Looking at her now, no one could probably imagine that for many years she was forced to wear dresses and ribbons in her long hair. Bri was paraded around like a doll and punished when she didn’t play the part. She wasn’t always brash and defiant; those traits slowly rose to the surface out of survival and necessity. Bri had loved daggers over dresses and would rather learn to fight than how to wave a fan. Talhan was the one who’d saved her. He’d shared his weapons and recounted his fight training to her and spar with her; he’d sneak her his clothes to wear and she’d take his place in the training rings when they were too little for people to tell them apart. Even then, their tutors feared them—the eagle children.

Talhan coughed pointedly, bringing Bri’s mind back to the present, and she tossed two of her cards in to Renwick. She shot her brother a grateful glance and he nodded, seemingly knowing exactly what she was thinking about. Lina threw in one card to Renwick, her other hand dropping under the table to squeeze Bri’s knee in return.

When Bri met Lina’s gaze, she knew the Princess saw it all too. Lina saw those swirling thoughts in Bri’s mind even if she didn’t know what memories they were. Knowing that Talhan wasn’t the only one who could see beneath her gruff exterior made Bri soften. She didn’t like admitting she was ever anything other than the cavalier soldier she was lauded for being, but for some reason, she felt like she could tell Lina anything and not be judged. The embarrassment she expected to flare within her at the thought didn’t. Something about Lina made it easy—easy to be together, easy to be herself, easy to bare her truths. She’d never felt that before, not even with Aurella. All those things she guarded so tightly seemed to feel lighter, to float off her as if Lina pulled the weight from the room.

“Thank the Gods,” Talhan said as the door opened and two servants walked in carrying trays of goblets and pitchers of wine.

“This is nice,” Carys said, draping her arm over the back of her chair. “All of us together again. Certainly nicer than a root cellar.”

The group snickered and Renwick arched his brow in confusion, meeting Lina’s gaze. “I don’t know what they’re talking about either,” he muttered.

“It happened in Yexshire,” Aneryn said.

Renwick blinked at the blue witch. “You were there too?”

Rua chuckled, sweeping Renwick’s ash-blond hair behind his pointed ear. “I promise we’ll include you next time we’re drinking in a root cellar.”

He narrowed his eyes at her sarcastic comment, which only made her widen her grin.