Page 43 of The Prince's Mage

Aimilia happily agreed and said, “I can’t blame her for wanting to not be cooped up in her room all the time. Especially with all your coddling. With the way you treat her, you’d think she was made of glass. If it were me, I’d have lost my mind already. Not understanding what we’re doing when we ask her to cast. Even just being able to walk where I want to walk without looking over my shoulder afraid—actually I understand a little. I’m constantly looking over my shoulder for Nikias.”

Gavril immediately whipped around, but Marcella was still dozing.

Aimilia huffed and rolled her eyes. “She’s not going to break into little pieces just hearing your brother’s name.”

“She doesn’t need to hear us say Nikias’ name and worry about what we were talking about because she didn’t catch the full sentence. As for the rest? She is the only person to have survived the healer’s tables, and clearly that’s not something you bounce back from. Especially when we’re forcing her to expend her strength every day so I can learn. The least I can do is give her the best care possible even though it won’t change the fact that she’s in this state because of me. She shouldn’t worry about trying to push herself too hard trying to understand everything because she’s afraid she’ll end up back on those tables. She shouldn’t worry that Nikias is going to appear and drag her back there. I will do whatever I have to for her to feel safe again. You can say I’m being overprotective or coddling her, but I don’t care.” Gavril shot Aimilia a glare as he flipped his page to a new one so he could continue practicing writing runes in Marcella’s language. “So no, it is not anywhere close to the same thing, not even a little.”

“Hold on, we’ll get back to how overprotective you’re being later. You said that like he’s not showing up all the time. Are you not also constantly dodging him?”

“He knows to stay away from me and Marcella.” Gavril lifted his gaze again and kept his look stern.

“So it’s just me he’s bothering?” Aimilia raised an eyebrow and narrowed her eyes. “Suspending me wasn’t enough punishment for him?”

Gavril left her question unanswered. The less he thought about Nikias, the less tempted he was to go kill him in his sleep.

Aimilia made a noise in the back of her throat and turned back to her books.

The next day, however, Marcella brightened when he told her over breakfast—after he’d rushed into her room in the early morning hours at her scream—they would be visiting the academy instead of the palace library. The bags under her eyes seemed to fade a little.

She ate faster than he’d seen her eat before, and practically leapt out of bed the second she was done.

He wrapped his arm through hers as they left her room and he escorted her through the palace like he always did. It made it easier for her to lean on him when she was struggling to stand, but as she was the one practically pulling him along despite not knowing the way, he was forced to admit it was more just an excuse he told himself so he could keep her closer.

Maybe she was actually recovering her strength.

Aimilia was waiting for them in the courtyard, already mounted and ready to leave. Well—she would be ready if Nikias wasn’t holding her reins with his one good arm and glaring up at her as she tried to get them back without startling the horse.

At the sight of his brother, Gavril immediately pulled Marcella back—she had been practically running out the door—and behind him. She let out a startled squeak, grabbing at his shoulders as he did so, blocking her from sight with his body.

This was the last thing she needed.

Aimilia was hissing at Nikias, “—suspended me from my duties as a commander, but that doesn’t mean you get to keep me locked up like a prisoner! I’m allowed to leave the palace and go out into the city. Actually, since I don’t have any responsibilities as commander, I could go all the way back to House Mitis’ lands and estate if I so wanted!”

“Locked up?” Nikias scoffed. Neither of them had seemed to notice Gavril and Marcella leaving the palace. “Yes, I suspended you for this very reason. All I want to know is where you’re going. As a commander—even a suspended one—you are still my responsibility and it’s my right to know where you’re going. And, no, you are not allowed to just get up and wander off without getting clearance from me to go back to your family’s lands.”

“Is that why you suspended me instead of stripping me of my rank? So you can still boss me around, you—”

Gavril cleared his throat.

Aimilia and Nikias whipped around to see Gavril standing at the top of the short staircase leading into the palace. Nikias paled and dropped the reins as Aimilia beamed and gathered them up saying, “Ah! There you are, Gavril and Marcella!”

Aimilia deliberately slowed and over-enunciated ‘Marcella,’ which had Nikias backing away from Aimilia’s horse.

He felt Marcella peer around his shoulder at the scene. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, and she was staring right at Nikias. But her hands weren’t trembling. She had gone a little paler, but considering everything, she wasn’t as shaken by the sight of him as Gavril had feared.

Huh…

Was it because she knew he wouldn’t let Nikias hurt her? Or was it something else?

He didn’t want to read into anything, but still…

Like Marcella was a woman who was as prone to faith as she was breathing, so too was he to hope.

He called out, “Aimilia, Marcella, and I were going to visit the academy.Notthat I need your permission to do so, and neither does Commander Aimilia. But I trust that won’t be an issue, will it?”

Nikias looked over at Aimilia, who just flashed a grin she reserved particularly for when Nikias was bested either by her or Gavril. Over the years, Aimilia had perfected it.

It was evident in the way Nikias’ jaw clenched and he nodded. “Of course. I just wanted to make sure one of our best commanders wasn’t running away in a tantrum.”

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