Reign of Rivalry

Chapter 10

Sparring always eased my nerves, especially when I had a particularly annoying princess locked underneath the castle, which is why I had spent this morning throwing jabs at Arius in the training room.

Decked with weapons of all forms, the private training room for Arius, Jax, and I was a place I came regularly to plan missions, train with my shadows or simply let off some stream.

Jax was in the far corner stretching and playing with her knives, while Arius and I were in the middle of the room wiping sweat off and discussing our current situation.

"So has our guest said much more since the other day?" Arius asked.

It had been five days since I had last spoken to the Princess. Jax had been going down each day to give her food, but she hadn't been particularly talkative.

"No, she hasn't," I answered.

"What have your spies come up with?"

"She was to be wed to Fraser under a marriage alliance. They have confirmed the Princess had never met the lord's son before. No whispers of a plot against you, only that Cassius wants more control of The Valley over the other rulers."

Arius ran a hand through his hair, he was just as frustrated with this situation, he just hid it better.

"It doesn't explain why she couldn't tell Cassius Fraser attacked her," he mused.

"That's the bit I don't understand either," I said, scratching my beard.

"Typical males," Jax scoffed.

Arius raised a brow in her direction. "Something to say, Jax?"

Jax still sat on the floor, knives scattered around her, rolled her eyes at us.

"Ok, then, tell me what happens when Brenna goes back to Cassius and tells him she killed Fraser because he attacked her?" she asked.

Arius and I glanced at each other, clearly this was a trick question, but the answer seemed so simple to us.

"Ahh, he would make sure the prick is actually dead and punish Dunn for raising such a terrible son," I said, shrugging.

"And what if Cassius doesn't believe her?" Jax said, giving me a pointed look.

"Why wouldn't he believe her?"

"Because she is a woman." Jax said matter-of-factly. "Brenna told you she would rather not marry Fraser, maybe she had said that to her father too, and yet, she was set to be married."

Jax paused, waiting for us to catch up.

"Then the day before the wedding, the groom is dead," Arius said, brow furrowed.

"Exactly, and if he wasn't concerned about whether she actually wanted to marry the male or not, I assume she would be scared he wouldn't care whether Fraser attacked her or not. All she knows is that she just cost her father the alliance he has been working years for." Jax summed up, looking at us like it was so obvious.

"She is still hiding something," I said, crossing my arms.

Jax just shrugged. "Probably, but I've run from enough demons to understand how she ended up here."

I looked at the female sitting in front of us. She might be one of the most cunning creatures in the land, but once upon a time, her monsters had also led her to this castle.

I glanced at Arius, who was also looking at Jax, we were thinking the same thing. Just because we might protect our family didn't mean others had that same luxury.