Nikias couldn’t avoid it much longer. With the next trial in the morning, and considering what his mother had attempted last time, Nikias needed to at least see where she was. He wouldn’t let any harm come to Aimilia.
Nikias knocked on her door and called out, “Mother? I have the latest report from my men. I thought you might like an update.”
The door swung open, and his mother gave him a cold smile. “Of course, son, come in.”
Nikias stepped into her room. House Mitis had not spared their best for the queen.
She shut the door behind Nikias, and his heart jolted the way it always did when he was alone with her. He still had a few bruises he was hiding. She said, “What have you heard?”
Nikias said, “As of right now, there haven’t been any other Stonai spotted, other than the ones Aimilia and I encountered on the road. If it was that same group, they haven’t been seen since.”
His mother lifted her chin and said, “Well, clearly it was them, whether they’ve been spotted or not. The quality of our Runai these days. They ought to have caught them by now. You would have never seen this kind of thing in my day.”
Nikias really wasn’t in the mood to continue the charade, but confronting her about the truth wouldn’t do any good either.
Nikias had gotten himself into this mess because he hadn’t listened to Aimilia, so she’d turned to Turpis instead of him. Ifhis mother was committed to this, Nikias needed to find out, if he was going to keep Aimilia safe. “I’m not pleased either. I don’t like the possibilities.”
Mother asked, “You don’t still think they’re around and that they’ll try again?”
“Considering we have one commander already dead and one that came close to it, I’d rather be safe than sorry.”
“What do you have in mind?”
Nikias said, “Considering the last trial is a race, I and my men will be doing a sweep of the course to ensure there are no unexpected surprises. In addition, I’ll be placing guards along the course with the judges so if any of the Stonai are still around, they won’t get anywhere close to Aimilia—or the others.”
His mother stiffened, almost imperceptibly, but Nikias had spent a long time reading her. It was a skill that had often saved him, but it didn’t always. “You plan on riding out to do this yourself? I hardly think that’s wise. Look at the state you’re in. You look like you’re about to collapse right now.”
Nikias’ jaw clenched. “I haven’t been sleeping well. That’s all.”
“If you haven’t been sleeping, then you should stay in tonight and rest. I can handle directing the guards.”
Nikias wasn’t surprised. He wasn’t even vaguely disappointed. All he felt was numb even at the clear confirmation from his mother that she had laid some sort of a trap for Aimilia.
Would it do him any good to confront her about it?
He said, “I appreciate the offer, but that’s not your responsibility.”
His mother raised an eyebrow. “Do you not recall that I’m just as capable a commander as you? I can handle this. In fact, I insist upon it. As your mother, it’s my job to look out for yourwellbeing. With the state you’re in, you’d fall off your horse, and then how much worse would the gossip be about you?”
Nikias bit out, “I don’t care what the gossip is saying about me. I’ve never cared.”
She crossed her arms. “Fine. If you insist, then I suppose we might as well talk about this now too. All of this has gone on long enough. There hasn’t been a greater laughingstock to the royal family than you. No wonder Stonai have attacked. Clearly, even they have heard how weak and pathetic you’ve been acting. I raised you better than this.”
Nikias turned his head and glanced toward the window. “I can’t control what other people say or how they perceive my actions.”
“Yes, but you can control your actions. And your actions as of late…” Mother scoffed. “Most of our people think you’re desperate and weak, and that’s why you keep chasing after that wretched girl, especially after her work in the arena collapse. They all think you want her because she’ll make you look strong again, but chasing after her has only made you look even more pathetic that you can’t get her to marry you.”
Nikias closed his eyes as his mother’s words clawed at him, throat closing and skin crawling with heat. Turpis’ words rose up, whispering in the back of his mind, confirming his mother’s claims.
“More of our people don’t know what to make of you at all. They know of your proposal and of her refusal. What’s baffling is the fact that you continue to be in her presence. And even more concerning are the rumors I’ve been hearing about the two of you. She spent the night in your tent and was there until dawn. Not to mention all the clandestine meetings the two of you have had before. It makes no sense why she would publicly refuse you when she carries on with you the way she does. She can’t beholding out for your brother, so it doesn’t make sense why she would rather be a she-wolf than your wife.”
Nikias whipped around. “She isnothingof the sort. I don’t care what they say about me, but I will not have anyone disparage her. I was injured, and the healers were busy saving someone else. She was barely even sitting next to me with how far away she was. All she did was watch over me.”
Nikias would lie through his teeth if it would spare her. He’d been selfish and weak and foolish, not thinking about the consequences of asking her to stay. Now Aimilia’s name was being dragged through the mud because of him.
“My point is, the only way you make this go away is if you finally put this whole thing to rest and get married. The second we return to Areator, your father will insist upon it. So choose, or he will choose for you.”
There was only one thing that gave Nikias the strength to outright refuse his parents…
