Page 50 of The Last Syphon

Felix smirked, picking up his glass. “If you ever need to distract her, food is the way to go.” He winked.

“Hey! That is not true⁠—”

He held up a skewer of marinated meat, his gaze still on the princess sitting across from him.

“Ooo. What’s that?” Inara snatched it and took a bite. “Mm. This is delicious too.”

Princess Phaedra snickered. She cut into her food and continued to eat. “I can contact Melaine and ask her if she would be willing to brand you. That is only one problem, however. You still need to acquire a Charge.”

“A Charge?” Inara asked in between bites.

“Someone you are tasked to protect throughout the trials. You will need to face a series of challenges, and your primary objective is to keep your Charge safe. This is someone you must bring with you and have participate in the trails alongside you.”

Well. That was easy. Inara’s gaze slid to her best friend.

Felix slurped up a long string of pasta before smacking his lips, and then he raised his hand. “That would be me.”

“As I previously mentioned, the trials are extremely dangerous. You could die. Many have.”

Felix just shrugged. “A small price to pay to show those royals why you should never underestimate a Borderlander. What else?”

“Well—”

A cold draft suddenly hit her, and Inara shivered.

The princess’s gaze drifted upwards, and a loving smile curled on her lips. “Brother.”

Inara stiffened. She quickly finished the food in her mouth and slightly turned in her seat. Prince Walder stood behind her, still in his red-scaled armour. One hand was resting comfortably on the pommel of the sword at his waist, his stance relaxed but his eyes tight.

“Fair eve, sister.” He greeted her warmly.

Princess Phaedra put down her cutlery and stood. She bowed slightly. “Have you come to join us?”

Please say no, Inara thought. She did not wish to spend a second in his presence if she did not need to.

“No.” Thank Fates for that. “I have come to relieve you.”

Relieve you?

That was when Inara noticed the figure standing behind him. At first, she hadn’t seen him because he was a foot shorter than the prince with a smaller build. Her head tilted to the side in assessment.

“Ah.” The princess chuckled awkwardly and sat back down. “That’s quite alright. Inara and I are having a lovely time getting to know each other.”

Prince Walder frowned. “Really?”

Inara tried not to be insulted by the disdain layering his voice. “What? That so hard to believe? I am a delight to be around.”

“Sometimes,” Felix threw in.

She shoved him.

“You were tasked with watching me, weren’t you?” Inara asked the princess.

Her cheeks flushed red. “Do not be offended. It is a requirement of all new visitors to the kingdom that they be accompanied by someone until…Well, until⁠—”

“They can be trusted?” If she was being honest, Inara wasn’t all that surprised. She had already suspected something to that effect, especially considering her profession. “That’s fair.”

Surprise flashed across the princess’s face. “You are not insulted?”