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“If you overheard our argument, then you already know.”
Alysia grins. “Very well. I didn’t catch but the end of it. But I do know that your protector has giant blood in his veins.”
“Then why don’t you take that knowledge to my brother?”
“Because as I said, I am loyal to the realm as a whole, not Navalis, and outing Fort means putting you in jeopardy because, should any harm befall the guardsman, you’ll go down with him. Am I wrong?”
“You’re not.”
“Then you’ve confirmed what I wanted to know.”
“Why does it matter?”
“I need you to understand who you align yourself with, Carleah. I am here to serve and protect you because, without you, our realm will fall to the giants once again. You may not know what those days were like, but I will never forget.” Something dark passes over her expression, and I fight the urge to reach out and pat her on the shoulder.
Alysia does not strike me as someone who takes kindly to pity. “You will not tell my brother what you have learned?”
“I will not. But you need to tread carefully, Your Highness.”
“Why?”
“The Son of Flame has giant blood, too,” she tells me. “And if there’s any chance—”
“There’s not. Fort was put through the Trial of Truth.”
Now it’s Alysia who offers me a look of pity. “He may not realize what he is, Carleah. Which is what makes the situation so dire.”
“It really doesn’t matter, anyway,” I tell her. “Because I am not with Fort anymore as I am betrothed to another.”
“Patrick of Soreno.”
“Yes.”
She nods. “Then I grieve for what you have sacrificed. And I will assist you in your re-claiming of our realm.”
“You have nothing to say about the betrothal?”
“From what I can see, you’ve already made up your mind. And since my loyalty is to the realm, if you marrying the future Soreno king will get us the upper hand so we may win, then you’ll hear no argument from me. Now, I need to check in on the men who don’t heal as quickly as your Tenebris soldier.” With a final nod, she turns and leaves me in the tent.
Tenebris soldier. I don’t even have a chance to argue with her before she’s gone. Honestly, I can’t argue with her. Fort is a Tenebris soldier in everything but his mission. I literally fell in love with a man who comes from our greatest enemy.
Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath and try to steady my mood before I go back out into public. Love—what a damned useless emotion.
If I didn’t love my family, their deaths wouldn’t have nearly broken me.
If I didn’t love Fort, marrying Patrick wouldn’t feel like a death sentence.
Yet here I am. Broken-hearted and having to walk around as though my world has been perfectly mended. All because Bowman has ordered it so.
It doesn’t matter that I am supposedly Queen of the Third Realm because the men here serve Navalis. The men in Soreno will serve their king. The only ones loyal to me so far are the elves. And even they are unlikely to leave their home to defend my place in this world.
The way I see it, that title and this damned sword did nothing except put a target on my back. A target I’m determined not to let anyone hit.
Gathering the skirt of my dress in my hand, I march out of the tent and toward Bowman’s. He’s standing just inside, palms splayed on the table as he stares down at a map.
“I want pants.”
Slowly, he raises his head to look at me. “Excuse me?”
