Page 89 of A Vow of Embers

“I was only trying to be polite,” he said.

“I know. But we don’t have to make small talk. In fact, I thought Ilionians preferred it when women stayed quiet. What’s that quote of yours? That ‘women are only beautiful when they’re silent.’”

“Where did you hear that?”

“Someone at the temple said it to me.”

He exhaled loudly. “That’s not an Ilionian saying. I’ve never heard it before. And if you were ever silent, it would probably only be because you were dead.”

Before I could respond, I saw Quynh walking through the courtyard with Thrax trailing behind her. “Why doesn’t he leave her alone?”

“Because your sister isn’t capable of defending herself if someone wanted to harm her.”

He was right and I hated that I couldn’t be the one to protect her. They looked like they were arguing. I wanted so badly to run downstairs and break it up, to defend her and tell Thrax to stay away. “Why is he fighting with her?”

I hadn’t realized that I’d spoken aloud until the prince responded. “He said sometimes he provokes her just so that she won’t ignore him.”

“Quynh is not the kind of person who gets angry easily.”

“Not according to Thrax.”

Then the most astonishing thing in the world happened. One second Quynh was yelling and waving her arms and the next she was kissing him.

Where everyone and the goddess could see.

Shock slammed into my chest, infusing me with adrenaline and determination. He wasnotallowed to kiss my sister. “I am going down there and putting a stop to that.”

Alexandros put his hands around my upper arms, holding me in place. “It’s none of your concern.”

“It feels very much like my concern.” I twisted slightly, knowing there was no point because if he wanted me to stay here, I would.

“He isn’t going to harm your sister.”

They were fully intertwined with one another, the kiss turning deeper and more passionate. “He means to bed her.”

“I think he wants to court her.”

“In order to bed her!” I strained forward, wishing I were strong enough to break free of his hold. “Quynh would never.”

“Does that word mean as little to your sister as it does to you?”

I gasped. “He isn’t allowed to take advantage of her!”

“You saw what I did, wife. She kissed him, not the other way around. Thrax is an honorable man and a loyal soldier. My men are under orders to respect the servants and their wishes. Your sister is free to make her own choices.” He said this like it was a foregone conclusion, as if it were inevitable for Quynh to wind up in Thrax’s bed.

Why would she want to kiss him? Stabbing, I understood. But kissing? She had just finished telling me that he was her friend. She’d never once said that she saw him in a romantic light.

Much as I wanted to argue with Alexandros, some rational part of my brain agreed that she had kissed Thrax first. My sister was not easily influenced and did things because she wanted to. Not that I would ever admit that to the prince.

“Remember our contract. You can’t hurt him.”

“This is not the time to remind me about that!” I said through clenched teeth.

He whirled me around so that we were facing one another, our chests barely touching. “Given the murderous look in your eyes, this is the perfect time to remind you.”

And in that moment I completely understood why my sister had kissed Thrax. I was fighting my own lust so hard—I couldn’t blame Quynh for acting on hers.

“She’s a grown woman who knows her own mind,” the prince said, and that somehow made everything worse, turning me even more irrational.