Page 53 of A Vow of Embers

That was beyond what I could bear.

The only way to truly understand why we’d both done it would be to discuss it with him, and that was not a possibility, especially given that he was incapable of telling the truth. That left me with no way to resolve it—it would be one more thing that hung uncomfortably between us.

And I wouldn’t be able to just stay away from him. Not if we were to make everyone believe that we had a good marriage.

“How is Io enjoying the temple?” Parthenia asked, and I realized that I had been silent for a long time.

We spoke about the temple while she arranged my hair. I told her about how we spent our days and how Io loved the plants she got to care for.

It made me sad all over again, thinking of how I should have tried harder to be in a better place with Io before coming to the palace. I shouldn’t have gotten so angry at her. I should have listened to her and tried to understand her motivations.

You should do the same for Alexandros.

He didn’t deserve it. Io did.

When Parthenia finished she said, “There. Beautiful.”

It was her job to say nice things, so I just smiled up at her. “You are very kind.”

“I am very honest, Princess Thalia.”

“Just Lia, please.” It might not have been how things were done in Ilion, but it was in Locris. I preferred informality. And I wanted her to be my friend. We couldn’t be friends if she used a title for me.

“Lia,” she said with a fond smile. “I am going to go and make some lists and arrange for the various artisans to come meet with you. Perhaps tomorrow?”

“Oh. I thought we would go into the city.”

“You are a princess. You don’t go to the market. The market comes to you.” She gave me instructions on how to reach her—there were guards in every hallway and I would only have to ask one of them to fetch her if I needed her. She would plan on coming to see me every morning to help me dress, as well as whenever there were special occasions.

She said she would see me in a few hours and I thought this was my opportunity. I waited for a couple of minutes. Even though Alexandros had said I wasn’t confined to my room, I wasn’t sure I believed it. Iworried that when I crossed over the threshold into the hallway, one of the guards would order me back inside.

I got my xiphos from under my pillow and strapped it to my thigh. If someone wanted to argue with me, they were not going to like my counterargument.

When I opened the door and walked out, I saw the guards at their stations. They also spotted me but they didn’t move, didn’t call out. I walked toward them, as they were positioned near the stairs. They nodded at me as I went past them.

That had been easy enough.

The stairs were all located in the same spot on each floor. So instead of stopping at the first floor I came to, I continued to go down the circular steps until I had gone three levels.

It was much cooler down here. I wondered how far down the stairs went, given that the palace had been built on top of a cliff. There was no sunlight here—just the torches giving off a smoky scent. I walked toward the end of the hall and saw two guards standing in front of a thick wooden door. Another set of stairs lay beyond them. Where did that lead to?

“Did you need help?” one of the guards asked, confused.

Demaratus had told me once that the secret of sneaking behind enemy lines was to behave as if you belonged.

And if they find out you don’t, fight your way clear.

“I’m Princess Thalia. I was married to Prince Alexandros last night.”

The two guards exchanged knowing smirks that made my stomach turn. But I pressed on. “My husband plans to buy me some jewelry as tokens of his affection. While he is busy today, I was hoping to tour the treasury to make sure that his gifts will be safe here.”

The guard on the right said, “Of course they will be.”

The other responded, “It can’t hurt to let her look. She is the prince’s wife.”

“We’re not supposed to let anyone inside.”

“Oh, please,” I said in the most simpering voice I had. “It would mean so much to me.”

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