Looking her in the eye, I allow her to tend to the wounds Jacegaveme.
My chest expands.Her three little words bounce around my skullagain.
“Who did this to you?”she asks, an edge to her voice thatmakesme smile.
“Why?Are you going to poison him?”
She glaresat me, her eyes hard, but there’sguilt behind her fierceness.“Just give me a name, and I’ll sic Fabia on him.”
Laughing, Ishakemy head.
Despite the sadness in her eyes, she smiles.“She’s a bit scary, isn’t she?”
“A little,” I admit.“Bit impressive too.”
Swallowing, she glancesaway.Taking a deep breath, she looksback at me.“What’s going to happen to her?”
“Nothing.If the Court learns she tried to kill me, they’ll force me to execute her.If I refuse to do my duty as king, they can stripmy crown from me.”
“They can do that?”
“Yes.But if they try without good, proven cause, then it’s my right to kill them for a false accusation.It keeps us in balance with each other.”
“That sounds horrible.”
I shrug.
“So you can’t punish her at all then?”
Ishakemy head.
“That’s not fair.”
My eyes sharpen on her, my gut tightening with unease.Idon’twant this to be thenightwhere she changes, where she becomes more “fairy”.
“Do you want her punished?”I ask slowly.“She’s your best friend.”
“She tried to kill you.She deserves something.”Ariennapauses, fury in herpale-pinkeyes.“What if you haveEcho do it?Make her run extra laps or something?”
“Make her fight in the pit unarmed?”I push.
She winces.“That sounds bad.”
“It is.”
“I don’t want her to die.”
“She won’t.”
“Or get hurt too much.”
“That, I can’t promise.”
She frowns.“Maybe just the laps then?”
My gut unclenching, I cup her face and kiss her.“I’ll tell Echo to give her extra laps then.”
“Like a hundred?”
