A girl accustomed to rivalry.
Blair Archer grew up surrounded by Elites. The father knew that his daughter was special, which means she should become the next queen and strengthen the influence of the family.
Brian was born a Mundane, but persistenc...
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After the ceremony, Blair rode in a carriage with her father, escorted to her quarters by the crown prince. Since I carefully let go of her hand and returned to the palace on horseback like the other Guards, I haven't seen her.
I've crossed paths with Lenny a few times in the palace corridors. His pointed glances reminded me of our last conversation.
My mad bitch.
The way he referred to her.
The way he thinks of her, despite the fact that it was because of her that Braxton was able to say goodbye to Sadie. All I had to do was find a Guard uniform in his size, figure out from Captain Cole who would be attending the ceremony, remind him that my charge would be present, and nudge him toward the decision to add my name to the roster. Then, I used some of the sleeping draught that Sight had given me during the Trial, slipping it into the drink of one of the Guards on the list, ensuring Braxton could take his place instead.
My mad bitch is crushed by grief.
I stand post at her door, battling the urge to enter and check if she's all right. Her maid Mary assures me Blair hasn't left bed, so I decide not to disturb her.
My...
Blair remains in her room for the rest of the day.
With Hera dead, there's no longer any nighttime threat to Blair, meaning I can assign another Imperial to her protection and retreat to my quarters in the Guards' residential wing to sleep. Yet I linger at my post until midnight—hours past my shift—before finally stepping around the corner and nodding to the Guard preoccupied with flirting with a maid.
As I traverse the palace corridors, exit into the rear courtyard, and head toward the Guards' wing where my tiny, solitary room awaits—a perk earned for excelling at following orders—I think about Blair.
The general told me to observe her, to report on her every move, granting her privacy only when she's alone with one of the princes. It's clear that the death of Payden Gray would serve not just the king but the general himself. Honestly, even Sadie's death benefits him—Blair is now a viable match to secure a strong political alliance, potentially even becoming the next queen. That, in the long term, could work very much in my favor.
I consider this and hate myself for feeling anger at the memory of the princes' overt mockery of Blair. The way the Enforcer dismissed her so openly at the ball, even though he was her escort. In this palace, all she ever had was her perpetually busy father and... Sadie. Now, Sadie is gone.
I could see this as an opportunity for myself, a chance to rise through the ranks. If I continue as I have been, I'll become her sole support. That's exactly what I plan to do.
But then I remember the way she awkwardly flirted, trying to guess my power. The way she threw a dagger at the Flash to protect me. The way she clung to me in the forest as I pulled her away from her friend's corpse. The way she squeezed my hand during the funeral ceremony.
