of iron and crowns

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN,

  "THERE WILL BE archery, shooting, horseback riding, a tour of the lake in Luo Yun Garden on boat, and of course, the luncheon itself. Is that enough?" Myrina glanced at Irina with expectant eyes.

  Irina nodded. "More than enough. Thank you for this, I know it's a short amount of time."

  "I like to think," Myrina drawled, "of this as a testing of my limit. I think I can handle it. I learn new things about myself every day. I'm far more capable than I've ever imagined."

  Irina let out a snort. If Ryan could hear Myrina talking now, would he still retain that impression of her? Probably not. He'd probably be so shocked his jaw would drop onto the ground. She laughed a little at the thought. Myrina didn't ask her why.

  That was the thing with Myrina Mai. She never asked questions when she knew Irina wouldn't answer them. After all these years together, there was no one better at reading her emotions.

  Not even Justine, who, as the Emperor had said very accurately, was not someone suitable for anywhere but the battlefield, where it was far more important to read the mind and the distance and direction of the nearest pistol than anyone's mood.

  Myrina turned to her. "What?" she asked, frowning. "What's so funny?"

  "You speaking with such utter arrogance is something I'll never get used to."

  "It's not arrogance," Myrina said matter-of-factly. "It's pure and simple pride and confidence in my own abilities. I thought you always wanted me to act with a little more confidence."

  "Not around me." Irina sighed. "You've never had a problem being yourself around me."

  "I'm myself around everyone," Myrina insisted. "There's many versions of myself."

  "But only one is the real you."

  "And you're absolutely certain the one I am around you is the one?"

  Irina wasn't sure how to respond to that. She wasn't sure there was a right answer. At her silence, Myrina offered a small smile. "See?"

  "Right. Let's forget that, then. No one came with any information regarding the poisoning?"

  Myrina shook her head. "Danna dropped by earlier, but it was only an in-depth background check of every Hrishnan woman here. Said she'd start working on any other dark-skinned females within Palace grounds right now, think that'll take her at least a night."

  "At least she's doing something."

  "She's always been doing something, even if she acts like she isn't," Myrina pointed out. "She just has a poisonous tongue. But her heart is good."

  "I wish she'd start acting like it."

  "To be fair, you were the one who let her. You know that just because she was working in Melique for three years does not mean she can act however she wants. But you let her. You tolerate her behaviour, even though if it was anyone else you'd probably have had them dragged out and exiled from the Palace by now." Myrina tilted her head. "Why?"

  "You know why."

  "I do." Myrina nodded. "You feel guilty. You feel guilty for sending her away from her sisters, indirectly threatening her with them even though you didn't necessarily feel like that before. It's the same reason you let Io do what she wants. Because you think you wrecked her whole childhood, didn't you?"

  "I gave the orders."

  "You always told me you didn't regret your decisions." Myrina lifted the lid of the teapot, glancing inside. Irina knew what she'd find. There was nothing in it left. "So why are you feeling guilty?"