Page 115 of The Prince's Mage

Those were some of the nicer names.

The soldier that had helped the lieutenant grab him took the opportunity to cuff him in the head and spit on him. The man muttered, “That’s for my grandfather. May you and your heretics rot.”

Gavril could make an educated guess how his grandfather had died.

He was too focused trying to look over his shoulder, but the small glimpses he got didn’t yield the results he wanted. No Marcella. He usually got a rough shove forward for the effort, but he kept trying.

He didn’t care what they did to him, but he didn’t want his wife alone with the demon who scarred her and sent her to die to save her skin.

Then he was shoved onto the ground, crashing into a post he was quickly secured to by the lieutenant and the soldier. Since the sun looked like it would be setting any minute, Gavril imagined this would be where he would be spending the night.

And it was.

He didn’t catch so much as a glimpse of Marcella. At least not until he woke up with a terrible crick in his neck to the sound of her voice.

He blinked in the early dawn light to see her rushing toward him, clasping her left wrist in her hand. But she held it low and under her cloak, and she walked with her head held high and an air of authority. Was she pretending to be Hypatia to see him?

She breezed past the guards stationed ahead of him with a short hello, and he sat up straighter, trying not to let his grin break through.

But then a blur came careening around the corner with identical black curls. Hypatia caught Marcella and hauled her back.

He only caught a little bit of what Hypatia said, “—knew you’d disobey—even want to after—done to you—responsible for the death of my father—the fact he breathes makes me sick—you I would deal with you later. It’s not later yet, and if you want my ear, you should behave.”

Gavril tried to push himself up, but didn’t get far. He yelled out, “Marcella! I’m fine! I will be fine!”

Hypatia immediately glared at him, but before either girl could speak, Konstantin walked up with a perfectly calm, measured countenance. He spoke so softly Gavril couldn’t catch any of it. But while he spoke, he broke Marcella and Hypatia apart. Hypatia quickly turned on her heel, barking, “My orders still stand! She is not to be let near him! And get him out of view. We leave him out like this, and some idiot will get it in his head to take him in the name of vengeance.”

In a whirlwind, the demon was gone.

Marcella immediately turned to Konstantin, hope pouring out of her. But he just shook his head, took her by the arm, and led her away.

Gavril sank back to the ground. At least Konstantin hadn’t been rough with her, but Gavril couldn’t help the way his stomach turned and his chest burned. He didn’t like the sight. It almost confirmed his fears, that Marcella belonged with her people. Maybe they weren’t all so terrible to her.

He still should be the one protecting and taking care of his wife.

Not long after that incident, he was hauled off his post and dragged through the sprawling camp. They took so many turns Gavril didn’t think the soldiers themselves would be able to find their way back. They were also slowed by the soldiers taking the chance to get a hit or two in. But they did come to a stop in front of what looked like it had been a temporary shelter for horses, given the hay on the ground and the actual horses in a makeshift paddock. Hypatia must not be planning to move, but instead force Nikias to her if they were setting up structures.

This time, they searched him, which wouldn’t have been a problem save for the fact that they did find something. Not a weapon, but Gavril thought a weapon would have gotten a kinder reaction.

The soldiers found the set of lily clasps and pins Gavril had been keeping on himself for months now.

Fortunately, he was long since indifferent to the pain of bruises, black eyes, and split lips. The insults they’d hurled at him had been worse. Gavril didn’t actually know the translation, but he knew the implication of the fact that he had them as well as the lies Hirtus must have spread before his death, so he could guess.

Accuracy didn’t matter. It was one of the reasons he’d taken his cloak back, just in case any of her people knew the implication of her wearing it. Now he might as well have left her in it since she’d accidentally revealed they were married and they’d found the lilies anyway.

He was bound to one of the posts inside so at least if the cloudy skies above opened up he wouldn’t get drenched too badly. Two guards took up positions closer to the paddock and the horses and would occasionally leave to patrol around it. If Hypatia wanted to keep Marcella away from him, it made sense. He was the only human in the camp to be guarded, so them guarding the horses made him harder to find.

Later that day he was given one hand back just long enough so he could take care of basic necessities. He wasn’t given much food or water, likely the dregs of whatever their rations were. They wouldn’t want to waste the good stuff on an Inimicus prince. He was half certain the water he was given had been collected out of a muddy puddle given the taste of dirt in it. He didn’t care.

He just worried about Marcella being left to hold her own against Hypatia.

Especially the longer time went on and he didn’t see her. He didn’t want her to get in trouble coming to see him, but not seeing her and ensuring she was alright for himself was also tormenting him. Far more than the insults or bruises he got whenever his guards did pass by him.

He spent three days in the stable. Neither Hypatia nor Konstantin came and spoke to him, so he assumed that meant they hadn’t received a reply from Nikias yet. Gavril knew it couldn’t be much longer. The army had been almost ready to leave, so the second the raven arrived, if they hadn’t left already, Nikias would leave.

Which only made him worry about Aimilia. She’d assured him she could keep his father subdued long enough with the right doses of her tea and no one would ever know, but if she overestimated herself and got caught…

It was treason.

---