Appearances could be deceiving, I supposed, determined not to lose hope. My own didn’t offer much regality, in popular opinion—too many freckles. And my hair, curly with pretty autumn shades, frizzed too easily.
“Prince Zach.” I dipped my head as I offered the typical Legion princess curtsy, grabbing the hem of my dress with my right hand and crossing my left fist over my chest. “Thank you for journeying all this way.”
“My pleasure.” Zach was smiling again when I returned my gaze, but this time the smile was much smaller, and somehow softer.
Gelloren gave my shoulder a squeeze and addressed Zach. “If your skills prove worthy of Princess Ivy’s power, then you will be bound as Royal partners.”
I could feel the pride in the Master’s gesture and words, despite all that had happened yesterday. I held my head a little higher.
“So I’ve been told.” Zach frowned, glancing warily at his Commander. “I’m honored that you think so highly of me, but I—”
Suddenly the Commander grabbed Zach’s collar, choking off his words, and jerked him backward. “Master Mage, we are weary from our journey. Perhaps we could rest and eat first, then discuss the partnership.”
It was a reasonable request, but I’d hoped to get some kind of verbal agreement of our partnership, at the very least. If the interruption had surprised Gelloren, he didn’t let it show.
“Yes, of course.” With a small wave of his hand, the trumpets sounded again.
The voices within the Hall of Ancestors rang out as one: “Long Live the Royals! The Light against the Darkness!” Then Myria’s Royals trickled back into the adjoining corridors.
I barely muttered the words along with them, my eyes still on Zach. He didn’t seem enthused about our partnership at all.
Not that I expected princes to fall over themselves for me, but I’d anticipated receiving more than mild curiosity…or… Had he been disappointed? Disappointed as I had been?
The idea that I could be dissatisfied in him, but he couldn’t be in me, struck me like a physical blow. Not only was that unfair, but also hypocritical and rude. I had to give him another chance—at least learn more about him before deciding how I felt.
Gelloren turned back to the Saevallan Royals. “Princess Ivy will lead you to the feast.” He nodded to me and then left with the other Master Mages, robes swishing as they went.
I held out my arm in the direction of the northwest corridor. “You’re in for a treat,” I said with a smile. “The strawberries in Myria are the best in all the land, and they’re in season.”
Zach winked at me. “I love strawberries. Strawberry sugar cake, strawberry cordials—”
“Return to your position.” The Commander pointed toward the back of his company.
“Yes, sir, Lord Commander,” Zach called over his shoulder, still grinning as he headed to the back. The Saevallan Royals parted for him but none looked especially pleased to do so. From the rolls of their eyes, it seemed almost as if…they were embarrassed by him. But wasn’t he their champion? Their prized Swordsman Prince?
“And tell Collin if he has the bad manners to run his lewd mouth during a formal reception,” the Commander barked, “then he can spend the next one shoveling horse—” He clamped his lips and turned back to me. “Pardon me, princess.”
I laughed. “We’re all soldiers. I’m sure I’ve said far worse at one time or another. Now, this way please, Prince…”
“Weldan. Prince Commander Weldan of the House of Zale,” he said as I led them out of the Hall of Ancestors. “I must say, it is an honor to meet one of your bloodline. A pure descendant of the Royal Founders.”
“It is we who should be honored, Commander. Our numbers have been drastically decreasing. Your reinforcements mean everything and more to us.”
“We are all on the same side, princess. There’s no need for thanks.”
I smiled, liking Weldan more with every step, every word. “Yet you still have it.”
He nodded, but his expression darkened. “I’m sorry to hear about your prince.”
Kellian’s inert form after my failed Kiss flitted through my mind, and my smile vanished. The same image had kept me up almost all night last night, along with memories of Kellian. My fingers curled around my cloak, squeezing. “Yes, it…will be difficult to replace him.”
Weldan sighed and shook his head. “I’ve heard of your capabilities, princess, and I believe it would be difficult to match anyone to your standards.”
I opened my mouth to reply when a large crash sounded from behind us.
Everyone looked back to see Zach sprawled out on the floor with an ancient suit of armor lying in pieces around him. A girl stood over him, her face flushed in anger.
“Watch where you’re going, you—”
“Kendra!” The Commander’s voice was sharp, and the girl quickly straightened.
Zach half picked himself up onto his elbows. “No, go ahead. What were you going to say? Something about my dashing good looks?”
Kendra rounded on him, but Weldan intervened again. “Zach, enough.”
With a scowl, she strode over Zach, stepping on his back as she did so, pushing him to the floor.
Zach let out a puff of air. “Now who’s not watching where they’re going?” he called after her.
“Get up and pray that suit isn’t damaged,” Weldan snapped.
“It’s fine,” I told Weldan, although I knew for a fact that the suit came from the Battle of Galliore during the great griffin invasion. “It’s just an old decoration.” How had he crashed into it walking down such a wide corridor? Could anyone be so clumsy?
Weldan continued forward without another glance at Zach. I followed him, watching Zach over my shoulder, who was now picking up the pieces of armor. His movements were fluid and graceful as he plucked up the heavy pieces and set them aside—certainly not movements of someone who would’ve knocked it over in the first place.
We came to the dining hall. The training grounds outside were visible through tall open windows bordered by maroon curtains sporting the Legion emblem. The Saevallans shed their heavy armor and cloaks and handed them off to the array of servants before heading to the long brucel-wood tables. In no time, Weldan and I were left standing alone, watching the rest of his Royals served plates piled with hot quail eggs and brien-peppered sausage, herb and honey bread with mint yogurt, and fresh strawberries topped with sugar cream.
I gestured to the end of a table, and we sat across from each other.
“To be honest, princess, there are few in the entire land who could be worthy of bearing the Mark of Myriana.” Weldan nodded in thanks to a servant who brought him a goblet and a plate of steaming food. “But…” He began, pausing to take a sip from his cup, “if anyone has the raw skills, it is Zach.”
So I’d heard. It was still hard to rectify the unbelievable rumors of the magnificent warrior with a man who laughed at crude jokes and tripped over hall decorations. “You mean the one who just dismembered a suit of armor?” I said with a teasing smile.
“Well, to be fair, he was probably pushed.”
I blinked. “Why?”
“Kendra is always finding an excuse to pick a fight with him. They have a history.”
“They were partners, then?”
“Oh Heavenly Queen, no. They’d probably kill each other before they even noticed the monsters. Besides…Kendra is my partner.”
I felt a twinge of disappointment. If Zach turned out to be a bad match for me, I would’ve liked to have had Weldan as a possible option. He was much more the warrior I’d imagined.
“Sometimes I joke that they’re jealous of each other. They both try to monopolize my attention.” Weldan chuckled. “But Kendra has problems with…well, you can see that Zach is a tad unorthodox.”