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5
EVANNA
As we walked along the market for the weekly visit with my people, my gaze kept travelling behind me to Braxton and Willow. She had an arm interwoven with his, and had been clinging to his side since we went to lunch. No, I wasn’t jealous. Probably with anyone else I might be, but with Willow? Never.
I was worried.
My best friend promised to find out on her own what the mystery was about the warrior who saved me. If you knew Willow at all, you knew that when she set her mind to something, not even the gods could stop her.
She deserved the truth from me, I knew that more than anything, but I needed to find a way to tell her who he really was. Unfortunately, it wasn’t that easy. The truth about Braxton would hurt her most of all, and I was having a hard time bringing myself to do that to her. Almost as hard as telling Braxton the truth about who his father was.
It was like being trapped between the edge of a rocky cliff and the sharp blade of a spear. No matter what choice I made, it would hurt, except the wound would not be on me, but on Braxton and Willow, the people I loved the most.
My stomach flipped when the wordlovefollowed Braxton’s name, and my steps faltered, causing poor Penelope to bump into me. We both staggered forwards, but she caught me before we could fall.
“I’m so sorry, Princess!”
“No, it’s my fault. I’m distracted. Are you okay?”
Chuckling, she nodded and winked at me, assuring me my stumble would be our secret. When I glanced around me, I realized that Kingston had stopped by Skylar’s shop with some of the guard. Braxton stood by his side, while Willow wandered about to look at some jewelry. Walking towards them with Penelope, Asher, Arlo, and Fletcher, who had remained with me, I entered the forge.
“Hi, Skylar!” I greeted loudly enough for her to hear me over the ruckus, stopping by my guardian’s side.
The young woman looked up, realizing she had visitors. Setting the steel rod she had been pounding on, and the hammer on the anvil, she proceeded to take off the mask and gloves that shielded her from the fire. Next, she pulled a small towel from a bucket of fresh water to wipe her face, neck, and arms clean, finally making her way towards us.
“Princess, what an honor. Chief, warriors of the guard.” She bowed her head in respect to everyone while wiping her hands dry on her pants. “Have you been here long? Sorry about that, I was so focused that I—"
“No need to apologize,” Asher intervened. “We just arrived.” He offered her a handsome smile, eliciting one from her too, and Kingston’s scowl.
“We’ve been here for five full sun-minutes,” my guardian corrected with a huff and we all chuckled.
“Is that true, Princess?” Skylar asked playfully, fully intent in riling up Kingston.
“He might have, but I just got here with Asher, Penelope, Fletcher, and Arlo.”
“Well, the princess is more important so I’m okay with that. The old man can wait.”
Everyone laughed when she grinned at Kingston, even he. Cradling her head, he pulled her close, placing a loving kiss on her forehead. Before he could lean away, she gripped his wrist and kissed the back of his hand in appreciation.
“Skylar, remember to be mindful of your surroundings,” he chided, though the harshness was missing from his voice.
She just rolled her eyes.
“I know, I know. But seriously, ignoring the fact that we are in our own city, withourpeople, who do you think would dare attack me, when I have a smoldering iron in my hand, a raging furnace next to me? Not to mention, a shop filled with sharp swords and spears, all of which I can wield with my eyes closed.” She snorted, crossing both arms over her chest. “They would have to be daft to come at me at all. Everyone knows I’m the shah.”
Chuckles spread among us with her jesting, though she was not wrong. Skylar was the only daughter of my guardians’brother in arms,when he was a sentry for the Dark Empire. Mason grew up with Kingston, born of the same race of natural warriors this realm gave birth to, and like his chosen brother, he deflected during the uprising—along with three hundred other sentries under Kingston’s command.
Like them, Skylar was a natural warrior, trained by her parents, and raised by Kingston after they were killed in battle. She was as close to a daughter as he’d ever had.
“Skylar, have you met Braxton yet?” I asked, calling her attention back to me.
“Is he the famous warrior who saved the princess?” she asked with a smirk, narrowing her russet brown eyes at him.
“And the one who created the coffee drink,” Harrison added.
“Oh, then he definitely deserves my praises. Anyone can save a princess, but I have never tasted anything as sinful as that drink in my life. Nowthatis an accomplishment.”
I grinned, enjoying her jubilant spirit. Skylar was a joy to be around any day.
