Page 36 of The Chains You Defy

Were those tears visible in the corners of her eyes? My throat constricted, and I could sense water welling up in mine as well. Speechless, I stared at my friend, waiting for further explanation while the onyx strand pulsed with agitated alarm, just as I suspected Dion would react if he were here.

“Yourprincehappened.”

“Of course.” So Rewi had found out about Dion’s status. Had she also discovered he wasn’t human?

“Bryon is around too, by the way. And I’m working for the queen; can you imagine?”

“Working?” Rewi’s answers tightened the confused ball in my stomach further, instead of disentangling the whole mess. “How did that happen?”

She didn’t reply to my very valid questions but released me from her arms and scanned me from top to bottom. Her gaze lingered on the tendril, which had half unfurled and pointed its tip almost accusingly at my friend. I patted it, trying to calm the magic down, and miraculously, it withdrew back to decorating my waist.

“I’ll explain. But first, I brought you some food, and you should sit down.”

“Stop mothering me. I’m fine.”

“You’re not. I saw you when your prince carried you in, and I spoke with your friend Ireas when he treatedyou. There’s no way you improved to fine from the state you were in. So stop being your stubborn self and come.”

Despite my protests, Tempest Rewi grabbed my hand and hauled me through the bedroom door. I didn’t give up my attempts to resist her pull because leaving my sanctuary made me more than uneasy, but my best friend was relentless, as usual.

In the end, my worries had been unfounded since she wasn’t relocating me to a corridor but to a sitting room connected to the sleeping quarters.

Oh.

This wasn’t a simple guest chamber, but a whole suite. Somehow, this revelation amped up my nerves even more.

Although I was still digesting my housing situation, I couldn’t help but examine the newly revealed area. To no one’s surprise, the living room turned out to be just as splendid as the bedroom. Expensive furniture stood on heavy carpeting, while beautiful tapestries depicting various Ivreian landmarks decorated the walls. In one corner of the room, I spotted a small worshiping altar—as if noble guests couldn’t be expected to visit a shrine if they felt the need to honor the Triad.

But Rewi didn’t give me a chance to admire the abundant luxuries around me. Instead, she nudged me to a dinner table—made from rich wood in a color so dark, the material almost seemed black—where a tray overflowing with assorted foods had been placed.

Although I still bristled at how Rewi friendhandled me, I had to admit that the small feast smelled delicious. The scents of fresh bread, cut fruit, rich cheese, and so many other edibles attacked my nose and made my mouth water. “Tell me that’s not all for me.”

“They don’t do small around the castle in general, but especially not since your prince growled at the kitchen staff.”

“No. He didn’t.”

Rewi’s raised eyebrow told me everything I had to know, and the groan I’d suppressed before spilled from my lips at last.

“He totally did. And at the maids. And the royal medics. Now, everyone who appreciates their life is giving your suite a wide berth. One servant went on sick leave after a confrontation with your angryfriend.You’ve done a real number on him, if you ask me.”

“But I’m not asking, Rewi. Honestly, talking about Dion and his antics hurts my head, so I’d prefer to skip any future narrative mentioning him. Instead, you have to explain how you ended up in the damn royal castle of Ivreiana, working for Queen Anneria.”

“Can do so, but only if you eat.”

Before I could stop myself, I glowered at my persistent friend, but then sighed and picked up a piece of fruit. My eyes widened when the juicy bite hit my tongue, and its deliciousness was simply out of this world. This was most likely the best fruit I’d ever eaten in my whole life.

Rewi’s gaze burned a hole into me before she nodded thoughtfully. “Well, I’m working in the castle because of some scheme the one you don’t want to speak about cooked up.”

A dramatic sigh pressed out of my lungs, but the next bite into the juicy goodness pacified me enough to keep my calm, although I wasn’t able to escape the princeling for even five minutes. “Fine. If there’s no way around mentioning the filthy liar, I’ll lift the ban.”

Rewi grinned. “He tricked Bryon. The prince used him and his boon as the means to secure an audience with the king, both for himself and his men. Although the joke’s on him, because using the favor wasn’t even necessary. Did you know King Pritatus and Queen Anneria consider Bryon a friend? Or—no. Better. The king called himson.”

I blinked. “What? No. How should I have learned of something likethat?”

“You can believe me. I already chastised him for omitting the truth. Royal boon, my ass.”

“Seems to me that’s what all men are doing.”

“So you didn’t know? About Dion?”