Chapter 15
The guardsmen at the gate knew who Amory was by now. They let him pass with just a nod of the head and a quiet greeting.
He'd visited three times over the last two weeks. After he'd come back with the king's caravan, Lyv riding with him, they never questioned why he was at the palace. Even though he'd seen her every visit since then, Lyv had yet to say a word.
He could still feel her arms wrapped tightly around his waist, hands pressed against his stomach as they rode the day and a half together. She'd been asleep in the carriage until they stopped at noon and asked to ride with him. She wanted to get out of the carriage but knew she wouldn't be able to ride herself. Amory hesitated at first but nodded as he helped her up behind him.
By the time they'd gotten to the palace, she was falling asleep with her face pressed against his back. He'd carried her up to her room, where her lady's maid, Tulia, fussed over her, having heard what had happened. He had to pry Lyv's hands from him just so he could let her get some sleep.
But the next day when he and Gideon visited the king...well, to see how she was doing actually...she could barely look at him in the eye. He could tell he was still regaining her strength and was almost embarrassed to have them see her the way she was.
Was he reading that right?
It was the same the following two times he came to the palace. Even though she'd been standing off to the side or at the top of the stairs, she wouldn't say a word to him or to Gideon.
Now, as he followed the same path he took to the front doors, he found himself taking another way around, back to the training grounds where he heard men cheering and the king's quiet laugh.
Stepping up beside Bence, who was standing the edge of the courtyard, it took Amory a moment to realize what was going on.
They were watching Lyv, who was surrounded by five men who were teasing and taunting her. She had a dagger in one hand and a look of fury in her eyes. Balian was one of these men and he was the one she wasn't too focused on.
Amory knew why just a few moments later.
Faster than he'd seen any anyone do, she dropped two of the men into the bales of hay off to one side, both with bloodied noses. Moments later, another clutched at his arm as he lay withering on the ground, his shoulder out of socket.
The fourth took his chance at going for her from behind, but that was one mistake he knew he made exactly one second later when she twisted and flipped him over her shoulder. The cracking of ribs as he slammed onto the ground was audible throughout the courtyard.
"That's seven seconds faster than yesterday. I've been counting," Bence said quietly over to Amory as Balian and Lyv started circling each other. "He likes to taunt her, though. He knows it pisses her off."
"Does he really think that's wise?" he asked. "Especially with..."
Amory felt it then, her magic slamming up against the wall she so desperately kept from cracking any more than it already had. It was singing, begging for her to let it free, but she held it back.
But with Balian's taunts and jabs at her, he knew. He knew it was only a matter of time before she unleashed it. No, it wouldn't be the same magic that killed the gypsy gang, but it would be enough to throw Balian on his ass.
And it was the most glorious thing to witness when it finally happened.
One moment, Balian had swung his sword high, but Lyv's dagger blocked it before it could meet its mark. She growled with fury in her eyes and Balian knew he was screwed. With a roar, Lyv reached up and grabbed onto his wrist, yanking the sword from his grasp. Throwing him back down to his knees, she twisted, swinging the sword so close to his chest it sliced his shirt as he skittered backward.
She kept up her advance, though, tossing both blades to the ground.
"I've had enough," she spat. "We're done for the day."
When Amory knew what Balian was going to do next, his own fury rose as his magic itched to choke the life from him.
Lyv beat him to it, though, right after Balian reached out to pinch her backside when she turned away.
Before anyone could comprehend what was going on, Lyv swirled again, grabbing Balian by the throat, yanking him to his feet, and slamming him back against the stone wall of the courtyard.
"Don't you ever do that to me again," she snarled at him. "Do you hear me?"
With her hand crushing his throat, Balian couldn't answer.
Everyone in the courtyard went dead silent, including the king.
Lyv wasn't letting go, though, and they were too stunned to make a move to stop her. Balian's face was turning purple from the lack of air and, though Amory wouldn't have minded, he still wasn't going to let the man die.
So, he slowly walked over and placed his hand gently on Lyv's wrist. Her eyes immediately found his.
"Let him go, Lyv," he said to her quietly. "It's just the heat of the moment. You don't want to kill him, do you?"
With that, she released her grip on Balian, who dropped, coughing and gasping, to the ground.
"I should," she spat out, cutting her eyes back to Balian. "How dare you, doing such a thing to your princess. I should have you whipped for that."
Another thing Amory wouldn't have minded seeing.
Her magic slammed against that wall once more as she tightened both fists. He knew she was about to lose it.
"Lyv, you need to calm down..."
"Don't tell me to calm down, you bloody bastard!" she yelled at him.
So, he told her again. "Calm down."
He knew what he was doing the moment that rage exploded from her and her fists went flying. He easily sidestepped her and then ducked out of the way when she swung again. The third time, however, he caught her wrist. He wasn't anticipating her magic to suddenly break free from its containment and slam into him full force, knocking the very breath from his lungs. That magic almost seemed to make her glow. Not with the ember that he'd seen the other night, but something very similar.
Gods, was she beautiful.
This time, though, she was knocking him on his ass.
At least he anticipated it.
And he took her down with him.
Twisting, he had her pinned beneath him a moment later, her heaving chest hitting his with every breath she took. Her emerald eyes were wild as she tried to get him to release her, but he held her firmly as he tightened his knees against her hips to keep her from thrashing.
"Get off me, Amory," she growled.
"Not until you calm down."
"You son of a bitch."
"Such language for a princess, don't you think? And please don't call my mother a bitch. She wouldn't like that very much."
The string of curses she threw at him then even had the king laughing in surprise.
That was when he let his own magic settle over her, effectively cutting her off. He didn't want to take away her ability to speak for herself, but it was going to be the only way for her to listen to him. Her magic slammed against his own, not with enough force to make it budge, but enough for him to notice. He couldn't help but be impressed. No one had ever dared challenge him head on like she had.
"Now, I need you to stop, okay? And listen to me."
Eyes still blazing, she reluctantly nodded.
"I'm going to let you up, but don't think to go after me again." He dropped his voice as he leaned his face closer to hers so only she could hear what he said next. Her eyes widened in surprise when he did and he tried not to notice how they went to his lips before back up. "I'm extremely well-trained with my own magic. So, unless you want to test me, don't even think of attacking me."
Pausing for only a moment, he leaned back on his haunches before standing, reaching forward to grab her by the hand and help her up. Lyv cleared her throat when he gave her back her voice and started brushing off the hay and dirt from where it stuck to her shirt, face, and hair.
"That is enough for today, men," Balian called out to the guardsmen who were still standing there, watching. He threw Amory a disgusted look as his lips pulled up in a snarl. When no one moved, he yelled, "I said, that's enough! Go to your other duties."
With the hustle of the men around them, Amory only looked at Lyv, who was trying to look anywhere but at him. It wasn't until Bence came up, all the guardsmen bowing before they hurried by, that the tension in her shoulders released.
"It seems as if you have met your match, my dear," Bence told his daughter. "Is everything all right, though? Over the last few weeks..."
"I'm fine," she said quietly. "I've just been...on edge...since what happened. Balian knows this and yet he still taunts me as he does."
He took a step closer to her, lowering his voice. "I know you, Alyvia. There is something you're...
"I'm fine," she told them both.
"You're not," Amory said. "Every time I've been here over the last two weeks, you're..."
"Would you stop?" she yelled at him. "You don't know me, Amory. You don't want to know me. Just do whatever my father tells you to do and then go back to where you came from."
Amory couldn't help but crack a smile. The king did the same as they looked over at one another and started laughing.
"Sorry to tell you, my dear, but I don't tell Amory what to do," the king laughed. "I might have some input, but that's it."
"I work for Dalcaine, not Escarral," Amory continued. "Though I don't mind working with your father, actually."
"Well, thank you. I'll take that as a compliment."
Lyv sighed heavily, rolling her eyes. "I don't care who works for who. Just get on with whatever you came here to do today. This week. These past two weeks. You've spent way too much time here as it is. Aren't you supposed to go out to places to make maps of them?"
"I have a remarkable memory, if you must know."
"Not my point, you prick."
Amory grinned, crossing his arms over his chest. "I must admit, I do like this sassy Lyv."
Lyv narrowed her eyes at him. "Well, then, get used to it if you're sticking around."
"You really should," the king nodded to him.
"What are you doing here again?" she asked, ignoring her father.
"Actually, I only came here to give the king this," he said, holding out a folded letter with the seal of the Dalcaine royal family pressed into the wax – a hawk with its wings spread wide with four stars below it, representing the four territories. "Just a little update from Dalcaine. But if you want to take me up on the offer that still stands, Lyv, meet me at the tavern in an hour."
"And if I don't?" she challenged, raising a brow.
"Then I won't mention it again. I'll just come when I meet with the king and pretend you're not here, since that seems to be what you want me to do."
Without a goodbye to both her and the king, Amory turned on his heels and headed out of the courtyard, hearing Bence's laugh behind him.
Amory couldn't help the sinking feeling in his chest as he walked away.
But after he visited a few shops to gather supplies he and Gideon were in need of, he headed for the Rose Stem Tavern. He listened closely to the heartbeats of the people inside.
And there it was.
Heading inside, he went straight for the bar where Lyv was being watched by Jules as she down an entire tankard of ale in one go.
"I have to ask. Did it take your father to convince you to take me up on the offer?" he asked her as Jules set a tankard in front of him. He took a large gulp before looking over at her again. "Because I wasn't too convinced myself that you would."
"But you were hoping."
He neither confirmed nor denied that claim.
With that, Lyv slapped her hands on the bar top and wrapped her cloak around her, fastening it under her chin. "Well, where are we going?"
"Back to the cottage if you're up for the travel. There's a clearing not too far from it that'd be perfect."
"Whatever you say."
He shook his head as she walked toward the tavern doors before noticing Jules giving him a scrutinizing look.
"What are you thinking, Jules?"
"I'm thinking you'd better be careful with her, boy, or else I'll have your head mounted on my wall as a warning to those who mess with my girl."
Amory laughed before drinking up the rest of the ale. "Well, hell, I didn't know you had a dark side. But the warning is duly noted. Thanks."
"I mean it, Amory. Don't think I don't."
"Don't worry," he told her, giving her a wink. "Lyv would probably have my head before you even had the chance to."