has pointed out, Esmeray - Tarben just incited a war with Sabertooth over something not so vastly different than what you have done with yourself. You not only cuckolded a soulmate tie, but you broke a peace betrothal. You do not see Yulla or Aegra doing the same thing. You don’t see us having these same problems with Sienna and Amaretto. For seas’ sake, Esmeray, you don’t see any other maiden from any other pack despoiling so much. Or at least, not since the folly of Hermes and Aurora, and the price paid in blood by both Tarben and Sabertooth.” This shut Esmeray up. She had never once thought of the possible repercussions dealt to Ranjord by her action, not before, during or after laying with Omen. “It’s not fair, I didn’t choose to be offered up like fresh meat to a random man,” she burst out, suddenly hating these children of hers that had complicated everything.

“Ice has a beauty, can’t be controlled!”