Chapter 21

Nikolai

Nikolai stared after Noora’s retreating form, Lulva turning her head back to look at him a few times, her young face distorted into sadness.

“Follow them,“ he told Raphael. His guard usually did not hesitate to follow his orders but at that moment he stayed where he was.

“May I offer some advice, Your Majesty?”

“No, you may not,” Nikolai snapped, turning to look at him. “You are to follow my orders. My orders only, Raphael.”

Raphael straightened at the words, his gaze narrowing slightly at the king. “The last thing Noora needs is for me to follow her, she has the right to leave if she wants to.”

“She was the one to throw her name into the cup, she decided to take part in the tournament. This is not something to do for fun, it is a contract she has signed with her name.”

“Well, maybe it would be easier for her to hold onto the contract, without you condescending her and treating her the way you do.”

Nikolai raised his chin, staring his guard down. Raphael was far more built than he was, still, he had a few more inches on him and sometimes it was not muscles a person needed to be authoritative. Because even if Raphael could decapitate their worst enemies, Nikolai was the one with the real power. A power that people would bow under.

“And how am I treating her? I brought her the girl, she has a place to stay, which is surely better than an orphanage that punishes the girls it is supposed to protect. What more does she want?”

“Respect. Your thanks—“

“Thanks for what? She knows Spike is not dangerous, look at him.” Nikolai gestured to the wolf which has now lay down, his snout propped on his front paws, his eye widened to the size of saucers.

Raphael stepped in front of the king, blocking his view of the perfectly calm animal.

“Noora is a girl who had to endure more than we can imagine, or else she would not be alarmed by any threat, no matter how small it seems. I guessed you would especially understand how it feels to always be on your guard.” He raised an eyebrow and Nikolai loathed him for his condescending tone. Or maybe for the fact that he could be right.

His fingers twitched as he tried to compose himself, drowning the upcoming memories that dared to flood his mind.

“She has disrespected me in every way she could. I accommodated her to her wishes and she still acts like all of this is a game she can get out of. I did not build an entire arena for the tournament and came up with the concept for fun.”

“And does she know that?” Raphael quipped.

Nikolai remained silent.

His jaw ticked for a few moments but Raphael already knew he won.

“This is all your fault, you know that?” Nikolai told the wolf, who now tipped his head to the side, feigning confusion.

Whatever it was the king saw in the animal’s gaze, it made him think that the jump and act of being dangerous was a deliberate move of the animal. Which was ridiculous. Animals did not understand humans and they especially did not have the cunning, to come up with deliberate plans.

“Kai.” A hand landed on his shoulder.

Nikolai flinched but still turned his head, to look at his guard. “Stop blaming the wolf and own up to your mistakes. Go pick her up and escort her to the participants’ dinner.”

“She is leaving, Raphael, I cannot convince her to stay a second time.”

Raphael rolled his eyes at his dramatics. “I watched you convince kingdoms to forge an alliance with barely any benefits for their own, so I don’t think you will struggle.”

Nikolai hesitated. He was used to create contracts with countries he saw an advantage in, he planned wars, and held correspondences with lords and other kings but how was he supposed to convince a girl?

As if on instinct, his thumb swept over the jade ring on his pinky. He sighed. “And how do I start?”

“With an apology.”

His head snapped up to look at his guard. “No way. I am a king. I have done nothing wrong, so therefore I have nothing to apologise for.”

“Kai,” Raphael pressed, “a king who does not own up to his failures is no true king.”

Nikolai’s father had never apologised, he would not let anyone question him and his choices. If he saw the way Nikolai allowed Raphael, a mere palace guard, talk to him that way, he would make him regret his choice.

Without a word, he turned towards the stairs leading into the palace halls. With a sign of his hands, he ordered Spike to stay where he was. The wolf let out an unsatisfied growl but remained where he was. If Nikolai was to do this, he needed to avoid any factor that could lead to further disaster.

“Your Majesty,” Raphael called after him and Nikolai could hear the smirk in his voice. “Maybe try to smile once in a while, Noora would appreciate that.”

“Make sure Spike does not disturb anyone,“ he called back, ignoring his former advice.

“I saw her in the training room, she was amazing, Kai.”

His gaze shot down,a scolding look on his face. “Did you spy on the participants? I thought I placed guards in the room at all times?”

Josephine blushed under his authoritative gaze and tried to hide in her collar but he knew better. As her brother, he was excellent at detecting all her lies. “How?”

“I climbed through mother’s chimney, it led me through hideaway passages that ended up in the dungeons and I saw Noora fight against the witch hunter, it was so amazing!”

Nikolai shook his head, not surprised but he was still amazed by his younger sister and her skill to get in trouble.

“If Mother finds out about this, she will be raging.”

“That is why she won’t find out.” Josephine flashed an innocent smile at him and if he’d be stern he would probably scold her for being reckless. But if he was being honest he would still let her do it and advise her not to get caught. His sister was one of the few people in his life he let get away with far too much.

Metal sconces, filled with flickering candles, lit their way across the hall and when the familiar door on the left side came into view he was reminded of his initial task.

“Do you know what you have to do?” he asked his sister, who raised a pale blonde brow. “I am eleven, Kai, not stupid.”

He glared at her and she sighed. “Yes, I know what I’m supposed to do. Now get it over with you coward.” She motioned toward the closed door.

He was being mocked by an eleven-year-old. Lately, everyone seemed to treat him like a child,rather than a ruler of a kingdom.

With a quick inhale, he raised his gloved hand and gave a short rap against the door. Straining his ears, he heard some shuffling inside the chamber but no one bothered to open the door.

He knocked again. This time a bit more forceful.

“Piss off!” Came the answer from inside. Josephine chuckled beside him but he found nothing amusing about the situation.

“Would you mind opening the door and repeating that sentiment?” he called back. Quicker than he thought, the door swung open, Noora glared at him, her cheeks flushed and Nikolai blinked at her for a moment.

“ Piss. off ,” she repeated before moving to slam the door at him.

Nikolai though was quicker and wedged his boot between the door. Partially blocking his sister from her view, she was to come into play a little later.

“What are you doing? Remove your foot, now, ” she growled as she tried desperately to close the door on him.

“What? You are allowed to tell me to piss off and I don’t even get the chance to retaliate?” he scolded her but his voice remained friendly.

“I don’t give a damn about your chances, princeling.”

“Actually I am the king.” He straightened slightly and she stared past him, slightly leaning outside the doorframe. The movement made her white hair brush his cheek and carry a whiff of her forest scent across him.

“King, I see no king here.“ She leaned back again to stare at him. “The only thing I see is a prince made out of ice, trying to fit a crown that is far too large for him.”

His hands clenched into fists as a small giggle escaped from behind him. Alarmed, Noora tried to spy past him but after a second Josephine ducked under his arm to reveal herself.

“That was funny, I have to admit.”

Before Noora could comprehend what was happening, his sister slipped past her into the room. So much for his plan.

“Do you have child servants now?”

Josephine cleared her throat, mock offended, “Excuse me, I am his sister, nothing less.”

She stretched her hand out to Lulva, who was sitting on the bed inside the room. “Princess Josephine-Luise Gyldenlove, a pleasure to meet you.”

With a hesitant look in her eyes, Lulva accepted the handshake.

“Your sister?” Noora turned back to look at him. “Indeed.”

Her eyes flit between him and his younger sister, probably to make out the similarities between the two. Once satisfied with whatever opinion she came up in her mind, she turned back to him.

“Why are you here?”

“To escort you to dinner.” That came out snappier than he intended to. He cleared his throat, trying to straighten his already ramrod straight back. “I mean, I am here to ask you if you would mind me escorting you to the participants’ dinner.”

“Yes, I would mind,“ she bit back. “You can pack up your posh manners and nice clothes and stop the pretending, princeling, Lulva and I are leaving.”

Anger bubbled up inside him and before he could stop himself, he took a step forward. Something flickered in her eyes as if she realised that he towered over her and could pose a potential threat.

“Did you plan that all along? Tricking me into thinking that once Lulva was here you would participate butyou just wanted her out so you could leave the kingdom with her?”

Instead of honing herself and detecting his pissed-off tone, Noora took a step forward, making her chest brush his upper ribs. “The only one deceiving is you, Kai.”

Josephine’s head whipped around at Noora using his name. Nikolai could sense that she would ask him about it at a later time.

His sister cleared her throat, making Noora blink and take a few steps away from him.

“Sadly, you are leaving already, Noora, I have a few books I would love to show Lulva, is it not possible for you to stay just till the evening?”

Nikolai watched his sister use the face she usually pulled on their mother, widening her ocean-coloured eyes, and turning down the sides of her mouth.

“You would not want to leave without having eaten, do you? I could show Lulva my room and you could attend dinner with my brother. I know it is rather easy not to like him but once he warms up to you, he is tolerable.”

Nikolai glared at his sister. That did not sound helpful in his ears.

Noora worried her bottom lip for a moment, her eyes flickering over to Lulva. The latter’s eyes flickered darkly, her cheeks flushed in excitement and even Nikolai could see the hope spark inside her. She desperately wanted to stay.

Something hollow inside his chest howled at the look on her face. How bad did they have it for her to be anguished to stay?

Noora sighed. “Fine. Let’s go.” She turned and motioned for him to go. Nikolai hesitated.

“Don’t you want to change first?” he suggested.

They both looked down at her clothing. She was wearing the leather suit Tyra preferred to wear while fighting. She told him once with it being so tight, it never got in her way like dresses or loose blouses did and while he agreed with his sister on that topic when she was wearing it, he had rather a different opinion when seeing it clinging to Noora’s body.

“What is wrong with my clothes?” She narrowed her gaze at him, catching his eyes flickering quickly up to her face. He couldn’t stop his cheeks from flushing, though he made sure his voice was steady. “Nothing. Let’s go.” With that he turned and strode down the hall, completely ignoring his manners of letting her walk before him.