Page 51 of Crown of Briars
Did that make me the same as them? Did Sybelle see it that way?
I shook the questions from my mind, knowing they would do no good. I could not force Sybelle to respect me, and I shouldn’t care what she thought of me anyway.
I wandered the length of the hall, but the vast space easily showed me I was alone here.
With a sigh, I turned left toward the open archway that led to the spiral staircase, thinking perhaps the castle was playing a joke on me again. If I could maneuver my way around other doors, perhaps I could find Sybelle myself.
Instead, I nearly bumped into two figures deep in conversation, standing just underneath the archway. They started when they saw me, and I blinked, glancing between them. It was Murvo, my captain of the guards, and a soldier I did not recognize. Both stared at me, wide-eyed.
I frowned, then nodded politely at Murvo. “Captain.”
“My king.” He pressed a fist to his chest. But as he shot a fleeting look at the soldier beside him, I sensed something was wrong.
“What is it?” I asked.
The soldier’s lips pressed together in a thin line, and he shook his head mutely. I looked at Murvo, whose mouth opened and closed before he said in a strained voice, “It’s… the human.”
My eyebrows lowered. Shit, what had Sybelle done now? “What about the human?” My voice was almost a growl.
“She’s been wandering around the training yard,” Murvo said. The lilt to his voice led me to believe there was more to the story.
“And?” I prompted, impatience rising.
“It’s distracting the men,” Murvo said with a pleading expression, his eyebrows drawing together.
I tilted my head at him, eyes narrowing. “Distracting themhow?”
“Well, many of us don’t feel comfortable being around humans,” Murvo said, dropping his gaze and rubbing the back of his neck. “They make us feel nervous.”
My rage emerged again like a feral beast hungry to strike.Gritting my teeth, I said, “Was my wife threatening you or your men?”
“Well, no, but?—”
“Was she doing anything dangerous or suspicious?”
“No, but?—”
“Did she directly interfere with any training exercises?” My voice rose in volume, and Murvo flinched.
“No,” he said firmly, avoiding my furious gaze. “But she waswatchingus, Your Highness. In a very calculating way.”
I knew exactly what he was referring to. Sybelle got a certain gleam in her eyes when she was scrutinizing something. She had looked atmethat way, and I could admit, it was unsettling.
But what Murvo was implying was outrageous. He expected me to believe that an entiresquadronof soldiers felt threatened by one tiny, weak human?
“Are you suggesting my wife is not allowed to look at you? Or anyone, for that matter?” My voice was icy and low.
Murvo’s eyes flared wide. “Your Highness, I would never?—”
I raised a hand to silence him, ready to be finished with this absurd conversation. “Let me make one thing clear. If you ever insinuate that my wife is not free to roam the grounds orlookat anyone in a certain way, I will carve out your spleen. Is that understood?”
Murvo’s face turned ashen. He swallowed, then nodded quickly.
“Your Highness,” said the soldier, his voice timid. “Does this mean the human is permitted to goanywherein the castle?”
I inspected the fae for the first time, taking in his polished boots and freshly pressed uniform. He had cerulean skin and a pair of ram horns. One eye gleamed gold, and the other was silver.
His clean attire indicated he was new to the regiment. But there was a confidence in his expression that concerned me.Ordinarily, new soldiers were nervous and antsy. This one seemed calm and collected. Almost arrogant.
