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Nikolai glared at her, before putting the sword back on the side of his bed, pushing his soaked locks out of his face. His chest was heaving, he was getting more exhausted by less exercise over time.

“You didn’t answer my question.” Tyra trailed after him as he walked over to the decanter filled with brown liquid and poured himself a generous amount.

“Who are you talking about?”

“You know who I am talking about. Noora.”

Nikolai turned and took a nonchalant sip from his glass, the liquid burned down his throat happily and he guessed it was the only thing that kept him on his feet.

“I never look at her.”

Tyra laughed loudly. “The only thing youdois look at her.”

Nikolai glared at his sister.

“I know exactly what you’re trying to do, Tyra, I am not one of the royal guards who are easily manipulated by your antics. Go play your mind games with someone else.”

Tyra smiled. “You’re right, maybe I should talk to Noora. She may not know it now but maybe she’s open for a few games with me,” she remarked suggestively.

Nikolai closed his eyes, the grip around his glass so painfully tight he put it down again, fearing that it might burst in his hand.

“We both know you have only eyes for one person.”

Now it was his sister’s turn to glare at him.

Here they were, staring each other down because they were both too stubborn to look the truth in the eye. Many people thought that being a royal equaled getting anything they wanted, it was rather the opposite.

Your life did not belong to you when being a prince or princess, it belonged to your kingdom and the people living in it.

“It is not too late, Nikolai. Should we repeat the mistakes of our parents and spend the rest of our lives with people we cannot stand?” Tyra asked. Her voice turned urgent and Nikolai knew that it was his place again to remind her what family they had been born into.

“What do you propose I do, Tyra?”

She took a step forward catching a hold of his wrists. “You do not need to marry to obtain the South Kingdom’s loyalty, I am sure of that. Aileen is a very kind person, she could talk to her parents. The Sosyemight be convincedof our loyalty to themnow that we have the chief in the jury and maybe if Kekoa wins…”

Nikolai raised a brow and Tyra stepped back, surprised. “But he is not going to win, you’ll make sure of that,“ she concluded.“Why?”

“You want Noora to win,“ she spoke slowly and Nikolai practically saw her mind working behind her eyes, coming to terms with enough of his plan that he would let on.

“Noora is good enough on her own, I don’t think she needs my help in winning this tournament,” Nikolai stated as he walked past his sister, dismissing this conversation, even though he knew that was unavoidable with her.

“Why is it so important that she wins? What is it that you have planned?”

“I have nothing planned. Is it not enough that I wish for her to win? After all, she has been mistreated her whole life. She had to fight her way through the remains of her enemies, and she came out still standing. If anyone deserves the gold and the freedom that comes with a sum like that it is Noora.”

“You are not one to pity people, Kai.” Tyra sounded skeptical.

“The last thing I do is pity her. Even though she does deserve empathy. Do not mistake my opinion for kindness, sister, Noora is a means to an end, nothing more, nothing less.”

Tyra nodded and started to leave his room but she hesitated at the door and turned around.

“Just a small piece of advice to make your statement more convincing. Next time she gets hurt it would be clever to not act like a raging lunatic and scream at everyone before you stitch up her hand on your own, to make sure she is fine.”

With that, she turned and left. After closing the doors, Nikolai let himself collapse on his bed, already noticing how hisconsciousness was slipping out of his grasp, escorting him into the blinding darkness like it always did.

Chapter 31

Noora