Page 83 of Knightfall
“You’re scared she’ll do it again. But guess sarding what? She won’t. Because none of the rest of us will let her.”
He was wrong.
I’d leave them behind. Even though the thought left my insides as dark and lifeless as a shadow.
I’d figure out how to get away from them and seek out that dragon.
Connor pushed Declan away. Declan just snarled, “Find your bawbles and your spine. Because we’ve got a sarding dragon to face, a shite-show between Cheryn and Sedara coming down the pipe, and a godforsaken suitor—”
A page rushed into the room, interrupting Declan.
“The party from Cheryn. They’re here! They arrived early!”
Chapter Twenty-One
“Shite,” I blew out a breath. I turned to everyone in the room. “Get changed. Quickly. Formal greeting wear. Ryan, full armor for you and your men.”
“Won’t that look aggressive?”
“We don’t know who sent that sarding dragon. Could be Macedon. Gitmore. Cheryn. Could even be Sedara; they could be angry we’re considering Cheryn as allies. So, we are all on guard. At all times. And if you aren’t going to let me go back to Lady Agatha’s province, then we need soldiers sent there and we need to move the cattle and people away from there without arousing suspicion. Declan, I’ll let you handle the latter. Quinn, find out who sent this beast. And I want two people protecting Avia at all times.”
Avia opened her mouth in protest but I raised my hand. “You didn’t want the crown princess job. So, you’re listening to me until you’re forced to take it.”
She glared at me. But everyone broke ranks and went their separate ways to get ready and execute orders. Declan trailed after me as Connor stomped off, muttering to himself.
As I was stuffed into a blue brocade dress with a train that took two servant girls to manage it, I ran through the possible suspects in my head.
Whoever had set out to attack Avia had done so before I returned. Abbas’ visit had been scheduled before then. So, if our northeastern neighbors, the royal family of Macedon, had been feeling slighted since their princess was overlooked, that was a possibility. Was a slight enough for an attack?
I was doubtful.
But Cheryn and Sedara had been fighting, or at least swiping at one another, for nearly a year. What if Sedara was more than just annoyed by my mother’s choice to entertain Cheryn’s princes as suitors for Avia?
I dug my fingers into my palms. Too many countries hated us right now. Those theories didn’t even count our long-time enemy, Gitmore. We’d stripped them of weapons at the end of the last Fire War. They’d been pretty bitter since.
Sarding hell. Of all the times for a stupid suitor visit. We’d be up to our eyeballs in formal events and bullshite public outings when we needed to hole up and strategize.
I bit my lip as a maidservant twisted and plaited my hair and placed a tall filigreed golden and pearl crown on my head. The front of the crown had a headdress that dipped down onto my forehead, where diamonds dangled. Beautiful. Intimidating. Heavy as hell. I looked at my reflection, practicing my face for greeting the smarmy ass who’d come to inspect our kingdom and see if he found it beneficial to ally with us.
I couldn’t think about him coming here to judge Avia. That just made my cheeks grow red hot as I thought about yanking off my crown and smashing his crooked teeth out with it.
My personal butler appeared at that moment. “The party from Cheryn has arrived and is awaiting you in the throne room, Your Highness.”
“It’s just the one prince?”
“Yes. Abbas. The eldest, Your Highness. The others are ill at the moment.”
I nodded in acknowledgment. “Wonderful. Will my mother be greeting the party from Cheryn as well?”
He shook his head. “No, Your Highness. Her Majesty is not feeling … well, at the moment.”
I fought the bile that rose in my throat. My first formal appearance with a foreign royal, alone. I might rather face the dragon. At least then, I’d know what was coming.
I took a deep breath. Declan came forward and claimed my arm, having just thrown an embroidered doublet over his shirt and tossed on an ornamental sword. I looked at the pair of us in the mirror for a second. We were opposites, with my long brown locks and his blond hair. My coloring was olive-toned, whereas Declan had a hint of pink to his skin. In our formal wear, standing straight and solemn, we looked like different people. We didn’t look like a scholar and an unruly princess. Our reflection showed a queen and her knight.
I hope this intimidates the shite out of Abbas, I thought.
“Come on, Peace.”
