Page 27 of A Kingdom of Broken Bonds

My thoughts are interrupted as he clears his throat and returns his sword to the weapons rack.

“You are skilled,” he calls out, glancing at me over his shoulder. “But you rely on your speed too much. Against a fae, you would never stand a chance, not to mention the blood. That was a complete distraction for you and will get you killed in a fight.”

While I have always struggled with the beast within me, I have trained to fight against the instinct to feed when blood is exposed since I was a small girl. My control is better than that, so what is it about his blood that made me lose that hard-won control? My ego burns, not just at losing against the fae, but at showing my weakness. Thinking over his words, I frown at one of his comments.

“Against a fae, you would never stand a chance.”

The only fae I have ever met are him and Eli, and while I have heard tales of other fae in the kingdoms, they are rare. Why would he bring up the fact I wouldn’t win against a fae unless it’s something that I should be focusing on?

“Am I likely to have to fight against the fae?” I watch him closely as I ask the question.

His face shuts down, giving me nothing to go on. That in itself is an answer. There is more going on than what they want everyone to believe. Sighing, he shakes his head, his gaze intense. “I will train you. Meet me here an hour before sunrise.”

Clearly, I get no say in this. “Tomorrow morning?” I ask to clarify. While I’m surprised at his offer and don’t particularly relish the idea of training with him after what happened today, I can reluctantly agree I need more practice.

“Every morning,” he replies, and with that, he strides from the area, leaving me watching his retreating back, wondering what just happened.

Chapter Twelve

Hot water streams down from the showerhead above me, causing me to moan with pleasure as it washes over my sore, aching muscles. I’ve not felt this exhausted and sore for a long time, and part of me can’t help but wonder if that’s because I haven’t been training as hard as I should have been back in Trador.

Rubbing my hands over my body, I wash the sweat and grime from my skin. Most of the castle denizens will only just be waking up for the day, yet I have been awake for hours. I don’t mind the early start, as I only need an hour or two to recharge, so I was already up and dressed when I was expected to meet my new fae trainer.

As I expected, training with Finnik is a nightmare. He was harsh and uncompromising this morning. Gone was the mischief from his eyes, and it was replaced by a harsh taskmaster. To my surprise, he took me to a quarry just outside of the castle grounds and had me climbing sheer rock faces with nothing but my hands, destroying boulders with my fists, and throwing huge chunks of rock as far as I could manage.

When I complained that I thought we were training with blades, he told me that working on my strength was just as important. Only expecting my abilities to help me is lazy, and I need to work them just like any other muscle. Sparring would come when he thought I was ready.

I am already dreading tomorrow morning.

Today, I am meeting with Havoc, just him and me. I’m not quite sure how I feel about it, but I am filled with trepidation. Considering how hostile he’s been towards me so far, I’m not expecting anything different from him. Even so, I am determined to make every effort. No one will be able to accuse me of not trying to uphold my role.

I finish cleaning myself and dry before the maids come in to help me dress. Choosing a gown of deep red, I watch myself in the mirror as the young females flit around me. The bodice is low and form-fitting, as is the preferred style in Trador, with a loose gauzy skirt, allowing for full movement. There is a slit in the fabric up to my thigh, and I wear leggings beneath the skirt because I don’t know what the prince is planning for us today. Floaty, off-the-shoulder sleeves finish the look, exposing the mark on my neck. My silver hair is dried and brushed, left down as I requested, with only a band of bronze flowers woven around the crown of my head.

A knock on the door has one of the maids scurrying to open it, and through the mirror, I see Geoff step into the room.

“Lady Anthea, are you ready?” he asks as he straightens from his bow.

“Yes, let us go,” I reply with a tight smile, my words far more formal in the presence of the maids. There is no doubt in my mind that everything they see and hear is reported back to the king, so I will not give them any reason to doubt my intentions.

Walking through our suite of rooms, I don’t see any sign of Felix, and I feel disappointed. Seeing his happy smile would have helped reassure me as I step into this day of uncertainties. I nod in greeting to my four guards who are on duty today and let them lead the way.

As usual, our section of the castle is deserted, and we only start seeing signs of life once we cross the thin bridge separating us from the main part of the palace. Most of the windows here are tinted, allowing vampires and other creatures of the night to fit around the schedule that the king keeps. The only one that isn’t tinted happens to be the patio where the other brides and I meet. Back in my homeland, we mostly hold court and live life in the evenings, but because most of the world is awake during the day, we have learned to adjust.

Geoff and I say nothing as we walk. While it isn’t all that unusual, I get the feeling he’s as tight and wound up as I am today. He poured a large portion of his life into moulding me into the perfect first bride, and nothing is going to plan. He would never blame me for that, he knows how hard I have worked—how hard we have both worked.

My guards lead us into a part of the castle I have never been before—the royal wing. Curiosity burns in me, and despite my trepidation, I can’t help but examine everything with quiet fascination. Like the rest of the castle, the hallways are large and open, but the pillars that hold up the walls are made of a type of marble I have never seen before. Veins of sparkling blues and greens glisten as we pass, almost as though they are lit from within.

We are just about to reach the day room when I hear two low voices. I’m not sure what makes me do it, but I throw out my arm to stop Geoff in his tracks. The guards instantly stop with us, glancing around to check for threats and waiting for further instruction. Geoff glances down at my arm, frowning as he looks up at me, ready to snap at me for touching him. When he sees the look on my face, though, he stays silent, his eyes going distant for a moment as he extends his hearing.

“Havoc, you have to do this,” a familiar voice chides. “Think of your people.”

Finnik. Even if I didn’t recognise his voice or feel that strange pull towards him, there are very few people who would talk to the prince that frankly. It would be a death sentence for anyone who wasn’t part of their inner circle.

“Do you think I would still be here if I wasn’t thinking of them?” the prince hisses, his frustration clear. “I would have jumped on a ship and sailed as far away from here as I could have as soon as I discovered I was her mate.”

The bond in my chest weeps at his harsh words. Biting down on my lip, I force myself to stay silent despite the agony. Am I really so bad that he would abandon his kingdom to avoid having to know me? I still don’t understand his aversion to me, and usually I would cut my losses and move on, but I can’t. We are tightly bound, and there is no way around it.

Finnik sighs, and I hear the weariness in his voice. “The gods have decided your fate, my friend. There is no changing it, not without dooming us all.”

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