Page 26 of The Prince's Sacrifice

It sounded terrible, though Pel didn’t think it would help to point that out.

Instead, he said quietly, “I’m sorry that happened to your sister.”

Tor blew out a breath. “She loves her niblings. Well, her siblings-in-law, but they’re so young they call her Aunt Ada. She adores them, and I hope that feels like enough.” He sucked in another breath and let it out slowly, staring at things that Pel couldn’t see. “Thurnil usually steers clear when I’m therebecause he knows I won’t accept him being rude. He acts like he’s not married, apparently.” His fingers tightened on Pel’s hands and then relaxed again. “Ada always tells me that everything is fine and asks me not to make a fuss. And that’s infuriating, but it’s her life.”

Pel squeezed his hand. “And you can love and support her in whatever she chooses. Do you think your brother would try to unbond them if she asked?”

The only person who could sever a bond was the ruler to whom the bonded owed their Fealty. Pel didn’t really understand it, but there was apparently something about the bit of magic they pledged with their Fealty forming a connection that allowed potential intervention with the magical bond. Even then, there was no guarantee of success. Bonds were almost always for life—and the death of one partner could kill the other.

Tor swallowed, hesitated, and then said after a stilted moment, “I don’t think the High King would.”

Pel nodded. Not that Forex was any great support, but Pel still knew that there was a difference between him as a father and as king. “In that case, as hard as it is to hear, this is the life that she’s living right now. Your job is to give her all your love and support.”

“I’ve offered to kill him,” Tor pointed out. “She won’t let me.”

Pel snorted. “I like her already.”

Looking at Tor, Pel knew he’d never risk it, not when it could mean Princess Adexa’s death. But he had a feeling it was that more than any other consideration that was staying Tor’s hand.

Tor flashed a brief grin. “I know she’d like you.” He sighed. “And look, maybe I’m just not as good a person as she is, but I wouldn’t put up with something like that. Iwon’t. It’s why I ran away.”

Pel nodded slowly. “Because the High King wanted you to bond with the wrong person.”

Tor hesitated for a moment, and then said, “Thatwrong person. The one who repelled me.”

Pel blinked at him. “Seriously? Of all the people he could possibly pick, he chose the one whorepelledyou? Did he know that?”

Tor made an aggravated sound. “I tried to tell him when he gave me those asinine orders, but he wouldn’t listen. I didn’t tell him before because while I’m a bit of an ass, and I don’t actually like her that much, it’s not the sort of thing you want talked about, you know?”

No, Pel could only imagine how terrible it would be to be known as the person who’drepelledthe High Prince.

“So you ran away.”

“So I ran away,” Tor agreed. “And came here, and found you. And I don’t understand exactly how all those things fit together, but I’m so very grateful.”

“Me, too,” Pel said.

Tor had fled here to get away from the woman who repelled him, the one whom he was apparently meant to bond with. No wonder Tor had kept it quiet. Once you were talking about royal families, there weren’t that many options. Females of a marrying age? There was really only Princess Marwila, who was in Bessar, next door to Tond, or—

Pel let out an incredulous bark of laughter that didn’t sound very amused.

“Princess Terila! She’s the one who repelled you? Seriously?”

Chapter Five

Pel

Seriously,” Tor agreed, worried eyes pinned on Pel.

Because of course Princess Terila had tried to Tendril Tor on the dance floor when she wouldn’t even give Pel the time of day from the moment she’d heard his name.

Pel huffed out a breath, feeling his shoulders slump. He clasped Tor’s hand a little harder, and Tor squeezed it comfortingly. “Figures.”

“What did she do to you?” Tor asked carefully.

On the point of clamming up as he always did, Pel realized suddenly that he didn’t have to. Tor had been incredibly honestwith Pel, and the idea of being able to do the same was unexpectedly appealing.

He sucked in a breath and blew it out. “Honestly, nothing terribly interesting. She rejected me. Anyone could have predicted it.” Pel stomach still cramped at the memory. “My father actually asked me to complete a task, and I went off to Vayrin filled with so much resolution.”