“Can you finish this?” Rhay asked Varsha, a newfound certainty pulling him away.
With a proud smile, Varsha pressed his shoulder. “Go. I’ll deal with this. You know my taste is excellent.”
“Thank you,” Rhay mouthed as he hurried out of the room.
Running down the corridor, Rhay was out of breath when he threw open the doors and disrupted the ongoing court meeting, cutting off his father’s speech.
“Queen Kaylanthea has lost considerable support from the royal advisors—” His father tilted his chin up at Rhay’s entrance. Karwyn’s face remained emotionless as Saydren whispered something in his ear. Rhay sat in an empty chair.
“Don’t stop on my account, father. I can’t wait to hear what you have to say,” Rhay said, leaning back in his seat, dread filling him up but determination keeping him still.
With a discrete exasperated sigh, his father continued, “They fear she can’t be trusted to rule over the Seven Kingdoms as she is unable to control her own subjects. Queen Kaede is the only one to publicly support her.”
“Of course the two queens are sticking together, as usual.” Karwyn snickered. The king had avoided looking at Rhay ever since their last conversation. Was this truly the end of their friendship? Or had it ended long ago?
“As for Tarnan, his absence has been noticed, and rumours are swirling about his potential involvement,” his father added.
Karwyn let a satisfied grin play on his lips. “Good. Great work on the field.”
“What do you mean?” Rhay asked, rubbing his forehead as if he could erase the dread slithering down his spine.
“Rumours have to be started by someone,” his father said.
Was this what Karwyn had been trying to hide by keeping Rhay busy with wedding planning? He couldn’t take it—all these lies, all these secrets. And for what? Power? He would never be able to be a true advisor, someone who would dirty his hands blindly for a king.
As the meeting drew to a close, Rhay gathered his courage to ask for the truth he had been dancing around ever since the Quarnian attack. “Karwyn?” he asked, stopping him before he could leave the room. He needed to ask, to get his shit together andsee.He owed it to Amira, to Lora, and to himself.
Karwyn turned his head to Rhay, surprise sparking in his familiar eyes. “What now, Rhay?”
“Do you want to train with me? For old times’ sake?” Rhay’s heart twisted when Karwyn’s face lit up with genuine joy for a second. Deep down, he cared about Karwyn, and he knew it was going to be the end of him.
* * *
“Shall we do swords?” Karwyn faced Rhay in the training ring, awkwardly holding a small iron blade. He had never been comfortable with weapons. His father had put so much emphasis on Karwyn developing his powers that Karwyn had become too dependent on them.
Rhay took a sword from the wall in the training room. “Let’s do it.”
A few feet apart, Karwyn and Rhay faced each other with swords in their hands. The sunlight pouring in from the high window made the wall of weapons shine bright, almost blinding Rhay. Or maybe it was because he chose to look at the sun instead of Karwyn’s eyes, which brought back images of the Quarnian attack and the horrors of the underground.
Unable to speak, Rhay lunged towards Karwyn. Karwyn jumped out of his way and tried to shield himself. Rhay danced around Karwyn as he tried to strike at him. Curling up his fist, Karwyn’s desire to use his air power must be strong.
“Tell me,” Karwyn said, deeply focused on his attack. “What prompted this session? I thought we were never friends.” Karwyn struck hard, but Rhay raised his sword with ease. Although the blade didn’t hit him, it felt like it did, his heart bruised.
“I want you to be honest with me for once,” Rhay gritted out, pushing Karwyn’s blade back with enough force to make him step back.
Sweat coated Karwyn’s forehead as he swiped at Rhay. “You say that now, but we both know you like staying in the comfortable dark. And I know you have not always been honest with me either.”
Rhay slashed Karwyn’s arm without thinking. Karwyn lowered his sword, glancing at the blood swelling from the cut. Nostrils flaring, Karwyn met Rhay’s gaze. There really was something very disturbing about Karwyn’s turquoise eyes. Rhay wondered if he had never noticed, or if he had convinced himself he was seeing things.
Karwyn wiped the blood off his arm, the cut too shallow to be of any worry, and dropped his sword. “I am done,” he said, turning his back on Rhay.
It would be so easy to let him walk away, to say he’d tried to get answers and simply failed. But Rhay hadn’t even tried yet, had he?
“Wait,” Rhay called out. “I still have questions.”
Karwyn didn’t turn around. “Why should I answer you?”
“If there is any hope left for our friendship, you’ll stay.”
