Page 54 of Mad Dragon of Chaos

“No, Your Highness.”

This was serious. It boggled his mind to think that Tyche wasn’t eating when he knew the food would be good, but for him to reject coffee? No, this was serious. He’d wanted to give Tyche some space after the confrontation with Kaes. He also knew the God of Luck was blaming himself about Haru. But this felt more dire than he’d previously thought.

“Thank you, Luca. I think we’re done for now. Try to get some rest. I’ll check on our guests prior to retiring.”

Luca bowed and started to leave as a short, lithe figure dressed all in black tactical gear marched in. Shey jumped to his feet and froze, his brain locked up as he struggled to recognize the woman striding toward him.

“Your Highness!” Luca gasped, and Shey’s brain kicked in.

Fiona?

His sister had turned twenty-one a few months earlier, but she appeared older to him. Older than she should have. He wasn’t sure if it was because he hadn’t seen her in almost six months or if it was because this wasn’t the young woman he’d left behind in Sirelis. That person had been all soft dresses, long flowing chestnut-brown hair, eye rolls, and sardonic smiles. This person was battle ready, her hair pulled into a tight, long braid and smudges of dirt on her tanned cheeks. No frilly dresses or delicate makeup.

“Fee!” Shey hurried around his desk, arms out to embrace her.

What he got was a punch to the stomach that knocked the wind out of him.

“Excuse me, Your Highnesses.”

Luca was lucky. He could run for the door and escape the princess’s wrath.

“What the fuck?” he groaned, noisily sucking air into his lungs.

“That’s for disappearing and leaving us worried sick about you.”

“Fee—” Shey straightened, and his sister threw herself at him, wrapping him up in a tight hug.

“This is for coming home safe,” she mumbled into his shoulder.

He forgot the pain in his stomach as a sudden tightness gripped his throat. Shey hugged her, burying his face in her hair. She smelled of gunpowder and dirt, but there was a hint of her floral shampoo still clinging to the strands.

After a long moment, they released each other and stepped apart. She grabbed his hand and pulled him over to a sofa that sat to one side of his office. He needed to go check on Tyche, but he hadn’t seen his sister in months. Tyche would understand if he stole a few minutes.

“Sit! I need to hear everything,” she demanded.

Shey chuckled. “Even if I had the time to talk for three days straight, that still wouldn’t be enough time to tell you everything.”

Fiona tipped her head and groaned. “I know. I know. But you’ve got to give me something. I stopped by and checked in with Mother. She said we have a dragon and a god staying in the castle. Give me something, or I’m going to march straight to their rooms and start asking questions.” She paused, seemed to think, and then shrugged. “I might still do it anyway.”

Shey held up both hands, trying to stop her. “Sure, but first you. Sniper? Why didn’t I know anything about this?”

Fiona graced him with one of her classic eye rolls and flopped against the couch, her slender arms folded over her stomach. “Oh yes, because a princess is only good for diplomatic training and organizing state dinners?”

“No! Of course not! It’s just…you never mentioned any kind of military training.”

She made a noise, and her shoulders relaxed, making her appear less prickly. “I didn’t want to, because it’s hard when your brother is literally the best at everything. You set records on all the training courses and started commanding your own squads at seventeen. What if I wasn’t as good as you?”

“Who said you needed to be?”

“I did.” She shrugged. “Besides, I knew I’d never be able to wield a sword like you, and Mom would never let me get into a situation where hand-to-hand combat was required. However…snipers work from a distance, which sounded safer to Mom. It allowed me to be involved and helped to organize our forces while you’ve been away.”

The idea of his sister being in any kind of combat made him sick to his stomach, but he was sure she felt the same way about him. And he was so damn proud of her and all she’d accomplished.

“I’ve seen the reports from the generals. They’ve been glowing. You’ve given them valuable advice and intelligence from the field.”

She snorted and looked away. A faint pinkness tinged the tips of her ears. “Whatever. They’re trying to stay on Mom’s good side.”

“If they wanted on her good side, they’d report that you’re horrible and need to be called back to the palace. You know she doesn’t want you anywhere near the fighting.”