Page 13 of The Stolen Throne

I feel him lean against the desk beside me. “You think she is that vindictive and cunning?”

“I think her hatred of me is that potent,” I point out. “She would do it just to spite me, knowing that it would hurt me in doing so.”

He hums thoughtfully as we settle into a comfortable silence. It's a few minutes before Rev huffs out a sigh and asks, “When do you think your father will visit to check on his pet?”

“It will not take long,” I say with a grunt. Truthfully, I’m surprised he hasn’t already visited to check up on Eira. I thought he would have shown up here at least a day or so ago. Which means he will be arriving here in the next few days. I groan as I realize this means I should warn her of his presence.

As if reading my thoughts, Rev asks, “Do you plan to warn her that he will be coming here soon?”

My brows pinch, and the pain behind my eyes increases. My voice sounds strained as I reply, “I am still thinking about it.”

He laughs. “I did not think it would be much of a debate, Dax.”

I crack one eye open to glare at him. “It seems my obsidian heart beats after all. An odd feeling after all these years if I’m honest.”

He winces, hearing my words for what they truly mean. I may not be as cruel as my father, but I am still cruel, nonetheless. To rule the required way, emotions must be stripped away. A cruel prince feels nothing but anger and malice. Though, it seems a certain woman is starting to change that.

“She will become a weakness,” he says quietly.

My eye falls closed again. “Then it is good I have six men by my side who I trust with my life.”

He grunts before saying, “Ash seems enamored by her.”

I shrug. “He has always been the cheerful one. Maybe his lively attitude will allow her to trust the rest of us.”

His voice is filled with surprise as he asks, “Us?”

“Can you not feel it, brother?”

Confusion laces his words as he says, “Feel what?”

A grin spreads across my face as I reply, “She’s ours.”

9

EIRA

Idon’t think I should feel as comfortable as I do here in Wylan. But I do. It feels as if a lifetime has passed since I was brought here, but it’s only been two weeks. I still have a constant rotation of guards, always the same six males the prince brought with him to Arcelia.

Kasim still irritates me every time he has guard duty. He either silently glares at me or will not shut up about how spoiled of a princess I am. I refuse to give him the satisfaction of knowing that his attitude bothers me or that his words cut deeper than the scars across my skin. He is nothing but a grump, which is my new nickname for him, Grumpy Man.

Asher has slowly become my favorite to have guard me. He always has a smile on his face and appears to be happy more often than not. He is the much-needed sunshine on my dark days, and I look forward to the days he is my guard.

I have not had the chance to learn much about Alair other than that he often jokes with the passing guards. He’s much like Asher in that way. He tries to make me laugh when we are together, and he focuses more on me than himself. Although, his dimples are adorable when he laughs, so I suppose I have learned one thing about him.

Branimir is quiet and usually sports pink cheeks around me. His freckles stand out against his bright cheeks when he blushes. I have a feeling he doesn’t spend much time around women. When he worries he’s too bold with his questions, his ears turn as red as his hair. He often has to brush it back as it tends to fall into his face when he ducks my gaze.

Reverie usually stays in the shadows when it’s his turn to guard me. Allowing me to roam the hallways and rooms freely. I cannot count how many times he has scared me by popping out of the shadows. He seems so comfortable in the shadows that he has become one with the darkness itself.

Today, my guard is Benidict. Sigh. He is so beautiful. He has long platinum-blond hair and dark brown orbs that remind me of a mythical being rather than a soldier. He often takes me to the library where I attempt to learn everything I can about the kingdoms. I’m not sure how I’m going to read the thousands of books the prince has managed to procure, but I am going to do my best.

We are quietly walking down the hallway toward the library as usual when I can no longer stand the silence. “So, Benedict…”

“You can call me Bene.”

I smile as I nod. “Okay. So… Bene, how long have you known the prince?”

“Dax? Hum… I’ve known him since we were children. The seven of us grew up together.”

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