Oh, what was she thinking?
She was still groggy as she woke up, that was her only excuse. Clearly none of that had been accidental. If Aimilia had won, it had been Nikias’ plan that Cyprian would challenge her and Nikias would offer to be her champion. No matter what she chose, they both still won and she lost. Well, Aimilia wouldn’t stand for it.
But her limbs were so heavy, and something was wrapped around her good wrist. She shifted it. Metal?
There was a strange, muffled feeling. Aimilia knew it well. She was in a limiter cuff. Aimilia’s head was pounding. She was on a bed. Were they in Areator?
No wonder she felt so awful if she’d been in a magically induced coma for the over-a-month-long trip from Mitis to Areator. Then there was the sound of a door shutting.
Aimilia opened her eyes. Unfortunately, she wasn’t alone.
Cyprian stood leaning against the door.
Aimilia jerked her wrist, but didn’t get far. The chain jerked, and she recoiled. She was chained to her bed.
Aimilia opened her mouth, ready to let out a string of dark curses, but it felt like a hand tightened around her throat.Nothing came out. She’d been silenced. Her hands flew up to her throat; the chain was just long enough to allow for that. She choked and gasped as she couldn’t even feel the rune on her silencing her, thanks to the limiter cuffs.
Cyprian, dressed in a black chiton and cloak, watched as she sat up and held her throat. He pushed off the door and walked across the room, eyeing her warily.
He said, “I hope you feel well rested.”
Aimilia kicked at the blankets covering her until they fell to her legs. She rattled the chains she was in and glared at him.
Was he really just going to talk at her?
Aimilia glanced around. She was back in her room in Areator.
He just glanced at the rune lighting up on her neck and said, “I’ll take that as a yes. I must admit, it’s been a rather wonderful last few weeks, aside from the fact that the king is dead.”
King Nero was dead?
Aimilia’s stomach turned in the long, simmering silence. It had been so easy the last few months to get caught up in everything and forget about Nero when he was no longer a looming presence over her head. But now…
Nero was dead.
And she was the one responsible.
Aimilia jostled the chains, unable to express anything silenced and chained up.
He said, “See, I would take those off and give you your voice back, but I rather like not having you interrupt me. So, as the Head of House Mitis, I’m going to leave them on a little bit longer.”
Aimilia let out a sharp, hissing breath, the only noise she could make as she pulled at the chains again. The metal started to rub her skin raw, and her bad arm still ached with the lingering bit of recovery left.
Cyprian clasped his hands behind his back as he came to a stop at the foot of Aimilia’s bed. “How about a compromise then? I’ll let you get up if you agree to behave.”
Aimilia supposed it would be better than being completely stuck. She gave him a terse nod. Besides, they both knew after weeks of being in a magically induced coma, Aimilia wasn’t in any state to physically fight him off. It was going to take her time to regain her physical strength after so thorough a beating and so long of being unable to move at all.
How badly had her muscles atrophied?
Cyprian walked over and unclasped the cuffs from the chains. The limiter cuff stayed on. Aimilia had suspected as much.
Still, Cyprian backed away, and Aimilia swung her legs off the bed, grabbing hold of one of the posts and using it to pull herself to her feet. Her legs immediately buckled and she sat back down and leaned against the post instead, glaring at Cyprian and hating the humiliating heat flooding her cheeks at such obvious weakness. He looked her over, and Aimilia glanced down to see she was in a plain black chiton as well. Apparently she’d been dressed for mourning at some point, likely by her mother.
Where was she?
Cyprian said, “I’ll take that as a good sign as well. I suppose you’d rather I get straight to business.”
Aimilia kept leaning against the post as Cyprian moved toward her desk. Cyprian looked over his shoulder and said, “Just to cover our bases, I won my challenge against you and now I’m Head of House Mitis. We received the news of King Nero’s passing right after I won. Prince Nikias and Queen Clelia rode ahead, but we weren’t far behind, us and the other commanders and nobles summoned for the funeral.”
