Page 77 of To Save a Kingdom

Zadé’s hand landed on her shoulder, squeezing. “Don’t fret, Princess. It’ll all work out, then we can make the wench pay fer stealin’ yer man.”

A sudden wave of exhaustion barreled into Aliya, threatening to knock her off her feet. “It’s okay. Don’t worry about it.”

Zadé blinked at her, her expression blank. “Whaddya mean it’s okay? Yer fine with someone claimin’ yer man?”

“No. My issues with the Enorathils go much deeper than Tsara’s obsession with Elessan. But now is not the time to discuss it.” She swallowed past the bitter aftertaste forced up her throat by the rage curdling in her gut. “I’ll have to figure out what to do about them after we take care of Brooks and the hostages.” Though as Elessan and Tsara were already married, there wasn’t anything she could do about it, short of killing the sun elf princess. And that would no doubt lead to yet another war. That was the last thing her realm needed, and went against everything she and Elessan had sacrificed their future together for.

She glanced at the thin scar across her left palm. Roland was no less likely to let her out of their marriage agreement, either. He’d maneuvered her right where he wanted her after all.

Zadé studied her for several heartbeats. “If’n yeh say so. But if yeh want some help buryin’ a body, lemme know.”

“Maybe,” she said, though she intended to do no such thing. Snatching a roll and taking a bite to get Zadé off her back more than anything else, Aliya examined the dumbwaiter. “Well, it’s about that time.”

“Suppose so.” Zadé’s voice was uncharacteristically somber. “Yeh know, if’n that box was a bit bigger, I’d go instead of you.”

Aliya eyed Zadé’s long legs and athletic build. “The only reason I fit is because I can shift to become a little smaller. But I can’t ask any of you to take a risk I’m not willing to take myself.”

Lips pressed into a thin line, Zadé nodded. “It’s too bad more leaders don’t believe that.”

Aliya tried to imagine Roland, or any of her nobles, charging into battle at the front of their lines rather than leading from the back. The image was preposterous, and yet…

“The world would be a better place, for sure,” she said. Taking a few steps, she squeezed herself into the dumbwaiter, pulling her knees tight to her chest.

“Be safe, Princess.”

“You, too.”

Aliya caught Zadé’s gaze as the woman grabbed the rope and tugged, sending her skyward.

Aliya changed her hair to a light brown and shifted her facial structure until she resembled Brielle, her lady-in-waiting. The adjustment was harder than it should have been—with all of today’s misadventures, she’d forgotten to stay hydrated. Curse the mages. Instead of eating bread in the kitchen with Zadé, she should’ve been guzzling as much water as she could handle.

Well, too late for regrets now.

The door to the dumbwaiter clicked open. Four guards with expectant expressions were staring at her.

“Not the luncheon you expected?” Aliya leaped from the enclosed space, her dagger aimed right for the closest man’s neck, like Elessan had taught her.

Her weapon caught on something, the resistance giving way before the keen steel. She didn’t bother to look to see what she hit, but from the gurgle, her aim had been true.

“Hey! What the—”

Someone grabbed her arm, pulling her away from her first victim. Twirling, she jammed the blade up. The man twisted at the last moment so she missed his stomach, but plunged her dagger into his armpit.

The man howled.

That should be loud enough to alert Roland through the speaking stone.

Something slammed into her jaw.

The force of the blow had Aliya spinning away, white stars flickering in her peripheral vision as pain radiated through her face. No, she couldn’t pass out now. If she did, she was as good as dead.

Blinking until her eyesight cleared, she swung her dagger at the next man, who grabbed her wrist and twisted it. The weapon fell from her spasming fingers.

He pulled her arm behind her back hard enough her elbow and shoulder threatened to dislocate. Fire exploded from the joint, racing across her neck and torso. A sharp blade pressed under her chin.

She froze, hardly daring to breathe.

“Well, what have we here?” one of the two remaining guards asked.