Morgan Rice - Rogue, Prisoner, Princess

“We said we wouldn’t talk about that,” the guard said, with a worried look.

“And what about you, Varo?” Berin continued, pressing his point home before the other could decide to throw him out. “Did I say that it was ‘tricky’ when you wanted a sword that would actually fit your hand, rather than army issue?”

“Well…”

Berin didn’t stop. The important thing was to push forward past their objections. No, the important thing was to see his daughter.

“How many times has my work saved your lives?” he demanded. “Varo, you told me the story of that bandit chief your unit went after. Whose sword did you use to kill him?”

“Yours,” Varo admitted.

“And Caxus, when you wanted all that filigree work on your greaves to impress that girl you married, who did you go to?”

“You,” Caxus said. Berin could see him pondering.

“And that’s before we get to the days when I was following you all around on campaign,” Berin said. “What about – ”

Caxus raised a hand. “All right, all right. You’ve made your point. Your daughter’s room is further up. We’ll show you the way. But if anyone asks, we’re just escorting you out of the building.”

Berin doubted anyone would ask, but that didn’t matter right then. Only one thing did. He was going to see his daughter. He followed the two along the castle’s corridors, finally coming to a door that was barred and locked from the outside. Since the key sat in the lock, he turned it.

Berin’s heart nearly burst at his first sight of his daughter for months. She lay in bed, groaning as she came to, and looking at him with bleary eyes.

“Father?”

“Ceres!” Berin ran to her, throwing his arms around her and crushing her tight to him. “It’s okay. I’m here.”

He wanted to hold her tightly and never let her go right then, but he heard Ceres’s gasp of pain as he hugged her, and he pulled back hurriedly.

“What’s wrong?” Berin asked.

“No, it’s all right,” Ceres said. “I’m fine.”

“You’re not fine,” Berin said. His daughter had always been so strong, so if she was in pain, it had to be bad. Berin never wanted to see his daughter hurt like that. “Let me look.”

Ceres let him, and Berin winced at what he saw. Tightly stitched wounds ran in parallel lines across his daughter’s back.

“How did you get in here?” Ceres asked while he did it. “How did you even find me?”

“I still have some friends,” her father said. “And I wasn’t going to give up without finding you.”

Ceres turned to him, and Berin could see the love there in her eyes. “I’m glad you’re here.”

“So am I,” Berin said. “I should never have left you with your mother.”

Ceres reached out to take his hand, and Berin had forgotten quite how much he missed his daughter until then. “You’re here now.”

“I am,” Berin said. He took another look at her back. “They haven’t cleaned it properly. Here, let me find something to help.”

It was hard having to leave even for that short time. Varo and Caxus were still outside, and it didn’t take much to get them to bring food and water. Maybe they saw the look on his face when it came to things that involved Ceres’s well-being.

He passed her the bowl of food, and the speed with which Ceres devoured it told Berin everything he needed to know about how they’d been treating her here. He took the bowl of water, using it to clean out the wounds she’d gotten from her fight.

Ceres nodded. “I’m a lot better than I was.”

“Then I don’t want to think about how bad it was,” Berin said.

He couldn’t keep the guilt from washing up over him. If he hadn’t gone, then his children would never have gone through any of this.

“I’m sorry, I should have been here.”

“It might not have changed anything,” Ceres said, and Berin could tell that she was trying to reassure him. “The rebellion would still have happened. I might still have fought in the Stade.”

“Maybe.” Berin didn’t want to believe it. He knew Ceres had always had an attraction to the danger of the Stade, but that didn’t mean she would have fought there. She might have been safe. “I could have protected you and your brothers.”

Ceres took his hand again. “I think there are some things even you can’t protect us from.”

Berin smiled. “Do you remember when you were little? You used to think I was the strongest man in the world, and I could protect you from anything?”

Ceres smiled back. “Now I have to protect myself, and I’m strong enough to do it.”

There was a part of Berin that was happy it was true, but he still wanted to be there for his daughter. “Either way, it’s over. We’ll get you out of here.”

Berin thought about the guards. Exactly how much did they owe him? Exactly how much would they help before they decided it was easier to take him into custody?

“I’ll find a way,” Berin promised.

Ceres shook her head quickly. “No. I’m not running away.”

“I know you’re worried about being caught,” Berin said, covering her hand with his, “but I think I have enough friends in the castle to get us both out. We could join the rebellion.”

“It’s not about that,” Ceres said. “This is my path. I’m here to fight. I’m meant to fight.”

He stared back, stunned.

“You want to stay here?” That was hard to believe, especially when it had taken so much to find her. It had felt obvious that if he could only get inside, he could have his family back. “I thought you’d want to go. That we could find Sartes together, and everything would be all right.”

“Everything will be all right,” Ceres promised him. “And you should go to find Sartes. Get him safe.”

She stood and dressed in her training clothes. For a moment, Berin thought that she might come with him after all, but she showed no sign of doing so.

“What are you doing?” he asked. “If you’re not coming with me, you should rest.”

“I can’t,” Ceres said. She turned back toward him, determination set on her face. “I’m going to train. They want to kill me, but I’m not going to let them. I’m not going to give up, and I’m not going to give them the satisfaction of seeing me run away.”

Berin swallowed at the strength there in his daughter. Even so, he didn’t want to just leave her. “I could come with you. I could help you.”

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