Chapter 7
“So you’re a Lightguard?” Danai asked as Corinne fell in step beside them.
After the continuous disappointments of the past five days, Corinne didn’t feel much like a Lightguard, but she couldn’t very well say that to someone she’d just met.
“I am,” she said.
“You grew up in the monastery to the west?”
Corinne nodded.
“Incredible. I’ve only ever met one other Lightguard, and she was only in Vytanos for a few days. But I never got to see her train, and she wasn’t as pretty as you are.”
Corinne’s face heated. Was she doomed to be permanently red in the face here? She’d known that life outside the monastery was different, but she wished Mother Creita or someone had warned her about it in greater detail.
Danai hardly took a breath as they walked, leading the way to the dining hall, and Corinne’s head was spinning with the effort to keep up.
She caught something about guard training being rigorous but surely nothing like Lightguards, and somehow by the time they stepped into the dining hall, Danai was finishing a story about how they tripped and fell into the massive garden fountain on their first day four years ago.
“Oh!” Danai said, making Corinne jump. “My friend and partner are here. Come on, I’ll introduce you.”
Corinne followed Danai between the long tables and their accompanying benches, full of guards and servants who were sitting down for a meal.
It was always easy to tell who was on duty and who wasn’t, depending on how long they lingered at their table.
Danai approached the fifth table on the left, the one closest to the tall windows and the largest fireplace Corinne had ever seen.
She supposed it was a welcome source of heat in the colder months, but if it had been lit now, they all would’ve been baking alive.
Danai sat next to a man with deep umber skin and circular spectacles adorning light brown eyes. His black hair was braided in rows along the top of his scalp and tied with a ribbon at the crown of his head. His food was half untouched, his nose buried in a book until he noticed Danai and smiled.
“You’ve been at the training grounds,” he said, wrinkling his nose.
“I have,” Danai said. They gestured to Corinne. “Please, sit. Nik, Iliana, this is Corinne.”
On the bench to the left of where Danai invited Corinne to sit was another castle guard.
She wore a tunic similar to what Captain Ekhana had worn the night Corinne had arrived, deep blue with the Serra family crest on the chest. A thin scar ran down the left side of her pale, freckled face from her eyebrow to her chin.
She smiled softly at Corinne, her amber eyes kind, and brushed her unbound auburn hair over her shoulder.
“I’m Iliana,” she said. “City guard turned castle guard.”
“Nik,” said the man beside Danai, setting his book down. Two kitchen servants placed plates before Corinne and Danai, piled with bread, cheese, and a bit of fruit. “I’m assistant to the head librarian.”
“Nice to meet you,” Corinne said.
“She’s a Lightguard,” Danai said, nudging Nik as they dug into their lunch.
“I can see that,” Nik said, rolling his eyes. “No one else carries a sword like that.”
“What was it like, training to become a Sword of Helaera?” Danai asked, inhaling another piece of cheese.
Corinne nearly cracked a smile. Goddess, Corinne, eat the roll, don’t inhale it.
“Goddess above,” Nik said, looking from Danai to Corinne. “Please ignore them, they have entirely forgotten any sense of decorum, it would seem.”
“You probably fooled the poor woman into following you here,” Iliana said, crossing her arms on the table after a servant took her empty plate.
Danai shrugged innocently. “I asked her if she wanted to get lunch, and she said yes.”
Iliana turned to Corinne, her face apologetic. “If Danai dragged you here against your will, you can tell us.”
Corinne actually smiled now, something warm and light settling in her chest. “It’s fine. I haven’t met many people since I’ve been here.”
“Well, now you’ve met us,” Danai said. “And you’re welcome to join us here any time our shifts align. Same with training too.”
“Thank you,” Corinne said.
“Iliana, you’ll want to spar with her,” Danai said, pointing their fork at Corinne. “Never seen anything like it.”
“Spar with a Lightguard? I’d be on my ass in two seconds.”
Corinne choked a bit on the piece of cheese she’d just bitten into, and was grateful the sound passed as a laugh. She really had to get used to all this swearing.
“Exactly why you should train with her,” Danai said sagely. “We both should, it would be a challenge.”
“How have things been for you since your arrival?” Nik asked, cutting Danai off before they could continue making plans for their supposed training with Corinne. “I can’t imagine it’s been easy not knowing anyone here.”
Corinne did not understand many things about the culture outside the monastery, but this unexpected, immediate kindness was something she didn’t mind at all.
“It’s been—” She wanted to answer, but how could she answer honestly? “An adjustment. But I’m learning my way around.” And learning how insufferable the prince was.
Danai glanced around before leaning in closer and lowering their voice. “I hear Prince Aryel is a bit of a rogue.”
“Danai,” Nik hissed, elbowing them.
“What? I’ve heard stories about him and some of the other young nobles. Late-night parties, no shortage of liquor, spats between lovers…”
“He was quite inebriated the first time we met,” Corinne said slowly. “I have not been witness to any of the rest of…that. But it would not surprise me.”
Danai snickered. “Well, may the Goddess be with you, then.”
Corinne spent the better part of the next two hours with Danai, Nik, and Iliana. Nik had to leave after a while to return to work, quickly kissing Danai on the cheek before departing. Danai sighed as Nik walked away.
“Goddess, I love that man,” they said, propping their cheek on their hand.
“Eugh, spare us,” Iliana said, taking a sip of water from her cup.
“He’s your partner?” Corinne asked.
“He is,” Danai said. They blinked and refocused on Corinne. “That’s right, Lightguards aren’t allowed to have romantic attachments, right?”
Corinne nodded. “Our hearts belong to Helaera entirely.”
“I fear I’m not strong enough for that,” Danai said. “Helaera is great and all, but not being able to love Nik would break me.”
“It would break the rest of us, too, because you’d never shut up about it,” Iliana said, and Danai stuck their tongue out at her. She giggled, finishing her water and standing. “I’ve got to leave myself, get some sleep before I’m on night shift. Corinne, it was nice to meet you.”
“You as well,” Corinne said.
“Hey, what I said about training earlier,” Danai said after Iliana walked off, their voice a little uncertain for the first time. “I would like to train with you, if you’re up for it. But more importantly, I wanted you to feel welcome here. You looked awfully lonely in here the past few days.”
A little piece of Corinne’s Goddess-owned heart cracked open. “I…thank you, Danai.”
Corinne fully expected Prince Aryel’s mood to have gotten even fouler after spending four hours in the throne room, but when he emerged from the doors, he avoided her gaze entirely, his shoulders sagging and his face drawn.
He didn’t even offer her a snarky quip before setting off down the corridor.
Fine by her. Though between his contempt for his mother’s prayer earlier and this defeated demeanor, Corinne couldn’t help her curiosity.
They ventured to the ground floor of the castle, and for once, Corinne recognized where they were as they approached the training grounds. Perhaps she’d eventually find her way around this place more easily.
Aryel still said nothing as they stepped outside, and Corinne glanced at a group of castle guards in the ring with stone terrain. Two were sparring while two others leaned on the fence, and as the prince passed, they bowed quickly. Aryel hardly glanced at them.
Corinne frowned. Was it normal for royals to act as though their subordinates were beneath their notice and acknowledgment? Even the revered Lightguard Priestesses would offer a gracious greeting to the humblest Attendants at the monastery.
At Aryel’s approach, a handful of guards at the archery range vacated the space, also bowing.
Captain Ekhana strode forward, handing the prince a bow made of fine dark wood and a quiver of arrows with a respectful nod.
Aryel took them wordlessly and headed for the farthest end of the range.
Corinne exchanged a glance with the captain, but he merely gave her a nod before walking off, hands clasped behind his back as he faced the training rings, watching the guards.
Corinne tried to force down her disdain as she stood off to the side, watching the prince string the bow. Or rather, watching him attempt to. His fingers slipped several times, and he huffed in frustration. Corinne fought the urge to roll her eyes as she took a step forward.
“Would you like some help?” she asked, trying and failing to sound patient.
Aryel threw her a withering glare as he finally got it strung, and Corinne cursed herself for saying anything. He resented her mere presence, and her assistance would be no different.
The target in the area he’d chosen was placed quite far away, but he nocked an arrow and took aim with confidence, letting it fly after only a few moments. Corinne’s eyebrows raised as it found its mark close to the center of the target.
“Don’t look so surprised, Sunshine,” he said, and Corinne looked back at him. “I’m not completely fucking useless.”
She fought a wince. “I never said that, Your Highness.”
“But you’ve thought it.”
Corinne had no reply. She should deny it, but being dishonest had never been her forte.
Aryel snorted, rolling his eyes. “That’s what I figured,” he muttered, and pulled another arrow from his quiver.
It didn’t take long for him to empty the quiver, each arrow lodged in the target with varying degrees of accuracy. His skill wasn’t equal to that of a Lightguard, but she had to admit it was impressive.
Heaving a great sigh, Aryel trudged down the field toward the target to retrieve the arrows. Corinne followed.
“Goddess above, you don’t have to follow me down the archery range,” he snapped, turning around and coming to a halt.
Corinne stopped, her grip tight on the hilt of her sword. “Apologies, Your Highness,” she said, anger and embarrassment heating her cheeks in equal measure.
He turned and began walking again, and she backed away several paces, returning to the place she’d been standing before. Resentment only grew as she watched him painstakingly wrench each arrow from the target and replace it in the quiver.
Aryel shot another round of arrows before returning the bow and quiver to Captain Ekhana. He seemed slightly less downtrodden now, at least. Not that it made a difference in how he behaved toward Corinne.
They’d nearly made it back to Aryel’s chambers without uttering a single word when the prince suddenly slowed, muttering a curse Corinne barely heard.
A woman was standing halfway down the breezeway, her golden hair flowing in the afternoon breeze.
Half of it was pulled back in intricate braids, leaving the rest to fall down her back, ending at her petite waist. She turned, and Corinne had to master herself so she didn’t gawk.
She was the kind of beautiful Corinne had only read about in books, with striking green eyes set into a delicate face.
Her peachy complexion was complemented by the aquamarine dress she wore, which dipped low between her breasts and boasted a slit all the way up her right thigh. She smiled broadly at Aryel’s approach.
“Aryel,” she said, walking up to him and taking his upper arm. “Lovely afternoon, isn’t it?”
“I’m not in the mood, Lana,” Aryel said, shaking her off as he continued down the breezeway.
Lana glanced at Corinne quickly before hurrying after him. “You were certainly in the mood two weeks ago,” she said, and Corinne’s entire body heated. She should not be privy to this conversation…
Aryel turned as they entered the alcove, once again removing Lana’s hand from his arm. “I told you then I was done, and I meant it. Go find Janus if you’re so desperate for attention right now.”
Lana stiffened. “Are you so pathetic you can’t handle it if I spend time with another man?”
Fire ignited in Aryel’s eyes. He looked to Corinne, who looked away, pretending as though she couldn’t hear. He lowered his voice. “I told you I’m not in the mood for this,” he said. “Leave. Me. Alone.”
Lana scoffed. “What, are you going to have your new golden brute of a guard toss me out?”
Her derision should mean nothing to Corinne, but the word brute stung her in a way she did not expect. She’d never been particularly concerned with the way she looked, and for the first time in her life, the shame of inadequacy fell into her stomach like a brick.
“Perhaps I will,” Aryel hissed, and Corinne’s eyes flew to his face. It was still filled with that fiery displeasure. “Now get out.”
With a huff, Lana swiveled, her dress flowing gracefully as she stalked back down the breezeway.
She gave Corinne a scathing once-over before barging through the doors and slamming them behind her.
Aryel heaved a sigh before turning toward his room and disappearing without another word.
Corinne took up her post outside his door, furious at the threat of tears in her eyes, at the prince for his poor choices in company, at the High Priestess for sending her here, and, most of all, at herself for her own silly pride.