3. Dagmara

Dagmara jolted awake in the infirmary. Her breathing was rapid, and blood pulsed at her temples.

“It’s alright,” the nurse attempted to calm her. “You’re safe.”

Dagmara took her time examining the room, ensuring her own safety, before settling on the cot. Now that she was out of danger, she could feel the pain burning from the slice across her collarbone. A headache pounded at her skull, and the light was far too bright.

The nurse had stripped Dagmara’s cloak and removed her corset, leaving her upper body in a thin chemise. She had withdrawn her one arm from the sleeve, letting the top of the chemise hang from one shoulder to under her other armpit, so it would be easier to wrap the wound. The white fabric was stained a dark crimson.

Nausea erupted in Dagmara’s stomach at the sight of the slash across her shoulder, and she turned away.

The nurse was nearly finished cleaning the cut. “It isn’t too deep, milady, but it will leave a scar,” the nurse stated.

When the nurse poured cleansing alcohol onto the wound, Dagmara winced and clutched the edge of the cot. Dagmara cursed under her breath, trying to steady her voice. She didn’t know the nurse’s name, and only uttered, “Thank you.”

“There, not too bad,” the nurse said, setting down the rag and alcohol next to a bowl of clean water. She picked up a bandage. “Let me wrap it before attending to your eye.”

The curtain to the private area flew open, sending a rush of air inside. At the sight of the prince, Dagmara instantly grabbed the top of her chemise, pulling it higher on her chest to cover the gash. She shot upright, moving too quickly, and grimaced as stars danced in her vision.

“Your Highness!” The nurse curtsied low to the ground.

Dagmara’s mouth remained shut.

The prince’s silver hair was tousled on his head, and his oversized white shirt revealed the top of his chest. His eyes were illuminated, and shadows were cast on his sharp jawline. He was young, barely three years older than Dagmara.

“Rise,” Prince Aleksy said to the nurse before giving his attention to Dagmara. “What happened?”

When the prince’s eyes were on Dagmara, it was like nothing else existed. His full attention was on her and only her.

“What are you doing here?” Dagmara answered his question with another.

“The knights informed me they took you to the infirmary. They said you were unconscious.”

“They informed you?”

“They always inform me of your return.”

“They don’t inform your father.”

“Because he never asked them to. I did.”

Dagmara’s face paled. That was new information.

“So?” Aleksy prompted.

“It was nothing,” Dagmara replied, her words slow and drawn out, her chin lowering slightly.

Aleksy knew her well, and that meant she didn’t want to discuss anything in front of the nurse. He read her thoughts and said, “I can take it from here,” before crossing to the nurse and taking the bandage from her.

“Your Highness…”

“I assure you, the patient is in good hands with me.” The prince gave her a soft smile that would convince someone of anything.

The nurse gave a hesitant nod before making a swift exit.

Aleksy stepped closer to Dagmara, and her face flushed. She had grown up with Aleksy, moving to the castle when her mother was hired as King Bogdan’s assassin. She acknowledged that he had grown more attractive as he aged. However, ever since he acquired his gift, he had been pulled more into the inner court, and they hadn’t crossed paths as often. When they did get a moment to see each other, there was far more tension.

Aleksy reached for the bowl of water on the side table, and a blue magic sparkled at his fingertips. The misty water swirled around his hand as he raised his fingers to her.

“I don’t want you to heal it,” Dagmara said. Healing open wounds and minor injuries was simple magic for Guardians of Life, but she needed the scar as a reminder. She wanted to feel the pain for much longer—it was the price she would pay for taking the Ilusaurian’s life when she didn’t have to.

Aleksy’s eyes stopped glowing ice-blue, and the dusting of water evaporated. He inclined his head, about to argue, but he must have thought better of it. “Then let me help you without magic.” His fingertips grazed the back of her palm, and he guided her hand down so he could see the laceration across her shoulder.

Aleksy’s voice was sensitive. “Tell me what happened.”

Dagmara kept her hand at the top of the chemise, making sure it didn’t drop too low. She was already acutely aware of how revealing she was.

“You can’t tell your father,” she said.

“I won’t.”

“There was a complication.”

Aleksy let out a soft laugh. “I gathered that much.” He began to wrap the bandage around her shoulder, safely covering the gash. Yet every time she spoke, he made sure to maintain eye contact.

“Someone saw me. I don’t know how...” Dagmara muttered. “Then I just thought about how my mother was caught, and I reacted.”

“You won’t die like your mother did,” Aleksy said.

“I’m not afraid of death. I’m afraid of being tortured and leaving my brother to fend for himself.”

“Teos is stronger than you think,” Aleksy said. “In fact, he has no mercy when it comes to cards.”

Dagmara’s laugh was soft as she thought about her brother Teos.

The prince smiled.

“Maybe…it’s because of your condition?”

“What?” Dagmara jerked back.

“I-I’m just wondering…if it’s getting worse,” Aleksy said.

“Other people have it worse than me.”

“Most people aren’t assassins. Maybe we need to find you a new…occupation.”

“You don’t think I can do this?”

“I worry about you,” he admitted. “What if you got into a chase? You can’t outrun them.”

“I have other solutions.”

“Potions and smoke bombs won’t work forever.”

“They aren’t just any potions.”

“Maybe it’s time to tell my dad—”

“No!” Dagmara snapped. “I’m not having this conversation with you again.”

The prince hesitated, but then nodded.

Aleksy tied off the end of the bandage. She watched as he reached for the water bowl, letting his hand hover over the liquid. First, his eyes shifted to a light blue hue, so vibrant it only could have been magic. Then a small amount of water rose from the bowl, levitating in the air underneath Aleksy’s palm. It began to mold into a cube, transforming into ice. Then the prince grabbed the ice from the air and wrapped it in a thin cloth.

He didn’t think twice before he separated Dagmara’s knees with his hand, letting himself step even closer to her. Dagmara’s breath hitched in her throat as he stepped between her legs before he raised the ice to her face, and his eyes returned to their normal color.

When the ice touched Dagmara’s cheek, a rippling pain pulsed through her temple. She winced but bit her lip to fight the pain.

“Sorry,” Aleksy said. He was so close, she could smell the mint on his breath.

“It’s fine,” Dagmara breathed.

“Are they dead?”

She knew he was referring to Sabien. She gave the prince a small nod.

“Who were they?”

“Some Ilusaurian.”

Aleksy’s brow furrowed. “Here? Why?”

“Supposedly he was here for the coronation.”

“We didn’t extend an invitation to Ilusauri.”

“I know,” Dagmara replied.

“Was he a nobleman? Or from King Claude’s court?”

“I hope neither.”

“As long as he wasn’t the king, it will be alright.”

“Maybe the world would benefit from the Mad King’s death.”

Aleksy grinned. “It would, but we’re trying to avoid going to war with Ilusauri.”

Aleksy dropped the ice cube back in the water bowl and let the rag drop to the cot. He then ran two fingers through the poultice that the nurse had made before touching the ointment to Dagmara’s cheek. His caress was soft.

“Thank you, doctor,” Dagmara said.

Aleksy’s cheeks reddened. He cleared his throat. “You’ll definitely have a bruise for the next few days.”

“How noticeable is it?”

“It’s…uh…it’s pretty ugly…I won’t lie.”

She exhaled sharply.

“But you’re still beautiful.”

Her face flushed, and all of the sudden it felt like there wasn’t much air in the room. She couldn’t even manage a ‘thank you.’

Aleksy cleared his throat once more. He wiped off his hands on a clean rag before picking up her cloak, holding it up for her to put on. “I’ll walk you back to your suite.”

They were silent as the prince escorted her back to her chambers. She could feel the tension rising between them with every step, and her heart pounded against her chest. Sure, she had flirted with him for fun on multiple occasions, but she never thought he would reciprocate the feelings. Was she imagining it? It was the middle of the night. Her exhaustion could have been clouding her judgment.

Maybe Aleksy’s judgment was also clouded because of the coronation tomorrow. Certainly, he had to be nervous that Magdalena was receiving her gift, knowing he would have to face off against his sister soon in the trials to see what sibling kept the magic.

When Aleksy and Dagmara arrived at her suite, her hand lingered on the doorknob.

“Thank you, for tonight,” she said. “I didn’t know that you ordered the knights to inform you of my return.”

Aleksy shifted his weight, taking time to search for the right words. “I can’t really sleep on the nights when you have a mission. Knowing you arrive back safely puts me at ease.”

“Oh.” It was a terrible, stupid response. However, she couldn’t quite think clearly with her nerves erupting inside. His gaze was intense. She bit the inside of her cheek, restraining herself from ruining the moment by saying something she regretted.

To her relief, he continued. “I…worry about you sometimes.” He corrected himself. “Often, actually.” His face was getting redder. “But maybe that’s just me.”

“It’s not just you,” Dagmara blurted out. Her breath was shallow and the air around her began to thin. It was now or never. They had eyes for each other for a long time, but neither had acted on their attraction for one another. That was what was going on, right? Dagmara suddenly feared she was misreading the prince.

He took a step closer.

She shifted forward, nodding, telling him exactly what she wanted with only her eyes.

The prince swooped his arm behind her back, pulling him against her chest. He cupped the back of her head with his palm, pressing his lips to hers.

She felt like her entire body was on fire. The pain in her shoulder and face no longer mattered. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer and feeling his body against hers. Her heart rate intensified, and it didn’t have anything to do with her health.

Footsteps down the hall made Dagmara pull away from him. “Someone’s coming.”

His forehead was against hers, and he only wrapped his arm tighter. “I don’t care.”

Dagmara laughed, and he cut her off as he kissed her once more. Between kisses, she said, “You don’t mean that, trust me.”

“You make me forget I’m a prince.”

The footsteps echoed in the corridor, signifying that they were getting closer.

Dagmara pulled her lips away, despite wanting more. “We can’t get caught the night before the coronation. Come inside.”

Aleksy watched her carefully. “Are you sure?”

“If you’d rather leave…”

“I’d rather not.”

He pressed his mouth to hers once more, deepening the kiss. He reached behind her back, opening the door to her drawing room. Her bedroom was only one door away. He supported her around the waist as he gracefully led her backward into the room. They didn’t stop kissing for one moment. He kicked the door shut with his boot before pressing her against the wall. She arched into his embrace as he swept his tongue into her mouth.

The sound of someone clearing their throat loudly snapped Dagmara out of the trance.

She jerked away from Aleksy, gasping for breath. Her eyes immediately found her fifteen-year-old brother seated at the desk, holding cards in both hands.

“Teos!” Dagmara’s blood turned to ice.

Aleksy ran his thumb against his lips, turning his back to Teos in embarrassment. His hand was propped against the wall next to Dagmara’s head, and he leaned his forehead into his bicep.

Dagmara slithered out from underneath Aleksy. “What are you doing here?”

“This is my suite too,” Teos said.

“I mean—what are you doing up?” She gestured toward the door to his bedroom on the opposite end of the room.

Teos let the cards flop onto the pile between his hands. He leaned closer, propping his elbows on the table. “What are you two doing up? I thought you were working tonight.” He raised his eyebrows and tried to repress his smile, but two dimples formed on his cheeks.

“It’s…” Dagmara’s voice ran dry. She didn’t want to say it was nothing. She didn’t know what it was.

Teos tilted his head, his blonde hair flopping on his head. “You know I can see you, Aleksy?”

Aleksy let out a breath, turning around to face Teos. His cheeks were bright red, and he scratched the back of his neck as he tried to think of an excuse. “I…wasn’t thinking you’d be awake.”

“Clearly,” Teos laughed. “You didn’t have time for a card game tonight with me, but you have time to make-out with my sister?”

Dagmara’s face paled. “Teos!”

“No, no,” Aleksy held out his hand to prevent her from rushing forward. “You’re right, I’ll make it up to you tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow is the coronation,” Teos reminded the prince. He picked up a card and began to flip it between his fingers. “By the way, does Magda know about this?”

Dagmara glanced in Aleksy’s direction. No, Aleksy’s sister and Dagmara’s best friend didn’t know about this. Dagmara hadn’t even known about this until a minute ago. Her heart still pounded loudly against her chest, and she wanted to kiss him once more. Would they return to being cordial with one another tomorrow morning? Aleksy didn’t break eye contact, no doubt wondering the same thing.

“I’ll take that as a no…” Teos said, extending the last word. “Is this a one-night thing? Or should I find somewhere else to spend my evenings because three doors away is not nearly enough space between my bedroom and yours.”

Mortified, Dagmara held her face in her palms. “I’m sorry,” she muttered under her breath to Aleksy.

“No, I’m sorry,” Aleksy replied. “I should go.”

He opened the door and began to exit, but stopped at the threshold. “Teos,” he said over his shoulder, “How about I sneak away during the coronation for a card game? It’ll be our secret.”

Teos nodded, a knowing expression in his eyes. “I’m good with secrets. Don’t think I’ll go easy on you though.” He pointed the card at the prince.

Aleksy smiled. “Of course not.” He then met Dagmara’s gaze. “I’ll…see you at our meeting in the morning.”

She nodded.

Then the prince left, closing the door behind him.

“This was not my fault,” Teos said.

“I know,” Dagmara groaned. She crossed to the chaise and plopped down, her mind running wild. She propped her feet up, letting some of her blood return to her head. Now that she was resting, her body began to settle. She remembered Aleksy’s lips against hers and couldn’t help but smile. She grabbed the pillow on the couch and held it against her stomach, squeezing it tighter.

“You do remember he is the prince, right?” Teos asked.

She forced the smile off her face. “Yes. Maybe it’s best that it stopped.”

“How long has this been a thing?”

“Just tonight,” she replied.

“Please. You two have been flirting with each other since before you knew what flirting was.”

“How would you know?” Dagmara asked.

“Because I’m not an idiot.” Teos eyed his sister, shuffling the cards in his grasp. “What happened to your face?”

She had nearly forgotten. “Someone punched me.”

“Ouch. I’d hate to see the other guy.”

She scoffed. “You won’t.”

“And Aleksy still thought you were attractive enough to kiss?”

“Oh, shut up!” She threw the pillow in his direction. He braced himself with his forearms, and it pitifully bounced off his shoulder before flopping onto the ground.

He cackled. “Well, I’ve had enough excitement for one night, I think it’s time for bed.” He grabbed his single crutch, propping it under his shoulder as he rose to his feet.

“Oh, now you go to bed?”

“Goodnight, sis,” he called over his shoulder in a melodic tone. Then he headed toward his bedroom, utilizing the crutch for support.

He had been in an accident the month after their mother died, and the bones never healed correctly. His knee and ankle were still not aligned, and he would never be able to walk properly again.

It was part of the reason Dagmara was committed to staying an assassin. If she and Teos hadn’t been living at the fortress, Teos would not have received the advanced medical care and could have lost his left leg entirely. Being an assassin and living at the fortress was the better alternative, especially with the raging disease sweeping the countryside.

“Wait, Teos,” Dagmara called.

Her brother paused.

“Your jasny concoction—the light explosion—saved my life tonight.”

A smile creased his face, revealing two dimples. “Told you it was amazing.” Then he proceeded to his room.

Dagmara remained on the couch for a moment longer, even after Teos had shut the door behind him. She didn’t have the energy left to make it to her bed, even though it was only a room away. Every ounce of her body burned with exhaustion, and she would pay for it tomorrow. But she had to keep going for Teos. She had killed Sabien for her brother. All this work as an assassin was to give her and Teos a better life.

She simply prayed Sabien wasn’t an Ilusaurian nobleman.

Also…what would she tell Magda about the prince?