Page 106 of The Throne's Undoing

When a rising spout of jealousy clogged her throat, Kallie forced it down.

"That is indeed true. Court is being held today, and my mother hates when I skip it." Medenia leaned toward Kallie and held up a hand, shielding her lips from the guards as she whispered, "Although, I do loathe it more often than not and would take any excuse to miss it."

Images surfaced of Kallie attending court in Ardentol, where she spent hours listening, hours forced to be silent, seen but unheard. She swatted them away quickly.

Clearing her throat, Kallie forced a smile and asked, "So you have made other arrangements for me then?"

"Right." Medenia turned to the door just as the woman with stark white hair turned round the corner and strolled through the infirmary, a mischievous lilt to her pitch-black eyes.

Kallie slipped her hands free from the princess's and took a harrowing step back, almost tripping over Beau who had snuck behind her. "What--what is she doing here?"

"I--" Medenia paused when she looked at Kallie. Concern washed over the princess's face before realization struck. "Oh.Uhm..." She glanced back and forth between Kallie and the woman who had helped rip her mind apart.

The woman stepped forward, extending a hand, which Kallie merely stared at. "I'm Ellie, by the way. Sorry about what I did to your mind."

Medenia's jaw fell open, and Kallie was left speechless at the woman's frankness.

"Euralys," Medenia hissed.

"What?" Ellie asked with a shrug, dropping her hand. "There's no point in pretending it didn't happen. Right?" She turned to Kallie and stared at her.

Beau nudged Kallie forward with his snout.

"Right," she said hesitantly.

She wasn't quite sure what to make of this woman. To an extent, Kallie should have been angry that Ellie had taken part in torturing her. However, she felt not a single ounce of anger. Only confusion and a hint of admiration and relief.

She was used to everyone tiptoeing around her and avoiding mentioning what had transpired. Ellie was, to an extent, a breath of fresh air.

"See?" Ellie said, turning her attention to Medenia. "We're fine. Let's get on with it."

"Very well," Medenia mumbled. She forced a light, albeit tense, smile back to her face as she turned to Kallie. "Ellie and I believe it would be beneficial for you if you trained."

Kallie's raised brows nearly touched her hairline. She looked towards the guards. "Are you sure the guards would approve?"

Medenia flicked a hand in the air dismissively. "The guards do as I tell them."

Ellie snorted. "The guards do what thequeentells them."

The two Tetrians exchanged glances before the women returned their attention to Kallie.

Ellie shrugged. "Anyway, we went through a lot of trouble getting you back, and we cannot let you waste away and become a liability."

"Euralys," Medenia hissed again.

"No, it's fine," Kallie said quietly. "I'm sorry to have caused so much trouble."

Ellie huffed. "Trouble? That was probably the most fun we've had in a while."

Medenia slowly nodded, amusement flickering at her lips. "She's right. Itwasquite fun. Completely reckless, especially the way it all went down at the temple. But we do not regret it in the slightest."

Kallie stared at the two women, unsure what to say in response. Luckily, Ellie spoke for her.

"Now, come on. Let's see exactly how out of practice you are."

Very.Kallie wasveryout of practice.

After only half an hour of training, her muscles ached. Her steps were clumsy, and her feet felt unsure beneath her. The wooden sword felt odd in her hand despite the callouses that marked her palms.

---