I am the Seventh Princess Zorya Rhiannon Agryos
At 27 I died. My head chopped off by my ex-husband.
Honestly, it was a relief to leave this world behind.
I desperately hoped my execution would be the end of it.
But it wasn't.
I returned to the y...
"I told you she hasn't truly opened up to us," Cirilo said from where he sat on his bed. We'd returned to the knight dormitory after Princess Zorya had not so gently shoved us all out of her room and shut the door in our faces. Cirilo leaned back against the headboard. "She's got a grip like a dragon on gold for the why of her actions. And you need to stop trying to figure them out."
I removed my belt and laid it along with my sheathed sword across my bed. "You're not curious? Why does she hate them so much, and why does she seem hell-bent on ruining their chances at success?"
"Don't you remember? I'm being paid a hefty fee to report her movement to the Emperor, Empress, and the 4th prince. You should be happy I'm not going out of my way to dig up information about her or what she's plotting on," Cirilo argued.
He was right. I should be grateful that he wasn't going out of his way to find out more information about her. The princess had been spot on when she'd pointed out that Cirilo was the type to sell himself to the highest bidder, only she didn't know that the usual move he'd make was to give up everything, but so far, he'd barely told them anything. Aside from the things that could be hidden as others were involved.
Even now, he'd sent off a pigeon with information about her fight with the Heptads' youngest mistress, but he'd worded it so it appeared to be nothing but a young girl's fight.
"Still, it isn't normal how she insights anger in that exiled prince. I'm worried that he or his ban of friends will make a move against her, and we won't be there to protect her."
"Hm, my money is on the crazy princess at all times," Cirilo said carelessly.
I rubbed a frustrated hand over my face. He wasn't understanding me, and maybe I wasn't really expressing myself right.
The idea of the princess in harm's way made my stomach tight with anxiety. Since the day she so daringly entered the knight's practice grounds, her purple eyes sparkling wickedly as she flaunted her authority, I've felt captivated.
It didn't help how she teased me with her touches and taunts.
"I'm going to go bathe."
I left the room maybe some cold water would clear my mind. The thoughts I was having about her were inappropriate.
From her actions earlier, she didn't see me as someone she could confide in. It was up to me to become someone she could trust and to do that; I needed to throw away these desires.
Crown Prince Cainon POV
When my sister sent me out into the world I was arrogant and was determined to prove that I was more than ready.
I'm fucked.
Currently, Tru and Seven were knocked out in cells, and I was tied and blindfolded on my knees. The cold air wasn't helping me figure out where we were; all I could imagine was that I was in a dungeon-like back room.
The sharp sound of bootheels filled my ears as I could hear a few people entering the room. I was being held in.
"Remove it, John."
I winced as the blindfold covering my eyes was ripped off, and I squinted. As husky laugh resounded. "Awe, look at him. He looks like a confused kitten."
Frowning, I forced myself to open my eyes fully and met the mocking stare of the woman seated across from me. Her long leather-covered legs were crossed, and long fingers tapped on the armrest of her throne-like chair. One eye was covered by an eye patch, and long raven-colored hair spilled over her shoulders.
"Hi, little prince. Would you like to tell me what brought you to my bandit's kingdom?"
"Your kingdom," I scoffed. "You're no royal, you're nothing but a thief hiding in the woods to avoid answering for your crimes."
She smirked, "And you're in the hands of this petty thief. So again, little prince, if you want your friends to leave alive with you, you'd tell me why you're crawling all over these hills and why I shouldn't hold you for ransom."
I parted my lips to tell her about herself, but a clearing of a throat drew my eyes to Seven who's eyes bored into mine with a clear message. One I'd gotten used to hearing in our travels.
"Stowe away your arrogance, people out here don't give two fucks about your title. They don't owe you nothing, and to them, the throne, royals, and nobles are nothing but stories to be told or rumors shared."
I'd almost taken his tongue for his words, but the more we'd traveled the more it's have become clear that who I am only mattered to those who needed something from me. To those who lived off their own hands and walked their singular path, I wasn't anything special. Even mercenaries had been more skilled in handling our travels.
Swallowing the pride-filled words I wanted to unleash, I motioned with my chin. "A letter in my left pocket, details why we've come here."
The woman watched me for a second her smirk turning into a grin. "Hmm, John check his pockets."
"We've been sent here to retrieve an object for a client. We've no interest in bothering anyone or reporting bandits in the area."
I wasn't lying. We'd come not knowing someone had taken over the backward hill area, so near a miasma-filled swamp, as their home. It made sense, as many of the refugees from the war between Lixal and Nycturnia hadn't been able to find homes near the capital or villages due to prejudice.
"Is that so," she said as she took the letter from John. "Then you won't oppose us escorting you to pick up this important item."
I glanced at Tru and Seven. "As long as my men are released, I am not opposed to it? I want your word that you won't try to steal it from us or betray us."
The woman opened the letter and read, and after a second, she frowned. "Depends."
I faced her once more, "What does it depend on?"
"Do you really think I'd let you take me to the Lixal capital?" she said, turning the letter to face me and pointing at a word. You're looking for the Blood flower Carterina," she said, then pointed at herself. That's me, and I'm not interested in returning to the Echart family."
...Damn you Zorya, you didn't tell me it was a person.
