Chapter 23
Corinne had all night to decide that she hated King Theo.
She hadn’t hated many people in her life; just her own father, and Aryel when she’d first arrived in Vytanos.
But with every passing moment as she stood watch overnight at Aryel’s door, her hatred grew, and so did her determination to keep her vow to Aryel last night.
The king would not touch him again. Not while she lived.
The door to Aryel’s room opened earlier than expected, and Corinne turned to greet him, trying to hide her fatigue. Once she’d eaten something, she’d be good as new.
“I’m sorry you didn’t get to sleep,” he said, though by the dark circles under his eyes, he’d hardly slept either.
“I’ll be fine,” she said. She nodded toward the breezeway. “Breakfast then library?”
He took a deep breath, closing his eyes. “Breakfast then library.”
The kitchen workers knew Corinne by name now, greeting her as they greeted the prince and tossing her a cinnamon pastry she’d come to consider a favorite. She savored its taste as best she could with how quickly she had to devour it.
This early, the library was sparsely populated, and Aryel studied in solitude.
From where she stood by the stacks, she couldn’t make out what books he’d laid out, but she expected it was more research for the ongoing issue in the western farmlands.
Corinne’s heart sank when she recalled the letter she’d sent.
She still had no reply from the Lightguards, and still no idea who had sent her that cryptic note.
I know your secret, Corinne Anastos.
It had been four days, and she’d received nothing else, had noticed nothing out of the ordinary at the castle. What possible reason could someone have to anonymously tell her they knew about her father, other than scaring her and putting her on edge?
Her throat went dry. Could it perhaps be the same group who had threatened Aryel? They’d sent an anonymous cryptic note as well. She wished the note was here instead of with the Lightguards so she could determine if the contents or even the handwriting shared any similarities.
A servant entered the library and approached Aryel, snapping Corinne out of her wild musings. The young man bowed to the prince and said something Corinne couldn’t quite hear. Aryel scowled and tipped his head back as the servant departed, pinching the bridge of his nose.
“What is it?” Corinne asked, approaching his table.
“I’ve been summoned to the throne room early,” he said, dropping his hand and closing the book in front of him. He offered her a rueful smile. “At least you can go get some sleep now if you’d like.”
Corinne couldn’t return his smile, even ironically.
With a great sigh, Aryel stood and headed for the exit. He didn’t know it as they walked, but Corinne’s chest had turned to iron. She would not be going to sleep while he was in a room alone with his parents. She wasn’t going anywhere.
The doors to the throne room opened upon their arrival, and Corinne stepped through without being summoned this time.
Aryel was halfway down the aisle before he looked over his shoulder, noticing Corinne hadn’t left.
Confusion crossed his features, but he faced forward again, approaching the dais and his enthroned parents.
“You may go, Corinne,” Queen Erina said, waving her hand as Corinne halted several steps behind Aryel.
Corinne remained rooted to the spot.
“There’s no need for you here,” King Theo said, almost impatient.
Corinne stepped forward until she was at the base of the dais, beside Aryel. She knelt and said, “The prince was injured on my watch last night. I failed in my duty to protect him, so I will keep a closer watch from here on out.”
A muscle twitched in the king’s face. “And how was the prince injured?”
Corinne looked at the king with theatrically widened eyes, forcing herself to not glance at Aryel. “He would not tell me, Your Majesty. But I can assure you, whatever it was will not happen again. You have my solemn vow.”
Something sinister stirred in the king’s eyes, and Corinne relished in his struggle to restrain it. Coward. She hoped he saw that word in her eyes as she held his stare, unyielding.
“Very well,” the king finally said, feigning boredom and leaning back in his throne.
In the brief moment their eyes met when she stood and turned, the look of utter disbelief and gratitude on Aryel’s face slammed into her, and she knew she’d done the right thing.
Even as her heart raced, even as a little fear trickled down her spine, the victory of standing up to the king filled her with satisfaction. You will not touch him again.
“Aryel, we must begin preparing for your birthday festivities,” Queen Erina said, clapping her hands together in a lackluster attempt to dispel the tension.
Corinne took up her post at the right front side of the dais so she had a clear view of Aryel on the opposite side.
“The ball will go on as usual, but we must make sure it’s all especially thrilling since the nobles have been cooped up in the castle. We will spare no expense.”
Corinne quickly realized why Aryel dreaded these meetings with his parents so much; they spoke about every possible detail of event planning, requests of nobles, issues facing the kingdom, and hardly gave him the opportunity to contribute to the conversation.
By the second hour of it all, Corinne’s head was spinning.
It didn’t help that she hadn’t slept, but there was no way on Helaera’s earth she was leaving Aryel alone in the presence of his father again.
That guard last night had seemed entirely unbothered by the raised voices in Aryel’s room, and she didn’t trust any of those present now to protect him the way she would.
She didn’t answer to the king the way they did. She answered to Helaera.
During the third hour, nobles began to arrive to treat with the king and queen.
Aryel stood off to the side of the king’s throne, hands clasped behind his back, face stoic.
Corinne watched every noble carefully, trying to guess the parents of the noble children she’d seen.
When a woman of exceptional beauty walked in, light brown skin covered in freckles, Corinne knew she must be Elys’s mother.
A woman with ivory skin and silvery blond hair was on her arm.
They offered a report on how their lands were faring in the east and thanked the king and queen for their hospitality.
Every noble thanked the king and queen for their hospitality.
How genuine was that gratitude when none of them were permitted to leave the castle?
Corinne was ready to drop dead on the carpet when the doors opened again and two more nobles walked in. No, three—one walking behind. Tiredness vacated Corinne’s body at the familiar shimmer of golden hair. Lana.
“Ah, welcome, Nora and Calin,” Queen Erina said, the warmest greeting she’d offered any nobles thus far. “And Lana, you look radiant as ever, my dear.”
Corinne fought the urge to slap the simpering smile off Lana’s face as she thanked the queen with a curtsy, the hem of her emerald dress briefly pooling around her on the floor.
Queen Erina and King Theo stood from their thrones and walked down the dais to speak with Lana’s mother and father more conversationally, strolling about the room.
Lana started toward Aryel, then caught sight of Corinne and scowled.
She carefully continued forward. It was only then that Corinne recalled what Janus had said to her several days prior.
I wondered why Lana kept complaining about Aryel’s celibate pious guard.
Corinne had been so upset and overwhelmed in the moment that she hadn’t realized…was Lana jealous of her?
That couldn’t be true. Corinne didn’t think herself unattractive, but she certainly didn’t wear beautiful dresses and flowing fabrics that accentuated her body and curves. The nightgowns she wore left little to the imagination, sure, but no one ever saw her in those.
Except Ari. Corinne ignored the heat that flooded her cheeks and focused on the quiet exchange happening between Lana and Aryel.
He hardly moved as they spoke, and Lana, to her credit, didn’t get particularly close to him.
Based on his facial expression, however, he wasn’t enjoying the conversation.
Corinne tensed when his face went from mild annoyance to flushed anger.
Lana looked over at Corinne, offering her that same disparaging once-over she’d given the first time they’d met before walking away and joining her parents and the king and queen.
What had she said to him? Corinne tried to catch his eye, but he wouldn’t look at her.
Lana and her parents left shortly after that, and the king and queen returned to the dais.
“Whenever you do decide to marry, Aryel,” Queen Erina said, “I encourage you to consider Lana.”
Aryel’s answering smile was tight. “Yes, Mother.”
“I believe that’s enough for today,” King Theo said. “You may go.”
Corinne bowed to the king and queen before departing with Aryel, glad he seemed determined to walk out of that goddess-forsaken room as quickly as possible. The moment the doors shut behind them, he turned to Corinne.
“Walk with me,” he said in that gentle tone of his that made it an invitation, not an order.
She took several steps forward until they were side by side, and he started down the corridor, away from the guards by the throne room doors.
“You did not have to do that, Corinne,” he said, his voice low as they walked.
“Yes, I did,” she said, her eyes trained ahead. “I meant what I said last night, and I will keep my vow to you and to Helaera in keeping you safe.”
Aryel paused as they reached the stairwell. She waited for him to say something, but all he did was hover just a step away from her, his expression conflicted.
“What did Lana say to you?” Corinne asked. “You seemed upset.”
His face went violently red, and he averted his eyes again. He cleared his throat and said, “Nothing important.”
Corinne was burning with curiosity, but she didn’t push him. After another moment of awkward silence, he started down the stairs, and Corinne joined him.
“Are you hungry?” he asked suddenly, turning to her, and Corinne stopped short before she ran into him on the landing.
She was hungry, since she’d missed the usual time to eat with her friends, but she couldn’t sit down for a meal while guarding him.
“I’m fine,” she said.
Aryel raised an eyebrow. “It’s midafternoon,” he said. “Let’s at least run by the kitchens.”
Corinne sighed and nodded. It wouldn’t hinder her any more than their quick breakfasts, she supposed.
Halfway down the next corridor, Danai appeared, their face brightening at the sight of Corinne.
“Corinne!” they called, then blinked, realizing who was walking in front of her. They bowed quickly. “Your Highness.”
Aryel stopped, and Corinne halted a step behind him. “You’re Danai Mykotas, right?”
“That’s me, Your Highness.”
“I’ve been working closely with your father lately,” Aryel said. “He speaks very highly of you.”
Danai beamed. “Glad to hear my father doesn’t speak ill of me to the Prince of Ashera.”
Aryel laughed, and it sent that little bit of warmth through Corinne again.
“If you needed to speak with Corinne, don’t let me stop you,” Aryel said.
“Right,” Danai said, turning to her. “A servant was looking for you in the dining hall a few minutes ago. You’ve received another message.”
The blood drained from Corinne’s face as Danai produced the letter themselves, holding it out to her. What if it was another cryptic note of some sort? Would they threaten her this time? Provide some ultimatum?
She took it with a shaking hand, trying to ignore Aryel’s gaze on her. She hadn’t told him about the previous message. Mustering her courage, she broke the seal and read through it quickly.
Corinne Anastos:
Please inform the Royal Family of Ashera that the Lightguards will provide aid in transporting food to the northeastern villages in need. Six Lightguards have been sent to Orynas to await instruction from the village elder.
May Her Light Guide us,
Priestess Ronna
Corinne’s heart leapt. “Ari,” she said, turning to Aryel. “The Lightguards have sent six to Orynas to help transport food.”
The spark in Aryel’s eyes returned fully as he held out his hand, and Corinne handed him the letter. He let out a disbelieving laugh, one hand going to his forehead.
“That’s incredible,” he said, his eyes meeting Corinne’s again. “You’re incredible, Corinne, I—we need to go find Councilor Toro.”
“He’s in the library right now,” Danai said.
Corinne quickly pulled Danai into a hug. “Thank you, Danai.”
With that, she and Aryel hurried off to find Danai’s father.