“Prince Fain, perhaps you need to put your personal feelings aside.” Jelric said quietly to him but I heard it nonetheless and frowned what the hell that meant.
Fain shot him a cold stare but said nothing.
“So what now?” I asked sitting back in my seat and avoiding looking at Fain entirely. The prick couldn’t even admit that he needed me even when everyone else was clearly stating as much.
“For the moment you will remain here.” Jelric said. “I will help you to control your magic.”
“Am I still a prisoner?” I asked.
“No. But you are also not free to leave the city or go anywhere unattended.”
“So I am a prisoner then.” I retorted.
“It’s for your own safety. Too many people know you are here already. You’ve already been attacked by the Agnai, you don’t want to risk another.”
“Maybe you should teach me how to defend myself with magic then.”
Jelric’s lips curled at that. “Perhaps. For the moment you are under High Prince Fain’s command.”
My jaw dropped.No way. “But I thought you said you’d be teaching me.”
“I will. But the High King has ordered it until he returns.”
“And where is he, this High King of yours?” I asked hearing how insolent I sounded and not really caring anymore. What else could they do that wasn’t worse than how they’d treated me so far?
“Away.” Prince Fain said and we glared at each other again.
I gritted my teeth and bit back the retort. As much as it killed me, I needed to be smarter. Much smarter.
“I will have more guards assigned to you.” Fain said.
“You’re most kind.” I replied sarcastically.
I expected to see a reaction in his face. I expected to see a flash of anger, or irritation of something but instead he gave me nothing. No emotion.
“Marke, please see her back to her room.” He said after a moment.
Marke jumped to follow his instructions.
“It’s fine.” I said my eyes flickering to the Magi then back to the Prince. “Mira is outside. I can make my own way back.” I got up, and walked out before they could say anymore.
Before I could dig myself into more trouble too.
Iwatched her go.
Watched her walk out as if she was still trying to have some semblance of control on the situation.
I guess a small part of me admired her for that. That she still had to gall to believe it. That she was defiant enough that she didn’t just roll over. And yet, that defiance, that attitude; it was the same as all of them, all the ones before.
That defiance made her a risk. Made her a threat to every single person in this castle, in this citadel too.
She looked better now that she was clean. But then the Fae always looked good. That was the thing about them. You had to keep your wits, keep your head, because they led you astray, teased you with their beauty and all the while sinking those invisible tendrils into your mind.
“She didn’t even bow.” Marke muttered as the door shut behind her.
“What was that?” Jelric asked.
“She didn’t even bow. To Prince Fain, she didn’t bow.” Marke said in horror.