"You made Darren carry you to the infirmary." The words fell from my lips before I could stop them. I immediately regretted it. Why – why did I say that?
Priscilla narrowed her eyes. "Oh, I see what this is about." She twisted her lips in a small, cruel smile. "Ryiah, I am sorry you still harbor that sentiment – but please do try to move on. It makes me uncomfortable to see you pining for my betrothed after all this time."
My fists clenched. "Darren and I are just friends."
"And that's all you'll ever be." She scowled. "Whatever happened back at the Aca-"
"What is this? Have you second-years no respect for your study? I demand an explanation at once!"
Priscilla paused as Master Byron came barreling toward the back of the room, his face livid with anger as he fixated on the three of us. His frown was particularly poignant.
"It was Apprentice Ryiah, sir!"
Ella's and my jaw dropped in blatant disbelief.
"I tried to stop her, sir, but she kept complaining about her injury and whining that Darren didn't carry her to the infirmary!"
My cheeks flamed as the non-heir – who had been immersed in a history scroll just moments before - whipped his head around to stare.
"I was doing no such thing!" I avoided Darren's gaze as I turned to face the Master of Combat. "I would never say that." I hoped the prince would hear my emphasis.
"And why would I believe a troublemaker over the soon-to-be wife of our noble prince Darren? Are you suggesting I should distrust the Crown's future princess?"
My mouth soured at Master Byron's obvious discrimination and I forced myself to exhale slowly. Ian had not been exaggerating the man's bias: Byron had lived as a palace mage for several years before taking over the apprenticeship training – already a classist highborn, and a sexist, he was the last thing we needed for our study.
"Ryiah isn't lying, sir." Ella stood and put her hand on my shoulder in a show of support.
"You aren't a source of veritable truth either, Eleanor."
"It's Ella," Ella said through clenched teeth.
The master scoffed. "That is of no consequence. I expect the two of you to assist Apprentice Ian with the cleaning of the barrack privies during your evening hours for the remainder of this week. A small price for interrupting the rest of your classmates' study. It is my hope that the extra duty will illuminate the error of your ways." He gave a loud, exasperated sniff. "Though I suspect it will not. Now, pay attention to the rest of the Commander's address or I will see to it that you never have free time again."
Silently fuming, I forced myself to sit tall in my seat and focus on the regiment leaders at the front of the room. Beside me Ella did the same. Now was not the time to complain. Despite the drama just moments before both of us really did want to hear what the Commander and her regiment leaders were saying. Unlike the lessons we'd had back at the Academy, these officials' information was formed entirely by firsthand experience.
Today's topic was continuing a three-week lecture on chariot combat – what the desert regiments were famous for.
Ishir Outpost was located at the northernmost boundary of the Red Desert, which encompassed the entire southern region of Jerar. The city and the rest of the desert's border were made up entirely of tall desert bluffs and steep crags with only one man-made gate allowing travel between the desert and the rest of the country. The desert's tall, rocky walls overlooked the middle plains and provided perfect vantage points for the Crown's Army in the event of a full-scale invasion on the capital, Devon. Mostly, the desert's local regiments serviced the walls as lookouts. There hadn't been a war between Jerar and its northern neighbor Caltoth in over ninety years.
Since the start of our training in Ishir I had learned that at the base of this wall were several hidden tunnels interspersed every fifty miles or so to help the central plains evacuate and give the Red Desert's regiments easy passage out. According to palace historians, no country had ever attacked Jerar's capital due to the threat just south of it.
Because of the desert tunnels and the plains' level ground, one of the first things the Crown's Army had done was order up several hundred two-manned chariots to be stored in all of the desert's northern cities – ready to be used for swift-assault should the need arise.