Page 85 of The King's Queen

“Did anyone come to see you?”

“Only Blaine and Tanja. Blaine was with the party that found me that morning, as walking the grounds was the only training he was allowed due to his age. He came by every day with sweets, my favorite tarts, molten chocolate, and some books that he would read to me. He was the only one that I told what happened that night. I eventually told him about what I saw in the study too, but not until I was nearly sixteen and Irene had been dead for many years.”

Kya considers this, finally noting the oil lamp at my feet and how I’ve positioned myself close enough to the door to be back inside within seconds. Her features twist in anger, that aloof act finally dropping. She speaks with a low and soft voice.

“Derrín and I, we had an older sister. When theStrygacame and sacked our house, they found us three, Derrín and I were both ten, hiding behind her. She was fourteen.” Kya takes in a shuddering breath. “They put us on a ship with a hundred or so other prisoners. Some were Vari like us, others were Nevan, Tesslarian, Krycolian. The only thing we had in common was our blood.”

A sick pit lowers itself into my stomach and only worsens when I stare down at those blood-red swirls painted on her golden skin.

“We were unloaded onto an island in the middle of the night and told to run. It wasn’t until we saw the armed noblemen that we knew why were there. They hunted us like dogs. It was weeks of hiding and fighting for our lives. It was all a game to them. Derrín made weapons, and my sister and I killed. We did what we must until Derrín finally had enough time to build an escape raft, but we were too late.” Her hand clenches the thin fabric of her skirt, and I tentatively brush my own across it. She stiffens, then uncurls her fingers to interlace them with mine. “My sister stayed behind to hold them off so Derrín and I could escape. I knew then, as I saw her laying in the bloody sand, those palms hand painted every day like my own, that I would fight. I would fight dirty and wage war on them all. I would get Derrín out of there first, and then I would return.”

Her free hand traces slow and purposeful strokes across the crimson pattern before holding our intertwined hands up in front of my eyes. Begging me to look. To understand.

“Her palms were painted because she was gentle. She wanted to heal, to help people. And they took her and broke her until she couldn’t help herself. When I came of age, I decided I would go back. I would take everything from them like they took everything from me. I don’t care if I need to get elbow deep in blood to do it, I am going to break them until they beg for death and then some. That is my greatest desire.”

Silence envelopes us for a moment, only the sweet susurration of the wind weaving between us rang out. Even it is too loud.

Then I take her hands and pressed them to my chest, let them feel my heartbeat. A heart that beats because she had saved it and me long before any of that.

“When you bring them to their knees and have them beg for hell, you will have the full support of the Queen of Krycolis,” I promise, holding her tighter now. Neither of us mention that I will be forsaking that title. I don’t need it to help her wreak hell.

Her amber eyes lock on mine, acknowledging the pain there, and I stare right back. I’ve never seen her without the paint on her eyelids, on her face. She looks human, all that rage slipped away to unveil nothing but sorrow. My dear friend Kya in her most basic form. A girl who loves so deeply that it will fill her own broken heart.

“What was her name?” I gently brush my nail across her pinky finger.

“Her name was Natara.”

I smile softly. “Tell me about her.”

Chapter33

Rowan

The blizzard finally stops at some point in the night. By morning, the sun finally peaks through the thick clouds that swirl around our kingdom. The gentle light sets the snow aglow with golden shimmer, and maybe I hate the view a little less.

Kya woke before me, crawling out of her bed at dawn to stretch and work out on her own. She offers for me to join, but fear settles in my stomach as I look at her amber gaze. I don’t think I will be able to spar with her for a while.

After lying in bed for another half hour, I finally rise. My back pops with each stretch and motion I make as I slowly pad towards the kitchen. I find a pot of water already boiling, and the rich scent of freshly brewed coffee wafts to my nostrils.

Amír must notice my drool because she pushes a cup my way, and Kya is quick to doctor it with quite a large amount of sugar and cream.

“You don’t seem like a black coffee kind of person.” She smiles as she pushes the cup the rest of the way into my hands. I stand still a moment, savoring the feeling of its warmth in my hands. When I take a sip, I can feel my eyes roll into the back of my head.

“By the Laei, this is good,” I say while Kya giggles.

“It’s how Amír takes hers too.”

The heavenly drink threatens to make its debut through my nose as I fight a snort at that statement and the glare the gunslinger sends towards her girlfriend. Kya doesn’t shrink from it like any other person would. Instead, she blushes and whispers something in her ear. They quickly become enraptured in their own world, and a growing smile fights its way to my lips.

The familiar scent of citrus and leather mixed with soap hits my senses. That smile widens into a full-blown grin as I feel Rowan step behind me.

Rowan inhales deeply as he rests his chin on my shoulder and wraps his arms around my waist. “Glad to see you two made up.”

“Good morning, and yes, though you’d know that already since you were hiding behind the door during our whole conversation.” I give him a pointed glance from beneath my eyelashes. “It’s not polite to eavesdrop.”

I use the word whole sparingly, given that he only made his way to the door after I had revealed myself as the princess to Kya. If he had heard that bit then this morning’s conversation would be taking an entirely different path.

The mercenary presses a slow kiss to my temple. “Your senses, dare I say, might be better than mine.”

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