The Black Mage: Candidate (21 page)

I didn’t know how to reply.

Darren took my hand, folding my fingers into his own. “If anyone beats me, I want it to be you, Ryiah.”

I shut my eyes and sighed. “Perhaps the gods will surprise us and it will be neither.”

“A true tragedy,” he agreed.

“Of epic proportions.”

His smile was just the faintest line in the shadows. “Two longstanding rivals.”

“And only one robe to bear.”

“Who will win?” Darren’s tone was wry. “The handsome prince?”

I grinned. “Or his valiant betrothed?”

“I can’t wait to marry you, Ryiah.”

When I opened my eyes, Darren was watching me with the oddest gleam in his eyes. The soft expression in his gaze… it hurt to breathe.

Then a devious thought worked its way to the surface. “Even if I win?”

The prince’s expression faltered, and then the boy from the Academy returned with a smirk. “Even if you lose.”

Chapter Eleven

When we first entered the city with the rest of the Crown’s progress, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Heavy, towering pines of the Iron Range gave way to coarse, earthy fields and cracked riverbeds the further east we got. Montfort was a week’s ride north of the capital, a week and a half from Sjeka and the first-year trials we had just left, and it shared neither city’s natural splendor. While not as dry as the Red Desert by any means, it was certainly more arid and cool.

But what Montfort lacked in beauty it more than made up for in mass. The great city was famous for its architects, and the moment I spotted it from the road, I knew I was in for a shock.

Even two miles from the start of the city’s residence, I could see the giant slabs of the Candidacy’s arena towering above the rest. Like a giant stone mouth that longed to tear out the sky. The raised seats and spectator towers were easily fifteen houses tall from their lowest peaks.

The rest of the city was a bit simpler in nature—large square buildings and simple housing, flat roofs and rectangular windows, heavy curtains and chipped bricks in simple sun-dried mud, and the occasional stone-and-mortar mix. One raised building stood out among the rest: a steep dome roof supported by heavily decorated columns and smoothed walls, but even it paled next to the city’s central feature.

Our horses kicked up loose dust as they made their way through the streets. I was stunned by the crowds. Every which way we moved were great herds of people, lowborn and highborn alike, flooding the markets and knocking on doors. That wasn’t all; outside the city limits had been canvas tents as far as the eye could see.

As our tracks slowed, both Paige and Darren’s guard, Henry, pressed closer to our side. The herald—who had been busy entertaining two women in our progress—broke free to blow his horn and proclaim our arrival to the crowd. In truth it did little—there was nowhere for the people to go.

“Like a bay of pigs, and just as brainless,” Paige griped under her breath.

Wren giggled as I hid a smile. In the past three weeks the young princess and I had become close.

In some ways, she was the little sister I’d never had. Sweet—always saving me the last candied figs in our evening meals—and easy to laugh in a way that I was not, especially at my guard whom she had deemed “charming.”

Wren was such a change from my loud, raucous brothers and their constant slew of insults and insatiable bellies. She didn’t seem to mind my lowborn upbringing, and preferred my company to the rest of the court. She was a bit shy around Blayne, but that could have been their difference in age. Knowing what had happened to my best friend, I’d made it a point to ask about their wedding night when we were alone, and she had all but blushed furiously in reply.

Since the girl hadn’t paled or given any sign of terror I took that to be a sign that Blayne had truly grown since the incident with my best friend. That, and I’d requested her ladies-in-waiting report any bruises or marks marring her skin. I might trust the prince a bit more since the night in the old queen’s chambers, but I was determined to do everything I could to ensure what happened to Ella never happened to another girl again.

“Fresh from this morn’! You won’t get a better deal if you try!”

Our progress fought its way past the merchants to the ornate building I had admired before. As the hostlers appeared I realized it was where the Crown and its most important court would reside for the time being. Baron Cuthbert’s manor.

The king’s scholars confirmed it a moment later as they detailed our visit.

“During the last Candidacy it is estimated one-fifth of Jerar came out to watch, and with the Crown’s own son a contender at present we expect close to a third.” The man cleared his throat. “Not to discount the foreign embassies from Caltoth, the Borea Isles, and, of course, the Pythian court.”

“That many visitors?”
I squeaked.

Darren edged closer to lean into my ear. “Nervous, love?”

I rolled my eyes in jest, but in truth I was terrified. Hundreds of thousands of visitors. Every one of the stadium’s seats. Filled.

And here you just thought they built it that big to look pretty
.

Wait.

Caltothian embassy? I grabbed Darren’s arm. “Caltothians?”

“You didn’t know?” Darren took me by the hand, slowly edging along the standing crowd to peer at the back of the crowd, and tilted his head to the right. A stranger stood, engaged in conversation with a man who could only be Princess Shinako’s father, Emperor Liang.

The man was tall and broad-shouldered, with curly, brown hair that fell to his shoulders. Foreboding, too—with cynical blue eyes that read the room in an instant. Self-assured, and not remotely perturbed to be surrounded by a room of potential enemies. I found myself wondering how he had found the courage to face the Crown in the light of what his kinsmen had done.

“Lord Tyrus of Gyr.” Darren lowered his voice. “It’s tradition to send invitations to each court, but for Caltoth it’s little more than formality. Given the state of things I don’t think anyone expected King Horrace to send a man. But perhaps with the New Alliance he is willing to make a bid for peace.”

I snorted.

“Don’t worry,” he whispered. “Father’s message was clear. One misstep and we will have ground to imprison Tyrus for treason. Blayne and Father have him and his guards flanked from dawn until dusk.”

I started to nod, my gaze flitting back to the front, when I heard a familiar laugh in the alley. I spun around so fast I almost lost hold of my breakfast, eyes anxiously searching the faces behind us.

Sure enough, I spotted her leaning into my twin’s shoulder in the middle of the street, laughing amber eyes as she looked up at Alex in jest. Her bronze skin glowed in the light of the early evening sun. She looked just as striking as always.

The crowd shifted, and I noticed Derrick and my parents standing a couple feet apart. Ella’s parents and her older brother Jeffrey were there too.

“Ella!” Halfway across the street I screeched my friend’s name and watched as she shrieked, charging in my direction like a blind madman.

I barely had time to speak before the two of us collided. Darren caught up a moment later just before my best friend and I took a tumble to the ground. Paige a minute after, spewing venom as she chastised me for leaving her behind.

“How can I protect someone who continuously neglects every precaution I have in place?”

By the time my guard had finished her lecture both sets of families had made their way alongside.

Ella’s parents wore polite frowns as they regarded the prince beside us—no doubt recalling his brother—but mine, especially my mother, were eyeing him in unabashed interest.

“Mom, Dad, this is Darren.” I couldn’t help but notice how stiff and quiet our audience had suddenly become.

My father was first to break the silence. Unfortunately for me it was in the most embarrassing way possible. “Well, well, ‘tall, dark, and handsome.’ I can see why my daughter picked you. She certainly has a type.”

Alex guffawed, and even Derrick had to hide a grin as the prince’s face shot up in flames. Not even Darren was prepared for my father.

“Dad!” I hid my face in my hands.

“George.” My mother elbowed my father for embarrassing his daughter in front of the prince. “Leave them alone.” She smiled at Darren, her keen gray eyes studying our intertwined hands. “A pleasure to meet you, Your Highness. I’m Ry’s mother, Liona.”

“You don’t have to call me by my title, ma’am.” Darren’s face was as red as mine.

An awkward moment ensued as Ella reintroduced the non-heir to her family, all of which he had met at court—albeit years before. Her brother Jeffrey looked just as dubious as Alex; her parents were better, they were at least attempting to take note of their daughter’s acceptance of the younger of the two princes.

“As pleasant as it is to stand out in this stifling heat,” Ella’s father interjected suddenly. “I was wondering if everyone wouldn’t mind joining us for dinner at our inn. Sable and I would love to get to know Alex’s family. We’ve been hearing so much over the years, we’d love to share a round of drinks in person.”

My family accepted as I promised a quick round for the prince and myself. I hadn’t forgotten the endless parade of emissaries waiting back at Baron Cuthbert’s manor, but we still had thirty minutes to spare and I intended to make the most of it. I also hadn’t missed the exchange of incredulous expressions between my brothers when Darren spoke.

One way or another, I was going to find a way for them to make peace. I knew if Alex and Derrick just took the time to know Darren—without the Ferren’s Keep regiment or my twin’s past bias in the way—they would find a way to get along.

I hoped.

****

“Alright you two.” Jeffrey set down his mug with a thud. “Spit it out.”

My friend giggled as she and Alex exchanged grins. “What are you talking about?”

“Nice try.” Her brother waggled a finger between the two. “Time to tell us what’s going on.”

“Alex has been sweating like a pig since we arrived.” Derrick grinned. “Could there be a reason other than his distaste for the sun?”

My twin, usually so quick to retort to our sibling’s wheedling, swallowed and stared at the wall behind us.

My jaw dropped—and I barely had time to think as Ella pulled my brother up off his stool. She nudged him forward and he swallowed again.

My parents and Ella’s—who previously had been in the midst of a long conversation at the other side of the table—stopped to watch.

“Ella and I h-have news.” My twin wiped his sweaty brow, beads of perspiration clinging to his forehead. “We wanted to wait until everyone was—”

“We got married!”
Ella slapped a hand over her mouth as the whole table exploded in shock.

“WHAT?”

“
When?”

“WHERE?”

“Couldn’t even wait for your own family!”
That was my mother.

Alex cringed and looked toward the ceiling while Ella responded to her own. “Two weeks back. We were going to wait for the Candidacy when the rest of you would arrive but—“

“But I couldn’t wait.” Alex’s face was stained crimson.

Ella blushed. “He told me if he couldn’t marry me that day he would die a thousand deaths.”

“Alex?” My father was grinning. “
Alex
said that?”

I counted one, two, three seconds before I met Derrick’s eyes across the room.

We were still cackling, tears streaming down our faces, five minutes later.

“Water!” Derrick finally wheezed. “I need water!”

“Yes!” I grinned like a fool. “I will die a thousand deaths if I don’t get some water.” It had to be the worst—and most hilarious—crack at prose my twin had ever attempted.

“They will never let me live that one down,” Alex complained to Ella.

She smirked. “They are just jealous.”

“Hey, Alex,” I said, “how many deaths was it again?”

“Hey, Ry,” my twin shot back, “
I. Forgive. You.”

Darren, who had been silent thus far, choked on his drink, spewing ale everywhere. He was trying to keep a straight face, but his ribs shook with the effort not to laugh.

The adults remained clueless as I shot Alex a half-hearted glare, handing Darren a cloth.

The non-heir ignored it to grin at my twin. “That was a good one.”

My brother gave Darren his first genuine smile.
Ever
. “I try.”

As I stepped out onto the cobbled streets outside I was so focused on Alex and Ella’s announcement I almost missed the man who had stepped directly into my path at the last possible second. I had just the barest sense to jump back before his black silk robe slapped me in the face.

I scowled and looked up to see the face of a charming stranger, and the recognition made me groan. Worn but sharp angles that gave way to a haughty gaze and thin, pursed lips. Lips that had scowled in my direction for the entire course of the apprenticeship.
Master Byron
.

He all but ignored me as he addressed the prince at my left. “Your Highness! What a pleasure to see you again!”

Darren hid a smile as his eyes flitted to my own.

“Master Byron, where do we—”

“Silence!”
The man growled at a crowd of exhausted young faces behind him. Some I recognized as apprentices during my final year. “Go back to the barracks! Do not interrupt me while I am greeting the prince. He has more potential than the lot of you and the decency not to interrupt his elders when speaking!”

It was like I had never left. I arched a brow in Darren’s direction and the non-heir coughed. “Master Byron, have you already forgotten Mage Ryiah?”

The man’s eyes narrowed to slits as he was forced to acknowledge my presence. “How could I ever forget? It’s only been a year.” His tone was spoken with the warmth of an icicle.

Four years. Four years I had struggled while Byron all but ignored my training. The few times he had given me notice were to take down my gender and act as if I were the worst kind of mistake. I would never forgive the man for putting me through such a terrible apprenticeship. Which was why I said what I said next.