“Staying out of trouble, I hope?”
“Describe trouble,” Mikal says, raking his fingers through his hair before grinning. “Because I find different people have varying definitions of the word.”
My mother’s eyes meet mine and her brows crease before looking back at Mikal.“Well, it’s not trouble so long as you don’t get caught.” She winks and Mikal lets out a bark of laughter.
“See, Isiah? You could learn a few things from your mother instead of being such a stick in the mud.” He turns back towards her but jerks his chin in my direction. “Can you believe he won’t let us drink at the Dusty Rose anymore?”
“Mikal!” I shove his shoulder hard, knocking him off balance, which only makes him laugh more. The last thing I want my mother knowing is that I drink at the tavern connected to a brothel.
She smooths her skirts before looking at me. “Like I said, so long as you don’t get caught. How disappointed your father would be if he found out.”
The corner of her mouth twitches before we both break into laughter. “Yes, he’d lecture how unbecoming it is for a prince to visit such an establishment. Which iswhyI told them we couldn’t go anymore.” I glare at Mikal, but he waves a hand in dismissal.
“If your mother says it’s okay, you should listen to her. She is smarter than you and far more beautiful.”
I shove Mikal’s arm again, but he’s widened his stance, expecting my reaction, and doesn’t move. My jaw clenches as I stare at him, and I’m about to knock the smirk off his face when my mother breaks our standoff.
“You always were a troublemaker, Mikal.” She runs a hand down my arm and grins up at me before looking back to Mikal. “Lucky for you, Isiah has a good head on his shoulders, or I believe you would be in trouble far more often.”
Mikal’s cheeks flush as he rubs the back of his neck. “Between him and Thom, they keep the rest of us in line.”
“That’s wonderful to hear. Would you mind if I had a moment alone with Isiah?”
Mikal’s head dips in a quick nod. “I’ll head to the training room and wait with the others. It was a pleasure as always, Isabelle.” He hugs her before striding down the hall.
Once he’s gone, she leans toward me, lowering her voice. “I know your father wants you to spy at the ball, but please be cautious. We don’t know what happens inside that castle, and I want nothing bad to happen to you.”
“It’s only a ball. I’m sure it will be dull, as these political events usually are.”
She pinches the skin at her throat, face full of worry. “Still, keep your eyes open. While I’ve only met King Grager a handful of times, I got the impression he was only pretending at civility. I’m sure you’ve heard of the trouble he caused during the war, what he did toher.” The words come out of her mouth as if they were sour.
Yes,her, the human woman my father loved before my mother and still loves a thousand years after her death. When my mother said she did her duty by marrying my father, she meant it. She has been competing with a ghost for my father’s affection their entire marriage. His hatred of Niethal stems from Shelby’s death, which Niethal caused.
My hand brushes her arm lightly. “I’ll be careful, Mom, I promise.”
She pulls me in for a hug, and I squeeze her back. My mom is the softness my father scarcely showed. She is why I made it to adulthood without becoming cold and hardened. When she tugs on my arm, I lean down for her to kiss my brow as she so often does. Her palms cradle my cheeks as she leans back and holds my stare. “I love you more than the stars in the night sky, my shadowed prince.” She pats my cheek and smiles. “Now, go. Who knows what kind of trouble Mikal has gotten himself into on his way to the training room? Tell Thom and the others I say hello as well.”
I kiss her cheek and nod before walking down the hall.
When I step inside the training room, its grayness is as jarring as ever. The plain stone walls and floors are unlike the castle’s sparkling black granite and colorful decorations. It’s as if my father wanted to remind the soldiers of their place just outside the wealth of the palace. Mikal and Thom stand across the room, talking next to the windows, while Liam and Corren warm up nearby.
Corren’s ebony coils bounce as he lunges, a thin sheen of sweat glistening on his rich black skin. Liam, intimidating with his burly frame, dark-brown hair, tanned skin, and brown eyes, stalks over to him and invites him to spar. Leaning on the doorframe, I watch as they head to the mats and square off, bumping fists once before their punches blur together.
Corren lands the first hit, and Liam doubles back, grabbing his ribs. Liam, with his magically enhanced strength and speed, lunges in and feigns right before sweeping Corren’s legs out from under him. Luckily for Corren, he can cushion the fall with a gust of air, cradling his body before setting himself upright. Corren swings wide, luring Liam to turn and block, while his other fist slams into Liam’s ribs, the same spot he hit before. Liam hisses and bares his teeth, but the wince slowly turns into a grin.
I push off the doorframe and stride into the room. “As enjoyable as watching you two knock the sense out of each other is, I need to talk to everyone.”I head toward Mikal and Thom, and Liam and Corren follow, slapping each other on the shoulder as they cross the mats.
“What trouble are you getting us into this time, Isiah?” Thom asks, amusement filling his green eyes as he leans on the windowsill. He runs a hand through his short blond hair, smoothing it away from his pale face before displaying a wide grin.
“You think so little of my plans, but unfortunately, it’s not mine this time, but the king’s.”
The room grows unusually quiet.
“This just got much worse. What does His Royal Highness want us to do?” Corren asks from beside Liam.
“He asked me to go to Selen to attend Niethal’s celebratory ball, and I’m asking if the four of you will come with me.” After a glance at their faces, I know the answer before they speak.
Thom sighs. “All right, when do we leave?”