King Gaius stood on the castle balcony, looking down upon those gathered to hear him speak about his victory here in Auranos, a crowd of more than a thousand.
They were terrified of both him and his army that surrounded them, watching for any signs of trouble. Cleo drew the loose hood of her cloak closer to her face as she listened to this hateful man speak his lies and false promises with a smile on his face.
She was exhausted. All day and all night she’d stuck to the shadows of the walled palace city, now overrun by Limerian security. But no one paid much attention to a mere slip of a girl.
Whenever she began to lose faith, she touched the ring her father had given her for strength—her mother’s ring. The sorceress Eva’s ring.
Cleo’s kingdom had been torn from her. Her family was dead. She was alone. But she wasn’t ready to run yet. Nic and Mira hadn’t made it out of the castle in time. King Gaius had obviously extended his “generous” hospitality to them. They also stood on the balcony with him as Auranian representatives, looking pale and distraught but as brave as possible given the situation.
To see proof that they lived gave her a glimmer of hope that she could free them. She needed her friends at her side if she was going to come up with a plan to right what had gone so horribly wrong. It was her father’s last request.
Cleo refused to think she would fail.
Suddenly, she felt someone’s gaze hot on the side of her face. When she glanced to her left, her breath caught. Jonas Agallon, also cloaked, stood not a dozen feet from her. She feared he was about to raise an alarm when he touched his index finger to his lips.
The boy who had kidnapped her, imprisoned her, and let Prince Magnus know of her location so he could attempt to drag her to Limeros as a prisoner of war was telling her to keep quiet. To stay calm.
Cleo froze in place as he slid through the crowd, moving closer until he stood directly behind her.
“I mean you no harm,” he whispered.
She slowly turned to face him.
“I wish I could say the same.” She pressed the sharp tip of her dagger against his abdomen.
Instead of looking alarmed, he had the nerve to give her a small grin. “Nicely done.”
“You won’t be saying that when you’re bleeding to death.”
“No, I don’t suppose I will. You shouldn’t be here, your highness. You need to leave immediately.”
She glared at him and pressed her dagger closer to flesh to prove she wasn’t fooling around. “Says who? A Paelsian savage who pledges allegiance to the man who’s stolen my kingdom and destroyed my family?”
His jaw was tense. “No. A rebel who wants to bring an end to the King of Blood.” Ignoring the danger the dagger presented, he leaned forward to brush his lips against her ear. “One day very soon, be ready.”
She looked up at him with confusion as he slipped away from her. She immediately hid the dagger back under her cloak so no one would spot it. When she looked around again, Jonas was lost in the crowd.
“So you see”—King Gaius spoke loud and clear from his royal perch—“the future belongs to Limeros. And if you join me, it will belong to you as well.”
The crowd murmured with displeasure, but the king’s smile only grew wider.
“I know you’re concerned for the safety of your princess Cleiona. Rumors abound that she was killed. I assure you, that’s not the case. She’s safe and well and shall soon be my guest at the palace. Consider this an act of generosity to show that I am benevolent toward all Auranians during this transition.”
Cleo frowned with confusion. How could he say those things? She wasn’t his guest.
“We really have to stop meeting like this,” a hatefully familiar voice said. She looked to her right with alarm to see that Prince Magnus now stood next to her.
Before she could reach for her dagger again, two guards grabbed her arms and held her firmly in place. Prince Magnus drew closer and slid his hand under her cloak to locate her weapon. He eyed it with disinterest.
“Unhand me,” she demanded.
“Didn’t you hear my father?” Magnus asked with a glance up to the balcony before his brown eyes flicked to hers. “You’re cordially invited to be our guest. My father doesn’t take disappointment well, so I advise you to accept as gracefully as possible.” His dark brows drew together as he studied her. “I know this must be a very difficult time for you.”
She spat at him. “I will see you dead.”
He wiped the spit away, and then grasped her chin. His gaze turned to ice. “And I, princess, will see you at dinner.” He nodded to the guards. “Bring her in.”