Page 104 of Emylia

Maalikai turned so he was fully facing me. “Otherwise, it could mean Ophelia’s extinction.”

He had to be joking.

“What are you talking about?”

“Mera is larger than here, and they were abolished without warning. Ophelia simply doesn’t have the numbers. Even with your uncle’s militia, even with watching the borders. Maybe, just maybe if the women are allowed to fight, then it could change the outcome but otherwise, I don’t see how anyone would survive an attack of that magnitude.”

The color of my skin instantly blanched, my stomach hollowing with it. “Bullshit.”

Maalikai’s face fell. “You think I’d lie about something like this? Do you think I would lie to you at all?”

Warmth drained from my skin at the accusation. “No, but what you’re saying is absurd. I mean, why would they even come here? Or to Mera. What do we have that they could possibly want?”

“I think they’re searching for something.” A sighed confession that I didn’t even think Maalikai wanted to voice.

“What makes you think they’researchingfor something? Couldn’t they just want to be the rulers of Agertheria, isn’t that what wars are usually about? Power.”

“If they wanted to conquer Agertheria, they would’ve started in the capital, taking over the castle in Emberfalls. It’s ripe for the taking, there is no ruling party there currently; it wouldn’t be too hard to overrun the forces protecting the castle from Oryx’s army. It doesn’t make sense that they would expose their forces to the terrain unless there is another motivation.”

I remained silent for a moment and then it dawned on me. “The long-lost princess.”

Maalikai looked at me like I was crazy.

“The daughter of King Kailen and Queen Thia was smuggled from the castle after her birth. It is said that in her nineteenth year, she will take the throne again and become Queen of Agertheria.”

“I don’t think they’re searching for your princess.” Maalikai was never disrespectful, but his cocked brow came pretty damn close.

“Why not? It makes sense. She is about to turn nineteen; if someone wanted to stop her from ruling, they would have to take her out before she took the throne. It’s what I’d do.”

“Remind me not to go up against you; you’re absolutely lethal.” A low primal laugh escaped him.

A fiendish smile hitched up my lips. “No more than the Western Warriors.”

“I’m not sure about that. I think you could bring a kingdom to its knees.” A malevolent smile lit up his entire face, his flawless features becoming impossibly irresistible.

“So, you think I could be right? You think they could be looking for the Princess of Agertheria?” I asked hopefully, praying I was correct.

Maalikai shrugged. “Better than any explanation I’ve thought of.”

“You don’t sound convinced.” I turned and started walking toward the target to retrieve my arrow. Honestly I was pretty smug with myself for putting all the pieces together. “Then there’d be no point in them looking here; there is no way the Princess of Agertheria is in Ophelia.”

Unable to help himself, Maalikai scoffed, trying to cover it before I noticed.

“What?”

“There is no way they’ll find her anywhere. She doesn’t exist.”

“I knew you didn’t believe me!” My mouth fell open in disbelief. “Why wouldn’t it be true?”

Maalikai studied my face, searching for any trace that I wasn’t serious, but this was one thing I believed with every fiber of my being. “I wouldn’t peg you to believe in fairy tales, I thought you were joking.”

“It’s not a fairy tale, it’s true!”

The princess was real. I remember my mother telling me stories about her. As a priestess, she had been to the castle at Emberfalls, she had met the King and Queen—even healed the Queen when she had been ill during her pregnancy.

Maalikai made a low bow. “Beg your pardon, Your Majesty, I didn’t mean to insult you.” I shot him a dark look. “What? For all we knowyoucould be the princess.”

“For all we know,youcould be,” I shot back, full of rage.

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