“We played our hand too fast!”
Wood splintered on impact, bits of furniture splaying across the chamber. I watched as Darren threw another chair, half-drunk in rage. The ambassador had made his announcement that morning. The prince hadn’t taken it well.
“Darren—”
“Don’t.” His eyes flashed garnet. “Don’t you dare tell me to be calm when that gods’ forsaken villain is out there toying with us all like a fat cat and his mice, showing us ships only to call for more talk after all that we’ve done!”
“I wasn’t.” I reached out to place a hand on his shoulder, ignoring the surge of guilt as I watched. “I am with you.”
“What kind of man,” he seethed, “does something like this?”
The kind that wants to win. I bit down on my tongue. At least Darren’s bad news came in the morning.
Mine had come the night before. This was supposed to have been it. The final instrumental act to solve all of our problems—an alliance that would convince Blayne to surrender and give me time to talk Darren around to the truth.
I should have known I had strung too much of my hope on this. Now I was supposed to pray the “opportunity” paid off. And the irony was, had Darren’s and my roles been reversed, I was sure the prince would have found a way to solve it. Darren had always been better in strategy and command. It wasn’t my fault. Lowborns and mages weren’t raised to be leaders of men; princes preparing to be knights and the head of the Crown’s Army were.
By the time we had finished seeing to our things, the Langli home was a dark place to be. Duke Cassius had already seen to his men and set up his leaders during his absence.
Baron Langli was aghast at the number to feed. Like Darren, he’d expected the ships to be gone within the span of a week, attacking the Caltothian coast per the original alliance’s terms. “You expect me to run supplies to four thousand men?”
“You’ll do it,” Darren snapped, “and you’ll do it without question.” If he had to escort the ambassador to an angry king, he added, the baron could hold his complaints.
“Wait, Ryiah!”
I had just exited my chamber, supplies in hand, when Priscilla shoved me back, ignoring an outraged Paige as she cornered me inside.
“I will break down this door,” Paige roared, “if you do not unhand my lady this instant!”
“Give me a moment of your time, Ryiah,” the girl seethed. The door banged mercilessly behind us. Bam, bam, bam! “If any part of you respects me at all, if you can find it in your heart for even a second, give me two minutes.”
“Ten, nine—” The guard cursed loudly. “Gods blast it, one!”
“Paige… wait!”
The pounding stopped, and I looked to Priscilla expectantly, my arms braced against my chest.
“I want you to take me with you.”
I snorted. “Very funny.”
“I’m serious.”
“No, you are not.”
“Yes—” her eyes grew squinty, “—I am. Do not question me, you insolent lowborn.”
“That’s princess to you.”
“It would have been me.” Her lips pursed. “And then I would have been free. But no, I graciously stepped aside so you could swoop in and enjoy my place.”
“You didn’t step aside.” I shot her a look. “You fought me every step of the way.”
“See?” Priscilla pressed closer. “You aren’t as innocent as you think.”
I rolled my eyes. “Did you forget the vat of pig’s blood our first year? Or when you hog-tied me to a tree during our orientation in Combat? Or—”
“You survived.” Her expression grew bored. “I don’t care about our past, Ryiah. I want out of here. Now. Darren promised me a place in the Crown’s Army when we were married.” My insides squirmed. “And he’s going to honor it.”
“You’re not married.” My tone was cold. “He does not have to honor it.”
“My father won’t let me leave, Ryiah, not after I lost the engagement.” Her words were clipped. “He is convinced the only way to save our house embarrassment is to marry me off to the highest bidder.” Her voice soured. “At least with Darren I was promised time in a regiment. And as distasteful as that marriage might have been, I knew what I was getting. Not some ugly, old lord who would lock me away.”
I cringed inwardly, but outside I was not ready to relent.
“I told Father that, if I was such a blight, he should let me bring honor through our city regiment. You know what he said? He told me that role went to Merrick.”
Don’t do it. Don’t you dare feel pity for Priscilla.
But… was I really blameless? It wasn’t Darren she had fought so hard to keep; it was the freedom that would have come with his crown. If I had known then… Perhaps…
“Don’t you get it?” Priscilla thrust her face into mine. “I’ve always wanted to be you—well, the old you. You might have looked and smelled the part of a sheep herder—”