I only saw fire and chandeliers and smoke. No people. Not the room. Not even a time frame. Do you know how many chandeliers there are in the south wing alone? What was I supposed to do? Tell everyone to avoid chandeliers forever?
Amanda HockingHe kept telling me to do things without giving me any clue how. He might as well have been telling me to build a damn rocket ship. I had no idea what to do.
Amanda HockingOh,my gosh! You're even prettier than Finn said you were!"
"Ember!" Annali snapped when it appeared that Ember wouldn't stop.
I blushed and looked away, unsure of how to respond to her. I understood in theory why it might be exciting to meet a Princess, but I couldn't see anything exciting about meeting me.
"Sorry," Ember apologized, but it didn't dampen her delight at all. "I've been begging Finn to let me meet you, and he-"
"Ember, you need to do your schoolwork." Annali wouldn't look at either of us.
"I came out because I didn't understand it." Ember pointed to her textbook.
I heard you're campaigning on my behalf." He walked over to me. "That wouldn't be because you'd miss me too much if I were gone,would it?"
"Don't be absurd," I scoffed. "I don't condone murder, even for people like you."
"People like me,huh?" He cocked an eyebrow. "You mean devilishly handsome, debonair young men who come to sweep rebellious princesses of their feet?"
"You came to kidnap me, not sweep me off my feet," I said,but he waved his hand at the idea.
"Semantics.
Can I ask you something, honestly?"
"Of course," he said, but he sounded hesitant.
"Do you think it would be better for me to go with the Vittra?" I asked. His eyes widened,and I hurried on before he could answer. "I'm not asking if it's best for me,and I want you to put your feelings aside,whatever those may be. Would it be in the best interest of the Trylle,of all the people living here in Forening,if I went with the Vittra?"
"The fact that you are willing to sacrifice yourself for the people is exactly why they need you here." His eyes stared deeply into mine. "You need to be here. We all need you.
I've almost got this fire lit," Duncan lied to change the subject.
"It's gas,Duncan," Willa told him. "You just turn a knob."
"Oh." Duncan did as she said, and a bright flame roared up through the fireplace.
Knock it off,Finn!" I tried to pull my arm from him, but physically he was still stronger than me. "Loki is right. You are my tracker. You need to stop dragging me around and telling me what to do."
"Loki?" Finn stopped so he could glare suspiciously at me. "You're on a first-name basis with the Vittra prisoner who kidnapped you? And you're lecturing me on propriety?"
"I'm not lecturing you on anything!" I shouted, and I finally got my arm free from him. "But if I were to lecture you, it would be about how you're being such a jerk."
"Hey,maybe you should just calm-" Duncan tried to interject. He'd been standing a few feet away from us, looking sheepish and worried.
"Duncan,don't you dare tell me how to do my job!" Finn stabbed a finger at him. "You are the most useless, incompetent tracker I have ever met, and first chance I get,I'm going to recommend that the Queen dismiss you. And trust me, I'm doing you a favor. She should have you banished!"
Duncan's entire face crumpled, and for a horrible moment I was certain he would cry. Instead,he just gaped at us, then lowered his eyes and nodded.
"Finn!" I yelled, wanting to slap him. "Duncan did nothing wrong!" Duncan turned to walk away, and I tried to stop him. "Duncan,no. You don't need to go anywhere."
He kept walking, and I didn't go after him. Maybe I should have,but I wanted to yell at Finn some more.
"He repeatedly left you alone with the Vittra!" Finn shouted. "I know you have a death wish, but it's Duncan's job to prevent you from acting on it."
"I am finding out more about the Vittra so I can stop this ridiculous fighting!" I shot back. "So I've been interviewing a prisoner. It's not that unusual,and I've been perfectly safe."
"Oh,yeah, 'interviewing,'" Finn scoffed. "You were flirting with him."
"Flirting?" I repeated and rolled my eyes. "You're being a dick because you think I was flirting? I wasn't, but even if I was,that doesn't give you the right to treat me or Duncan or anybody this way."
"I'm not being a dick," Finn insisted. "I am doing my job, and fraternizing with the enemy is looked down on, Princess. If he doesn't hurt you, the Vittra or Trylle will."
"We were only talking,Finn!"
"I saw you,Wendy," Finn snapped. "You were flirting. You even wore your hair down when you snuck off to see him."
"My hair?" I touched it. "I wore it down because I had a headache from training, and I wasn't sneaking. I was...No,you know what? I don't have to explain anything to you. I didn't do anything wrong, and I don't have to answer to you."
"Princess-"
"No,I don't want to hear it!" I shook my head. "I really don't want to do this right now.Just go away,Finn!
During our session, I told Tove about how I'd done mind-speak on Duncan, but it only worked when I was irritated. Using that logic,Tove spent most of the morning trying to irritate me into using it. Sometimes it worked, but most of the time I just got pointlessly annoyed.
Amanda HockingI can't marry Tove!"
"Why ever not?" She batted her dark lashes at me.
"Because I don't love him!"
"Love is a fairy tale that manks tell their children so they'll have grandchildren," Elora said, brushing me off.
And she finally told me what makes me so special. That I'm the perfect blend of Trylle and Vittra. I'm the ultimate bloodline."
"And you didn't believe me when I said you were special." That was Finn's attempt at a joke, and he smiled ever so slightly.
"I guess you were right." I pulled down my hair, which had gotten messy from lying on it, and ran my fingers through it.
"How are you taking that?" Finn asked, coming closer to the foot of my bed. He stopped by the bedpost and absently touched my satin bedding.
"Being the chosen one for both sides in an epic troll battle?"
"If anybody can handle it,you can," he reassured me.
I looked up at him, and his eyes betrayed some of the warmth he felt for me. I wanted to throw myself into his arms and feel them wrap around me, protecting me like granite. To kiss his temple and cheeks,to feel his stubble rubbing against my skin.
Despite how badly I wanted that-I wanted it so much I ached-I knew that I had to become a great Princess, which meant that I had to use some restraint. Even if the restraint killed me.
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