“Or I could just stab you.”
I rolled my eyes. Ericen might not be able to see it, but something had changed in Kiva’s countenance toward him. Her quips had turned joking—mostly. She might not fully trust him, but I could see her making an effort.
Caliza shot Kiva a stern look. “Your mother hasn’t returned from Korovi. That means you’re in charge of the castle guard.”
Kiva’s face darkened. “Have you heard from her?”
“Her last letter came a week ago. She was still trying to convince them to aid us,” Caliza replied. “For now, I want you to work with Prince Ericen to train the other lieutenants on basic Illucian sword techniques and weak spots in their armor. They’ll ride out tomorrow and distribute that information to the soldiers already in Elaris.”
Kiva clenched her jaw, her reflex to retort no doubt battling with her desire to follow orders. Though I couldn’t see his face, I had a feeling Ericen looked somewhere between amused and smug.
Caliza turned back to Ericen. “What else can you tell us?”
The prince crossed his arms. “The most important thing to note is that Illucians treat crow warfare like a knife fight: the first step is always to control the knife. They’ll do the same with Res. If they can draw him out and kill him early, they can drastically change their strategy.”
He talked for nearly half an hour, giving us everything he could. From the knowledge that their warhorses’ footing was weak to the advice that arrows were highly effective against thin Vykryn uniforms. Normal soldiers wore metal-reinforced armor, but the Vykryn believed that a worthy warrior didn’t require it, and if they died, they did so willingly in the service of their god.
With his help, we made plans to plow the fields outside the walls of Elaris, making the land uneven and dangerous for the Illucian horses. Messenger birds left with instructions for archers to target Vykryn, the knowledge that normal Illucian armor was weak beneath the arms, and details on Res’s abilities.
By the time Ericen finished, Kiva looked slightly less like she wanted to stab him, and something like hope shone in my sister’s eyes.
“Thank you,” she said.
Ericen bowed his head.
Kuren finished writing down the last of Ericen’s information. “I’ll have copies of this sent to Lady Kerova and Lady Turren. We’ll meet with them tomorrow to discuss final plans.”
“Great,” I said, letting out a breath. “Now I could really use some fresh Rhodairen air.”
As the others filed out of the room, Caliza caught my arm, holding me back. She pulled me wordlessly into another hug, and for a moment, we simply stood there in silence, each memorizing the feel of the other’s arms.
“You did it,” she whispered, holding tighter.
“And you held the kingdom together while I did.”
As we pulled back, Caliza slipped the silver bracelet of feathers off her wrist. “You should have this back.”
I smiled, lifting my hand so she could slide it over onto my wrist. I ran my fingers along the metal, still warm from her skin. It’d belonged to Estrel once, a gift from my mother. They might not have been related by blood, but they’d still been sisters. The matching piece, a feather circlet, sat poised on Caliza’s brow.
“Mother would be proud of us,” she said.
I snorted, waving a hand. “Forget Mother.I’mproud of us.”
A quiet laugh leapt from her lips, and she hugged me again. “Me too.”
* * *
The smell of the royal training grounds was painfully familiar. It made my heart ache with longing for a time when Estrel and I would rise before most of the castle, training for hours first by torchlight and then beneath the pale pink sky of dawn.
Although simple, the courtyard had more than enough for my purposes. A small sparring ring, a few well-used dummies, and a view of the clouded sky. I leaned my head back, staring up at the darkening clouds. The air smelled thick with rain, a promise of a coming storm. I couldn’t wait to feel the warm rain against my skin.
I hadn’t realized how much I’d needed home.
“Care for a partner?” a low voice asked from behind.
I smiled over my shoulder at Ericen, nodding to where Res had settled down in the corner to sleep. “I already have one of those.”
“A less lazy partner then.” He returned my smile, stepping into the yard.
