“Oh, I see your confusion. In a manner of speaking, he put it all on just one,” the first man said.
One of the men drained his glass of wine and laughed. Then he leaned over to the girl, causing her to blush. “He’s not talking about money, darling.”
The men laughed while the girl pulled back and glared at the first man. “Don’t make me feel foolish. Just tell me.”
Turpis shook his head, “My bet isn’t necessarily one I made with coins, but I am betting everything on my target.”
Nikias’ nails dug into his palms. There was no doubt in his mind about who Turpis was referring to. It had been evident even back in Areator.
The first man said, “He’s talking about Commander Aimilia. They were in the same class together.”
A suspicious note crept into the girl’s voice. “If you’re not betting money on Commander Aimilia, what exactly are you betting? I wouldn’t have even known the two of you had been in the same class.”
Turpis scowled at that. “When Commander Aimilia wins, my payout is going to be in the form of a particularly powerful position. It’s going to be worth far more than just a few coins.”
The girl leaned forward, lowering her voice, and Nikias struggled to catch all of it.
“Wait, are you saying if she wins, she’ll marryyou?”
Turpis raised an eyebrow. “You make it sound like that’s shocking.”
The girl glanced around, and the Nikias shifted so Cyprian’s figure hid his face completely.
She said, “Of course, it’s surprising. Everyone saw how she and Prince Nikias arrived together. Not to mention how they were at the entrance exams together, even after she rejected him. And what my brother—he was one of the guards—told me about what happened when they traveled? Well, let’s just say it confirms every rumor I’ve heard about just howclosethey are. Everyone knows Prince Nikias is going to get what he wants, even if Commander Aimilia wins.”
Turpis laughed. “If Prince Nikias could get what he wants, Commander Aimilia wouldn’t be competing at all. Do you really think if they’d gotten as close as you’re implying she’d refuse him? His name isn’t on her neck or her wrist.”
The men laughed, and Nikias stared at his empty plate. He’d known that the last few months everyone had been talking about him and Aimilia; it was another thing to hear it.
A familiar burn settled over his skin, and Nikias wouldn’t have been able to look up even if he wanted to.
“His Highness doesn’t stand a chance. She rejected him in front of the entire court. If she was his she-wolf, that would havebeen insanity. And even after rejecting him so publicly, he’s still been chasing after her like a dog. It’s pathetic. I can’t believe he’s supposed to be the next king, carrying on the way he is.”
Cyprian tensed next to him, and Nikias could tell Cyprian was almost as offended as Nikias was.
“Commander Aimilia clearly doesn’t want him, and who would?”
Blood thundered in Nikias’ ears and his stomach turned, one of Nikias’ most hated feelings.
“You can hardly be surprised,” the girl said. “When Prince Nikias wants something, he doesn’t seem to rest until he gets it. I was in the class below Prince Nikias, so I didn’t see much of it, but everyone our age knew of the way he was with Faustina. If he’s determined to take another wife, how is it pathetic that he’s committed to it?”
Turpis laughed. “While it is possible he might simply enjoy the chase, I highly doubt that. You wouldn’t catch me trailing after a woman, begging her to marry me after she made me the laughingstock of the entire court. I was there when he proposed, and it was an absolute embarrassment for the royal family. Aimilia only impressed me all the more, humbling Prince Nikias like that. He’s always turned his nose up at everyone else. It was about time someone showed him he’s not as great as he would like us all to believe.”
“So why is he still hanging on to the edge of her chiton like a child?” one of the men asked.
Turpis said, “It’s because he knows that’s the only way he’s going to salvage this. The only way to make his humiliation go away is if he ends up the victor and bends Aimilia to his will. It’s the only way he can save his reputation. Otherwise, the only thing anyone will ever remember is the fact that she wouldn’t have him.”
Several of the men laughed. Nikias waited for someone to suggest maybe he had more pure motives, but it never came. The girl just shook her head and said, “I don’t understand why he set his eyes on her in the first place. She’s no Faustina.”
“Oh, don’t worry. Once this is over, Commander Aimilia will have her victory and I’ll have mine, and then Prince Nikias will have no choice but to go find someone else to replace his precious Faustina.” Turpis gestured to the girl and laughed. “Maybe you can vie for the position. You’re not nearly as beautiful as Faustina was, but at this point, I don’t think Prince Nikias can afford to be picky.”
The girl violently blushed and said, “Please, I’m not a commander.”
Turpis laughed. “Was Faustina?”
It had been clear what Turpis had been after, but at least Nikias had now heard it from his own mouth to confirm it. He’d been right. He’d suspected as much when Turpis first started sniffing around her, but now that Aimilia was competing, it was coming to a head.
Nikias simply wouldn’t stand for it. He was not going to lose Aimilia. He certainly wasn’t going to lose her to a sleazy, manipulative weasel.
