Page 142 of The Prince's Mage

Too many commanders had seen it. Had seen how fragile both Father and Nikias were at the moment.

And too many of the Sordes had seen it too.

Any hint of breaking the new treaty would be in the Sordes’ favor with both of them weak, and it left Gavril as the best option for taking orders from until they were recovered. And everyone knew he wouldn’t stand for breaking the treaty.

Their peace was safe.

At least on his end.

“And what about when your wife wakes up?”

Konstantin sighed. “Hypatia is unpredictable at times, especially when she uses her Sight, but she is not a liar. She assured me that she would be satisfied with Nikias’ suffering and the end of our people being slaughtered or experimented on.”

Gavril supposed there was no choice but to believe her.

Konstantin held his hand out. “Then it looks like your insane scheme has paid off. We finally have peace.”

Peace… Finally.

He almost couldn’t comprehend it. He never really thought he might live to see the day they would stop drowning in an ocean of blood. Or that he might actually be part of bringing it about. Really… the more he thought about it… the more he saw the miracle it was.

Gavril shook his hand. “Technically, this wouldn’t have been possible if you’d never agreed to marry Hypatia. There would have been no ambush. No chance for me and Marcella to meet.”

Konstantin gave him a soft, pained grin. “Then at least my marriage has been a blessing to everyone else.”

Aimilia had caught her breath and was softly reassuring Marcella that she was alright as he and Konstantin let go of each other’s hands. Konstantin looked back over at Marcella. “Regardless of what happens with your father, you two will always be welcome amongst my clan.”

Gavril sighed. “Depending on what happens, we might take you up on that offer.”

Marcella looked over at them and said, “Hypatia is not going to easily forget my treason, even if I never set foot off Montis’ lands.”

Aimilia immediately grabbed Marcella’s arm and gaped at the two of them, speaking in the Inimicus language. “I didn’t quite catch all of that, but I heard ‘welcome amongst my clan’ and ‘Montis’ lands’ and I don’t know what I’ve missed while the two of you have been here, but don’t you dare leave me alone in Areator!”

Marcella gave Aimilia a reassuring smile and replied in the Inimicus language. “Nothing decided. No worrying about it tonight.”

Aimilia settled back in her seat with a huff, eyeing Konstantin. “Good. Because I don’t know who this man is, but I do know the demon called him her husband and your brother, which is news to me.”

“I promise, we’ll tell you the whole story later,” Gavril said, with a slight laugh.

Marcella pulled herself out of Aimilia’s grip and made her way over to Gavril while Aimilia shook her head and muttered under her breath about their insanity. Gavril immediately wrapped his arms around Marcella, crushing her to him as Konstantin took a seat next to Aimilia, starting a soft, stilted conversation given how poor both of them were in the other’s language.

And the fact that Aimilia was eyeing him suspiciously as the man who was trying to take Gavril and Marcella away from her.

He did hear Aimilia asking about why Hypatia had collapsed and if he knew what she’d done to Nikias. Konstantin murmured something about Hypatia’s Sight and how it weakened her. Marcella had tried explaining it to him, but he didn’t know how Hypatia’s Sight could have anything to do with what she did to Nikias. As soon as Nikias was awake again, Gavril intended on finding out.

Marcella sighed as she sank her fingers into his chiton and said in her language, “I wasn’t too late, was I?”

That wasn’t the issue.

“No, not at all.” Gavril shifted so he could look down at her. “But why did you go get him in the first place? I told you that was my battle to fight. Did you not think I could do it?”

Marcella gasped and shook her head. “No! Not at all! Fighting is not tired of you, but you don’t have to fight alone. It has nothing to do with how capable you are but with how horrid your father is. You told me it was like Hypatia. But you don’t understand—I’ve never stood up to Hypatia alone. I’ve always had you, or recently my own new brother. Why then shouldn’t you?”

Oh. Beautiful, wondrous girl.

Marcella squeaked when he kissed her, but it only took her a second to eagerly return it. She laced her fingers together behind his neck as he pulled her closer by her waist. He tilted his head, starting to deepen the kiss when the sound of a throat clearing behind them interrupted.

Then the sound of Aimilia’s voice in the clan language, “Don’t bother. Always this way. Sickening. Two of them. Sweet. More sickening.”

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