by Tate James
Just that second of hesitation must have been all she needed, as she rushed at me with her blade extended. It was only by my own intuition that I dodged at the last second, causing her definitely sharpened tip to sink through my shoulder rather than my heart.
What happened next was all a bit of a blur.
Gritting my teeth, I wrenched myself off Gracelin's blade. She made a wild, animal sound of anger, but barely had time to lift her sword again before I'd smacked her wrist hard with the flat of my own weapon and forced her to drop it.
“What in the name of Gewalt is going on here?” Commander Hansel roared, snatching up Gracelin's blade and inspecting the bright red of my blood staining the tip. “These were all supposed to be blunt weapons!”
“Lady Gracelin,” Ty snapped in a voice like ice. “Explain yourself immediately.”
The pretty brunette gaped at our tutor in outrage. “Explain myself? I have nothing to explain! I had no way of knowing my sword was sharpened! You handed them all out,” she accused Commander Hansel. “If anyone is to blame, it's you!”
Ty and the commander shared a long, loaded glance while I stood there clutching my shoulder and feeling blood stream down my shirt.
“I'm taking Lady Callaluna to the medical wing,” Ty said eventually in a voice that brokered no arguments. “I trust you can score these remaining tests without me?” Hansel gave a short nod, and Ty turned to me. “Are you okay to walk, or shall I carry you?”
“It's my shoulder, not my feet, Ty,” I snapped, the pain making me angry. “Just point the way.”
His eyes narrowed at my waspishness, but a small smile played at his lips as he ushered me to the arena exit. “Gewalt save me,” he breathed, invoking our god of war as we made our way back to the main palace. “You'll cause me a heart attack before these trials are over, Lo. I can already tell.”
I snorted a laugh, finding the whole situation suddenly ridiculous. “At least your last days will be exciting,” I offered, chuckling and then groaning as pain radiated through my shoulder once more.
Ty sighed and gripped me around the waist while we walked, looking like he was supporting me, but it felt a whole lot more like he just wanted to touch me. “Lee's going to kill me for getting you hurt. Prepare yourself for some fussing.”
11
The mention of Lee had my stomach all in knots of nervous excitement the whole way to the medical bay, but I was disappointed to find just a stern-faced old woman attending.
Ty was shooed away almost as soon as we got there, too, so I had to endure a full hour of stitches and potent-smelling ointments alone before I was permitted to leave, myself.
The nurse had warned me while I was undergoing her care that the herbs used on my wound would likely make me drowsy, but I really didn't understand the full effect of her warning until I was leaving dinner that night.
Just like the night before, we'd each been handed a flute of sparkling wine before the meal began. Even though this time we knew what to expect, it didn't make it any easier to see one of the kingdom's sweethearts writhing and foaming at the mouth as she died a painful death by poison.
Thankfully, I was spared the added stress of being seated with the princes this time, as they'd been given seats amongst the other ladies. Presumably the idea was that they'd “get to know” different girls each night, even if it did feel like at least one of them was staring at me for the entire meal.
I barely ate my food that night, which was unheard of for a kid from the Pond, but every bite I took made me feel physically ill. The girl who'd died had been my first sparring partner of the day, so I couldn't help but feel I'd let her down. I could have taught her so much more, but I was more concerned with keeping my own secrets.
It was a rough shove in my injured shoulder as all of us left the dining hall after the royals that jolted me from my depressive thoughts and caused me to cry out.
“Next time I won't miss,” Gracelin hissed in my ear as she shoved me again into the wall. “You don't belong here, Callaluna. Everyone knows it too.”
With that unimaginative threat, the curvy aristocrat stalked away with her nose in the air, leaving me shaking my head and wondering how in the name of Aana I’d ended up in this situation. It took all my willpower not to follow after her, grab her by the hair, and smack her perfect face into the stone wall... but that wouldn't be ladylike. Would it?
“You look lost in thought,” Ty murmured, seeming to pop out of thin air and almost startling me. Almost. “How's your shoulder?”
“Fine,” I replied, yawning a little and waving a hand to dismiss his concerns. “I've had worse.”
Ty made a low sound in his throat and narrowed his green eyes at me. “You have?”
“Huh?” I blinked up at him, my head suddenly swimming with fatigue. “I meant...” Crap, dammit Rybet. Focus! “I meant it could have been worse. If she'd been stronger or better with a blade.”
The combat tutor nodded slowly, and I could tell he wasn't totally convinced by my cover-up. Zryn's balls, what did I care? I got the feeling that Ty, or even Lee for that matter, wouldn't go running to have my head cut off even if they did find out I was an imposter.
Not that I should be taking unnecessary risks, nonetheless.
“I'm just crazy sleepy all of a sudden,” I admitted to him, feeling every bit the delicate lady I was playing.
He frowned, his eyes scanning my face before he nodded sharply. “I'd better see you to your room then. I've already caught enough bitching from Lee about letting you get hurt during combat today. Gods save me if he found out I left you alone in this state.”
I snickered at the idea of lovely, sensitive Lee yelling at musclebound Ty. “That's sweet of you, thank you.”
He grunted at that, clearly not accustomed to being called sweet. “Yeah well, it's not totally selfless. I sort of have a little bit of a crush on you, Lo.”
“Oh?” I teased, feeling all kinds of girlish excitement at this confession. “I thought this morning you wanted to kick my ass.”
He barked a loud laugh as we came within sight of my door. “I still want to kick your ass, Lo. But your fighting skills only made me want to get to know you more.”
We'd reached my room, and I paused with my back resting against the door as I peered up at the big soldier, unwilling to end this moment of honesty so soon. But guilt nibbled at my gut, souring the fizzy tingles he caused with his words.
“Ty,” I started, chewing my lip. “I know you and Lee are friends...”
“We are,” he agreed. “He, Zan, and myself have been friends for a very long time.”
I nodded. “Right, so I just wanted to be upfront and tell you that he kissed me last night. So whatever is happening here...” I indicated between the two of us and shrugged.
Ty's brows shot up in surprise, and I instantly regretted saying anything. I'd just kind of assumed Lee had told him already, since they were such great friends.
“Lee kissed you?” he repeated, and I nodded. “Interesting. That's against the rules.”
I bit my lip, trying to squash the panic rising inside me. Had what Gracelin said been true? Would these gorgeous tutors be executed if the princes found out? Surely Ty wouldn't say anything; Lee was his friend.
Sucking in a breath, I braced myself for what he might say next. “Ty, you won't—”
The rest of my question was cut off abruptly by the crush of his lips against mine. Stunned, for a moment I was motionless. Then my wits caught up to me, and I threw caution to the wind. If Ty wasn't concerned with these “rules,” then who was I to judge?
Reaching up with my good hand, I grabbed onto the back of his strong neck, pulling him down closer to me as my mouth opened to allow him entry. He needed no further coaxing as his tongue met mine in a frenzy of motion, engaging with me in the same passionate way that we'd fought one another in the practice arena. It was hurried and heated and every molecule of my being seemed to warm with his touch.
I was like a
woman possessed as I pulled Ty closer, feeling the heat of his body through my thick, layered evening gown. Once again, I cursed the Darkness for regressing women's fashion so badly that I was almost entirely covered from neck to ankle in fabric. Sleeves, it had seemed, had been necessary to cover my bandages for dinner.
“I should go,” Ty finally said, panting as he pried his lips from my own, “before the bedroom behind this door becomes too tempting to resist.”
Drowsy from the pain medication and filled to overflowing with lust, I opened my mouth to invite him in. But one thing stopped me.
Lee.
“Don't worry about Lee,” Ty ordered me, like he could read my mind. Or maybe just my guilty face. “I'll have a chat with him and let him know that he's not the only one who knows how to break rules.”
“Ty, that's not—” I protested, but a quick, bruising kiss made me forget the rest of that sentence.
“I'll see you around, Lo,” Ty promised me, throwing me a sexy wink as he hurried back down the corridor, and then he disappeared from sight.
For a long time, I stood there, sagged against the door with my fingertips pressed to my lips. One thing was for damn sure, I was the furtherest thing from queen material right now. Even if my orphaned upbringing could have been ignored.
Snorting a laugh to myself, I turned the door handle and let myself into the ornate guest rooms.
“Hey.” Jules came rushing out of the bedroom the second I had closed and latched the front door. “How was it tonight? Did they...” She trailed off, pulling a face that I assumed was meant to represent death by poisoning.
“Uh-huh.” I nodded, flopping down on the overstuffed couch, then groaning at the spike of pain through my shoulder. “I never thought much of our monarchs... but I never expected this.”
Jules sighed heavily and sat beside me, taking my wrist in her hands and starting to work on the multitude of satin-covered buttons running up the inside of the sleeve. “I think a lot of people would be shocked if they knew what was going on here. It’s probably a good thing one of the princes will be ascending soon.” She paused, her lips pursed. “But do you think they'll be any better?”
“Based on what I've seen of them so far?” I wrinkled my nose and grimaced. “I honestly don't know. I hope so, for the good of Teich. But I doubt they’ll change if a raging bitch like Gracelin becomes queen.”
Jules snorted. “Never going to happen, babe. It'll be you or no one.”
“Me who? Rybet Waise, Pond orphan? Or Lady Callaluna, imposter?” I rolled my eyes and grinned. “Yeah, that'll be the day. I just need to make it out alive and then disappear.”
“Something else is bothering me,” Jules pondered aloud as she helped me maneuver my injured shoulder from the dress. “Why now? Why are the king and queen suddenly willing to abdicate for one of their sons and a girl chosen through a series of ridiculous tests? They're not old or ill...”
“I wondered the same thing,” I admitted. “I have a theory about it, but it's just a feeling more than anything.”
Jules sat back and gave me a stern look. “I'm not stupid enough to ignore your feelings, Ry. Spill it.”
I hesitated a moment, considering how crazy this would make me sound. But this was Juliana. She already knew I was walking the thin line of abnormal.
“Okay, so I think it's to do with the balance of magic. Our royals are supposed to have more than just magic of their own. They're supposed to hold the balance for the entire kingdom, right?” I paused to check that she was still with me. I loved her to pieces, but she really wasn't the brightest star in the sky. “Well, that's not exactly what these royals are doing for us, is it?”
Jules shook her head, frowning slightly but seeming to follow. “No, they have their own magic, but the rest of the people lost theirs. Not to mention the Darkness. But they saved us from the plague in the end.”
“Barely.” I snorted. “And that was the young princes, not the king and queen.”
My friend's eyes widened, and her brows rose. “You think they don't have enough magic to keep the land alive? So they're... passing the job to one of their sons before anyone sees them fail?”
I shrugged. “Maybe? Haven't you heard about what's been happening in the Wilds?”
“Yeah, the fact that it's turned from wild jungle to barren wasteland overnight? It's being talked about a lot in the Pond at the moment. You think that has to do with the land's magic?”
“Don't you?” I arched a brow at her. “Anyway, that's as far as I’ve gotten on my theory, not that it really helps us at all. Hey, I was thinking I might try to get down to the dungeons and check on Flick.” Jules seemed to freeze at my suggestion, and I rolled my eyes. “Don't worry, I won't be stupid and get caught. I just think I might know someone with access to the dungeons.” My mind wandered to Ty and that explosive kiss we'd just shared.
“I don't think that's a good idea, babe,” Juliana replied, shaking her head. “Whoever this person is, you can't trust them. You can't trust anyone here.”
I frowned. “So, what? We just leave him down there for three weeks thinking he's going to be executed? Or that no one cared enough to try and save him? He's just a kid, Jules!”
“No, that's not what I meant,” she rushed to disagree. “Look, just... leave it to me, okay? I'll get a message to him and make sure he's okay. They don't watch servants anywhere near as closely as they watch you ladies.”
“I hope you're speaking figuratively,” I murmured, thinking about my less than appropriate rendezvous with both Lee and Ty. Then again, did I really care? I faced possible death every night at dinner just for being a competitor in the Royal Trials. I may as well enjoy myself along the way.
Jules poked me in the good arm. “So we're agreed then? I'll handle Flick and make sure he's okay; you just stay alive long enough to find a way out of this mess.”
“I suppose,” I reluctantly agreed. “This week seems easy enough so far. At least I have combat nailed, and I can’t imagine history, or whatever it is, is all that difficult.”
Jules beamed. “That's the attitude! You'll be Queen Callaluna in no time! Or... Queen Rybet? Yeesh, you might need to pick a new name, girl. That was just a nickname Bloodeye gave you anyway, wasn't it?”
Scowling, I whacked her with the back of my hand and stood up to shed the heavy dress. “Come on, servant. Let's see if we can order some late-night snacks from the kitchen. I could barely eat at dinner.” My jaw cracked with a heavy yawn. “And then bed. Yes?”
“You got it, Your Majesty,” Jules teased, making her way to the door and throwing me a cheeky wink over her shoulder. Smartass.
12
The looks I got from the other ladies as I entered the library were nothing short of horrified. Apparently tight leather pants and a tailored, sapphire-blue shirt were not considered acceptable attire for a lady in a library.
Whatever. I'd woken up aching and sore from the combat class the day before and was in no mood to navigate skirts. Just because I'd worn a couple of pretty dresses lately didn’t suddenly make me a professional at skirtsmanship—this, I was aware, wasn't a word. But it should be.
“Politics, intrigue, and etiquette,” announced our tutor for the day—Zan. It was the same guy who had walked in on Ty massaging my arm at lunch time in their sanctuary, and I flushed with embarrassment as his gaze swept over me. “That is what you'll be learning with me. You have two classes, as you do in all of this week's subjects, and today's will focus on both politics and etiquette.”
My stomach sank to my feet as I noticed almost every lady in the room sitting up a bit straighter, like they were excited for this class. Not so much me.
Combat was a subject I’d known I'd excel in. It came as easily to me as walking or breathing. As for botany and alchemy, we all seemed to be on the same footing, and I could fairly much trust my instincts to make it through that class alive. But politics? Etiquette? I was so doomed.
“This morning, I will be presenting
you with a series of portraits of some of the kingdom's most frequent guests. I'll show you what they look like and tell you their name, title, and country of residence. You must memorize these for your test this afternoon.” His dark, serious gaze swept the room, and I gnawed at my lip with nervousness. His eyes were so dark they almost looked black from where I sat. It was more than a little unnerving.
“At the end of my session this morning, you'll be allowed some time to yourselves to conduct your own research here in the library. I expect you all to find at least one interesting fact that you could use as a conversation opener with each dignitary. Your test will comprise of a mock introduction wherein you curtsey, greet them by name, and begin a polite conversation to show you have done more than simply memorize their face.” Zan tapped a small device against his palm, waiting for his words to sink in and be understood. Or that's what I assumed his dramatic pause was for, anyway.
“If you're all comfortable, we shall begin.” He aimed his device at the ceiling, from which a large screen dropped down, and the first image of a rotund man in a velvet suit appeared. I marveled at the technology, which had to be a carryover from before the Darkness. much like how most of the city still operated running water and functional sewerage within their homes.
“Duke Gobardlian of Richtenstein,” Zan began, pointing up at the more-than-life-sized image of the duke. Somehow, Zan's rich, warm voice made even this utterly dry subject seem engaging, and throughout the next sixteen images—two for each of the seven kingdoms, plus Teich—I didn't lose my focus once.
I did sort of wish we'd been given a pen and paper to take notes, but given that the whole point was an exercise in rapid memorization, it would have defeated the purpose somewhat.
