How could it get any worse?
“I know I have no right to anyone’s good opinion of me, but still, I would have hoped you’d have higher expectations of me. I might have been mistaken in believing she would accept, but I am at least, very familiar with Aimilia’s sharp tongue.” Nikias leaned back against the dresser, crossing his arms and covering the scars hidden beneath his chiton. “I can survive even the most brutal of rejections from her.”
“Good!” Gavril clapped his hands, smiling. “That is good to hear. Well, since you’re taking this much better than I anticipated, I suppose, I will let you get on with it. With your new plan I mean, there are plenty of other Runai commanders. Honestly, Aimilia herself could probably write a detailed list and pick out the best candidates—” Gavril started walking backwards toward the door, hands up. “Not that I’m suggesting you should ask her or need her help, or—You know, I’m just going to stop talking and leave before I get caught or cornered.”
“I’ll walk you out. No one will corner you,” Nikias said, following him to the door, ignoring Gavril’s well-intentioned but mistaken belief. It worked out well; he’d be able to give the guards direct orders once Gavril was gone. “You’re right. I need to stop wallowing anyway. Better to let everyone see just how unaffected I am.”
Gavril blinked as he reached for the door at the offer. “Oh. Thank you. I… I appreciate it.”
Nikias ignored the voice in the back of his head that sounded a lot like Aimilia’s, sneering at him that it was his fault Gavril couldn’t even visit him without needing an escort in order to protect him from their parents.
He was haunted enough by all the things she had said, he didn’t need his mind conjuring up more ammunition on its own.
It was no secret Nikias was their parents’ favorite, but with their parents, being the favorite also came with expectations. Not to mention, being their favorite didn’t change as much as some might think.
Nikias followed Gavril out the door. Nikias certainly wouldn’t be making it back to his room without their mother getting ahold of him. When she heard what he was going to do next, she was not going to be happy with him.
If he was lucky, he’d be able to have the conversation with her anywhere but his father’s room. Even with his father’s health declining day by day, Nikias still had yet to find a way to end it for good. His father managed to find a surprising amount of strength when he so desired.
Not that it mattered. Nikias was just glad Gavril had escaped.
Aimilia had called him a coward. She was right.
Chapter 7
AIMILIA
Aimilia looked over at the window. If she was fast enough, she could make it out before her mother stopped her, but with her uncle in the room, she wouldn’t get much farther than that. They’d be hauling her back in before she could fully escape.
“—think, you foolish girl?”
Aimilia turned back to her mother, not having paid any attention to the half-hour long tirade she’d just concluded.
“I was thinking, Mother. I was thinking I don’t want to condemn myself to such a fate.” Aimilia sighed, sinking back into the sofa as her mother continued pacing.
Uncle Cyprian stood in front of the door, blocking it as a means of exit. His arms were crossed and he was glaring at her, but so far he had been content to let Aimilia’s mother do the majority of the yelling. However, Aimilia recognized the look in his eyes. He had more than his fair share to say about all of this as well.
“Condemn yourself?” Mother let out a sharp, shrill laugh. “The only ones you have condemned are your house! You betterhope Prince Nikias’ pride is not too wounded. Thankfully it hasn’t been a full day yet, so there’s still time to fix this?—”
Aimilia sat up straighter. “Time to fix this?”
“Obviously, you are about to go to Prince Nikias and get on your knees and beg him for forgiveness and to forget your temporary insanity last night. You were overcome with shock he would even deign to consider you. You’ll tell him you would be immensely honored and grateful if he would even consider marrying you still after you humiliated him last night!”
Now Aimilia was the one who was laughing, only she couldn’t seem to stop. She waved her hand in the air slightly as she managed to get out, “I—I will be doingnosuch thing!”
“Yes, you will,” Mother snapped, hands on her hips.
Good to know the only thing that could cause her mother to care about her was a proposal from the crown prince.
Too bad Aimilia really didn’t care about making her happy.
Aimilia raised an eyebrow. “No.”
Mother turned to Uncle Cyprian. “Don’t just stand there!”
Finally her uncle pushed off the door and intervened. “Aimilia, I know you have a temper that runs away with you and you have always had a preference for Gavril, but youmustsee there is only one course of action now. Prince Nikias wants to marry you and one day make you queen. Think of what that means for our whole house!”
Her mother ran a hand through her hair, pacing near the window again. “If he’ll still have her, but the chances of that decrease every second she doesn’t beg him to forgive her!”
