Page 37

In the end, after suffering greatly, the village learned that if they’d let the dragon go free from the beginning and had stopped trying to imprison it, it wouldn’t have had a reason to continue tormenting them. It would have gotten bored and left long ago.

Xerxes took another long drink of water as he eyed the sketch. He was sure he could draw the dragon by heart now if he wanted.

There was another shuffle at the library entrance, and Xerxes lazily glanced over to see who was responsible for disrupting his reading.

He sat up straighter when he saw Calliope sweeping into the library in a dress the Intelligentsia had probably paid for.

Not that she needed it. The maiden was likely as rich as Xerxes.

Behind her came the other two—whatever their names were.

Xerxes set his water glass down when he spotted the last maiden, the one who was convinced he didn’t know how to have fun. She wore one of the garments he’d supplied her; a silk red dress customary of the nobles who visited the palace. She didn’t look bad in it.

She would soon.

Fun , she’d said? She’d even accused him of being incapable of it.

It was a wonder she even knew how to laugh, considering she grew up poor—or so Xerxes guessed—and had an evil father—which Xerxes had witnessed himself—and was trapped in the palace—which was Xerxes’s fault, really.

Xerxes rolled onto his knees in silence and gently closed his book. He picked up his water glass and watched as the maidens travelled around the shelves toward the learning centre. Calliope passed beneath Xerxes. The two nameless ones followed. And then…

Xerxes held out his water glass. He tipped it just as Ryn swept by below.

She stopped walking when the first sprinkle hit her head. She scrunched her nose as she looked around. The other maidens made it through the shelves and disappeared out of sight.

A wide, terrible smile spread across Xerxes’s face. He dumped the entire glass.

Ryn shrieked as water splattered into her hair, tumbled down her arms, and soaked her sleeves. She whirled, her gaze climbing up the shelves.

Xerxes slapped a hand over his grin just as she locked eyes with him. And, hand over his mouth, he winked.

Her jaw dropped, deadly accusation crossing her face. With her eyes and a few undecipherable movements of her mouth, she pointed to her wet sleeves and said something along the lines of, “You’re dead, King!” and “How am I supposed to explain this?”

He cast her a feigned pout as if to assure her it wasn’t his problem.

There it was—Ryn smiled, just a little. Not a happy smile, but a wicked one that promised he’d suffer revenge beyond his wildest imagination.

And for that, Xerxes leapt from his hiding place and landed in front of her on light toes, grabbing the shelf by her face to catch his balance.

He decided to keep his hand there. He leaned toward her and when he spotted a bead of water on her lower lip, he dragged his thumb over her mouth to wipe it off, smearing her lipstick.

She gasped, fresh fire lighting her pretty eyes.

“Look what you’ve done to me,” she whispered.

Xerxes smiled.

“Maiden?” an organizer called through the library, and Ryn froze against the shelf. “Maiden? Lady Estheryn Electus?” he called again.

“You’ll pay for this, King. Sleep with one eye open,” Ryn warned him quietly.

“I don’t sleep. Good luck trying to get your revenge.” He placed a hand against her back and shoved her toward the learning centre. “And I hope you learn lots of interesting things today about how to become a queen!” he whispered after her.

Ryn pointed back at him. It was a threat. A promise. It was everything.

She turned and marched from the cover of the shelves into the open space of the learning centre. As soon as she did, Xerxes heard the organizer ask, “What, by the Divinities, happened to your dress?!”

“Some ugly, heartless fool splashed water on me,” Ryn replied without missing a beat, and Xerxes grunted. He smirked and made a tsking sound as he turned to go.

He took one step around the shelf toward the library door when someone brushed into his path.

Xerxes took in Calliope in her dress fit for royalty. She smiled sweetly at him, and he hated it. He raised a brow at her, waiting.

“Your Majesty. I’ve been told you summoned me to visit you overnight tonight,” she said, loud enough that those in the learning centre area would hear.

Something turned in Xerxes’s stomach. He fought the urge to glance toward the learning centre, to see if anyone was watching, to see if anyone had heard—which they all must have. Not that he cared what she— they thought…

“I’m looking forward to it,” Calliope added. “Aren’t you?”

Xerxes worried he’d swallow his tongue if he spoke.

He peeked at the scholars by their desks around the library with their ears turned toward him.

He thought about how difficult it was to treat all these maidens the same.

He thought about why he had to, no matter what, at least make it look a certain way so that no maiden in particular would become a target.

And so, he said, “Yes.” He pulled a smile across his mouth. “I’m very much looking forward to it, Maiden. I’ll see you later.”

He tilted his head as he left the library. Being King had made him immune to feeling the gazes of onlookers wherever he went, but for some reason, in this moment, he was aware of every crawling stare upon his back.