Page 11 of Ocean of Silver

He took a long sip from his drink before setting the glass back down on the table. “Because no one should be as weak as you.”

I bristled at that. I wanted to snap back that I wasn’t weak. That I was strong. That I could defend myself. But right now, I knew it would be a lie. I was so weak that walking to his chamber was exhausting. Ineededto retrain my body. Ineededwhat he was offering me.

He looked me over as he added, “And because no one should treat you the way you have been treated in the past. You should make yourself strong so no one can… repeat what has happened to you.”

I heated slightly as shame crept through me. I hated that he saw everything on those screens. I hated even more the pity in his eyes as he looked at me like I was some pathetic, helpless being.

But in reality, what he was saying didn’t sound all that bad. I could finally figure out what my Luxian abilities were. Something I’d wanted to do my entire life. Something I only started to do with Sie. I could eat regularly, sleep in a warm bed, bathe, or half-bathe with the rags. And I could train again.

I hated feeling weak. I hated the feeling ever since I was taken from Lux at a young age. But unfortunately, that feeling kept following me my entire life. It seemed like every turn I made, someone stronger kept overpowering me. Like no matter how hard I trained, how hard I worked, it still wasn’t enough. I wasn’t enough. Maybe he could train me to be better. Maybe I could finally become as strong as I always wanted to be. The only part I didn’t like was being confined to my room, but considering this morning I never thought I’d make it out of the dungeons, I wasn’t going to complain.

“You work for the King then?” I pried. If I was going to be spending my days with him, I wanted to know who he was and what he did for the Lux King. His room wasn’t overly elaborate, although the view was amazing. The walls and trim seemed more grand, with mundane furnishings inside. But the five on his wrist and the fact that he trained the recruits for the Luxian army seemed enough proof that he was high up in command.

Before he could answer, two servants opened the balcony doors and emerged with trays of food. The food filled every inch of our small table. I was almost drooling from the smell of it. The sight alone was intoxicating.

My stomach growled loudly in protest, knowing what awaited. I hadn’t had a proper meal, other than stale, moldy bread, in weeks. In fact, thinking back, I didn’t think I had eaten a feast like this since the breakfast after my wedding day. I tried not to think about that, about my time in Tennebris, especially about Sie or our wedding.

The male nodded his head toward the servants in thanks as they left us alone again. Then he dug into the food. “Eat,” he ordered, not bothering to look my way. “You’re too skinny, and if you’re going to train with me, you’ll need your energy.”

Not caring how desperate I looked, I obeyed, gouging myself with food, stuffing my face with fruits, cheeses, meats, anything I could get my hands on. I even sipped on some sparkling fluid in a crystal glass that I assumed was some sort of wine after I guzzled two glasses full of water.

I moaned loudly, unable to help myself, as I bit into a delicious strawberry-filled pastry. The male stiffened in his seat at my moan, and I immediately flushed. I forgot he was even there, too submerged in my hunger.

He smirked. “Was the food in Tennebris not good?” My cheeks heated as I set the pastry back down. I definitely wasn’t going to eat that anymore. My stomach rumbled at the assortment of foods already working their way down. My chest felt heavy and tight.

The male laughed as he noticed my movements, noticed the way I refused to eat it now. “Oh, by all means, don’t stop on my account. It’s just not every day you hear a female make sex noises while she eats dinner. Is this customary in Tennebris?”

I gasped, then composed myself as anger took over. “Wouldn’t you like to know,” I heard myself say before I could think better of it.

“I have better things to do than know what turns someone of your youth on.” He resumed eating. I wanted to slap him across his gorgeous face right over his thick scar but instead thought it better to change the subject.

Youth. It made me wonder how old he was. Most Advenians aged slowly, except for my new maid, Patricia, it seemed. It made it difficult to tell anyone’s true age.

“I will not apologize for enjoying food when all I’ve eaten in the past twenty-seven days was a moldy piece of bread. If I was given any food at all, that is. And before that, at Tennebris, it wasn’t much better. So I may be skin and bones, but it is because of your people.”

He tensed. His tan hand paled and tightened around his utensil. I caught him glancing at my forearm. My last tally was still bloodied and raw, indicating just how many days I had spent in that cage. The other marks faded to various states of healing. He seemed to notice that I paid attention. That I was aware of how long I was kept a prisoner. That I was aware of everything they did to me and that I would not forget it, and even if the Lux King offered me a place here, I wouldn’t belong.

“They are your people now too,” he said softly before he resumed eating.

I scuffed. I didn’t belong anywhere anymore.

“And what is it that you do?” I asked, remembering that he never answered my question about working for the Lux King. He seemed to take orders directly from him, so I wanted to know just how close they were.

He kept eating, ignoring me wholly now. I could feel the anger boiling up inside me. I hated the fact that he probably knew everything about me, and I didn’t even know his name.

“Who are you?” I asked. I knew Patricia had told me a name, but it was unusual, and I couldn’t remember it.

He still didn’t reply as he plopped a piece of meat into his mouth. I repeated my question, this time more sternly, causing him to glance up at me just once. “Who are you?”

A quick flash of shock registered on his beautiful, cold face as if he was taken aback, as if he was surprised that I asked him that. Like I should have known who he was.

Probably being a powerful warrior and by his good looks, he was used to people whispering his name everywhere he went. Most likely people were either afraid of him or wanted him. But he was definitely not accustomed to people not knowing who he was.

“My name is Tezya,” he finally answered, setting down his fork and resting his strong forearms on the table.

“Tez-yeah?” I attempted to pronounce.

He chuckled softly at my poor attempt. “No, it’s Tez-uh, and you are Scotlind Mae Rumor. Eighteen years old. Former Princess of Tennebris and previously married to Prince Noren. You’re from Lux, deemed a traitor found and married in a different Kingdom, which is illegal. You studied to be a guard in Tennebris but didn’t qualify, and if you weren’t selected to be the Prince’s bride, you would have been a servant.”

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