Nienna glanced over her shoulder, brushing a curl from her face. Mischief gleamed in her eyes as the children lined up beside her.
“On your call, my king?”
My king.
A tight knot formed in my chest. What was wrong with me?
“On three,” I muttered, pushing the thought aside.
She crouched low, hands pressing into the dirt. The crowd, thin but watchful, shuffled back, clearing a path.
“One, two—”
She wiggled her rear, boots digging into the earth.
“—three.”
I strained to keep my voice steady as they bolted forward, a blur of whoops and laughter. Nienna’s legs ate up the distance, though she hesitated, darting after the children who weaved through the crowd.
I turned to Scythe with a sigh. “She hasn’t the faintest idea where she’s racing to, does she?”
“Not a clue.” She grinned, clutching the cloak tighter to her chest.
“Greaves.” My bodyguard and friend took a deep breath, his only complaint as he spurred his horse into a trot, following the ruckus of children and a full grown woman that were racing through the streets.
At dinner, Nienna seemed at ease for the first time in days. As Tallon approached to claim the seat beside her, she glanced my way and smiled—a real one, the corners of her eyes crinkling with warmth. That smile was her tell, unguarded and genuine, unlike the polished façade she wore for court.
The afternoon run through the city had lifted her spirits, and I knew why. Reem’s bustling chaos offered her a reprieve from all the suffocating expectations. I understood the need for escape. She was adjusting to life here, and the demands of court were a burden on anyone. I sought out common folkjust the same, but I had many more years to learn how to blend in. For her, new to this world, a stolen afternoon outside noble eyes had been a gift.
Greaves, however, saw it differently. As we turned in for the night, he made his opinion known.
“You need to triple her guard,” he muttered, tucking his favorite knife under his pillow with a sharp, deliberate motion.
“And what good would that do?” I asked, pulling my tunic over my head and tossing it onto the chair. “You’ve seen her slip past them more times than I can count.”
He grunted in agreement. The thought trailed after me as I prepared for bed. She didn’t need more guards—another squad of well-meaning sentinels wouldn’t stop her. What she needed was a shadow, someone like Greaves, sharp enough to anticipate her moves and stubborn enough to keep up.
The man himself had shadowed me for years. Loyal to a fault, he was more than a bodyguard—he was the friend I hadn’t known I was missing, the one who remained steadfast when the world turned its back.
He had seen me at my worst. After Eldeiade took what she wanted and left me hollow, he endured my fury in the sparring ring without complaint. When Tallon was born and she refused me even a glimpse of him, Greaves witnessed my shame and never spoke a word.
“She needs someone to stop her before she does anything reckless,” he said, his voice low but firm.
I couldn’t help but snort. “Have you ever managed to hold me back?”
His huff carried a blend of humor and resignation as he sank onto his bed. “I’d like to think I’ve saved you from yourself more than a few times.” His gaze lingered, steady and unyielding. “You need to be careful, Kal.”
I dipped a cloth into the basin, letting the cool water seep through my fingers before pressing it to my face. The deliberate act bought me time to formulate a reply. He wasn’t worried about my safety. He’d seen too much—watched me endure Eldeiade’s manipulations—and he was too perceptive to miss the way my eyes followed Nienna.
A queen in the making, forged from strength and poise. She was what Radaan needed, what the people deserved.
What I could never claim.
“Iamcareful,” I said, keeping my tone calm.
Climbing into bed, I avoided his eyes. His silence stretched, heavy with unspoken words, until he sighed and shifted, the cot creaking beneath his weight.
The room fell quiet, but sleep eluded me. The night thickened, shadows pooling in corners while my thoughts spiraled. Her sketch haunted me. Iremembered how her gaze had rested on me in the arena. That look—it had to be shock. Surely, that’s all it was.
