“Those males are my friends,” she clipped dangerously. “And when I could not trust you to call upon to be at my side, at my back, involved in my life, for you would not comprehend my mission and my purpose, they were. It was dangerous, Heloise. I could have been discovered by The Rising, and in their machinations, they shared clearly they did not mind dealing hostilely with those they thought were enemies. And a royal title made those dealings all the sweeter to them.”

She drew in a deep breath, and with it a slender thread of patience, before she leaned toward her friend and finished.

“And if you…ever…refer to my friends, or any fucking gnome any-fucking-where, Heloise, as a gnat again, I will challenge you, and I will unhorse you and then I will draw my sword and I will humiliate you in a way that you will never forget it.”

Heloise knew Serena could do just that, and this was why her face paled before she started, “Rena—”

Serena leaned back with a snap of her spine and interrupted her.

“I serve the Nadirii Sisterhood. I serve Queen Elena. I serve my blooded sister as she takes her crown as the Princess Regent of Airen. And if you, Genia and Darma do not share these philosophies, I am honor bound to report that to my queen. I will advise her that she then relieve you of your duties in the Nadirii army. However, rest assured. Elena is fair. She will find you something else you are adept at doing.”

It was Heloise whose spine snapped straight at that.

“I will remind you, I’ve been at your side since training,” she declared.

“And I did not invite you to leave it,” Serena retorted. “I simply told you the terms you must accept to remain at it.”

Heloise glared at her.

Chu was watching, Serena was keenly aware of that, so she did not have time to allow Heloise the fullness of her glare.

She also did not have the patience for it.

She thus walked around her and resumed her path to her tent.

A tent Gal and Brix were now standing outside, also watching her.

Goddess, she hoped they were too far away to hear that gnat comment.

But seeing them, knowing why they stood where they stood, their gazes upon her, she thought it was funny that she knew them such a short time, but she felt their strength at her back far more thoroughly than she’d ever felt Heloise’s or Genia’s.

Or Darma’s.

And she’d been to battle with them so many times, she’d lost count.

By the goddess, she’d been a fool.

It was with blatant design that Chu had positioned himself as such that he was not only close enough to watch her work at the pyre, but she’d have to walk by him on her way to the tent.