His words shocked me so much I reacted physically, thrusting my spine against the back of the chair.“Why not?”I asked before I thought better of it.
He lifted one shoulder.“She is not what I need.”
I couldn’t stop myself from asking the next obvious question.“What is it you need?”
“A warrior,” he said.
My heart seemed to plummet into my belly.What a dusthead I had been, bragging about how I would kill him.That was only incentive for him to choose me.I really did not doubt I could kill him if I needed to, but I didn’t want to be the one to do it.I wanted to be out of the fray and watching from the sides of the battlefield.
“My sister Broga is the strongest of us,” I said, not feeling too guilty at offering Broga as the sacrifice.Broga might be predictable on the training field, but that would not be a liability when she fought a stranger.And I did think Broga could beat the Zulenii.If she didn’t, would it be so terrible if he carried her off forever?
“You do not want me to choose you, so you offer me other options.”He leaned closer, and I had to resist the urge to scoot my chair back—not because there was anything offensive about him, but because my every instinct was to lean closer to him.I couldn’t see anything in the space between us, but I could feel that lightning snap and sizzle.I should want to run from it, but it was enticing.“What will you do if I choose you anyway?”he asked, voice deep and quiet.
My eyes slid to his mouth and then to his clean-shaven jaw.Would I feel the prickle of stubble if I ran a finger over it?I so rarely saw any man without a beard that I thought his lack would make him seem more like a boy.Somehow, it didn’t.Somehow, it made him more attractive.
Now I did lean closer because I wanted to press my point.The air between us shifted and seemed to buzz.“If you choose me, I will defeat you,” I said quietly.“And then I will slit your throat.If you do not want to die, I suggest you choose one of my sisters with a tender heart.”I reached out and ran a finger along his throat.“Else this night will be your last.”
I felt the jump of his pulse, and I hoped it was from fear.I hoped the way my heart thundered was from eagerness to kill him.Slowly, I leaned back and rose.I prayed it appeared deliberate and intimidating because in reality I had to move slowly to keep my shaking legs from crumpling.
Quick as lightning, he reached out and grasped my wrist.My instinct was to yank free, but I didn’t want to let him know how much he affected me.I stood frozen while he pulled something free from a pocket in his coat.I wondered what Gaz would do if he saw me standing here, allowing the Zulenii to touch me.He would not like it.He would hate it if he knew how much I secretly enjoyed the prince’s touch.
The prince smoothed a piece of parchment on the table and looked up at me, meeting my gaze with his light one.“I found this in my chamber.A secret message, perhaps.Can you read it?”
I jolted with surprise.Who would pass the Zulenii a secret message?I peered down at the parchment and then blinked in more surprise.The words on the paper were not written in common Earslehen.The phrase was in Royal Earslehen, a language never spoken, only written and only taught to those with royal blood.Queen Nahla and my mother did not read Royal Earslehen as they were only made royal through marriage.My half-sisters and brothers and I had all had lessons either directly from Papa or from Folit, who was fluent.A few of us mastered it; others, like Riah, never learned more than a few words.
I had mastered the language easily and had tried to teach it to some of my younger siblings.But either I was not a very good teacher, or they were not very smart.None of them would have been able to read the words on the parchment.Of all my sisters here tonight, I thought only Finnrey would also have been able to make out the message and not as quickly as I.
“Who gave this to you?”I asked, staring at the Zulenii.
“You can read it?”he asked.
“Yes, but it makes no sense.It’s some sort of recipe.”I freed my wrist from his hold and pointed to a word.“This is the word for a common spice.It says to add it and bark of...”I looked up at him again.“It ends there.”I shouldn’t even be telling him this.The language was secret.“I ask again, who gave this to you?”
He shook his head, and either he was a very good actor, or he was completely innocent.“I told you, Princess.I found it.”
“Throw it away,” I said.“It’s nothing.”
He nodded once.“I will see you tomorrow, Lady Mara.”
“Not if you know what’s good for you.”I gave him a shallow curtsey.“It was a pleasure to meet you, Taio of the First House of Zulen.Goodnight.”
And I turned my back on him and strode out of the chamber.
***
I’D LEFT THE CASTLEdirectly after my meeting with Taio.I slipped out using the passageway so I could avoid the banquet room and all the curious stares and pointed questions.But I couldn’t avoid my mother.She came home an hour later and walked right into my sleeping chamber.“Tell me what happened,” she said, lighting a lamp before sitting on the side of my bed.
I rolled over.“I’m trying to sleep.I may have to fight tomorrow.”
“You are not sleeping.I know you, and never in your life have you been able to sleep the night before an important day.Now tell me what the prince said to you.”
I’d been tossing and turning thinking about the parchment with our secret language on it.I’d been trying to determine who might have given it to him and why.I was absolutely not telling my mother about the note.She’d go straight to my father and then there would be an uproar.I’d deal with the note and the potential sibling traitor after the Zulenii prince was gone tomorrow.I pushed myself up on the pillow and stared at a spot on the wall behind my mother, trying to decide what I could tell her.“The prince said we underestimated him and his people,” I said finally.
“Do you agree?”
I glanced at my mother.She watched me intently.I shouldn’t have been surprised.She had always valued my opinion.
“I knowIunderestimated the Zulenii.I thought because they were artists and dancers, they wouldn’t know how to fight.But I think this prince can fight.”
