Page 120 of The Prince's Mage

She had been staying—on Hypatia’s orders—in a small tent beside Hypatia and Konstantin’s that were both near the command tent. She didn’t imagine they would let him stay with her, given their objections to her marriage and the fact that he was technically a hostage.

The Desero mages guarding the command tent let her pass easily.

Over the last few days Marcella had seen a wide variety of mages from all the different clans in the overall camp, but each clan had their own section. Desero’s section surrounded the command tent. Apparently Montis was on the far edge of the camp, where Gavril was being kept currently. Only Desero mages guarded Hypatia or anywhere Hypatia went. Not even Montis mages.

While Marcella’s chief focus over the last few days had been finding Gavril, she’d also asked around, trying to figure out how exactly this coalition had happened and what the new dynamics were between the clans. Surprisingly, the Montis mages had been most helpful to her, once she was able to explain she wasn’t Hypatia.

As soon as she stepped into the tent, she spotted Hypatia sitting in her usual chair, legs draped over the arm as she leaned back across the other arm, holding the raven perched on one finger and a piece of paper in the other. Nikias’ response.

Hypatia didn’t even look up from the paper as she said, “There you are, little one.”

Marcella reluctantly dropped to one knee and bowed her head, keeping one eye on Hypatia. “I was summoned, Chiefess.”

There was something off. She was… unbalanced. Had she been using her Sight? Even knowing the physical toll it took on her, she was risking it when this could still possibly end in a bloody battle?

“Yes, it seems the Inimicus you brought us was right. Prince Nikias—regent at the moment with his father indisposed—will negotiate with me for Gavril’s safe return and in return give us back the Heart. Lucky for you, he’s demanding Gavril be unharmed. He will, however, be bringing an army and a selection of his commanders just in case.” Hypatia looked up from the paper and waved it slightly. She laughed as she looked at Marcella. “You must have seen Prince Nikias while in Areator with some frequency. Tell me, can you hear him? Saying all of this through gritted teeth?”

Marcella absolutely could.

And she did not find it nearly as amusing a thought.

“You will have the chance to see and hear him for yourself when he arrives,” Marcella murmured.

Hypatia rolled her eyes as she swung her legs back into a proper position and sent the raven back into the air to fly off to its keepers. “Yes, but when he comes before me, he’s going to be stone-faced. As much as possible.”

She rose from her seat, her fingers skimming over to her side and in a lighter, musing tone, she said, “I haven’t seen him since he gave me this scar. I’m only sorry I didn’t get to give him one too.”

Marcella swallowed the words rising in her throat.His dead wife was more than enough of a scar.

“And yet his brother came to us willingly after trying to take me unwillingly to be their hostage. He’s responsible for my father’s death and got you instead of me. Now he’s turned you into a… oh, what do they call it in their tongue?Lupa?Can’t blame him. Once he realized you weren’t me and could enjoy your beauty without all the issues that come with me.”

“Did Prince Nikias write of anything else?” Marcella whispered. She knew Nikias would not mention anything of importance to Hypatia, but she did wish for some word of Aimilia just to know that she hadn’t been discovered in her role and was safe in Areator.

Even if she couldn’t get back to Gavril to tell him, it would be a comfort to her at least.

“I told you I would deal with you and the Inimicus prince later. It’s later. You won’t be able to distract me.”

Marcella lifted her gaze slightly.

Hypatia eyed her. “You want to plead your case and convince me this prince hasn’t taken advantage of you while you were at his mercy? Go ahead. Start at the beginning and leave nothing out.”

Marcella didn’t obey.

She did speak, but she knew Hypatia would never be able to see it clearly. So she left a few things out.

Either Hypatia already knew the truth from her Sight and her mind was made up or she didn’t and Marcella had a chance to mitigate the damage the silenced mage had done.

The beginning she kept mostly the same. The soldiers were vulgar and rough except for Gavril. She hadn’t realized at the time just how much he’d been protecting her from even then. He’d silenced the soldier because he’d been gossiping and disrespecting her. Then how he’d realized she wasn’t Hypatia but kept it a secret to protect her, saved her from the mage who attacked her and let her go.

“Not very well if you were caught less than five minutes later,” Hypatia said. “Sounds to me more like he just wanted you to believe he let you go to win your trust and make you grateful enough to bend to his will.”

Marcella tried to keep her wince off her face at the familiar words. She and Hypatia were not quite as different as she liked to comfort herself with.

Then…

“That’s exactly what I thought too.”

Maybe that’s what she needed in order to convince Hypatia.

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