Henneh kept quiet the rest of the day. While training, she'd ask for breaks often. After a few hours, she called off training completely and handed me over to Ashe.

We started walking to the Tent as I tried to have a conversation. "You look disgusting."

"You hurt me," he said with a neutral tone.

"Haven't you heard of a bath?"

"I like walking around smelling like smoke. It boosts my superiority complex when people stare at me thinking I'm on fire."

Maybe I should try that out sometime.

"That's... admirable," I said hesitantly.

He flicked a brow up at me. "Don't lie."

"No, really! I don't know anyone else that would refuse to bathe for the sake of their reputation. My heart aches for you, Ashe. It really does." I mockingly put my hands up to my heart, playing out a muscle spasm.

"This isn't the time for jokes," he stated.

Kallia's decapitated head came into my mind. I pushed down the stinging in my throat and shut my mouth. I didn't know how to tell him that I cared somewhat about Kallia, even though she'd done things with Kace. What was I supposed to do? Cry? I was tired of doing that, too.

We walked into the Tent, and my eyes shot to Rysdan.

"What're we doing here?" I wondered.

"We're keeping low for a few days," Rysdan said, rising off his chair. "Ashe and Avaloryn had caused quite the ruckus trying to get Kallia. The guards have deployed people across Thaeleck to look for"—Rysdan reached into his pockets and pulled out a flier—"'A black haired, dark blue eyed man standing at around six feet two inches, with a musty cape and boots, and a large nose."

Ashe instinctively touched his nose. "They're just jealous." He frowned and snatched the parchment away from Rysdan. "And my cape is not musty. Those baffoons are smelling themselves too much these days."

I shook my head and sat on a chair.

"Exactly! Now, listen to how they described Avaloryn." Rysdan pointed to the paragraph underneath Ashe's descriptors. "'A short, blonde woman with hazel eyes, freckles, tan, stumpy fingers, and invisible brows'."

"Those disrespectful bastards. I'm going to give them stumpy finger," Ashe muttered. "Asses."

"Hey, at least you got away—"

"They drew me hideously!" Ashe showed me the drawing. I choked on air and held in my laugh. "I should kill them for this alone!"

The drawing had Ashe with shaggy black hair, his eyes extremely close together, his brows high up, his chin sticking outward, and smell marks rising from his head while flies circled it.

"Accurate." Rysdan chuckled and gave the drawing of Ashe a kiss. "Beautiful. I should give them money for this masterpiece."

"Should I remind you of the drawing of you?" Ashe reached his hand into a drawer.

Rysdan tackled Ashe to the ground and pinned his arms above his head. "Don't you dare!"

I felt like I was watching something I shouldn't be. Quietly, I tried to make my way out of the Tent, but they called out to me. "Get back in here."

Damn.

Sighing, I crawled back on the chair and watched them quarrel over who was more handsome, more cunning, more athletic, stronger, and overall better.

"My lips are more plush," Rysdan said.

"My jaw is ten-times sharper than yours," Ashe retorted. "My eyes are like the ocean. Yours are the color of shit."

Rysdan's mouth fell open. "Hey! They're honey colored."

"I'm more muscular." Ashe crossed his arms and had a smug grin on his face.

"Yeah? Well, I'm funnier." Rysdan crossed his arms back.

Ashe rolled his eyes. "You're also dumb. 'Funnier' is not a word. It's 'more funny'."

"I'm not about to have a grammar lesson with you right now," Rysdan mumbled.

I crossed my legs and said, "Bold coming from a man named Ashe Knight Knightley."

Rysdan bursted out laughing. "Yes, Valarya!" He came up next to me and rested his hand on my shoulder. "You lose, Ashey boy. I'm superior."

Ashe's mouth dropped open. "But... No—This is not... You're completely insufferable, Valarya."

"Don't get too pissy. I'm sure someone will appreciate your grammar..." I watched Ashe squirm in his spot, but then I added: "Ashey boy."

Rysdan's laugh got louder. Ashe's grin grew wider as he tried to fake a pout. Rysdan ran over to Ashe and said, "Now scram, Ashey boy. Princess Valarya and I have some business to take care of."

"I'll get you two back," Ashe called after him as Rysdan pushed him out of the Tent and zipped the entrance shut.

Rysdan's laugh died out as he turned and looked at me. I leaned back in my chair, lifting my brows. "I thought you were still mad at me."

"I am," he admitted as he dragged a chair in front of me, "but I need to put aside my feelings. There's a war brewing—it's not time to be petty with things."

"I don't think you were petty," I whispered.

"I'll admit that what you said was disgusting, but—"

"I'm sorry," I blurted.

Rysdan's brows shot up.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean what I said. I was just confused. I had no idea that my sister had helped you all, and I was shocked." I ran a hand through my hair and added: "I didn't want to see it, and I didn't mean anything I said."

Rysdan opened his mouth to talk, but I interrupted him.

"I understand why you all are fighting my father and the crown. Maybe I won't be able to think about it from your standpoint, but I understand, and I agree. My father isn't helping his own citizens." I held onto his hands. "I thought about Manea all night. She was rational. If she helped you all, then she obviously found things about my father and decided to do the right thing."

"You're agreeing with me?" Rysdan asked.

"Yes. And I'm going to help as much as I can, starting with the Amulet of Torth, and much, much more."

His eyes bore into mine, bronze staring into silver. "Thank you."

I couldn't speak as Rysdan pulled me in and hugged me. Warmth spread across my entire body, and I wondered if I'd ever understand what this feeling was. I wanted to scream for Manea—for her to look at me now and smile. I wanted her to be proud of me and stand next to me while I was Queen of Thaeleck.

I'd tuck Manea's fire deep in my heart, and when I needed to, I'd bring it out and burn the world with her flames.

Rysdan pulled away and gently caressed my face with his thumb. "Thank you, Valarya," he said again, but his tone was different. Softer. Kinder.

"For Manea," I told him. "For her life. For Thaeleck, and all the lives that were lost."

Because I realized that my father had to have been behind Manea's death—many deaths.

He nodded and rested his forehead onto mine. "Always for Thaeleck." Rysdan held my head close, his fingers tangled in my hair. "I have a plan on how to get into the library."

Reality slapped me in the face. I pulled away from him and cleared my throat, nodding. "Which is?"

"There are catacombs that run under all of Thaeleck. Only guards are allowed entry. However, because they're not widely known, they're not guarded heavily, which will make us getting in easier."

Rysdan ran to a drawer and pulled out a map, throwing it toward me. I opened it and saw a portion in Garbade circled in red.

"The nearest entrance into the catacombs is ten miles north, in Garbade. From there, we make our way back down to Kampa, and right when we're under the library, we break a hole up and climb in. There's specific ways for us to dig a hole up quietly."

I was getting out of Kampa. Finally.

But I wasn't relieved. My father could catch me easily in Garbade. Ever since the fire that killed Manea, Father placed extra guards to wait for Ashe Knightley.

"We'd have to be quiet on this mission," I said. "There are many guards in Garbade. If someone finds me, there's no way I'd be able to fight back."

"Ashe told me you know Entorrean fighting techniques with swords. I'll equip you with one, and I'll be fully loaded with an arsenal. Nothing will happen to us."

Relieved, I slouched back on my chair. "When can we do this?"

"Saturday. Sunday Ashe, Nylas, and Henneh have a huge mission to run in the ports of Mildreda. They'll be resting and preparing all of Saturday, so they won't notice us."

"Sounds like you two have figured it out. Although, I still think you should've talked with Ashe Knightley," the voice in my head said.

"Quiet, you. You left me when I needed you," I snapped back to the voice.

"As I said before, I was busy. Don't take it personally." I could practically see the teasing smirk on the voice's face.

Whatever. I wasn't going to associate with that voice anymore.

"Ignoring me, now?" the voice chimed.

I ignored it and focused on Rysdan.

"Sounds like a wonderful plan." I got off my chair and smiled. "This will work flawlessly, right?"

"I haven't found any flaws yet, so yes, this plan is flawless." Rysdan got off his chair and led me out the Tent.

"Don't ignore me," the voice quipped.

I ignored it and followed Rysdan through the camp.

"You'll regret ignoring me," the voice whined.

"Saints, can you just stop talking to me?" I groaned to it.

"I could, but I don't want to," the voice said, satisfied with itself.

"Who the hell are you?" I asked it, trying to stay aware of where I was walking.

"I am a star. I am a flower. I am—"

"Stop reciting poetry," I mumbled. "What an idiot."

"Poetry is so poetic," the voice said.

"You don't say?"

"It is! Who decided it would be a good idea to compare love to stars? Who was the idiot to look at a star and say, 'Damn. It looks like love!'. It takes a special idiot to be as fantastical as that."

I was going to rip my head out if this voice kept talking. It was a deafening thing to listen to, and I could practically hear my brain cells crying out to me for help. "Valarya! Valarya! Please save us from this idiot in your head!" my brain cells cried.

Instead of replying to the voice, I just stayed quiet and ignored it for the rest of the day.