Page 44 of The Prince's Mage

Aimilia scoffed, turning her horse and gesturing at the stable boys to bring forward Gavril’s. “Save it for some Runai who doesn’t know you as well as Gavril and I do. We’re not foolish enough to believe such sorry excuses and false flattery.”

“Commander—”

Gavril reached behind him, taking Marcella’s hand in his and keeping her behind him as he moved down the stairs. “If you want to keep one good arm, I suggest you go and keep our parents off my back like you vowed to.”

Nikias kept backing away as Gavril and Marcella got closer, pointedly looking at Aimilia and not Gavril and Marcella. “If you aren’t back by nightfall—”

“Ugh, how about if you don’t trust us, you go guard every possible way out of this city?” Aimilia snapped as Gavril and Marcella reached the second horse.

“Just be back by nightfall…” Nikias gritted his teeth as Gavril swung Marcella up into the saddle first. “Please.”

Gavril whipped around, and Aimilia nearly fell off her horse as she also whipped around, but Nikias was already walking back to the palace doors.

Aimilia tapped her heels against her horse and rode right up next to Gavril. She hissed, “Has he ever said that before? Did you break his brain when you nearly killed him?”

No.

Gavril couldn’t recall ever hearing Nikias say please before. He moved to swing up after Marcella, but she was staring over her shoulder at Nikias as he walked into the palace.

He quickly pulled himself up after her, blocking her view of Nikias as he wrapped his arms around her. He covered her left hand with his and murmured in her language, unsure how much of the exchange before she understood, “Do not worry. You are safe. Nikias cannot hurt you.”

Aimilia shook her head and said in Marcella’s language, “Stupid man. After me. Not you. Runs at sight of you, good, huh?”

Marcella turned toward Aimilia as the redhead started to direct her horse so she faced the gate again. Marcella said, “Nikias, he’s—that was because you helped Gavril and me?”

Gavril tapped his heels against his horse and they set off toward the gate. Aimilia rolled her eyes and said, “That was—Little man.”

Aimilia looked over at Gavril and switched to their tongue. “Tell her your brother is a petty brat who is just harassing me because I’m the only one left that he can. It’s not her fault or problem. I’ve been handling him for years. He’s not going to rattle me.”

Gavril pulled Marcella closer, resting one hand on her hip as he translated it for her.

To Gavril’s surprise, Marcella didn’t seem as anxious as he expected after seeing him. Marcella snorted when he’d said ‘petty brat.’ She asked Aimilia, “What does he want from you?”

As they rode out into the streets, people immediately spotted them, thanks to Gavril’s and Aimilia’s commander cloaks. The Solitus who made up the majority of the city’s population knew better than to crowd commanders, especially a prince, but they still watched and talked. They especially looked at Marcella.

Aimilia huffed. “He—Don’t know. Pay me back? Can’t know. He—ugh.”

At Marcella furrowing his brow, Gavril said, “Don’t try to understand Nikias. He just wants to still feel like he is in control, and Aimilia’s—” He didn’t remember the right word for suspension. “—removal from work means she is an easy target. They have never gotten along. It is not your fault.”

That was the only thing he could think of as to why Marcella had been looking so intently at Nikias if she wasn’t terrified of him. She was blaming herself for him now going after Aimilia.

Marcella nodded and turned back to the front. When the whispers started to reach him, whispers about thesordidus lupa,Gavril glared at them and just urged his horse on faster. He should have given Marcella his cloak. He hadn’t thought of it since he wasn’t letting her out of his sight.

But it might have dissuaded people from speaking rudely about her.

Although it hadn’t dissuaded his own brother from torturing her and ordering her death, so maybe it would have been pointless anyway.

However, Marcella didn’t seem to pay any attention to the people talking about her. Or at least, it didn’t bother her. Gavril was grateful she had no idea whatlupameant. Marcella spent the whole ride calmly looking around the streets and taking them all in with her sharp, analytical gaze.

It was the most attentive he’d seen her since her recovery had started.

He couldn’t blame her. He’d be very curious about the city he’d spent months in but hadn’t truly seen.

The Runai at the gates opened them the second he and Aimilia rode up. The guards of course eyed Marcella as he helped her down, but Marcella paid them no mind and simply kept taking in the sight of the academy like she had last time, peering at the walls guarding it and the rooftops.

As Aimilia handed her horse off to one of the Solitus stableboys, she said, “You know, I never thought I’d say this, but I kind of miss our days at the academy. It was a simpler time. A time when Nikias only bothered me when I would tag along with you to the palace.”

Gavril rolled his eyes as he took Marcella’s hand and led the way inside. Marcella perked up at his brother’s name, turning her head to look at Aimilia. Gavril leaned over and quickly translated.

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