Wicked Saints (Something Dark and Holy #1) - Emily A. Duncan Page 0,70
High Prince entered. ?aneta smiled once more at Nadya before crossing the room to meet the boy who had destroyed everything Nadya held dear.
SEREFIN
MELESKI
“Serefin!” ?aneta greeted him by name as he stepped into the parlor, thus cementing her place as the one girl among the Rawalyk candidates comfortable enough with the High Prince to bypass formality.
He was already tired and the ceremony had barely started. He wasn’t ready to speak to any of the nobles yet so he moved to an empty side of the room. Kacper stepped away as an attendant drew his attention.
“You will never believe what has happened,” ?aneta started when Kacper returned.
“The arena is being prepared for a duel,” Kacper said before she could continue, sounding puzzled.
?aneta pouted. “I was going to tell him.”
“I’m sorry,” Serefin said. “I thought you just said a duel has been called.”
Kacper nodded.
“The Rawalyk started this morning,” Serefin said flatly.
Kacper nodded more emphatically.
“Is this your work?” he asked ?aneta.
She lifted her eyebrows. “I cannot begin to tell you how disappointed I am that I had nothing to do with this.”
Serefin collapsed back onto the chaise. “Well, that’s certainly a dramatic start.”
Ostyia perched on the arm of a nearby chair, earning a venomous look from a middle-aged chaperone. She winked at the chaperone’s charge, which only made the woman’s glare more intense. “You’ll never guess who it’s between.”
“Point them out to me.”
Kacper handed Serefin a glass of wine before he flopped onto the chaise beside him. Neither of them should be acting this casual in present company, but Serefin couldn’t dredge up the effort to care. Kacper pointed to the Krywicka girl.
“No.” Serefin didn’t even have to pretend to be scandalized.
?aneta laughed out loud. “The other is a latecomer,” she said. “Over there.”
Her name came to him immediately. Józefina. She had removed her mask, twirling it between idle fingers as she watched the parlor. There was a sharpness in her gaze Serefin found fascinating. Her other hand rested against the spell book at her hip. She glanced over just in time to catch Serefin watching her.
Her eyes widened but she didn’t avert her gaze like he expected.
He smiled and stood, ignoring ?aneta as she hissed a protest. He was supposed to be observing, not interacting, but he was already bored and he wanted to know about this duel from the source.
“Lady Zelenska,” he said once he was before her.
She was slow to stand, careful in her movements. She bowed her head as she dipped into a curtsy. “Your Highness.”
“Shouldn’t you be preparing for your duel?” he asked. “Lady Krywicka is nowhere to be found.”
Józefina’s fingers tightened over the spell book. It was a hefty thing, the sign of a skilled mage. But her knuckles were white, tension revealed in her iron grip.
“I’m prepared,” she replied.
She sounded like she was trying to convince herself more than she was trying to convince him.
“Tell me,” he said, “what did you do to stir up such a fuss?” He slouched against the wall, forcing her to move as well. Now her back was to the room, the eyes watching them less immediately noticeable.
“You assume I am at fault?” Her tone was too flippant. She wasn’t used to functioning at court at all. Every interaction was a facet of the Rawalyk and she was completely inexperienced.
He grinned. And he was surprised when she smiled back.
She waved a hand. “It was nothing that would interest you, Your Highness, petty comments taken too far.”
Serefin leaned closer. “I don’t think you understand how petty I can be.”
She shifted back. His favor would put a mark on her. She seemed to realize that.
“Would you explain something to me?” she asked.
Serefin lifted an eyebrow. “What do you wish to know?”
“This is probably ridiculous, but you must understand, my father died at the front and my mother is an invalid. I never had anyone to properly explain how this all works.”
And she’s brave enough to betray her ignorance to the High Prince? Serefin thought. He couldn’t decide whether she was incredibly smart or terrifically stupid. The fact of the matter was that the Rawalyk favored the nobles who lived near Grazyk; it stood to reason those from the outer reaches of Tranavia would struggle. The entire game was in subtleties.
What this girl likely didn’t realize was this duel would be to the death, and if she survived, it would give her an edge in his father’s eyes. And an edge was all a person needed to be chosen.