The Prince’s Vow (Runes of Pain and Peace #3)

Chapter 1

AIMILIA

For the first time in Commander Aimilia’s life, peace was more than a foolish and idealistic dream. It was real, tangible, and finally in their grasp. For everyone except her.

Commander Aimilia kept her head held high as she headed down the palace hallway and toward the entrance hall leading out to the main courtyard by the walls.

Maybe today she’d get as close to peace as she was ever going to. After what she’d done, she’d never know it truly, so she’d have to take what she could get.

Prince Nikias had approved and finalized a new round of assignments for the commanders, lieutenants, and Runai troops. There’d been an initial flurry of assignments that had followed in the wake of the treaty between Imperia and the clan mages.

During which Aimilia had not been assigned a post.

But that had been the last one until now.

She had graduated into a command position over two years ago, and had never been assigned a post. At first it was because she was spending months waiting on a proposal that was never actually coming from her closest friend, Prince Gavril, and then after that she was caught up trying to get in the way of his marriage to the clan mage he’d captured by accident.

Then she’d been helping him and said clan mage find a way to bring peace, so it wasn’t like she hadn’t had her hands full.

But all of that was over, and it was time for Aimilia to move on with her life.

Even if she didn’t really want to. Why Prince Nikias hadn’t thought to give her an assignment when he initially shuffled everything around now that they would no longer need so many Runai in the field fighting the clans, she didn’t know.

At least, she hoped she didn’t know, meaning, she hoped Nikias didn’t know. And he didn’t. Or she wouldn’t be receiving a post. She’d be receiving a noose. If she was lucky.

Given the things he’d proven himself capable of…

Aimilia was going to spend the rest of her life holding her breath and hoping Nikias never discovered what she’d done. She’d be completely at his mercy.

“If I cannot have justice on the demon, I will have it on her lookalike.”

His words echoed in her ears, from so long ago but as clear as if it had been yesterday.

What did Nikias know of mercy?

The things he’d done to Marcella for the crime of looking like the woman who had killed his wife… What would he do to the woman who had poisoned his father and set off the events that ended in him being tortured by that very murderer?

Aimilia didn’t want to ever find out.

She pushed open the doors and strode out into the courtyard where there was a swath of red cloaks and between them chitons with a specific gold trim, marking the lieutenants.

Any commander or lieutenant that wasn’t actively assigned a post, or had been summoned for a reassignment, was there.

The lieutenants were almost always Runai that had made it onto the command track in the Academy but didn’t get one of the twelve command positions.

She spotted a couple of those mages from her class in the crowd.

She exchanged polite nods with them as she approached.

While Aimilia had had many acquaintances, that had really only been so she could stay abreast of any rumors going around.

She’d never been close to them. She’d never been close to anyone but Gavril.

What did she need anyone else for when she had him?

Only, she’d never really had him. Not the way she’d thought.

Aimilia fell into line with the rest of the Runai gathered, waiting for their assignments.

One of the mages from her old class took a spot beside her, a lieutenant with dirty blond hair and a height that matched Aimilia’s.

Turpis, from House Feris, had recently been promoted.

Aimilia gave him a nod and he returned it, giving her a smile.

It seemed he wasn’t harboring any hard feelings over how she was one of the main reasons he hadn’t become a commander when they’d been competing in their graduation tournament.

Good. She needed fewer enemies.

Once they were all assembled, Commander Livus stepped up to the front of the crowd, scroll in hand, unrolling it while he looked over them. “On the orders of Prince Nikias, listen closely for your posts, Runai.”

Aimilia straightened up, lifting her chin and focusing as he started going through the list. Every time he opened his mouth, her breath hitched, waiting for her name to come out. She watched his eyes go down the list, inching closer to the end, and still her name hadn’t been called.

But then again, at least the open post for the Mitis’ lands hadn’t been called yet either. Maybe Nikias was just messing with her, putting it last. He had to give it to her. She was the best choice for it, not to mention the most obvious choice.

Nikias knew everything about the commanders. He knew her grandfather wasn’t doing well, and filling that post with a Mitis mage to coordinate with the House was simply the most logical solution. Aimilia was the only Mitis commander without a current post.

“Commander Prisca, Lieutenant Turpis will now be your second in command; you’ll be taking East Mitis’ border. Prince Nikias will see you tomorrow to give you more details.” Commander Livus then closed the scroll and looked up, barking, “Runai, dismissed!”

No. That couldn’t be right.

Her name hadn’t been called.

Nikias had given away her post.

And he didn’t even have the decency to give her something.

What was the point of being a commander if she was never going to actually be a commander? What was Nikias thinking?

It made no sense. Unless… Maybe Nikias had a reason to keep her in Areator.

He’d taken her off the patrol schedule too…

Did he know? Was this some sort of sick, twisted game that he so loved to play? If he didn’t suspect her of treason, why else would he keep her in Areator?

Was he just tormenting her now?

“Aimilia—”

She ignored Turpis and ducked around the mages until she caught Commander Livus as he was heading back into the palace. “Commander! Pardon me, I just have a quick question about my patrol schedule—”

Commander Livus turned on his heel and raised his eyebrow. “The schedule for the Areator patrols went out yesterday.”

“I know. I wasn’t on it, so I thought I would be assigned elsewhere.” Aimilia resisted the urge to gesture at her cloak to emphasize her point. “If I’m not being moved out of Areator, why am I not patrolling?”

“I’m afraid I don’t make the decisions, Commander. You’ll have to ask His Highness himself.”

Then Commander Livus was gone, disappearing into the palace.

Oh. She would.

“Aimilia?”

She whipped around to see Turpis approaching her like he would a rabid animal. She took a deep breath, blowing it out slowly as she relaxed her shoulders. The only Runai who needed to be worried she’d bite his head off was Nikias.

“I’m not going to blame you for our prince’s pettiness. I know you had nothing to do with you and Commander Prisca receiving the post near House Mitis,” Aimilia said.

Turpis also let out a soft breath and picked up his pace as he came up to her. “That’s a relief. Last thing I need is for you to flatten me in front of a crowd. Again.”

“You’re safe from me. For today at least.” She looked up at the palace, staring at the windows above them. Nikias wasn’t within sight, but she glared at the whole building like if she put enough heat into it he’d somehow sense it. “His Highness, on the other hand…”

“You’re the only Runai I know both brave enough and favored enough to get away with saying things like that,” Turpis said.

Favored?

She looked back over at Turpis, analyzing the grin on his face. There was something sharp to it, but then again, that was the case for everyone in House Feris.

Considering what she was hiding, she needed to watch herself better. Outward animus toward the royal family would do her no favors in keeping her secret, but she also couldn’t completely change her tune, given how everyone in Areator was aware of her and Nikias’ longstanding feud.

“Well, I’d have fewer things like that to say if His Highness would simply give me a job to do instead of wasting me and making me sit around here until he’s done making me as miserable as he is.

” Aimilia forced an airy, breathy laugh out.

“You’d think by now it would have gotten old, but I suppose now that we’ve had a few months’ taste of peace, he can’t bear to give up the only other fight he has left. ”

“The fact that he continues to make an enemy of you is a mystery to me. Believe me, I learned my lesson.” Turpis’ eyes skimmed over her, lingering longer than they should have in certain places that weren’t her eyes. “I’d do whatever it took to stay on your good side, if I were him.”

Aimilia had never been one of the girls to humor Turpis’ flirting when they’d been classmates, mostly because of her attachment to Gavril, but she saw no reason to now either.

“I’m as confused as you are. If I were him, I’d want me sent far away where I’d never bother him again.” Aimilia crossed her arms, so Turpis’ eyes couldn’t keep lingering.

Turpis blinked, brow furrowing. “I assumed you were expecting the post near House Mitis, but you make it sound like you never want to set foot in Areator again.”

It would be for the best.

The closer she was to the palace, the more likely the possibility her treason would be discovered.

Especially since the latest gossip was that Queen Clelia had been overheard in Nikias’ study with her suspicions that the illness that had taken King Nero out right before the negotiations with the clan mages wasn’t an illness at all.

“I’m sure I wouldn’t be away forever,” Aimilia said. “Gavril and Marcella are still here, but…”

“You’re restless.”

Maybe Turpis wasn’t as obtuse as he looked.

“I’m ready to move on.”

She swallowed her next words. Her grandfather wasn’t getting any younger or any healthier.

It had been over a year since she’d gotten a letter in her grandfather’s own hand.

She didn’t expect to ever again. It had been over a month since she’d gotten a letter from her mother updating her. What was going on back at home?

Turpis looked up at the palace. “And yet, His Highness won’t let you.”

Aimilia followed his gaze. “Well, we’ll see about that.”

She hoped this was Nikias’ pettiness. That she could survive. If it wasn’t…

There was only one reason Aimilia could fathom why he’d want her so close.

One she had no hope of surviving.