Chapter 59
AIMILIA
Aimilia found Turpis the next morning.
She waited mostly because after scraping herself off the stairs, she’d had nothing left in her to go try and salvage this.
But when dawn broke early in the morning, Aimilia pulled herself together enough to go find him.
Hopefully she could explain to him, and he would believe her that it had been all Nikias. Hopefully he hadn’t seen too much.
Turpis had important information on the last trial that Aimilia needed if she was going to win or even just make it out with her life against Queen Clelia. Aimilia knocked on his door and called out, “Turpis? Can we talk? I promise I can explain.”
She heard a shuffling on the other side of the door. Then it swung open, and Turpis stood on the other side, staring at her. His expression was cold and dark. He said, “I don’t know that there’s much explanation needed.”
“It wasn’t what it looked like. I had nothing to do with that. I was there waiting to meet with you, and then Nikias just showed up. He was doing all of that, so you would see it and be scared off.”
“Oh, I’m not surprised he was there after he cornered me the other day.
You should have heard what he said trying to scare me off.
” Turpis sneered, voice dropping as he imitated Nikias.
“‘I don’t care what I have to do or who I have to eliminate. Aimilia will marry me if it’s the last thing I ever do. ’”
Nikias had said that?
Aimilia’s shoulders sagged. Turpis believed her? “Then you understand I had nothing to do with that.”
“I wouldn’t go that far.” Turpis narrowed his eyes. “That wasn’t what I saw.”
Heat flooded Aimilia’s cheeks. She honestly had no idea what exactly he saw. She said, “This is a misunderstanding.”
“Believe me, I saw plenty. You certainly didn’t seem surprised, nor were you resisting him.”
The heat crawling over her skin increased, and she wrapped her arms around her stomach. Turpis was right. “I was caught off guard—”
Turpis laughed, but it was dark and sharp.
“I think it’s cute you think I’ll believe that.
I wouldn’t waste your breath, Commander.
I know what I saw. You were melting in his arms and practically begging him for more.
I know a she-wolf when I see one. And your simpering, vulgar behavior proved you just might be the biggest she-wolf of them all.
I can only imagine how much worse it would have been if I’d come any later.
Now that would be a sight I don’t need burned into my head. ”
Aimilia was torn between the part of him that was right, that hadn’t resisted Nikias like she should have, and the stronger part of her that was now boiling over.
“How dare you? Nikias kissing me in no way makes me a she-wolf. He’s the one who came after me.
If you had stayed around a moment longer you would have seen me push him off. ”
Turpis laughed. “Only because you’d gotten caught.”
His words wrapped around her like weighted chains. He was right.
“I’m telling you, this is exactly what Nikias wants you to think. He’s manipulating both of us, and that’s why we can’t let him win. He wants you to think I’m some kind of she-wolf, so that way you give up. You’re playing right into his hands.”
Turpis said, “I have absolutely no interest in being a pawn in whatever strange game you and Nikias are playing.”
“It’s not a game. I want nothing to do with him.”
Turpis raised an eyebrow. “Really? Then, why have the guards who traveled with the two of you been spreading rumors about just how close the two of you were? I brushed it off before, but after seeing with my own eyes, I looked into all these rumors going around about the two of you. Spending the night in his tent doesn’t exactly line up with wanting nothing to do with him. ”
Aimilia was going to kill them. Every single guard that had traveled with them was dead. They knew better than to run their mouths. “I’m guessing they left out the part where Nikias had been injured the day before and needed someone to watch over him.”
“You always have an answer for everything, don’t you? How about the fact that every single guard saw the two of you dancing in some village when you were supposed to be on your way to your grandfather’s funeral? Everyone saw how disgraceful you were.”
Aimilia’s voice cracked as that one, awful word lodged into her chest. “I’m telling you the truth.”
“The truth always seems to be conveniently in your favor. At least the truth according to you. Still, you can’t blame me for believing those men now that I’ve seen it with my own eyes.
You’re tainted goods, Commander. Considering who you’ve made an enemy of, I don’t know that you are worth all of this work. ”
Tainted goods?
Turpis raised an eyebrow. “You think we don’t all know it?
I was just willing to overlook it when I thought you were finished with the younger prince.
But now that it’s clear you’ve just been passed between our esteemed princes, I really have no interest in picking up what’s left, even if it comes with a whole house to command. ”
Aimilia couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
Was that really what people were saying about her?
Did everyone think she was some kind of a she-wolf that Gavril had used and when he was done Nikias had as well?
Did people really think both Gavril and Nikias were so dishonorable as well as Aimilia so loose with her skirts to allow it? And from what it sounded like…
Turpis had already been thinking it and not being fast enough to push Nikias away had simply just confirmed it to him.
“None of that is true. Gavril always treated me with the utmost honor, and nothing untoward ever happened between him and me, or Nikias and me. I am not something to be used or passed around.”
Turpis shook his head. “Sure. Whatever lie you want to tell in order to try and defend your name. It doesn’t matter anymore. It’s become quite clear to me you’re not going to win tomorrow.”
What did that mean? What did he know? Aimilia took a step forward, narrowing her eyes. “Turpis, if you found out something about the next trial, I need you to tell me right now.”
Turpis shook his head and grinned. “You’re on your own for this one, Commander.”
She grabbed his chiton and jostled him. “I have been extremely lenient with you while you stood here and did nothing but insult my character and accuse me of things I haven’t done. You will tell me what you know.”
Turpis said, “Or what?”
Aimilia’s lip curled up in a sneer. “Would you like to relive our graduation tournament where I beat you so thoroughly you never had a chance at becoming a commander?”
Turpis said, “I’d like to see you try. It certainly won’t help you win tomorrow.”
“Turpis—”
“I’d stop wasting your breath. If our crown prince wants you so badly, he’s more than welcome to have you as far as I’m concerned.
It’s baffling to all of us that His Highness is so committed to taking Gavril’s castoff as his own, but I suppose when you lose a prize like Faustina, you’re willing to settle for whatever’s right in front of you. ”
Aimilia’s blood boiled. “These are big words coming from you. Like you know anything about Gavril or Faustina.”
“I know enough. You don’t think you’re better than her, do you?”
Aimilia clenched her jaw, and Turpis laughed at her.
Silence.
“Please, the only reason you have a commander’s cloak and I don’t is because everyone knows the graduation tournament was rigged for you, just like it was rigged for Faustina.
In order to make sure their sons married quickly, you don’t think the king or queen would pull some strings so their bride of choice would be eligible? ”
It wasn’t true. Aimilia knew it wasn’t true. Still…
“How stupid do you have to be? Do you expect me to believe that? You think your little false rumors and gossip can win out over the years I’ve spent with the royal family?
You think you know anything I don’t? The tournament wasn’t rigged.
I didn’t become a commander because of Gavril.
I was first in our class, Turpis. I earned it. ”
“We all know you didn’t. Since the previous one came in last, they obviously overcorrected.
Why do you think they don’t use you? They don’t send you out on missions.
They know you’re not capable of them. Just like Faustina wasn’t.
It’s clear why now. Nikias isn’t going to risk losing his she-wolf like he lost his wife.
It’s a shame. Faustina didn’t have any skill to recommend her with, but at least she was beautiful.
Faustina was a woman fit to be queen, but since perfect is dead, might as well settle for you. ”
A crack echoed through the air. Turpis’ head hit the doorframe as Aimilia pulled her hand back. Her knuckles and the back of her hand stung where they’d hit him.
Aimilia’s voice came out in a low growl. “You get Faustina’s name out of your filthy mouth.”
Turpis gently touched his cheek as he looked at her and laughed. “Oh? Don’t like to be reminded that you’re not even a poor imitation; you’re not anywhere in her league.”
“Stop talking. It’s pathetic. I don’t care whether you believe any of what you’re saying or not.
It only proves you’re as stupid as I always knew you were in school.
You never stood a chance at becoming a commander—if it hadn’t been me, it would have been someone else taking your spot.
” Aimilia laughed. “I didn’t take anything from you.
You just weren’t as good as I was. But if it comforts you to pretend like it was rigged, sure, believe what you want.
At the end of the day, I still have a red cloak, and you’re just a lieutenant.
That’s all you’ll ever be. And here’s the real truth: you never had a chance at marrying me and taking over House Mitis.
I knew all along what you were after, and I was just using you so I could secure my position. I was never going to marry you.”
Turpis rubbed his jaw and said, “You and Prince Nikias will make for a perfect match. You’re not going to win. He’s going to be your only option after this. That is, if he’s still willing to take you, despite the fact that we all know how he’s ruined you.”
And then he shut the door in her face. Aimilia stepped away from the door, breathing deeply and resisting the urge to kick at it until Turpis returned and she could show him just how qualified she was to be a commander.
Aimilia turned away and started walking down the hallway. What had he found out?
Why was he so certain Aimilia wasn’t going to win this next trial?
He knew something powerful enough that had caused him to give up his pursuit of her and helping her the second he’d seen her respond to Nikias’ kiss. Turpis, for all his flaws, had heard all of those rumors about her and Nikias, and they hadn’t deterred him until now.
Whatever it was that he knew, it was enough that he was convinced Aimilia wouldn’t win
And if Aimilia didn’t win, she was going to be Nikias’.
And now that Aimilia knew exactly who Nikias was, she didn’t care if everyone thought she was some she-wolf who had been passed between brothers like some plaything.
She was not going to end up trapped in marriage to that monster and let him win.