Page 55 of The Princess's Chosen

"He likes more than that between us," Wendell laughed. "Come on, we'll walk her up with the others and then give them space. I haven't sorted out the geometry of the five us in bed with her yet, but we'll let Aric see how he likes Owen's snoring."

"It's not that loud!" Owen called from the back.

"I mistook you for Wendell's tiger!" Thao shot back.

Bryony's laugh drew out my grin, and I spun away from the others, grabbing for her as she reached me, letting me wrap her up in my arms.

Aric followed behind her, his eyes on the palace interior, some of the giddy softness from the ride up the mountain moving into awareness, of the wealth and magic of the place, and the difference between it and the home he'd just left. Bryony wanted what was best for Kimmery, wanted the common people to thrive and have good tables and be healthy. But she would always be royal. She would always havemore, live richer.

If Aric was really going to accept he was Chosen, he would have to accept that now he would have more too.

18

Bryony

“Tell me what Sam is doing here."

I stood on a balcony in the northwest wing of the palace, overlooking the woods where Owen and Sam were setting out to check on some of Owen's favorite residents. Griffin stood at my side, arms across her chest, vivid red hair plaited down her back. The world was frosted this morning, trees trimmed delicately in white that everyone said would vanish by afternoon.

"Do you mean my intentions or his?" I asked her.

"He told me about your sister as if it…as if I shouldn't be appalled. He wouldn't show me the owl or let me near him, but he spoke like none of it mattered. Are you going to make him Chosen?"

"No!"

I shouted too loud, startling a handful of birds out of the nearest tree and making Aric pass by the balcony window, his eyebrow raised in question. I'd found a suite for him to use for magical study, and I suspected he wanted it simply to have a bit of his own space he could control too, which was fine. I shook my head at him, and he slipped away again.

"Absolutely not. I don't think that would be right for him at all," I said.

"Just checking," Griffin said, and I was surprised to find she looked a little embarrassed. But her arms loosened from around herself, and she braced herself against the edge of the balcony. "I agree. What are your intentions then, and what do you mean by his?"

"I am offering him a place that is not with my sister. He says he doesn't have any family, but I don't know if that's true. The others…are concerned that my sister left him here to—to spy on me, or perhaps even hurt me. I don't know."

"His fear of her is sincere," Griffin said.

"Myfear of Camellia is sincere. I knew she was self-interested and impulsive and…I knew she was spiteful. But I didn't know she possessed this much cruelty. "

"What will you do about her?"

I closed my eyes and lifted my face, ignoring everything but the bite of cold and the sting of sunlight just starting to crest over the roof of the palace.

"If I have the crown, Camellia will not have Chosen. She will have to pay for the crimes against the ones she's been given," I whispered.

A hand settled gently on my shoulder, and I appreciated that Griffin didn't agree, didn't speak at all. Thinking of Camellia, of what she'd done and what that meant for the future between us, created a dull ache in my head and heart, a pressure that left me struggling to catch my breath.

"If your sister gave Sam orders to follow, I don't think it will take much for you to give him reason to ignore them, if you haven't already."

I nodded. "Camellia would have a difficult time imagining not getting her way. She always forgets that she's not alone in possessing desires and hopes." I blew out a breath and shook my head, opening my eyes and glancing at Griffin. "Do you think his wings can be fixed?"

"I know of a fox that got injured in a trap, was able to pull themself out, and shift back to their human form. But they only waited a few hours to get help, and the paw was mostly ruined from the start anyway. I won't really know what state he's in until he shows me," Griffin said. "Owen mentioned having some experience tending an injured barn owl, so if the injury is still young, then maybe."

But don't hold out hope. Those were the words missing.

"He brightened up when I talked about flying. I thought it would bother him, but he seemed happier," Griffin said. "May I come back and speak with him when I come to hunt?"

"Of course! Actually, about that, um, your position," I said, bouncing nervously and shifting to face her.

Griffin stiffened, a wary animal as I hesitated.

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