“Wren, you’ll have your chance. So let’s get started.” He looked at Red and nodded. “You’re up.”
“With pleasure, Your Highness.” Red came forward and selected a pair of matching short swords, their blades gleaming with iridescent color that had Wren sighing with longing.
The prince and Red moved several strides away to the wide center of the courtyard, and they took their positions.
Red turned to face the prince, angled his body, and raised his weapons.
“First to point,” the prince said. “Go.”
Red struck first, wheeling the swords around him like a whirlwind. He moved forward, and the prince stepped aside, his body sleek and limber. The prince came in low with the longsword, but Red turned quickly enough to redirect it with the edges of his blades.
“Well done,” the prince said. “Reset.”
They assumed their starting positions again. Red came in high this time with lethal slices that might have removed the head of an unprepared man. But the prince knew how to fight. The Moriad must have been heavy, but you couldn’t tell from the quick strike, the pivot, the slash. He brought the sword down, and Red managed to slip beneath it, but he didn’t spin away quite fast enough, and the prince touched him on the back with the tip of the blade.
“Damn it,” Red said with a smile. “You got me.”
“Long reach,” the prince said with a grin. “Good match.”
“Your Highness,” Red said, then gave a little bow.
“Not bad for a prince,” Wren said. Possibly her highest compliment.
He grinned, then resheathed the sword and returned it to the table. “Are you ready for a round with Galen?”
She lifted her windblade and shifted her gaze to her enemy. “Most definitely.”
It wasn’t one round, but dozens. Galen fought like a soldier, and she fought like a slinking cat, getting in jabs if his focus strayed for even a moment. But they were closely matched and tradedvictories back and forth, refusing to stop even as shadows shifted around them. They were both sweating and breathing heavily, and still raised their weapons for another round. I couldn’t decide if they looked furious…or aroused. And that did not bear thinking about.
“Well done,” the prince said, rising and offering applause. “I think you’ve amply demonstrated your skills for Her Ladyship.”
Catalaya smiled politely but looked a little bored. She’d spent most of the time sneaking looks at the prince.
Wren and Galen stared each other down for another heavy moment. Galen blinked first, probably because his loyalty to the prince outweighed, at least a little, his disdain for Wren. He gave her a very crisp bow, then walked away.
I took her a goblet of water from a spread laid out by Talia. “Are you going to disembowel him or bed him?”
She sneered at me and drank heavily. “I’m going to get out of the palace. I think you were right. I’m losing my mind.”
Which meant she wasn’t as sure about her answer as she’d like to be.
There was a soft “Oh” across the courtyard, then a scuffling sound. We looked back in time to see Catalaya stumble and fall. The prince hurried to her and took her arm.
“Caty. Are you all right?”
“I’m—I’m not sure.” He helped her to her feet, but she wobbled a bit. “I must have caught my toe.”
She brushed off her skirts and gave him a Very Brave smile. “I’m sure I’m fine. Just a bit embarrassed.”
“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about.”
She nodded at him, took a step forward, and nearly fell again. “Oh!” she said prettily as he caught her by the waist. “I must have injured something.”
“I’ll ask our healer to come out.”
“I think it’s best if I go back to my room.” She looked up at him. “Perhaps we could have some plum wine and simply talk a bit. Like we used to do.”
“Let’s get you settled, and we’ll see what the healer says.”
