My lips parted, but nothing made it down my throat. I couldn’t breathe.
My hands flew to my chest as tears clouded my vision. A strange hacking sound trickled through my lips, but there was no part of me that would be able to get any real words out.
“I’m sorry,” Viljan whispered urgently. “It’s happened before. I… I had to ask.”
My body felt weaker than it had before I’d eaten last night, and I stumbled over a root as I backed away from him.
I couldn’t believe he’d just asked me that. I couldn’t believe the thought would even cross his mind. Darkness pressed at the corners of my eyes. I shook my head to clear it as I took another shaky step backward.
“Vara, please!” Viljan pleaded as he followed.
My bottom lip trembled. I didn’t care that people started staring, whispers rising across the karls as they tried to understand what was happening.
“Please,” Viljan said again. “I need you to listen to me.”
“She doesn’t need to do anything,” Darcke drawled as he came to my side. “Now run along. Your heir is looking for you.”
Darcke’s delight when Viljan turned to Ivren, who hadn’teven noticed he was gone, fought with the sense of betrayal trying to suffocate me.
“Like a domesticated hound,” he taunted. “Scared of dishonoring his master. A little less of that and you would be the one standing proud by her side.”
“As if there is anything proud about you.” Viljan’s growl drew even more of a crowd.
Darcke tsked when my former guard took a step toward him. “Ah, but you can’t hurt me unless you want to hurt her.” His arm slid easily across my shoulders. “Right,heir?”
“Just go,” I said, trying to shake off Darcke’s arm and failing.
Viljan’s eyes followed when Darcke’s hand brushed the bare skin on my shoulder.
I shoved at the warrior. He only chuckled before he nodded to Viljan again. “See, it’s not so scary. She doesn’t carry any deadly diseases.” His eyes slid my way. “At least I don’t think so.”
“Second!” Ivren’s call made Viljan freeze mid-step. I met Ivren’s eyes for a brief second, but whatever he saw in them had him firm his demand. “Come. We need to discuss strategy.”
Ivren looked at me as if he was searching for gratitude when Viljan hesitated for only a moment before turning his back on us and making his way over again.
I expelled a huff before ripping my gaze away. A sticky sense of betrayal layered all over my skin, and when I finally wrangled free from Darcke, I rubbed my hands over my bare arms, wishing I hadn’t opted for a short-sleeved tunic today.
“Cry if you want,” Darcke said when I choked down a sniff. “I think only half of the crowd is looking at us. Besides, you’ve already exhausted everyone’s capacity for disappointment.”
Snot bubbled from my nose when I burst into a laugh, and a sliver of pride pierced my chest before Darcke was able to lock it down somewhere deep inside him.
“Too late.” I pressed a finger into his chest. “I know you were trying to make me laugh.”
“I don’t try,” Darcke replied as he dragged me with him to thetraining ring where Ottoh and his sister were taking turns evading and attacking each other, already moving in perfect synchrony. “I only do.”
I rolled my eyes. “Have I told you today you’re a bastard?”
“I think the last time was after midnight, so yes.”
As we reached the rope, we stood silently beside each other while Ottoh and Vero finished their training, waiting as every move was evaluated and analyzed by Guner and Torden. I gave the dark-haired warrior a weak smile as he lifted a hand to greet us. Darcke offered a quick bow of his neck.
“Why doesn’t he touch you?” Darcke asked as Vero managed to slam Ottoh into the dirt, ignoring Guner’s furious shouts that Ottoh should have felt it coming.
“Because my father ordered him not to,” I replied, fighting the sorrow that came with thinking of my father. “Viljan believes in honor.”
My efforts to hide my emotions were useless.
“That makes you sad?” Darcke asked.
