AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Fury twisting her features, Riona rushed at him again, driving the point of her sword toward his chest. Auberon met her blade with his own and twisted, sending it skittering across the stage. He smacked her arm with the flat of the blade, and she yelped, glaring at him.
“Second lesson: don’t let your emotions get the better of you. It’s a perfect way to make a mistake and—”
Riona ran across the stage and scooped her sword off the ground. Auberon lifted his own as she charged at him, slashing at his arms, his face, his chest, all with renewed vigor. He knocked her blade aside every time, a grin spreading across his face. Her movements were clumsy, but she was no longer thinking about anything except for the fight. No doubt. No hesitation.
“You’re laughing at me,” she spat as she swung at him.
“No, I’m not.”
“You’re toying with me.”
“A little bit, yes.”
Riona slashed at his side. Auberon knocked the sword from her hand, but she kept moving, ducking low and darting behind him. When he turned, he came face-to-face with the point of his dagger. She had pulled it from the sheath at his hip. Riona had sacrificed her own blade, letting him believe her anger had made her clumsy, and outmaneuvered him. Auberon lifted his hands in surrender.
On the other side of the dagger, Riona’s eyes were wide. She was as surprised as he was that it had worked. “I’m a quick learner,” she said, trying to seem unaffected by her victory. She lowered the dagger and sat on the piano bench to catch her breath.
“You did well. Even if Iwasgoing easy on you.” Auberon crossed the stage and sat with his legs hanging over the edge, grimacing as he rubbed his chest. His lungs burned from the latent effects of the poison. The heat still pulsed in his shoulder, but it was finally beginning to fade.Thank the Creator.
“Are you in pain?”
“A bit. It’s not too bad, but the exertion made it worse.”
“Good. You deserve it.”
He lay back, chuckling. “You’re not overly sensitive to my plight,aramati. After all the hard work I put in teaching you.”
Riona was quiet for a few moments, and when Auberon glanced back, he found her studying the dagger in her hands. He rose and sat beside her on the bench. “I’ve been carrying that dagger for as long as I can remember. It was a gift from my father—a family heirloom. Keep it with you at all times, and pray that you never have to use it.”
Riona looked at him sharply. “I can’t take this.”
She tried to give it back to him, but he caught her hand and closed her fingers around its grip. “Trust me. Better to be armed and not need it than to be caught unprepared. As I said earlier, I have a vested interest in keeping you alive. Not just for my brother, but for both our countries. I don’t want to see any more people killed in the fighting over the Tranquil Sea.”
“Nor do I.”
“Then speak to your uncle. Convince him to choose Drystan,” Auberon implored her, leaning forward so she was forced to meet his eyes. Every day she delayed cost them more lives. “I understand why you want to help Valerian in the negotiations. I understand why you want to stay in your home for as long as possible, but trust me when I tell you that it is not worth the price.”
Riona looked away, lowering the dagger to her lap.
“You believe that my brother and I are heartless. You believe that my father is a monster. Riona, who came here asking for peace?” Auberon pressed. “I have reason to believe that your uncle is mining the Howling Mountains and crafting weapons of eudorite ore to wield against my father’s navy. If I’m right, he will not stop fighting until one of our countries is decimated. Hate me all you like, but do not condemn your people and mine to death. Do not make them pay for a war they didn’t choose.”
“You say that as if I have a choice in the matter. My uncle doesn’t value my political opinions. If he did, do you think he would be selling me off to a complete stranger?” she asked, a note of bitterness slipping into her voice.
“You must try,” he insisted. “If not for the people, then do it for Treasurer Cathal. I believe the eudorite mines are somehow tied to his murder, and I fear that the king or a powerful member of the court may have had a hand in the assassination.”
Riona stilled, anger flaring. “Explain.”
So he did.
ChapterTwenty-Nine
The Lady
Once he’d finished, Riona sat in silence for several long minutes, considering all he had said. “It doesn’t make sense,” she finally responded. “If Treasurer Cathal knew about the mines and kept them secret for years, what reason would one of the courtiers have for ordering his assassination? Cathal was one of the king’s closest friends and advisors. What could have caused someone to question his loyalty?”
“I’m not sure, but there’s a reason Cathal didn’t just burn those missing documents along with the rest of the treasury records. Think about it—if you realized that someone was coming to kill you, why would you risk your life to smuggle some papers out of the castle?” Auberon asked, leaning close. “I’ve heard the rumors around the court. If he were stealing from the treasury, he would’ve simply destroyed the evidence and fled the city. Those documents are important. I believe that they hold information that could affect the future of your kingdom, and that someone powerful—maybe even your uncle—ordered Cathal’s assassination to keep him silent.”
“You’re wrong.”
