Somehow, I managed to get very minimal sleep. Much less than usually, which was already bad.

When the light of dawn shone through the crack of my tent, I got out of my bedroll and left, seeing Rysdan sitting at the chair outside my tent, his hair disheveled and his face paler than usual.

He was sick.

A part of me ached. I think I was having a muscle spasm around my heart area, or maybe, just maybe, my heart ached to see him like that.

"Good morning," he mumbled, rising off his chair. "Let's get going, yeah? We have multiple things to take care of."

"Like yourself?" I said, watching him sway as he was standing. "Come on. Aren't Henneh and Ashe expecting you to train with them?"

"Only on Monday's, Wednesday's, and Saturday's. I reserve Tuesday's as my weekly relaxation day." He forced a smile. "Though, I don't feel quite relaxed as I thought."

A part of me wanted to reach out and hold his arm still so he'd stop swaying, and another part of me—the devious little demon part—told me to let him be sick.

We started walking. Rysdan stayed quiet, occasionally swaying as he walked. I reached out and held his arm against me, keeping him straight as we continued. He thanked me and pulled his arm away.

At the Tent, Lord Prodos, Odaya, Avaloryn, and a few other people were sitting around, most drinking tea. Someone offered me some tea, and I accepted it. Rysdan, however, declined rather quickly and sat down on a pillow on the ground.

"Let's begin, shall we?" Lord Prodos pronounced.

Odaya came up to the middle of the room. As she glanced around, everyone sat down. I went next to Rysdan and laid my arm on his thigh, trying to keep him aware of what was happening.

"During my time in Northern Entorre, I quickly noticed the con ways of the Royals. Especially that of Kace Suboriton Holland, who I know has a plan. Whether this involves allying his country with Kandose, or simply killing Thaeleckean Royals, I do not know." Avaloryn rose and handed Odaya a necklace.

The necklace.

I kept my attention at it.

"Scheming is quite enjoyable, yes?" Rysdan whispered, his ears awfully close to mine.

I nodded slowly, keeping my attention at my distant cousin and Avaloryn, who went back to her seat.

"This," Odaya began, holding up Avaloryn's necklace, "is our key to Entorre. I have my people researching this necklace. Thanks to Avaloryn's mother and her sacrifice to this cause, we can finally figure out how magic works."

Magic. Saints, what would they say if they found out I was of House Cadice? They'd kill me. They'd harvest me for magic.

I swallowed hard and turned my head to Rysdan. "Does Odaya have an obsession with magic?" I inquired.

Rysdan shook his head and sighed. "I don't know that woman anymore."

Anymore? Did he know her long ago?

I turned away and looked back at Odaya. She was a beautiful woman. She had similarities to Father, with her green eyes and sharp jaw. There was a clear resemblance.

"The library will be closed, for the time being. My team will be busy, and I do not need distractions. We must figure out this necklace." Odaya straightened her shoulders and adjusted her cape strings.

Rysdan had a long stare at her. For a second, I could see Odaya pass him a glance as well.

Oh, yes. They had a history all right. And I planned to figure out what it was, and what happened.

"If you stare long enough, you might start drooling," I whispered to him.

Rysdan snapped his attention toward me, his brows together. "Absolutely not," he bit back rather harshly. Too harshly for someone like him. Too defensive. He was hiding something.

"Mhmm." I leaned onto his shoulders and wrapped my arms around his. My eyes stuck on Odaya, who occasionally looked over at us.

"Are you cold?" he asked, his voice a lot less harsher than it once was.

"Meeting adjourned," Odaya called out. Everyone started leaving the Tent except for Odaya, who was stilling watching Rysdan from the corner of her eyes.

I locked eyes with her.

"Let's get out of here," I told Rysdan quietly.

He didn't respond. Instead, he got up, helping me up with him. I laid my hand on his back, keeping him straight as we went to the exit of the Tent.

"Lord Selorn," a voice said from behind us.

Rysdan stopped in his tracks. I stopped with him, but I didn't turn back. Instead, I leaned my head against his shoulder.

Odaya came in front of us.

I could see the outline of the necklace in the pocket of her cape.

"Lord Rysdan, I would like to speak with you," Odaya said, her face expressionless.

Lord? He was a Lord? Of what lands? I never heard of a Lord Rysdan.

Rysdan, for the first time today, straightened his shoulders, his face contorting into one of anger. "At least you know your place to call me your lord."

Odaya blinked, her throat bobbing. "You made it quite clear that I was supposed to address you that way from that day forward, My Lord."

"Good," he muttered. His arm wrapped around my back. He was probably feeling more dizzy. "Talk."

"Privately," Odaya added.

I held back from clawing at her face and went toward her. "Odaya, sweetheart, don't flatter yourself too much. Whatever you have to say to Rysdan can be said around me." I leaned closer to her, the tip of her nose almost meeting mine. "Aren't I your princess?"

Odaya didn't flinch. "Of course, Your Highness. I serve your family," she hissed out. "But this matter is between Rysdan and I."

"As far as I can tell," I said, turning back to Rysdan, "Rysdan has told you to address him as your lord, and I had told you to address me as your princess. So it seems like you're not in any position to be making orders, Odaya."

Her throat bobbed again.

I stepped away from Odaya, carefully arranging my hands over my pockets.

"I'll speak with you," Rysdan finally responded.

I held back a small grin and acted disappointed that I wasn't going to be with him. "But Rysdan, you're feeling ill! How could I ever leave you?"

"Using you legs. You can leave by walking away," he told me.

Snarky asshole. I just helped him, and this is what he does? Fine, then. I didn't want to stay, anyway. I had better things to do then deal with petty feelings.

I nodded and left the Tent.

I saw a woman from the meeting, so I quickly ran up to her. "Pardon me, madam, but where exactly is the library?"

"No one is allowed in the library, though," the woman repeated.

I pursued my lips. "Obviously. But I need to know what tent or building the library is so I don't accidentally go in. I have good intentions, I swear."

Saints, have mercy on my soul.

"I guess that makes sense. Follow me."

The woman walked through the pathways, and I tried my best to remember the directions. We walked onto one pathway. There were multiple small wooden buildings, each one a different one. Some had clothes hung outside with people inside washing them, others had a brooch display with many colorful gems encrusted.

And there was the library at the very end. The biggest building I'd seen in the entire camp—bigger than the Tent. It had an ancient feeling to it, probably because its wood was rotting away and it stank of moss.

"This is the library. Make sure you don't go in there," the woman warned.

"Of course I won't," I lied. "Thank you for your help."

Now, how was I going to break in?

The necklace rattled in my pocket, almost like it was asking me the same question.

*~⚜️~*

I went back to my tent and placed a small vial of medicine on Rysdan's chair outside my tent.

Wrapping myself in a blanket, I examined the necklace. It looked nearly exactly like the necklace I had seen when I watched everyone training.

Nearly.

The gold chain was rusting, showing that it wasn't really gold, but fake. The gem shifted colors, but not like the necklace on the ground had. It looks fake. Bought. A knock-off.

There was no way this was the real one. Looking at it quickly, it might look real, but it looked nothing like the one I had seen first. Clearly, it was fake. Faker than fake. Faker than—

"Princess Valarya, what is the meaning of this?" I quickly shoved the necklace under the blanket and rushed out of my tent.

Rysdan was standing next to his chair, holding the vial in his hand. "You got me medicine?"

I hesitated.

"Zeena hates you, though," he added. "Also, you hate me."

"Well, I never said I didn't steal it." I went to Rysdan's chair and sat down.

He stood over me, his eyes wider than usual. "You did what?"

"Technically, I'm borrowing it. I'll return the vial once you finish the medicine." I leaned back on the chair and rolled my shoulders back, satisfied with myself.

"I... Why did you do that? You could've just let me get it myself."

"Don't lie. Zeena won't allow you or Henneh anywhere near the infirmary. You know it, too." I got out of the chair, watching his eyes darken. "Bet you didn't expect me to do that, did you?"

He stuttered for a few seconds, then cleared his throat. "You... But you..."

"A simple 'thank you' would work, Rysdan," I said, grinning.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

He watched me intently. I felt some part of me burn. Maybe I was having lung issues, or perhaps those cannibal faeries did do a deal of damage to my soul and pride.

"Could you train me instead of Ashe?" I asked, laying my hand on the vial in his hands.

Rysdan broke his stare away from me, and his brows furrowed. "You only got medicine for me because you wanted me to train you?"

My grin dropped, and so did the grip on the vial. "Yeah? Why else would I help you?"

His mouth dropped open slightly. Shuffling his feet, he sat on his chair and sniffed. "Oh," he mumbled, looking up at me again. "Is Ashe being too rough on you?"

"I can handle his roughness," I remarked. "I just think that you're much gentler."

Rysdan's jaw clenched. At his neck, a vein buldged. "You think I'm gentle?" he said, almost like he was insulted. "I had Princess Diana, the apprentice of Sir Blackus himself, under my arms!"

Hmm... maybe so.

"Is that why you're blushing right now?" I chimed.

"I'm not blushing! I'm insulted you'd think I'm some gentle puppy. I'm the sneakiest little shadow you'll ever meet—"

"So you'll train me?" I asked again.

"Yes, I will!" He scoffed and leaned back on his chair, crossing his arms. "I can't believe you think I'm gentle. Never in my life have I been so insulted."

"You little demon woman. What a sneaky thing you are," the voice said.

"Ah, I missed you and your annoyingness," I said back. "I was growing worried that you disappeared."

"I've been busy," the voice said.

Busy? How could a figment in my conscience be busy? Unless... Unless it wasn't just a figment of my conscience. A human, or fae, or witch, or some being alive enough to be "busy".

"So tomorrow morning you'll train me with you, Ashe, Avaloryn, and Henneh?" I inquired.

"Yes. But I won't be guarding you tonight; Avaloryn will be." Rysdan popped the cork off the vial and swallowed most of the contents. "Good evening, Valarya."

"You too," I replied, getting off the chair to go back to my tent.