Chapter 6: Scales

Mirelle spent the first week working on a rule of her own, which was that the crown prince could not be charmed and could only be cornered.

She cornered him at the training yard on the sixth morning.

The yard was a sunken ring of sand, with soldiers in black leathers circling each other under a gallery of stone arches.

Aurek stood in the middle of it with a practice sword, and he was winning against three men at once.

Mirelle leaned on the gallery rail with her new maid beside her.

The maid was a short, silent woman who had appeared at her door on the second night with a tray and a message.

The prince had chosen her himself, and she was to taste anything Mirelle ate before Mirelle did.

She had tasted everything for four days, and nothing had happened.

Mirelle did not know whether to be grateful or insulted.

Down on the sand, one of the soldiers lunged low.

Aurek turned the blade aside, but not quite far enough.

The edge caught his left forearm and opened his sleeve, and a thin line of dark blood ran down the black scales.

The yard went still.

"It's nothing," Aurek said, to nobody in particular.

Mirelle was already over the rail.

She hit the sand in her gown and slippers, which was a mistake, and walked across it anyway.

Every soldier watched her go.

"Your Highness," she said, when she reached him. "Give me your arm."

"No."

"You're bleeding on the sand."

"I have bled on worse."

"I'm sure you have." She pulled the red sash off her waist. "Arm."

He looked at her for a long, flat moment.