Her eyes narrow. “Oh, Alek, you’re not even being clever.” Without waiting for a response, she turns back to me and my sister. She gives Nora a wink. “Nora knows what secrets I’ve kept.”
My sister smiles, a bit of sunshine peeking through the storm clouds of her expression.
But then the queen looks at me. “Alek can tell me what you’ve learned, Callyn. I suggest you and your sister go for a walk.”
Nora’s smile vanishes. She looks as surprised as I feel.
But she rises from her seat at the table, so I do the same.
It’s so odd to walk beside her through the palace hallways. I don’t
really have a destination in mind, and I don’t think she does either, but it’s clear that sunlight and fresh air call to her. Or maybe she’s just finding a place for herself among the recruits in a way I never have. Either way, we end up striding down the stone steps to one of the many heavy wooden doors that lead out onto the training fields.
She hasn’t said a word, so I finally have to break the silence. “What secrets did the queen keep from her sister?” I say.
“Oh . . . just that she was falling for a man she shouldn’t have.” Nora’s eyes flick my way. “She didn’t want her sister to know, so she kept meeting him in secret.”
That’s so pointed that I nearly stumble on the path. “Oh, Nora!” I exclaim. A flush crawls up my neck. “That’s not what I wasdoing—”
“I’m not talking about you, Callyn. That really is the secret she kept from Verin.”
My head snaps around. “Wait. Really?”
She nods, keeping her eyes forward, avoiding my gaze now. It’s like she doesn’treallywant to talk to me, but Nora can’t help the allure of gossip. “Apparently King Grey was first invited to Syhl Shallow to wed Nolla Verin.”
“Really.” I try to imagine the stoic, formidable king paired with the queen’s fiery and vicious younger sister. In some ways, I can picture it: they’re both fierce and relentless on the battlefield, and I’ve never seen either of them flinch from conflict. But as my mind envisions them together for anything other thanbattle, the illusion crumbles. She’s too antagonistic. He’s too reserved. She’s relentless— and he never yields.
“Yes,” says Nora. “The queen told me that after King Grey and Tycho fled Ironrose Castle, she helped them cross the border into Syhl Shallow, knowing he was supposed to marry her sister to seal the alliance between our countries. I didn’t know this, but before the old queen died,Verinwas intended to take the throne.”
“That’s right,” I whisper. “I remember that.” Years ago, Mother used to talk about the younger princess being the queen’s favored. I look over. “You see why I don’t trust Verin. No wonder she’s such a bitter burn. There’s probably a part of her that resents her sister.”
“She doesn’tresenther! She spends her whole life making sure the army is prepared toprotecther.”
“If you say so.”
Nora screws up her face, offended now that I’ve slandered her hero. “Fine. Forget it.”
I sigh. She sighs.
We walk in silence for another fifty feet. But she wants to keep gossiping. It’skillingher.
“Clouds above, Nora. Fine. I’ll build a shrine to Verin tomorrow. What happened?”
Nora glances over, her eyes flashing, eager to finish the story now. “Queen Lia Mara said she fell in love with Grey during the journey, but the alliance was more important. So she kept it from her sister in an effort to protect her.”
I wait for more, but that’s all she says. A bee drones past us, and I wave it away. “And?” I finally prompt.
“The secret eventually came out,” Nora says. “She said it was quite a relief. And then Queen Lia Mara took the throne anyway.”
She falls quiet again, and I wonder if she’s mad at me— or if she’s implying that I should be relieved that she knows something about my secrets with Alek now.
But I really don’t know how I feel.
“I’m not in love with Alek,” I say.
She makes a littlehmphsound. “Are you sure?” she asks sarcastically.
“I don’t knowwhatI feel about him,” I admit. “But . . . it’s definitely not love.”
