Silence filled the room. Everyone was watg me. It was as if I was a stranger who’d magically appeared in front of them. Nervously I sheathed the sword, defensively curling my tail.

  “The saint has been reborn,” The Exalted announced reverently, breaking the silence. “I ot put into words how delighted I am to be alive to see your rebirth, Lady ne. Or, should I refer to you as Lady Rochelle now?”

  ?Please tinue using my name. I am still ne.?

  “Of course, Lady ne. Now that you’ve been ized I will begin making pns at oo announce your rebirth to the world.”

  “If I may,” Prince Edmond smiled, once again exposing his teeth to everyone present. “Your holiness, I would ask that you keep Lady ne a secret for now. Given all that we’ve discussed, I fear her life would be endangered.”

  “Something so sacred as the birth and discovery of the reborn saint ot be kept from the faithful Prince Edmond. You, as a desdant of Saint Katina must know how important this is. Not just to the people of this kingdom, but to the whole world.”

  “Five me, Yhness,” Azmoria’s voice shook. I’d seen many sides of the redheaded knight in our time together, but I’d never seen her so nervous. Her ondomitable—and scary—aura, had evaporated. She seemed more like a nervous child than a powerful knight.

  “Yes, Captain Azmoria?”

  “We did not keep our discovery of Lady ne a secret withitalion. I don’t believe it will be possible to hide her.”

  “Then we say she failed ization,” Prince Edmond annouo the room while keeping his eyes on me. “Captain Azmoria falsely identified a mere birthmark as the saint’s lotusmark. The wolfkin girl she brought before the Exalted could not draw Rochelle’s sword from its scabbard. For abandoning her mission to pursue vain glory she’ll be stripped of her rank.”

  “Yhness?!”

  “Prince Edmond, you ot punish the one responsible fing the saint to us safely.” The Exalted sighed and colpsed in his chair. “I ot deny that there is valid reason to fear for her safety, but, you need not protect her under false pretense. Even if we have taken the kingdom’s name, Nakara’s church has existed since before the birth of the first king. We have the resources to protect Saint ne as she develops the prao her by the gods.”

  “While Azmoria will be punished officially, unofficially I will simply be assigning her new duties. She will apany our new saint as her official bodyguard. As a knight devout enough the lotusmark on sight, I believe this will be ample reward. What say you, Azmoria?”

  “I will perform whatever task you ask of me, Yhness.”

  “There will be no need for you to assign the saint a bodyguard. As I said before, the church is more than capable of proteg her. You should rally those loyal to you to your own side. Your own life is in far more dahan Lady ne’s is.”

  “Exalted, now is not the time to be weakening our forces. My Elder Brother will e for Lady ne. She will either be forced to be his queen, or he will try to have her eliminated. Even if the church’s temprs repel the full might of Nakara’s legions, you will suffer a great loss. If that happens, when the barbarian armies of Okyiri march upon our nds, it won’t just be Nakara that falls.”

  My head spinning, I colpsed into a sofa. There was little I could say as Prince Edmond and the Exalted debated my future. There was so much I didn’t know. Would politics soon bee a normal part of my life? I was already woefully unqualified to be the saint. I knew noting of magid I had little experieh a sword. I couldn’t help but feel inpetent.

  “The people of Okyiri worship the same gods we do. They will not harm harm i faithful.”

  “The people of Okyiri vee Yino above all others. Yino, who I might add is the one god which the scripture states specifically abhors the saint. Even if they spare nonbatants, they will not allow Lady o live.”

  “The Goddess of Winter does not despise the saint, Prince Edmond. The scripture simply states that she disagreed with her mother’s decision to grant a mortal the gift of reination.”

  “Without an oracle to share her true opinions oter, the people of Okyiri will stretch the meaning of her disagreement. Saint ne will be killed and her body paraded through the streets.”

  “We will begin taking measures against such a possibility immediately. Hiding the saint is not something I’m willing to pte.”

  “Even if if that is what she herself wants?!” Prince Edmond k in front of me. “Lady ne, I know we’ve only just met but I swear to you that I have your best is at heart. It is your choiake. Will you allow me to hide you for the time being? Or will you allow the church to announce you to the publiowing it will cause the deaths of many?”

  “Prince Edmond! You’re out of line!”

  My blood turned cold in my veins. This was beyond me, and now the future of thousands of people was riding on my decision. I didn’t eople to die. I wanted families to stay together. If it ossible I’d spare everyone from feeling the pain of losing those they held dear. Fear for my own safety did little to motivate me one way or another. But, imagining the loss of life if I stayed with the church—I couldn’t let that happen.

  ?I would like to go along with the prince’s suggestion.?

  Bir transted my decision to the room, despite Prince Edmond’s previous remark about it being unnecessary. She must have thought su important decision o be put into words. That or she wao punctuate it for the Exalted. To make it abundantly clear which path forward I wished to take. As she spoke, Bir pced a hand on my khe warmth of her helped prevent my frigid ay from freezing me over pletely.

  Shaking his head the Exalted stood from his chair and made his way over to me. My back stiffened as I waited for yet another impassioned plea expining why my decision would lead to the deaths of thousands. Instead, he simply covered his heart with his hand and bowed.

  “I will abide by your decision, Lady ne. As much as I would love to announce you to the world, I would not wish to do so without your sent. Only our inisters will be told of your existeher than that, I will act acc to the prince’s pn.”

  “ you trust that no member of the cil will leak Saint ne’s existeo my brother?” Prince Edmond asked, narrowing his gaze at the Exalted.

  “I ot. However, we obilize the church for her be without their cooperation. While I trust you will do everything in your power to protect her, Prince Edmond, you are still only a prince. I will sleep better knowing ositiohe best of our forearby in the event they are needed.”

  “Very well. I appreciate your capitution on this issue, Exalted. I assure you, Saint ne will be well taken care of.”

  Prince Edmond and the Exalted tio discuss my future among themselves for a while. Ohey were done, Rochelle’s sword was ed in cloth, and given to Bir to wear on her belt. The Exalted didn’t want it baot that I would’ve parted with it willingly. Little time had passed since I’d seen her, and I already missed Rochelle.

  Once we were ready, Prince Edmond led me out of the office. As we walked, he soled me as if I’d failed. Prince Edmond loudly procimed it was the kingdom’s fault that I had been brought to the capital under false pretenses. Since my life had been disturbed by the fault of one of the kingdom’s knights, he promised he’d pensate me for all the trouble they’d caused.

  It hurt to see the faces of those around us defte. Even if it was all a lie for their prote, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I’d messed up again. Their expressions of disappoi brought back memories of the day my father paraded me through our vilge and threw me across the threshold between it and the wilds beyond. At the time he’d said I would never be amount to anything. Even if Prince Edmond was lying for my be, I couldn’t help but feel the same sour weight of worthlessness I’d felt on that day.

  Once we were outside the cathedral, Prince Edmond’s guards guided us into his carriage. They allowed Bir to remain at my side, but Azmoria was dismissed. Before she could bey personal guard she’d have to suffer the humiliation of being stripped of her rank. I wao apologize, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t say anything for fear of ruining the prince’s attempts to make it known my ization had ended in failure.

  “I hope you’ll five me for all I’ve said,” Prince Edmond asked with a toothy smile. “I couldn’t take any ces.”

  ?It’s okay.?

  Prince Edmond leaned forward, his eyes lingering unfortably on my body. “This may be a bit too forward, Lady ne, but if you wanted I’d be willing to take you as my wife. There are no women in my life currently, and it’d make it easier to protect you.”

  My breath caught in my throat. Why would a human prince want a wolfkin bride? Even if I was the saint, as long as we kept that a secret he’d be ridiculed. Worse, he knew nothing about me. rince Edmond really so vain? Had I misjudged him?

  Elise would’ve probably found Prince Edmond’s proposition funny. Since I’d failed to properly vey my love to her, she’d likely even suggest I accept. He had all the money and power o ensure I lived a fortable life of excess. But I couldn’t accept. My heart beloo Elise, and I’d buried it beside her.

  ?I refuse.? Bir grew noticeably unfortable as I turned down the prince’s offer. Thankfully she didn’t have to tra.

  “Is it because I’m human? I assure you I’ll care for you as you are. You’ll be my first and only wife. I’ll ake a sed, or allow a e in our bed.”

  ?I already love someone else,? I signed with trembling hands.

  “Well then, I guess I have no ce,” Prince Edmond ughed and sat ba his chair. “Five me. I didn’t mean to make you unfortable. Admittedly, I’ve never felt romantic love before, so perhaps I’ve been a bit crude. I was thinking only of the material bes of su arra. While we’re at it, there’s another matter I’ll o ask your fiveness on.”

  ?Yes??

  “To properly hide your identity I’ll be uo give you the honor you deserve. In my position I ot show defereo just anyone. I’ll have to call you ne from this moment forward. Is that okay?”

  I ruthfully having others refer to me as Lady ne made me unfortable. I’d believed it was something I’d just have to get used to. Being able to drop sualities was a relief. Even if it was only temporary.

  “We’ll be stopping to see a close ally of mine, Edna. She’s the tess of Marwood. She’s already expeg me. While we’re there, I pn to ask her to take you in.”

  ?Okay.?

  “I’ll tell her the truth about you. There isn’t a noble iire kingdom who I trust more. I promise you she won’t betray us. She fears what my brother will do when he asds to the throne just as much as I do. I won’t lie, here will likely e a day when we will o rely on your strength.”

  “Five me for speaking out of turn, Yhness,” Bir ched her fists in the fabric of her robe as she spoke up. “As a healer w for the sixth battalion, I’ve heard nothing about your flict with your brother. If I know nothing, then Lady ainly knows nothing as well. Would you mind enlightening her ouation? If she is to py a role in your plot, she deserves to know what’s happening.”

  “That is true,” Prince Edmond frowned. Looking out the window of the carriage, he sighed before turning bae. “I’ll tell you the whole story, from the beginning.

  “My elder brother, Owen and I are the sed and third born sons of King Loren. We were raised as potential successors, though our eldest brother Adam was the true heir. As long as Adam lived, her of us would i the throne. I was fih that, but Owen coveted power.

  “He killed Adam, and even attempted to frame me for the assassination. Thankfully, there wasn’t enough evideo tie me to the crime. In lieu of that, he’s worked hard to ostracize me. He’s even made a few attempts on my life, though hat I could successfully prove were his doing. Owen’s quite adept at c his tracks.

  “Now that he’s heir, I don’t know why he’s still antagoniziruthfully, it is only because of a failed attempt on my life that I learned definitively that Owen was responsible for Adam’s death. And Adam isn’t the only person he’s killed. Owen is willing to end the life of anyone who gets in the way of his agenda.

  “Which leads me to why I said ne’s life would be endangered if her existence were announow. Our aor, Nakara’s first king, was the son of Saint Katina. If o baeone else for the throhe nobility would fall in line behind her didate. Just the possibility of that happening is more than enough cause for Owen to sider her a threat worth eliminating.”

  ?How could the king allow this??

  “Evidence is everything. What I learned came from the mouth of a dying man. My father is a just man, he will not disi one of his sons without solid proof and I have nothing to present him. Attempting to force his hand would likely only be seen as me p for the position of successor.”

  Looking down at my p I tried to take ihing Prince Edmond said. In a way, we were simir. His older brother, Prince Owen, had decided he wasn’t worth keeping around and was attempting to kill him. Just like how my father cast me out, knowing that abandoning me would likely lead to my death. But Prince Edmond was fighting baot just for himself but his try, he was strohan me.

  Even after he cast me out, I couldn’t bring myself to want to hurt my father. Nor did I want to hurt my mother who’d gone from lovio being almost giddy to see me gohey betrayed me, yet, I couldn’t imagine raising my swainst them. Deep down I still craved their acceptance. I still wao be family.

  ?Were you and Adam close??

  “He was my hero,” Prince Edmond replied with a somber smile. “The day he died was the worst day of my life.”

  eri