The Forgotten Kingdom (Skyelorn Chronicles #2)

Gamewarden

The lengthy dungeon corridor echoed with the hollow sound of Taileen's footsteps. She fought to stifle a yawn, but it was a lost cause. She'd barely gotten a wink of sleep last night, burdened by the task her father had given her. All she could do was stare at the ceiling, frozen with fear, and remember the pure rage in his eyes. Some Commander I'm turning out to be. I'm an embarrassment to the entire kingdom.

The truth was, Taileen wasn't scared of Paolin or Sabin – or even Marithyda, for that matter. Her greatest fear for as long as she could remember was leaving the safety of the castle. The farthest she'd ever gone were the fields on the other side of Lake Heylweay, and people started to notice. Princess Recluse, they'd call her.

Poor dear; she's been all bent up ever since she lost her mother.

The poor thing is heartbroken over losing Prince Markus.

They could choose whichever reason they liked best; she didn't much care. But every time she ventured to step outside of her room, her haven, the words her father had ingrained in her mind froze her with dread.

Don't you know what they'll do to you if they realize you're like them? You'll be murdered just like your mother. People out there hate you, Taileen. Stay here, where I can take care of you.

When Taileen snapped out of her racing thoughts, she realized that she'd already passed the cell door. Doubling back, she stopped in front of room 353. She gripped the key in her clammy hand and took a deep breath. She could be weak on her own when no one was watching, but she'd be damned if she ever let a Touched piece of rubbish see her vulnerable.

When she entered the room, it took a while for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. And—Oh Seas, what is that smell? She covered her mouth with her hand and attempted not to retch.

"Wait ... Princess?" Came a weak voice out of the darkness. She finally saw a human-shaped blur against the far corner. "Princess Taileen?"

"Why aren't there any lights in this Seas-forsaken place?" She complained, trying to feel her way along the wall.

"You're telling me."

When Taileen drew nearer to the performer, she couldn't help but feel shocked. She remembered watching Paolin as he hosted the Exposition. Even then, she couldn't help but feel impressed by his poise. His coal-lined eyes had gazed defiantly into the audience, daring them to keep watching, and his shockingly white hair trailed down his back like a veil woven from snow.

But this ... this couldn't be the same person.

Someone had shorn off all of his hair so that it grew close to his head in unkempt locks. Barely healed cuts lined themselves along his arms, neck, and face. No pity for monsters, Taileen reminded herself.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" Paolin said with a half-scathing little bow.

"The King sent me here with a proposition for you, Maxx. And by proposition, I mean command."

Paolin's forehead wrinkled. "What did he do to you? Are you alright?"

Taileen's head spun. All at once, she remembered that Paolin hadn't been at the arena when Marithyda Snapped. He had no idea about what Taileen had done, or what she'd revealed about herself. To him, she was still the innocent girl in the castle gardens.

And she decided she was going to keep it that way as long as she could, which meant she had to switch her tactics fast. Tough and vengeful wasn't going to get her very far. She softened her voice.