“The prince won.I must honor the rules of the Claiming Rite.I must go with him.”A heavy dread settled over me even as I said the words.My belly felt as though a rock plunked down hard in it.No matter—I knew my duty.
“You and yourhonor,” my mother said, surprising me with the vehemence in her voice.“Why couldn’t you do as I told you?Why couldn’t you stay in the pit?”
“The prince knew immediately Cameed was not me, and I could see within thirty seconds she would not beat him.”My throat burned as I forced the words through the swollen muscles and flesh of my throat.“I couldn’t let Gaz and Nize kill him.How could you even ask such a thing of them?You would have caused the entire kingdom to lose honor.You’ve already cost me mine.”
“Who cares about honor?”she cried.“I just want my daughter with me.”
I sighed as I met her gaze.Tears shimmered in her eyes, and I felt my own eyes sting.I understood her pain because I didn’t want to leave.I wanted to stay with my sisters and my family.I wanted to go out on patrol and protect my people.I would have done all of that, and perhaps even fallen in love with Gaz, if I had won.
But I hadn’t won, and I would not spend the rest of my life hiding and hanging my head in shame whenever anyone saw me.For years, I’d watched my mother suffer disgrace because of her transgressions against my father.She might not care about honor, but I did.
“I’ll come back,” I said.I didn’t know why I said it.I had no idea if it was true or if I would even be allowed to come back, but I had to give her something.Perhaps I had to give myself something too, some glimmer of hope to carry me through the uncertainty waiting for me.
Tears slid from my mother’s eyes and down her cheeks.I held out my arms, and she fell into them, as though she were the child who needed comforting, not I.She sobbed, but my tears had dried up.Tears wouldn’t help me now.
Finally, my mother’s weeping subsided into hiccups, and I patted her back.She pulled away.“I suppose your father will want to speak to you.”
I groaned.As much as I loved my father, an audience with the king was exactly that—an audience.“Right now I want to go home, bathe, and change clothes,” I said.I felt dirty and grimy, and my white clothing was brown from dirt and dust.“I could probably eat an entire pot of soup, and I wouldn’t mind a nap.”
“I doubt you will have any of that,” she said.“The Zulenii prince is waiting outside the door to claim you.”
I flinched back in surprise.“What?Now?”
“He said he wants to leave as soon as you are able to walk.Barbarian,” she muttered.
I couldn’t blame him for being in a hurry to go.He was no fool, and he probably understood from my warning in the arena there was a plan to kill him and his retinue.But his haste would get us all killed.I shook my head.“Well, I won’t go.I haven’t packed or told anyone goodbye.Not to mention, we must plan our route carefully to avoid any packs of Hollows.”Not for the first time, I thought how fortunate the Zulenii were to make it to Highcastle at all.If they’d encountered any Hollows, the foreigners would either be dead or worse—Hollows themselves.
“Perhaps you might pretend you cannot walk or that you are still unconscious?”
“Perhaps.”
Except even as I spoke, a knock sounded on the door and Finnrey peeked her head in.“I have the compress.”She opened the door wider to slip inside, and just behind her my gaze met that of Taio.
“Too late for that,” I told my mother.“He saw me sitting up.”
Finnrey closed the door.“He’s pacing back and forth,” she whispered.“One of the honor guard told me the Zuleniis brought all of their packs with them to the arena.They never intended to return to the castle.Mara, I’m so sorry.”She handed me the cold pack and grabbed my other hand.Her hand was icy and shaking.I’d been angry at her for agreeing to Cameed’s deception, but now I forgave her.Like my mother, she had done it out of love.I don’t know why my other sisters went along.Perhaps they were afraid of my father’s anger if they disobeyed.
The heavy door to the chamber swung open, banging against the wall, and I dropped the compress.It landed with a thud, the frozen pieces inside scattering across the floor and breaking into little shards.One chunk landed at Taio’s feet.He stood with arms crossed, blocking the doorway and surveying the room.He had donned his coat once again, and I was grateful I didn’t have to avoid looking at his bare chest.His hair had come loose from its queue and hung about his shoulders in waves.On his chin was a dark red mark about the size of the area of the back of my head that was pounding.At least I wasn’t the only one who was hurt.
His eyes, darker now with anger, bore into mine.He hated me.I could all but feel the loathing radiating from him.“You are awake,” he said in his low accented voice.“We leave for Zulen.Now.”
“Now wait just—”
I put my hand on my mother’s shoulder to quiet her.
I spoke quietly and calmly, not wanting to anger the prince further.Anger, I knew, could compel people to make poor choices, and I needed him to listen to me and make good choices or else we might all be dead by nightfall.“You have won the Claiming Rite, Taio of the First House of Zulen, and I will go with you.But I ask a day or two in which to prepare and say my farewells.”
“No.”His denial was quick and final.I’d expected it.
“My lord, we must not act in haste.Traveling is dangerous.Be reasonable.”
“Reasonable?What is this word?I do not understand it.”He stepped into the chamber, and my mother moved in front of me, ostensibly to protect me.He ignored her.“I am not the one who played the tricks.Was that reasonable?”
“You are angry about Cameed taking my place in the arena.”
He stalked closer and my mother put her arms out to shield me.
“Angry?That is not the word.I feel stronger than angry.”
