4. Sorcha

Chapter four

This was humiliating. I was hanging off his shoulder, my ass in the air and my hands tied with a belt. He'd walked us out of the woods to the edge of the courtyard. Though I wanted to scream and fight, I knew that wasn't in my best interest. He was right. Not only would I get in trouble for getting caught, but this was embarrassing. I was so sure I had him back there, but he surprised me. I was used to brutes like him only using their strength and underestimating me, but once the fight got going, he became a very worthy opponent.

I shouldn't have followed him in the first place. I was sure Mother would have a few choice words about this. It was probably enough to have me thrown from training. My gut sank at the thought. It felt like I was handed an opportunity to show what I was capable of, and I fucked it up.

As he got to the castle, he somehow managed to stick to invisible walls and passages, avoiding even the places guards hid. How did an outsider who just arrived today know all of this? It only made my suspicion grow.

He even knew where the servants' corridor was that led right to his room .

When we got there, he put me down on the desk chair, latching the belt to it so my hands were stuck behind my back. All the guest rooms in the castle were the same, with some kind of painting of Peradona landscapes, a four-poster bed with heavy curtains, a desk, and a small couch on the side. This one had a painting of the juneberry orchard in Shimer. Juneberries only grew for a few weeks in the summer and made my favorite candy. Mama always made sure to get me some while they were in season.

"How did you do that?" I asked, unable to help it.

He unsheathed both of our swords, putting them on the bed, far out of my reach. "Do what?"

"Sneak past all the guards. Even the hidden ones."

He shrugged casually. "Can't go giving away all my secrets, can I?"

I sat there, staring at him.

"Who are you?" he asked.

I didn't know how to answer. Did I tell the truth? Should I lie? He would find out tomorrow anyway, but he couldn't tell my mothers.

"Don't want to answer that either?" he asked when I said nothing. "Fine. I'm sure if I ask the guard at the end of the hall, he'll tell me."He started walking towards the door. "Stop," I said.

He paused and looked at me, waiting. I sighed. "Fine. I'm Sorcha."

"Sorcha?" he said, the syllables rolling over his tongue. He approached me and bent so we were level. I let myself take a long look at him. He was all black with white bangs hanging over his eyes, blocking his expression from me. Though his eyes were barely visible, I could tell they were dark. His snout was long, and he had a strong jaw. His horns curved up above his head, making his big frame appear somehow even more massive. It was hard to tell outside in the dark, but he was much larger than I thought. Even for a minotaur, he was giant. Though he wasn't human by any means, he was very attractive.

"Do you mean Princess Sorcha Yulean?" he asked.

I flinched.

"I thought you seemed familiar. This just got even more interesting."

My eyes narrowed. "Can you please just let me go? I'm sorry I followed you. Please, just don't tell your king." If he told him, he would definitely tell my parents.

He huffed from his nose. "I don't serve anyone," he said. "I am Grand Clarak of Valcor."My eyes widened. "Wait. You're King Zarios Kalimore?"

"I am no king," he snapped. He obviously had issues with titles. "But yes, I am Grand Clarak Zarios Kalimore of Ashmore."

Shit. I wasn't just following anyone—I was following their king, or Grand Clarak, whatever. I was done for. Though I didn't know what the exact situation was, I knew things were rocky, and I didn't want to cause any more tension.

"I apologize for following you," I said through gritted teeth. "I was in the training yard and got curious. I didn't know who you were." This was humiliating, but I had to make this right. Maybe if I didn't trigger an all-out war, I wouldn't be banned from training.

He leaned on the bed across from me, his arms back, holding him up, his hooves crossed in front of him. I could see the muscles of his arms bulge as he did. Moons, he was large.

I mentally shook myself. I couldn't be ogling my captor, no matter how massive he was.

After a moment that went on for far too long, he nodded. "I accept your apology, princess. I would be interested as well. Why were you in the training yard?"

"I don't see how that's any of your business," I said flatly.

He huffed again, but this one sounded different than before. "You have a lot of attitude for someone who was caught. Easily, might I add."

Anger welled up inside me. "It wasn't easy," I asserted. "I could kick your ass if we went again."

The corner of his lip turned up. "I would take your bet on that."

We stared at each other, tension sparking between us. "Why are you here?" I asked. I shouldn't have. I knew I shouldn't have, but I couldn't help it—the question just tumbled out.

"You haven't been told?" he asked.

"I have." At least, mostly. "But I want to hear it from you."

He sighed, relaxing further into the bed. "If I tell you, will you answer an inquiry I have?"

I thought about it. "I will try," I said honestly.

"Very well. The magestones you ship to us are very important. Without them, we can't run our forges anymore, and we need the shipment you're holding."

My head cocked. "We don't have it."

He froze. "What?"

I wanted to put all the words back into my mouth.

"What did you say?" he repeated, more insistent this time.

"We sent the shipment already. It went missing." I had no idea they didn't tell him. I assumed that was what they were in negotiations about.

He seemed to turn that over for a little while. I wiggled in the restraints a bit, but more to give me something to do than out of discomfort.

"I was under the impression it was never sent because of the attacks."

"Attacks?" I asked.

He nodded. "We've had quite a few assaults on foreign shipments over the last few months. I assumed it was just a particularly large group of thieves, but…" He trailed off.

"But what?""Magestones are shipped on a separate route, one that's only used for that once inside Valcor. Only the Claraks know about it, save for me of course."

"Claraks?" I asked.

He sighed, as if annoyed I wasn't all caught up on the inner workings of Valcor politics. "I am the Grand Clarak," he explained. "I rule over Valcor and its Capital, Ashmore. There are three other major territories, Sobury, Thvetharion, and Mertis." He ticked them off on his fingers. "They are all run by their own Clarak, who oversees that land."

I nodded. "So, you and the Claraks were the only ones who could have known about the shipment? "

"Yes, which means these aren't just random thieves. They're targeted, and they're coming from one of the rulers of my land. This is a full-out rebellion I'm dealing with, not just a stubborn band of criminals."

For the first time being around him, I felt like I could read him. Defeat took over his entire stance.

"Can't you investigate them?" I asked, trying to help. "You said earlier you assumed one of your Claraks was involved. Why not search there?"

"How?" he asked. "Though I am Grand Clarak, I can't just go in there, demanding to look through their things."

"Why? That's the whole point of being king."

He pinched the bridge of his snout in irritation. "Because I'm not a king, despite what you Peradonians think. I am a Grand Clarak, and we have to follow a different set of rules."

I turned that over in my mind. "Can't you just visit them? Come up with a reason and drop in, then spy?"

"That would be too suspicious," he said. "Claraks always come to the castle, not the other way around. The only time that happens is when…"

His words died on his tongue. I could see the gears turning and stayed quiet, letting him think.

"Princess," he finally said to my disgruntlement. "Why were you following me? That is my question."

It felt as if his gaze bore through me, looking into my soul. I felt he was right, a truth for a truth. "I want to be a knight. I am a knight. I just need to prove it to my mothers. I thought if I caught you doing something you shouldn't, it might be my chance to make them see I was capable. "

That was the first time I'd ever said any of it aloud. It made me feel raw but also free. Someone else knew. He continued his thinking, soon pacing.

"What if I told you we could help each other?"

I was skeptical. "Continue."

"There is one way I could visit all the Claraks, but I can't do it alone. I need company. That's where you come in."

I didn't understand his meaning. "You need a guest?"

He sighed. "This is going to sound outlandish, but just…listen before you deny me."

I nodded, unsure where he was going with that.

"Whenever a Grand Clarak gets an intended mate, there's a ceremony that takes place that includes being hosted by every Clarak. They give their blessing, and the royal couple move to the next location. If we were to pretend you were my intended mate, we'd be able to sneak around and find the evidence we need."

My mouth hung open, my eyes wide. He wanted… "You want me to be your fiancée?" I asked in disbelief.

"Fake fiancée," he clarified, as if it made a difference. "Then you could come back and prove you solved the case, showing you can be a knight. It's a win-win."

I shut my mouth. What he was saying made sense, but it seemed absurd. "No one would believe us," I argued.

"Of course they would," he said. "I'm planning to be here for a week. In that time, we can craft a whirlwind love story good enough to convince your parents you want to marry me."

He was right about that, but could I really? If we pulled this off, if I helped save Valcor from a potential rebellion, there was no way they could turn me down to become a knight. At that point, I would probably be able to lead my own unit.

I whined. "Fine, fine. I agree. But only if we're believable enough before we leave."

His lip lifted into a small smirk. "Excellent. Let's talk about what needs to be done."

I swallowed. I wasn't sure if this would even be possible. My mothers were very attentive, not to mention my sisters. We would need to be extremely convincing.

"Fine, but untie me," I insisted. "It's not a good look to have your intended mate tied up."

He approached, his large frame towering over me. "I think it's an excellent look." He loosened the belt until it came free.

My face heated, but I ignored it and stood.

We had much to plan before tomorrow.