Page 32 of Tower of Tempest
“What?” I asked. That took a turn I hadn’t expected.
Leoni waved her hand. “It’s a long story. But I’m not a pirate. I’m definitely not cut out for a life at sea. So when Prince Lochlan said he was leaving on a mission to find you, I knew I had a chance, a chance to prove that I am good enough to be in the royal guard without the princess vouching for me.”
“And have you? Proven it?”
Her chest heaved with a sigh. “Not even a little bit. I haven’t had to fight once. Haven’t had a chance to show a single skill. At this point, I’ll be returning to Apolis jobless and with no future propositions.” Herhand lay across the hilt of her sword, twitching like she wanted to use it. “My mother will no doubt be harping on me to get married and be a proper woman like she was.”
I knew what that felt like all too much. I never got the sense that I disappointed Gran, more that I wasn’t enough. That I could never be enough no matter how hard I tried. The crowd erupted into cheers as a young woman raised her shears in triumph, her sheep completely sheared. Driscoll grumbled, reaching into his pocket and handing the prince some coins.
Females shot him looks of interest, and he must’ve noticed because he pulled the hood of his cloak over his head.
“So teach me,” I said, and Leoni shot me a wide-eyed stare. “I don’t just need to learn how to use my magic. I need to learn how to defend myself.” I thought of my attackers on the road to Winged who’d stolen all my gold. “Teach me how to fight using both weapons and my magic.”
A slow smile spread across Leoni’s face. “I’ve trained many guards. I can be a good tutor.”
I leaned over and whispered, “Maybe we can stage our practices in front of the prince and show him what you’re made of.”
Her grin grew wider. “Thank you,” she said.
I waved her words away. “You’re the one doing me the favor.”
The competition now over, Driscoll and the prince wandered to a fight taking place, two elementals summoning swords of lightning and readying themselves to spar with them.
I studied the prince’s broad back, a sapphire-blue cloak spread over it and flapping behind him, those auburn curls peeking out from under his hood. I scowled, realizing I was admiring him. That I’d been admiring him a lot these last few days. Not just how handsome he was, but how easy he made life. How fun he made it.
“It’s okay.” Leoni patted my arm.
“What’s okay?” I asked as we approached the sheep.
“If you’ve been taken by his charms.”
She didn’t have to sayhisname. I put a hand to my chest. “I haven’t been!”
She gave me a look like she didn’t believe me. “Everyone has.”
I scoffed. “Well, not me. I don’t even completely understand it. Yes, he’s handsomeand charming and very good at flirting, but surely there are other men like him. Why is he so famous? Why do all those women work themselves up into a frenzy around him?”
Women flocked to him no matter where we went. It was truly amazing. Even now, women passed him by, studying him with interest, probably wondering if it was really him: the prince of the water court, here to celebrate Day of the Storms.
Leoni smirked. “You’re forgetting he’s also a prince. There aren’t many of those around.”
I ticked off my fingers. “Queen Seraphina of the fire court, Queen Liliath of the earth court.” I ticked another finger. “Princess Gabrielle.”
“Now a pirate,” Leoni said.
There was no princess of the sky court. The king and queen had a niece who Gran said would likely ascend to the throne. And the frost court, well, there was a prince, but he’d been very reclusive over the years, along with his parents. Gran had joked that maybe he had hideous boils all over his face and his parents were so ashamed they’d hidden him away. Every time the frost prince came up in conversation, I’d catch Gran’s eye and we’d both burst out in laughter.
Leoni was right. “So Prince Lochlan and Prince Mal are the only eligible bachelors.”
She grimaced. “Just Prince Lochlan. Prince Mal, soon to be King Maledonan, is in love with the sea princess.”
I came to an abrupt stop. “The sea princess? As in one of King Salazar’s daughters? The sea princess who lives in the ocean and has a tail and fins?”
She tipped her head forward, and I remembered we were supposed to be walking. “Yes, that is an apt description of the sea folk.”
Gran had always spoken highly of the sea folk. I think she liked them because they refused to fight in the Shadow War against Sorrengard, had opted to stay neutral, and that earned them a begrudging respect. But as far as I knew, elementals and sea folks didn’t mingle, definitely didn’t enter into relationships. And the future king of Apolis was in love with the sea princess? It was enough to make my head spin.
Leoni waved her hand through the air. “It’s causing a lot of tension between Prince Mal and his mother. There’s a fragile peace between thewater court and the sea court, and she’s afraid Mal seeking the sea king’s approval to marry his daughter could break that peace.”
