Austin gave up trying to be persuasive; he understood just how stubborn his friend could be. Nobles who didn’t know Riley well enough would insist he was unsuited to serve as crown prince, but in truth, he always strove to remain calm and impartial. That didn’t mean he was devoid of emotion—on the contrary, the fact he usually kept his feelings in check meant he was prone to the occasional outburst.
As he leaned back in his chair, Austin felt a twinge of frustration. Despite his best efforts, Liliana had beaten him to the punch in drawing out the prince’s true emotions.
Austin couldn’t see how following the king’s orders could possibly keep Liliana safe. If anything, Riley keeping her by his side and treating her as his de facto fiancée would only paint a target on her. Did the prince’s resolve stem from a sense of justice, or from his emotions?
“I saw Clyde yesterday,” Austin said.
Clyde was Duke Clarke’s heir and Liliana’s elder brother. Riley had spoken with him on occasion, as Clyde was to succeed one of the three major ducal families, but they weren’t particularly close. Hearing that Austin had met with him made the crown prince blink a few times.
“I told him Bergson might be able to do something about Lady Liliana’s voice.”
Riley was astonished. Was Austin seriously suggesting that Liliana might have lost her voice because of a hex?
“That can’t be...” the prince muttered. “If that were true, wouldn’t the duke have already sent for Bergson?”
“Maybe. But it’s better than saying nothing, don’t you think?” Austin asked sullenly.
Duke Ealdred was at odds with Duke Clarke, and Austin wasn’t thrilled about the latter’s daughter being chosen as the crown prince’s fiancée. But with the Arcacians’ growing influence, Riley’s position had grown precarious. Liliana was truly the only candidate of the right age and with sufficient backing—largely because, before Riley and Austin were born, every noble family involved in the failed coup against the previous king had been suppressed.
It was unfair to burden children with their parents’ grudges, and both boys knew it. Yet it was precisely because they understood each other so well that their arguments over Riley’s fiancée went nowhere.
“Anyway, how’s your training coming along?” the crown prince asked, trying to change the subject.
Austin saw straight through Riley’s intentions and forced a cheerful smile to dispel the gloom. “Rather well.” Back in his domain in Arcacia, he had received his father’s permission to join the royal knights’ order. Even since returning to Hudore, he hadn’t stopped preparing for his upcoming test.
“You’re pretty much guaranteed to get in, you know.”
Austin knew his friend was teasing him but frowned anyway, crossing his arms in an affected manner. “Yeah, well, I don’t want people thinking my father was the only reason I got in.”
The fact that Duke Ealdred’s second son was attempting to join the order was already a popular topic of conversation. If he succeeded, some unkind observers would insist it was only because of his father. Austin had, of course, trained more than enough to prove himself worthy of the role, but society would watch him more closely than any ordinary knight—for better or worse.
“You’ve got nothing to worry about,” Riley said. “You’re aiming for the Seventh, aren’t you?”
Of the nine corps that made up the royal knights’ order, Austin had set his sights on the Seventh. More than any other corps, it was famous for its merit system, where knights were judged strictly by their aptitude, not their pedigree.
Austin nodded, a bold grin spreading across his face. “That’s right. Distinguishing myself there would make it easy to become your personal guard. It’s not like I’m trying to join the First, who guard all and only royals.”
The aspiring knight’s words drew a delighted smile from the prince. Deep down, Austin felt relieved to see the tense expression his friend had worn during their earlier unpleasant exchange finally ease.
“How about a duel, Austin?” Riley asked, the thought just occurring to him. “It’s been a while.” Lately, his education as crown prince had focused almost entirely on studying, leaving him little time to brush up on his swordsmanship.
Austin chuckled. “Are you sure you want to challenge me?”
“I can’t ask the knight commander; he’s far too busy. And anyone else would hold back when they’re fighting me.”
Under normal circumstances, no one was allowed to duel the crown prince except his actual instructors. Exceptions could be granted with Riley’s permission, but even then, most would deliberately hold back—injuring the crown prince risked public outrage. As a result, Austin was his only true competition in sparring. They had won an equal number of times so far.
Ever since Riley had discovered the fun of no-holds-barred duels, he had openly referred to Austin as his best friend.
The pair made their way to the royals-only practice grounds, where they shed any cumbersome clothing and began with a light exchange of strikes. The longer the bout went on, the more heated it grew—and since Austin was seriously training to enter the order, the scales were tipped slightly in his favor.
“You sure have improved,” Riley said, his voice caught between glee and frustration.
Austin arched an eyebrow, effortlessly dodging the next sharp thrust. “We can’t have the future king outclassing his own escorts and knights, now can we?”
Riley only tutted in response, casting aside his usual princely composure.
“Should a crown prince really click his tongue?”
“It’s fine. You’re the only one in earshot.”
“That isn’t my concern.”
The clash of metal rang out once more as the boys traded blows without reserve, their expressions hardening as their senses sharpened. There was no better way to drive the unpleasant thoughts from their minds.