Chapter 34
Chapter thirty-four
My legs shouldn’t have been shaking on the walk back. Septimus had no reason to terrify me anymore. I was far more powerful now than when I’d first stepped into that throne room—full of confidence, allies, and a newfound strength within.
But they still shook.
He was a horrid old man, one who knew exactly what to say to creep under my skin and sever it from the bone. Mara’s life was better protected now that the Guardian had an eye on her, but would that be enough of a shield against Septimus’s sword?
Don’t let me down, Guardian.
“Halt there,” Cedric called from behind me, pausing the guards long enough for him to hurry up alongside me. “I have been instructed to relay a message to Lady Diaspro. It will only be a moment.”
He took my hand, the touch urgent as he tried to pull me into another room. The guard snagged me by the shoulder, jerking me back before Cedric could free me.
“Hold on, Your Highness.” The guard narrowed his eyes. “Where did this instruction come from?”
“Where do yours come from?” Cedric’s voice boomed, the power behind it shocking to everyone. “The royal family. Now spare me a moment of her time or I won’t spare another moment of your life.”
Cedric yanked me back, his piercing glare never leaving the guard until he had safely pulled me behind closed doors. It took me a second to catch my breath after that. Never would I have expected such boldness to be wielded by the third prince.
“I didn’t know you had that in you,” I said in awe as he made sure the door was locked. We seemed to be in some sort of storage room full of old books and shelves of scrolls.
“I got lucky,” Cedric said, sounding more like himself again. “That guard is new, so he doesn’t have a full grasp on the political climate within the palace yet. We probably only have a few minutes before he gets anxious and tries to retrieve you.”
“Then let’s not waste the minute you bought us,” I said. “What’s this message?”
“Here.” Cedric pulled a blank envelope from his pocket. “Your servant Beckham brought this to me from the mail room a moment ago. He told me that it was intended for you.”
The moment I touched the envelope, the glittering ink materialized before my eyes.
Lady Diaspro
“Yes,” I breathed, brushing my finger over the enchanted letters. “It’s from the Guardian.”
Cedric sucked in a breath as he watched me tear into the letter. The note inside was just as blank as the envelope, but as I unfolded it, the ink slowly started to appear, and a tiny dried-up flower petal fell from the paper.
“Does it say anything?” Cedric asked, looking between the fallen fogwrath petal and what was still a blank page to his eyes.
I read the short note, my stomach plummeting deeper the more times I read it over.
I can only save her if you’re willing to lose everything.
The paper slipped from my fingers, too heavy to hold as I tried to suppress the shaking in my legs. These worthless legs…could they not stand up against the king after all?
“Diaspro? What’s wrong?” Cedric asked, placing a tender hand on my arm as he noticed my shaking. “Are you still sick?”
I’m sick of losing.
“No.” I shook my head, straightening enough to steady my legs. “I’m quite well, but I’m afraid even that won’t be enough to defeat the king tomorrow.”
The words were bitter on my tongue, but a lie would have tasted worse.
“What did the note say?” Cedric leaned closer.
“I have to lose everything in order to save her,” I repeated the note, my mouth dry. “Not even the Guardian can protect Mara in tomorrow’s event unless I give up the crown, or perhaps even my life.”
Cedric’s face paled, a deathly understanding washing over him as he processed the information.
“Listen…I don’t know what’s planned for the final event, but I know they’re using the arena.
” He took a moment to collect himself, pulling back from me.
“Someone will die in that arena tomorrow. I have no doubt.”
Neither did I.
A cold chill rushed down my spine as I pictured Mara lying limp in that cursed arena. I couldn’t let that happen, not while Ivalon was watching. Not while I was watching.
I have to die in her place, then. That’s what the Guardian believes, at least.
“But it can’t be you.” Cedric’s voice turned to steel, his firm words startling me as his shadow encompassed me. “Too many people need you, Diaspro. You know that.”
Don’t say that…
“But I need Mara.” Tears clogged my throat, my emotions overwhelmed with the desire to protect the friend who had stood by my side from the very beginning. She never deserved any of this. Letting her die was like losing the last bits of good Ivalon still had left.
“I let Ciara escape,” Cedric blurted, his words firing at me like an arrow he’d held strung for the last day. I froze, locked in on his guilt-ridden expression.
“W-what?”
“I knew who her servant was from the beginning,” Cedric explained, his fists curling as he directed his gaze toward the floor.
“I was the one assigned to plan out Celia’s abduction and have her hidden…
But I chose to hide her in plain sight among the servants; not even the king knew she was in our halls.
When Ciara chose her as a companion, I knew I had to say something or risk their escape. ”
“But you didn’t say anything…” My heart pounded.
“When Avalyn and I saw her making that raft, I turned and ran.” Cedric’s voice lowered.
“I couldn’t bear to stop her, but by letting her go, I invoked Father’s anger.
The competition is ending tomorrow because of her disappearance.
It’s ending in blood because of the rage I fueled.
He doesn’t know that I’m the one who made Celia a servant; he thinks the Ivalonians are to blame because she wore their colors.
If you die tomorrow, it’s because I summoned the executioner. ”
I wasn’t sure I was breathing, my chest too tight to let in any air. Cedric couldn’t even look at me, his hair hanging loose in front of his eyes as he looked down at the floor. Guilt ate at him, leaving only the scraps of the kindhearted man I had come to adore.
I grabbed his arm, pulling him into a soul-crushing hug as I tried to rebuild what the grief had stolen from him. His arms were loose at first, too stunned to react to my sudden embrace until I whispered in his ear.
“Thank you.” I pressed my face against his chest, listening to that pure heart of his beat. “Thank you so much for saving them. Even if I can’t save Mara, I’m so grateful that at least someone managed to escape.”
“You…you’re not angry with me?” he asked, cautiously wrapping his arms around my waist.
I pulled away enough to meet his eyes with a sad smile. “Speeding up the competition hasn’t changed your father’s plans for me. He’s always wanted this to end in blood. Ciara’s escape only gave him an excuse to force it sooner.”
“Yes, but if there was more time, then maybe the Guardian could have saved you and Mara both.”
“I have more allies than just the Guardian,” I said, taking his hands with a gentle touch. “We haven’t seen what the final challenge is. Perhaps I’m not out of miracles just yet.”
He brushed his thumbs over the back of my hands, the simple touch sending a ripple up my arm.
“I hope not,” he whispered, his eyes glittering back at me like I was the only jewel he could ever cherish.
“But if you are… Know that I love you, Diaspro. You and your people, and everyone else you hold in your heart. I swear, no matter what comes tomorrow, I will protect everyone you leave behind.”
It was then that I knew I loved him too. It was a different love than what I felt for Atlas, and maybe love wasn’t the right word for it, but it was how my mother had made me feel before she left this world. The love of a friend who would give his world to protect mine.
“Hurry up in there!” The guard banged on the door. “It’s time to go.”
“Good luck tomorrow.” Cedric smiled. “I’ll be cheering for Ivalon.”