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“You’ve done nothing wrong.”
“That’s stopped none of the kings before,” I pointed out.
The Fae kings had never been known for their mercy. They could lead a country to thrive, but cross a king, and you died. End of story.
Dex clenched his jaw. “King Rainier won’t follow in the footsteps of his father.”
I studied him. He was a male of few words, solemn and quiet, but he looked like he cared about King Rainier.
“Are you friends?” I asked.
Dex blinked at me. “We’ve been close for years.”
How was someone close to a male who barely talked? Maybe Dex was different around the King.
“The death of his father must be hard on him,” I said softly.
Memories from the previous night came back to me. The sorrow in the King’s eyes had laid in wait for him to drop his guard, so it could overpower him. The way he’d crumbled beneath the surface, a sensation I’d felt rather than seen, had stayed with me. I’d felt his pain more than once, now, even when he patched himself up and put on a face for Lucia.
“The King has to deal with a lot,” Dex admitted. “There is a lot of pressure on him, not only because he mourns, but pressure to be different, and to do the right thing.”
I nodded slowly. My heart went out to the King. I couldn’t imagine what it had to be like to lose a father. I’d grown up without family and yearned for a life with someone warm to care for me. To have that, only to have it ripped away…
Dex cleared his throat. “You should change and eat lunch. The High Priestess will meet with you in the cathedral after you eat.”
He’d closed up on me again. But he’d talked to me. The ever-solemn Dex had a soft side to him, too.
I grinned at him. “That was quite a speech. Warming up to me, huh?”
He rolled his eyes before his solemn mask fell back into place.
9
When I jerked up in bed the next morning, the holographic clock on my nightstand told me it was almost an hour after I should have been up.
“Oh, Goddess, no, no,” I muttered as I yanked fresh training clothes onto my body and ran to the arena. I had no time to eat or shower. I would do that later.
When I skidded into the arena, Dex had a scowl on his face, and Nylah stood next to him, arms folded and lips pursed.
“Do you think a war will wait for you to sleep in?” Dex snapped when I arrived. “Do you think your fellow warriors will pick up your slack and die for you? When you demand this kind of luxury, someone else has to pay for it.”
With eyes wide, I shook my head. “I’m sorry. I overslept. I’m not used to—”
“This isn’t a game, Ellie!” Dex shouted. “Either you want to be here, or you don’t. This isn’t a hotel where you come and go as you please. When I say you’re in the arena at the crack of dawn, that’s what you do.”
He turned on his heel and marched away. My stomach dropped, and my throat tightened. Did no one around here make mistakes? I couldn’t fail. Not now that my life had finally turned around. If they sent me back…
Nylah stepped forward. Her face softened when she looked into my eyes.
“You should see it as a compliment,” she said.
“How? This is my second day! I’m still getting used to all of this. It’s not like I’m trying to be difficult.”
Nylah nodded. “I know, but the standard here is very high. You’re training to be a part of the King’s elite guard. It’s not a title that you should take lightly, and Dex wants you to be at the top of your game. He thinks you can do it, or else he wouldn’t have gotten mad. Focus on that.”
I nodded. I would try to see it that way, but it was hard not to feel lower than low after how I’d let myself down.
“Come, let’s focus,” Nylah said.
