Last Stand (The Black Mage #4)(40)

By the time we had finished seeing to our things, the Langli home was a dark place to be. Duke Cassius had already seen to his men and set up his leaders during his absence.

Baron Langli was aghast at the number to feed. Like Darren, he’d expected the ships to be gone within the span of a week, attacking the Caltothian coast per the original alliance’s terms. “You expect me to run supplies to four thousand men?”

“You’ll do it,” Darren snapped, “and you’ll do it without question.” If he had to escort the ambassador to an angry king, he added, the baron could hold his complaints.

“Wait, Ryiah!”

I had just exited my chamber, supplies in hand, when Priscilla shoved me back, ignoring an outraged Paige as she cornered me inside.

“I will break down this door,” Paige roared, “if you do not unhand my lady this instant!”

“Give me a moment of your time, Ryiah,” the girl seethed. The door banged mercilessly behind us. Bam, bam, bam! “If any part of you respects me at all, if you can find it in your heart for even a second, give me two minutes.”

“Ten, nine—” The guard cursed loudly. “Gods blast it, one!”

“Paige… wait!”

The pounding stopped, and I looked to Priscilla expectantly, my arms braced against my chest.

“I want you to take me with you.”

I snorted. “Very funny.”

“I’m serious.”

“No, you are not.”

“Yes—” her eyes grew squinty, “—I am. Do not question me, you insolent lowborn.”

“That’s princess to you.”

“It would have been me.” Her lips pursed. “And then I would have been free. But no, I graciously stepped aside so you could swoop in and enjoy my place.”

“You didn’t step aside.” I shot her a look. “You fought me every step of the way.”

“See?” Priscilla pressed closer. “You aren’t as innocent as you think.”

I rolled my eyes. “Did you forget the vat of pig’s blood our first year? Or when you hog-tied me to a tree during our orientation in Combat? Or—”

“You survived.” Her expression grew bored. “I don’t care about our past, Ryiah. I want out of here. Now. Darren promised me a place in the Crown’s Army when we were married.” My insides squirmed. “And he’s going to honor it.”

“You’re not married.” My tone was cold. “He does not have to honor it.”

“My father won’t let me leave, Ryiah, not after I lost the engagement.” Her words were clipped. “He is convinced the only way to save our house embarrassment is to marry me off to the highest bidder.” Her voice soured. “At least with Darren I was promised time in a regiment. And as distasteful as that marriage might have been, I knew what I was getting. Not some ugly, old lord who would lock me away.”

I cringed inwardly, but outside I was not ready to relent.

“I told Father that, if I was such a blight, he should let me bring honor through our city regiment. You know what he said? He told me that role went to Merrick.”

Don’t do it. Don’t you dare feel pity for Priscilla.

But… was I really blameless? It wasn’t Darren she had fought so hard to keep; it was the freedom that would have come with his crown. If I had known then… Perhaps…

“Don’t you get it?” Priscilla thrust her face into mine. “I’ve always wanted to be you—well, the old you. You might have looked and smelled the part of a sheep herder—”

“I did not.”

“—But at least you were doing what you wanted.” Her lashes fluttered shut. “Not all highborn girls like your Ella had a choice. Most families claim that we can do anything like our brothers and cousins, but the truth is, the older ones, the traditionalists like my father, they only ignore the convent if it helps us secure the right match.”

Priscilla opened her eyes and her tone was morose. “My father had me take up the sword the day he realized Blayne was marrying for alliance. The irony was that, for the first time, I felt free.”

Gods, no. I clenched my jaw. You are feeling pity for Priscilla. The girl who went out of her way to torment me during our first year at the Academy, and most of the apprenticeship. She was trying to secure a role. She was cruel. Yes, at times, but so was Darren and you forgave him for that. He believed in me. So did she, or did you forget who bet on you during the Candidacy?

If Priscilla joined the regiment, she would be my enemy.

I looked the girl square in the eye. “You really want this?”

“I wasn’t at the top of my class to impress your prince.” She snorted. “My father didn’t care if I passed the first year trials. When he sent me off to that school, he was already in talks with Lucius for our engagement. I made the apprenticeship because I enjoyed it. Fighting and magic, they were the only parts of my life I enjoyed.”

And there she went, taking away the last of my defense. I couldn’t deny her now. “Darren will issue a mandate that you join the Crown’s Army, and we will escort you to the capital. From there you know your way to the base camp.”

The girl stepped back with a self-satisfied smirk and unlocked the door. “You are making the right decision.”