“What do you think I am doing?” Riyan snarled, picking up an axe from the rack next to him. “I did this at the academy all the time. Justgo away!”
He threw the axe with an angry hiss through his teeth. Luckily for the goats, that one stuck tothe tree.
I picked up my skirt in my fists and stomped down the stairs. I did not care what titles he was born with or earned, he wouldnotdismiss me like Iwas nothing.
I marched through the grass over to the tree trunk as the soldiers on the wall gasped and whispered to each other. Just as Riyan was about to hurl another axe, I stood in front of the axes sticking out of the bark and stared him down with my hands planted firmly onmy hips.
“Move, Serafina!”Riyan shouted.
“Put the damn axe down!” Ishouted back.
Riyan glared down at me, his shoulders rising and falling with the outrage hissing out of his breath. I glared back up at him and grounded myself in myunmoving stance.
Not breaking his furious gaze, Riyan slowly lowered his arm and finally dropped the axe on the ground. He had a large tear in his right sleeve, probably from grabbing at the axes like a barbarian. He only had one shirt as far as I knew and someone needed to fix it before he tore the entire sleeve off. I could mend it infifteen minutes.
“Get over here,” I said in a calmer andcooler voice.
Riyan blinked in confusion, but stomped over to where I stood. I folded my arms and tilted my head back to look up at him as he glowered downat me.
“What?”he growled.
“You toreyour shirt.”
“So?”
I held out my hands. “Handit over.”
“Why?”
“If I cannot stop you from acting like a beast, I can at least stop you from looking like one. You arescaring people.”
“That’s what I do—I scare people! I’ve scared people since I was a child! You don’t think I’m not used to itby now?”
“You want me to be afraid of you?” My voice was softer and incredulous, like I would not believe him if hesaid yes.
Riyan’s face softened and his shoulders drooped a little. He melted back into the Riyan I had met in the Duke’s garden. “Well, no. Serafina, whyare you—?”
“Damn you, boy!” Nikkolas yelled, standing outside the keep’s doors at the top of the steps. “Get out! Go destroysomething else!”
Riyan growled, but he quickly took off his shirt and threw it down to me before stomping towardthe gate.
I caught the shirt in my arms—it absolutely reeked. I groaned as I quickly folded it up and stuffed it under my arm to get it as far away from my nose as possible. I eyed a small stream by the wall that sparkled in the morning sunlight and promised myself I would wash the putrid shirt after Imended it.
Maybe a clean, mended shirt would put Riyan in a nicer mood and make him easier todeal with.
I climbed the steps into the keep like I was on a mission. I had already stepped toward the stairwell to my bedroom when I caught sight of Hilda at the dining table with her head inher hands.
I let out a breath. I did not want to get involved in the family tension, but Hilda was too sweet for me to not repay her kindness. I walked over to the table and sat a respectful distance from her onthe bench.
“Good morning, Hilda,” I said softly, placing Riyan’s folded shirt inmy lap.
Hilda lifted her face from her hands and her tired eyes lit up when shesaw me.
“Oh, my dear!” she said breathily. “I am so sorry for all the chaos. Riyan has not been home in so long and I am afraid he is notadjusting well.”
Clearly.
“Do you know why he was in such a temper?”I asked.
