Page 93 of The Crown of the Dark Prince
“Isn’t that what you’ve been planning all this time, anyway?” I spat, the venom in my voice surprising even me as I glared at him over my shoulder.
His face hardened. “I have been preparing to remove my father from power for years, and you’ve thrown all of that into chaos with one reckless decision. One you’re not even sorry for.”
I could have denied it, asked for forgiveness, pretended to regret my choices. But he was right. I wasn’t sorry—not for seeking out the one person who might hold the answers I needed. Even if that decision forced him to move up his timetable. Even if it forced him into a position neither of us had been willing to accept.
Silence stretched between us, thick and charged. Our harsh, unsteady breathing filled the air for a moment, as the reality of my actions—and his loyalty—settled heavily upon us.
I walked towards him, stopping when there was merely feet between us.
This was the moment we’d been building toward since the day we met.
It was me or his kingdom.
He had a decision to make.
“So what are you going to do about it, Your Grace?” I whispered.
He watched as a tear rolled down my cheek, his jaw clenching, his fists tightening before he looked away, beginning to pace as he weighed his options. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he turned to me.
There was no princely mask on his face now, only resignation. “I’ll send for my allies in Tenebris and Inanis. It’ll take time for them to arrive, but there are soldiers that are loyal to me. I’ll have Rankor send the orders. You’ll need to stay here until we're sure its safe for you.”
“I’m not hiding!”
“You’ll do what I tell you to,” he barked. That darkness was stretching up his arms, climbing higher by the minute.
Fury surged through me as I stormed forward, grabbing his arm to make him face me. “It has never worked like that between us, and you know it.”
“Because you think you’re above the rules that the rest of us have to follow!”
“And because you’re a pompous ass!”
A knock at the door shattered the charged silence, and for a moment, neither of us moved. We stayed locked in our silent battle of wills until I finally turned and went to open the door.
Elaina stood there, her eyes downcast. When she looked up, her gaze flicked to Clay, then back to me. “I’m done,” she said. “Camilla will need rest, but she should be fine.”
Relief washed over me, and I exhaled a shaky breath. “Thank you.”
Elaina’s lips lifted in a faint, fleeting smile, and she held up her bloodied hands. “Is there somewhere I could wash up?”
Clay’s presence loomed behind me, his heat radiating as he brushed past us both, muttering something about needing to fly to clear his head. Elaina and I watched his figure disappear down the hall, his steps heavy and unyielding. The sound of them eventually faded down the hall, but the weight of his words stayed. He was furious with me but beneath the anger, there was something else - a fear I couldn’t quite name.
“Of course,” I said to her, my voice quieter now. “Follow me.”
“The manor doesn’t currently have any staff,” I explained, setting the pail of water down in front of Elaina in the washroom. I pulled fresh washing cloths from a nearby closet, setting them beside her. “Emeryn told me I could hire some, but honestly, I prefer the solitude.”
Elaina raised an eyebrow as she glanced up at me. “I suppose that’s not surprising.”
She had a measured tone, but there was something unspoken in the way she watched me. I turned away, busying myself with tidying the space as she stripped off her soiled clothing and began scrubbing the dried blood from her hands and arms. The sound of water sloshing against the basin filled the silence.
“What do you mean by that?” I asked, finally breaking the quiet.
She met my eyes briefly before returning to her task. “I know they kept you under careful guard during your first months in Athenia. If I’d spentthat long being constantly watched, I think I’d savor every moment of privacy I could get.”
Her words hung in the air, the truth of them cutting sharper than I’d expected. I busied myself with pulling together some extra clothes—a simple skirt and long-sleeved tunic—and handed them to her. She accepted them with a small, appreciative smile that felt almost too kind.
“Aren’t you carefully watched in your own kingdom?” I asked, trying to shift the focus away from myself. After all, she was high-born enough to be engaged to the future King of Athenia.
Elaina shrugged lightly. “I spent most of my childhood away, studying in private academies. Later, I trained with the healers. They treated me like any other acolyte—no guards, no special treatment. It was freeing, in a way.”
