I couldn’t even begin to guess how many people waited below to celebrate their prince. He smiled and raised both of his arms in greeting and somehow the sound became louder. They were thrilled to see him.
Someone called out, “Princess Thalia!” and I waved and got my own set of cheers.
The crowd began singing a song I wasn’t familiar with.
“We just stand here and wave while they sing?” I leaned in to ask him.
“Yes. Not every part of this job is assassination attempts and defying death. Some of it is a bit boring.”
“I could stand a little boring,” I admitted and kept waving.
One song ended and a new one started. “They really love you,” I said.
“I’ve got men down there distributing gold. That helps,” he said with a wink that made my knees hollow out.
“You should be their king,” I said. And he would be if his father had bothered to tell anyone that he had never had sex with Erisa. “Why didn’t your father tell the council that Kyros wasn’t his son?”
“I’ve thought about that,” he said. “Perhaps he was embarrassed about being cuckolded. He was a very proud man, and he only told me about Kyros because he was drunk. I don’t think he would have wanted to admit it to anyone else.”
His father’s pride might possibly cost his son the kingship. I didn’t understand that.
Because your pride never stopped you from doing anything,that sarcastic voice of mine whispered. I ignored it.
“There was a story that my father used to tell me,” he said, “about a hero named Demophon. He was the son of a king and had to be smuggled out of the city because the king’s enemies wanted to kill him. The king told the queen that he had buried his sword under a massive boulder until Demophon was ready to return and claim his rightfulplace as heir. If Demophon was strong enough and determined enough, if he was truly worthy, he would figure out how to move the boulder and become king. I think my father wanted me to have to fight for my place as he had to. To prove that I was worthy of it.”
“There’s no one more worthy,” I told him.
He went silent as he studied me. “Thank you.”
I smiled shyly back at him and then turned to keep waving.
“Two worthy people with a vow between them, keeping them apart,” he said.
I had to ignore the way my heart leapt at his implication. “It isn’t just the vow I have to worry about. I’m prophesied to die.”
He dropped his hands. “What?”
It seemed that Io had truly kept her promise to me that she wouldn’t share anything with her brother unless I told her it was all right. I had thought for sure she would have shared the entire prophecy with him.
“We found a more complete version of the prophecy in one of your mother’s books, and Lysimache confirmed that it was correct. It said the savior of Ilion is fated to die. I’m supposed to wield the greatest weapon, endure a trial of the elements, and then die as a sacrifice to the goddess, which will save Ilion.”
His mouth dropped slightly and I saw so many emotions flitter across his face. Fear. Anguish. Concern. He looked as if this information devastated him.
I watched as he squared his shoulders, his expression resolute. “That proves you’re not the savior, then.”
“How so?”
“Because I would never let you die,” he said seriously.
That warm, loving feeling burned inside my chest again. That wasn’t hyperbole. Xander wouldn’t let me die if he could help it. I tried to make light of it. “Well, yes, because then you’d die, too.”
“That’s not why, Lia.”
I couldn’t let this happen. Couldn’t let these feelings come out. I had to pretend as if I didn’t understand what he was saying. “If Iwere gone, then you could marry Chryseis and get her father’s vote on the council.”
That had not come out quite as lighthearted as I had meant it to. Probably because I was still peeved about him kissing her, even if he had explained why he’d done it.
He gave me a knowing look, as if he understood exactly what I was doing, but played along. He said in a teasing tone, “Perhaps I’ve been soured on marriage.”
