The Stolen Prince (Blood for Blood Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page B

her face. Then hope. Then relief.
    “You really must hide those emotions, Kara.”
    “I understand. By Air, if it’s true, Mother, this can be good for us. King Darr will have a hold on the kingdom only if I have a child, yet he will stay in the war if his kingdom is threatened.”
    Sabola hid her frown. Was that the only reason King Darr had committed himself to the fight? The coastal kingdoms were still a ways beyond the mountains. If he didn’t have a hold on Atmen, would he drop out of the war?
    Kara sighed. “And then I wouldn’t have to get married.”
    Sabola laughed, letting her emotions loosen around her daughter. “You must play the part, Kara. I have kept you hidden, and I did not keep up your training of etiquette, as I should have. You must forgive your foolish parents for that.” Sabola stood, facing her daughter directly. “Make a game of it tonight. Be respectful and act engaged. Do not speak, but act demure. That is the proper place for a woman.”
    “My Breath, that sounds awful. I’ll choke to death on the words I might say.”
    “Chew first, then swallow,” Sabola said. She called to Sarita, who stood in the shadows. Kara helped put on Queen Sabola’s cape, and Sarita helped her to the door. “Let’s visit the keepers’ temple while we wait for the king and your prince.”
    “Please don’t call him my prince!”
    “Shush.”
    Azure was still waiting outside the door. He still didn’t smile. Kara wanted to call to him, ask him the question that burned in her mind, but instead she tried to follow her mother’s advice. Her face remained stoic.
    ***
    The temple was colder than the corridors. The keepers liked it that way for some reason. Kara gathered her cape around her and shivered. She watched her mother, who stood before the large scrolls and tapestries hanging on the wall. They were covered in writing and beautiful paintings—all written and drawn by truthsingers. Kara thought how serene the queen looked in her white cloak, her hand resting on her belly. She wasn’t quite large enough to show she was pregnant, but Kara thought it was quite obvious considering how much her mother loved to keep her hand on her belly. Like she was protecting it.
    In a way, she was. The king had insisted her pregnancy be kept a secret, just like all the others that had come before. Kara wondered if she would soon have a secret little brother.
    “Princess?” Sarita asked behind her.
    “Yes?”
    “May I ask your leave for a few minutes while I check on the kitchens?”
    “Of course,” Kara said with the wave of a hand. She had the sudden urge to join Sarita in the kitchens, steal a few plums, and then go climbing in the mountains. The stiffness of her dress reminded her that wasn’t possible.
    She watched Sarita as she left, envious of her freedom, and noticed that Azure was glaring after Sarita. Kara walked to Azure. “Something wrong, Azure?”
    “No, Princess. But Sarita shouldn’t leave your company.”
    “She just went off to the kitchens.” Kara looked at Azure, knowing his eyes and his expressions. “You don’t trust her? It’s Sarita!”
    Azure’s face was stone. “I don’t trust much of my kind.”
    Kara laughed. “You sound like a Terra, thinking all Su are traitors.”
    “Kara.” The queen called to her.
    Kara turned away from Azure and joined the queen beside the tapestries. The queen was frowning. I’m not supposed to be conversing with the guards . Kara nodded, understanding the lesson her mother told with her eyes. They both turned to the paintings. A few keepers wandered past, nodding and slightly bowing to the queen.
    “This is very old,” her mother said, pointing to a painting. “It tells the story of the future, that one day we’ll discover the bond that allows men to zip and vanish through space, cutting distances with their sight, and adding years to their lives.”
    Kara regarded the tapestry. She hadn’t really looked at this one before—hadn’t even