“Vera will return, Father. I would bet my life on it.”

“For your sake, I certainly hope so.” He gripped the arms of his throne, leaning forward to spit, “I want Bhasura under my thumb, and I cannot have that when my sole heir fails at controlling one gods damn female.”

“I understand,” Eithan repeated, a sense of calm washing over him despite the veiled threat. He may be having to wait longer than he’d originally planned, but he’d have her. He was sure of it. The second Vera received his letters, she’d coming running back, and he’d be ready with open arms.

Sulian was determined to use King Vesstan’s daughter to put Bhasura on a leash, but what he didn’t know was it’d be her very return that would sign his father’s death warrant. And Eithan, for one, couldn’t fucking wait.

* * *

His guard, Wes Coleman waited just outside the doors when Sulian finally released him. Coleman’s posture was stiff and angry as one hand white-knuckled the pommel of his sword. But he stayed silent, falling into step with him as he passed.

Eithan rolled his shoulders, trying to unstick the parts of his tunic that clung to him, but he only succeeded in sending spikes of pain up his neck. The tacky film of sweat and blood had him fighting every urge in his body to rip the clothing off. He wanted to burn every gods damn piece of fabric, down to his boots.

The image pulled a sudden chuckle from his lips. Wouldn’t that be something? He could only imagine the looks he’d get, strutting through the palace butt naked and beaten. It’d certainly give the snakes in noble’s clothing something to talk about.

He felt, more than saw, Coleman side-eye him as they made their way through the palace’s maze of hallways. He didn’t think the man had stopped frowning once since he’d seen him exit the throne room with a bloodied smile on his face.

“Speak freely, Coleman. I’ve known you my entire life. I can sense when you’re brimming with judgmental opinions,” he said, taking pity on him.

His guard rolled his eyes and sighed, removing his hand from his sword to gesture toward him. “I hate seeing you like this. It’s my duty to protect you. Every time you enter that room without me, you force my hand to fail.”

I order you to marry the Magyki. You fail.

Sulian’s words swirled around him, and he ground his teeth together, hardening his shield to keep them out. His mask must have slipped because Coleman snapped his face forward and cleared his throat.

“I apologize for overstepping. It was not my place to say anything.”

Eithan shook his head, sidestepping a young servant ladened with an armful of folded bedding. “You have nothing to apologize for, I told you to speak freely. But my business with my father is my own. You need not concern yourself over it.”