“I don’t know? It looked like Rebellion.” No prickles. “Untie me immediately.”
“Did you know about the attack?”
She looks at me as though I’ve lost my mind. Skies, she’s a great actress—her father trained her well.
“This is ridiculous,” she grits out. Her pale face pinches with anger. “Untie meright now.”
The nerve of this woman. Shemustbe working with the Rebellion. No wonder she isn’t afraid of me.
I’m going to rectify that very quickly.
“Not until you answer my questions.Did. You. Know.About.The.Attack?” I bring my face closer to hers, and she shivers, fear flickering through her eyes. Good. Sheshouldbe terrified. Sheshouldbe frantically answering my questions and—
The princess rears her head back and bashes her forehead into my nose. A mutedcrack, and pain erupts across my face.
Holy Skies. She hits me with enough force that I fall backward, hand stemming the flow of blood. Before I can blink, she’s on her feet and wobbling away.
I’ve never been so stunned. Did I fall asleep in the carriage, and this entire ordeal is some ridiculous dream? Because there is no way that wisp of ahealerprincess mademebleed.
With a low growl, I bolt off the ground. She doesn’t make it far. I grab a fistful of hair and yank her back. Mayah crashes to the ground, and I climb over her, pinning her down with my weight.
“Get off me!” she shouts, slamming her bound fists against my chest. “I’m the princess offuckingTundrayn!”
I grab her wrists, forcing them over her head.
“Out here,” I snarl into her face, “you are the princess ofnothing. Answer my questions, and maybe I’ll let you go.”
I shift atop her, bracing an arm beside her head, trying to ignore the way her breasts feel flattened against my chest. Howsmallshe is. Her face drains of color, the faint smattering of freckles stark against her pale skin. When her cold blue gaze meets mine, for once, it’s brimming with terror.
A shard of guilt scrapes against my conscience—I knowwhatshe’s afraid of. I shove the guilt aside. The sooner she answers my questions, the sooner I can let her up.
When she still doesn’t speak, I growl, “I lost every single man in my command today. And once the attackers realized you werethe princess, theyprotectedyou. I’m not feeling very charitable. Do not test me.”
“Fine.” Her voice is surprisingly steady despite her evident fear. “I’ll answer your questions.”
“Did you know about the attack?”
“No.” Truth.
“Who attacked us?”
“I don’t know. I think it was the Rebellion.” Truth.
“Why?”
“I don’t know. Probably because they’re actively engaged in a war against both our kingdoms?” Snarky, but truth.
I scan her face. She isn’t lying, but something still doesn’t make sense.
“Why didn’t the rebels harm you?”
“I imagine they were preoccupied with your thunder tantrum.” A low growl builds in my chest. Storm clouds gather in response to my anger, and the sky darkens.
“When you fainted, they shielded you.Why?”
Thunder rumbles overhead with promise.
“I—I don’t know!” she stutters, fearful eyes glued to the clouds. “Maybe they wanted to ransom me.”
