"I wasn't aware I had a choice," she countered.
"You cannot tell me you are still here because you feel yourself imprisoned," he said. "If you truly wished yourself free, you'd have fled with that trader."
Nyssa didn't blink.
And she didn't answer.
A slow smirk pressed on Bechmen's lips. "I imagine this all comes easy for you, doesn't it?" he asked.
"What?"
"The castle and the dresses," he noted. "People staring. Addressing you as Your Highness. Lavish quarters and all the riches that come with being royal."
"You say all those things as if they should entice me to submit easily to being entrapped here," she said. "As if I should welcome such things selfishly for myself while the people in my world become your slaves."
The carriage stopped.
Bechmen stood as the door opened, but he met her gaze before stepping out. "I'll say it again: You'll make a grand addition to our court, Miss Storn." He paused just outside of the carriage and held out a hand for her to take.
As she stepped out of the carriage, the breeze blew the hood off her head. Sunlight hit her cheeks, and she inhaled a deep breath of the ocean air.
She didn't realize every person within looking distance had paused to stare at her until she noted the silence of the yard.
Bechmen moved and reached for her hood, pulling it up over her head. "Fire for hair and heart," he muttered so only she could hear. "Hang on to that, Princess."
Nyssa ogled at the grand wooden doors that opened before them. The rounded courtyard was so much like her own that she had to force her feet to move when he tugged on her. The stone beneath her feet broke her heart, and all she could see in her mind was Aydra teaching her to dance in the yard while all their Belwarks watched.
She could see Aydra coming out the doors, dressed in one of her usual black linen day dresses, arms over her chest as she watched Dorian spin Nyssa in the grass. Only sixteen at the time, Dorian had run past her, pushing his way back into the castle and saying he would bring them a picnic to share. Aydra had laughed and reached for Nyssa's hands to pull her off the ground.
"I need you to do something about your brother's growth," Aydra said as Nyssa rose to her feet. "Perhaps break his legs or find a potion to stunt him. If he gets any taller this year, I won't know what to do with him."
Nyssa almost laughed, beaming at her sister as the sun hit her perfect ginger curls. "He was showing me a dance he'd made up."
"That was not dancing," she laughed. "Here—“ she held up her hands and reached for Nyssa. "I will show you dancing."
Nyssa eyed her sister. "You? But—“
"I can lead," Aydra assured her, and Nyssa smiled at the assurance in her features.
Nyssa met her hands and followed her lead. She stepped on her feet, but Aydra only laughed and instructed her in counting, telling her back or forward, and Nyssa hung onto her every word.
"You'll be attending banquets this year as an adult," Aydra said as they danced. "Are you ready for that?"
"No," Nyssa admitted.
Aydra smiled. "Neither was I," she said. "The Dreamers that will come to call on you—“ her eyes rolled, and Nyssa laughed. "It's exhausting, but you get used to it. Thankfully, it only lasts a few years with their throngs and then dwindles to a few favoritesyouhave chosen. The first rule is to not fall for the first one. Believe me, they'll all want to put you in lavish jewels and give you audacious gifts, and they'll all say they'll bed you softly and with love as you so deserve." She spun Nyssa around and pulled her back in. "They're all liars."
"I thought you liked men?” Nyssa asked.
A coy laugh came from Aydra's mouth. "I love men,” she bantered. "I love to watch them crawl on their knees as they offer me the world and work to make me scream."
Nyssa's cheeks heated at Aydra's words, knowing she had heard such noises coming from her sister's room. Aydra's hands squeezed hers, and she looked back up to her, only to find Aydra staring into nothing past her head.
"I wonder if there is anyone out there willing to sacrifice the world for love instead of offering it up for their own personal gain." Sadness flashed in Aydra's eyes, but it was gone in a blink, and Nyssa was left wondering if she'd imagined it.
Aydra slowed in the dancing as she met her gaze again.
"Remember, sister," Aydra said. "All of these men will want to give you the world. They'll tell you you deserve it. That on their arm, you could be the greatest Queen to ever take our kingdom. But do you want to know the secret they're hiding from you?"
