Page 47

Maude tasted the iron in her blood as she spat on the sand of the training yard housed in the Palace of Ocean and Clay.

Liv had offered to train with her that morning and was not holding back.

Maude appreciated the excuse to work off some of her energy that had lingered from the night before after her fight with Herrick.

After the insanity that had ruled Maude’s brain when she had straddled Herrick in the hall, she had been unable to sleep.

She had entered her room to find Gyda and Henneka waiting for her; the subsequent uproar that followed them taking in her appearance was extraordinary.

They bustled her into the washroom to clean her up, and as soon as they scrubbed her clean again, Maude asked that she be left alone.

Thoughts of Herrick’s stiff length being pressed against her center had made her throb all night. She had been restless in her bed, her skin burning from the inside out. The windows had been open, and the scent of rain moving through the city hadn't helped ease her lust.

Finally, feeling she had no other choice but to submit to her desires, she slid her fingers down her sweating body and in between her legs. Maude had attempted to refrain from thoughts of Herrick as she pleasured herself but was unsuccessful.

When she had slid her fingers inside herself, it was Herrick’s touch she thought of. Memories of Herrick’s hand on her throat and fingers tracing patterns on her skin had built up tension in her .

When Maude remembered what he had felt like underneath her with only layers of cloth between them, she pressed her palm to her clit and cried out as her climax crashed around her in unrelenting waves. She had lain there in a pool of her sweat, breathing heavily as the ripples of her orgasm ebbed.

Gods, I am fucked , Maude had thought to herself.

Spiraling into her desires felt a lot easier than meditating on what the Queen of Rivers had told her about her mother. Maude had easily let herself fall prey to her needs rather than think about how little she knew about her mother.

Sylvi had an entire life before she was Maude’s mother and spy for the kingdom if Alva is to be believed. She needed to think about it more, but it seemed that Maude was unable to really comprehend the information she had gotten just yet.

Pushing the memories of the night before away, Maude wiped the bloody spittle from the side of her mouth. Maude looked at Liv and grinned. She had just hit Maude in the jaw so hard that she had knocked a tooth loose.

Maude probed the sore spot before she removed the tooth in question from under her tongue and jammed it back into its rightful place, wincing slightly. Liv moved as fast as Maude did and hit just as hard. She was thankful she had found someone who would fight her without restraint.

They had been going back and forth for a few hours now. Maude had landed a few hits on Liv that were just as damaging, but Liv was fluid in a way that Maude had never achieved. With Liv’s slender frame and long limbs, she was as quick as a desert cobra and lighter than air when she moved.

“Show me how you set up that hit,” Maude said as she worked her jaw a few times, teasing out the soreness .

“Sure, it’s all about predicting rather than reacting to your opponent's movements,” Liv explained as they faced each other again. “While you are very calculated and seem to have an instinct for hand-to-hand combat, you can be a little reckless and impulsive in your hits.”

Liv and Maude circle each other.

“For example, that last hit wouldn’t have worked so well if you had pulled your punch at the last second and feinted left like I’ve seen you do with Herrick sometimes.”

Liv jabbed forward with her left hand, and Maude blocked, moving in with an uppercut that narrowly skimmed Liv’s chin.

“I’m going to jab with my left again, and I want you to do what I did before with your uppercut, but pull it right before feinting to your left and coming in hard with your right hook instead.”

Maude nodded. They circled a few more seconds before Liv jabbed with her left as she said, and, as Maude went to feint left, Liv delivered an uppercut with her right hand to her chin instead. Maude's teeth rattled together and ached where she had already lost a tooth.

“Bitch,” Maude said with a smile as she rubbed her chin.

Liv grinned. “I told you, it's all about watching your opponent. I could tell you what I’m about to do, but why would you ever trust it? Let’s do it again and watch me.”

Maude nodded and took up her place across from Liv once more. This time, rather than blindly trying to blow off her energy, Maude focused on Liv.

She watched how Liv moved as if she was always stalking. She noticed that she sometimes dipped her right elbow when she punched; perhaps an old injury prevented her from keeping her form perfect.

Liv lunged with her left again, trying to throw off Maude by repeating the same move for the third time, but Maude stayed put and ducked quickly.

When she straightened, Maude brought her left fist down on Liv’s right arm before elbowing her in the chest. Liv was forced back and gave Maude a fierce smile before they both lunged for each other again.

They exchanged blows a few more times before Maude was able to successfully land a right hook that smashed into Liv’s jaw.

“Yes, I think you’ve got the hang of it now,” Liv said as she massaged her face. “Let’s break for a moment before we pulverize each other.”

Maude nodded, a little out of breath, and made her way to the water station set up on the edge of the yard. As they walked in companionable silence, Maude saw Gunnar making his way to them.

He looked uncommonly perturbed. Liv poured them some water, and they each finished their glass in one swoop. By the time they refilled their waters a second time, Gunnar had made it to them.

“You might want to stop beating the shit out of each other; the Kolbeck’s are expecting you both to be at Hakon’s Betrothal Ball in a few days.

I doubt Her Majesty would enjoy seeing you both look battered and bruised for Hakon’s big night,” he said as he removed his axe from his belt, twirling it a few times at his side like he had excess frustration to work off.

Maude’s stomach sank at his words. A Betrothal Ball?

Gods, she had forgotten about how she was destined to have one as well and cringed.

Sympathy unfolded in Maude for Hakon at being forced to go through with such a droll affair.

Maude’s thoughts drifted to Eydis, and she felt guilty that she had not checked on her sooner.

“Gunnar, do you know where Eydis is staying? I’d like to check on her. She was swept up in this mess, and I wanted to make sure she was okay,” Maude asked, keeping her eyes off his face.

“She’s fine; Hakon spent the night with her,” Gunnar said flatly.

Liv snorted. “Gods, the Queen is going to have a fit. ”

“Well, now I really need to check on her if there's going to be a Betrothal Ball. If she hasn’t heard of it yet, she will soon, and I doubt the information will go over well,” Maude replied.

Gunnar scrutinized Maude. Feeling the heavy weight of his stare, she finally looked at him.

“Don’t you want to know where Herrick is?” Gunnar asked carefully.

“Of course not,” she replied too quickly.

Gunnar nodded, seeming satisfied with her answer. When he spoke again, he had a mischievous glint in his eyes. Gunnar turned to Liv.

“Why don't you take Maude and Eydis into the city today to get away from the bustle of the palace?” He suggested.

Maude didn’t buy his act for one moment.

“Why?” Maude asked, suspicious.

“No reason. The royals are busy with their preparations for the ball, and it might be easier on all of you to be far away from the chaos of the day,” Gunnar said innocently.

Liv let out a chuckle before speaking. “I want to get away from the Royal Seamstress before she tries to slap another ball gown on me.” She turned to Maude, her eyebrow raised in challenge. “It could be fun.”

“Fun? I’ve never heard of it,” Maude sniped but kept her tone light to hide the bitter truth in her words.

Gunnar and Liv laughed before the former spoke. “Then you really should see Veter in all its glory.”

Maude eyed them both. She saw the youthful excitement in Liv’s face and tried to smother her mirrored emotions. She could get away from the palace and limit her chances of running into Herrick, along with the bonus of exploring Veter, something so few got to do where she was from.

“ Fine ,” Maude said with a reluctant small smile. “But we need to find Eydis first. ”

She and Liv agreed to meet on the second floor by the grand staircase so they could get Eydis together. Gunnar said he would stay back in the Palace and redirect anyone who might come looking for them.

“Including the Kolbeck brothers,” Gunnar offered with a wink.

An hour later, Maude stood by the staircase and waited for Liv. She had washed the grime and sand from her skin and had dressed simply in black boots, black leggings, and a white shirt that had the sleeves cut off to offset the humid air in Veter.

Over the top of her tunic, she had laced up a black vest over her chest, giving herself some shape from the loose shirt that hung on her.

She had chosen to leave her mother’s shawl in her room rather than wrap it around her, pulling on a gray cloak instead and hiding her face within the hood’s shadows.

A new leather belt had been wrapped around her hips and extended down her right leg so she could sheathe her dagger.

She had belted her short sword and Herrick’s hatchet to her sides, choosing to leave behind her bow.

Her hair had been left loose and wild with a few braids that interconnected behind her head to keep it out of her face.

Gyda had placed some silver clips onto the braids as well, the shine creating a sort of halo effect when the hazy sun hit them.