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I spun to find her standing there, calm and together like she had no right to be.

“You know nothing,” I hissed.

Leuruna didn’t even blink, just took a step toward me like she didn’t care about the danger she was in. Maybe she realized I couldn’t hurt her while she had Nyah captive. With the mood I was in, I wasn’t as confident about that.

Glaring, I stalked toward her until I towered above her. She didn’t move. She was either brave or stupid.

“You hate me. I don’t blame you. But that was exactly how I felt my whole life. Like everything around me was burning, and there was nothing I could do about it.”

“Couldn’t you though?” I challenged with a laugh meant to make her shrink. Still, she stared at me, unmoving. “You have all this power, yet all you ever did was take whatever he threw at you.”

“I—”

“Not only did you do nothing—you helped him by feeding him power. Yes, I hate you. You made this whole thing worse just by existing and not fighting back.”

She swallowed visibly. Finally, a sign my attack was getting through.

“Riv,” Galan reached for my arm, but I jerked away, bearing down on her.

“There is nothing you can do to make this right. You know that, Princess?”

Finally, her shoulders trembled along with her lip. I was definitely getting through now. But it would never be enough.

“I know,” she said, lifting her chin. “Don’t you think I know? That no matter how hard I try for the rest of my life, I will never make up for the hurt my father has caused? The hurt I’ve caused by being so weak. No amount of apologies will fix it. But that doesn’t mean I’m not going to try to be better. No matter what you say.”

By this time, our altercation had the entire camp awake and surrounding us. But I didn’t care. Let them look. Let them see the truth.

“You can start by letting her out.”

We stared at each other, not breaking eye contact.

“I wish I could,” she whispered. “I don’t know how.”

“Bullshit! You didn’t think twice before stealing her away so you could come out and fuck your giant boyfriend.”

She stumbled back. I’d finally touched a nerve. Of course, that was when said boyfriend arrived, standing at her back and promising me death with his pretty blue eyes. I grinned. Finally, a fight where I could get some steam out.

“You will not take your pain out on Leuruna,” Torvo warned, steadying her with his hands on her arms.

“You gonna hide behind your human shield, Princess?” I challenged, drawing my sword.

“Stop.” Galan stepped between us, arms spread, just as Torvo moved his betrothed behind his back. “We are going to have a hard enough journey without fighting amongst ourselves.”

“No.” Leuruna emerged from behind her bodyguard and strode to where Galan stood, setting a hand on the arm he held up to keep me at bay. “We need to get this out in the open if we are going to succeed.”

Galan lowered his arms and relaxed his posture, eyes still pinning me with a prayer that I wouldn’t do anything stupid. The princess stepped around me and stood on top of the log we’d been sitting on earlier. She turned her back to the fire, which blazed high and blue with magic for a heartbeat, gathering everyone’s attention.

“I am not innocent. My mere existence and abilities have fed my father and his power for too long. I was abused, a captive in my own home, but that is not an excuse.” She paused to look around and make sure we were all listening, eyes landing on me last and remaining there. “I had the ability to fight back, yet I cowered. I want to be clear. It wasn’t out of fear of my father.”

Murmurs rose and fell as she waited again, pinning me with her stare. And for maybe the first time, I found more there than vapid emptiness. Wind blew through the camp, overturning blankets and scattering leaves. Torvo stepped closer to her as though meaning to interrupt, but she held up a hand, stilling him.

“It’s because I feared myself. My own power frightened me more than anything or anyone else. Stories of old, like that of Illio, cautioned me not to let my magic fully free. Yet the very thing I tried to suppress came out on its own.”

Nyah. She spoke of Nyah.

“I stand before you with a promise. I cannot make up for the past. But I can move forward with intention. And I plan to finally allow the magic inside of me out to fight my father. I will do all I can to right the wrongs that have been devouring the peace and beauty of our world.”

People around us began clapping—fucking applauding her speech. She pressed her eyes closed as though that bothered her as much as it did me.