Free Ruined by Amy Tintera

Highness” or “Princess of Lera.” She cringed inwardly every time.
    The queen said she was going to start training Em in her “royal duties,” though for the last two days Em had been mostly alone, memorizing the castle grounds and searching for weaknesses. She ate meals by herself, since the king and queen had mostly disappeared after Cas’s stabbing. They were probably dealing with that hunter who had decided to kill the royal family instead of the Ruined.
    Cas never sent for her, so she didn’t visit him. The guards reported that he was healing well. Em was glad for the break from him. Since he didn’t expect her to join him in his bed, shewas free to wander the castle at night, slipping into rooms and sifting through drawers to search for information about Olivia’s location.
    Jovita finally remembered to let Em in on the fact that the Olso warriors were coming to Lera for the summer, and Em put on her best surprised face when she heard the news. She was given a stunning light-pink dress to wear for the welcome dinner.
    She’d already amassed a good selection of dresses, and Davina informed her she’d have many opportunities to wear them. It seemed the only thing the people of Lera liked more than fighting was partying.
    Tonight’s dress had a whole parade of buttons in back, but dipped down very low in front, showing a generous amount of cleavage. Most of the dresses that had been sent didn’t exactly cover a lot of flesh, and she couldn’t help but think the queen had done it on purpose, to make a conservative girl from Vallos uncomfortable.
    Em pushed back her shoulders with a smile. Good thing she wasn’t from Vallos.
    Cas arrived at her door after the sun had set. He wore black pants, a white collared shirt, and a black coat with silver buttons down the middle. The coat hung open unbuttoned. He was a bit disheveled, like he’d run around the castle a few times before coming to see her. It would have been cute, had she not been determined to hate him.
    â€œGood evening,” he said as she stepped out of the room. She was suddenly unsure what to do with her hands.
    â€œHello,” she murmured, avoiding his gaze. He offered her his good arm, and she took it and let him steer her down the hallway.
    â€œAre you feeling all right?” she asked, stealing a glance at him. The deep black color of his coat made his eyes stand out even more than usual. It was hard not to stare.
    â€œI am, thank you. A little sore still, but it’s healing fine.”
    â€œGlad to hear it,” she lied. Just how “fine” was he? Ready to make up for the wedding night “fine”? She shuddered and let her fingers brush against the rope tieback on the curtains as they passed them.
    â€œJovita told you about the warriors?” he asked.
    â€œShe did. I was surprised. I thought relations between Olso and Lera were tense.”
    â€œThey have been for a long time. But the warriors reached out recently, wanting to come in person to discuss a few treaties. Said they wanted to keep the peace.”
    â€œThat’s wonderful,” she said, suppressing a smile. Not a hint of suspicion in Cas’s tone. He really thought the warriors were there to bow down at Lera’s feet, like everyone else.
    â€œHave you ever met a warrior?” he asked.
    She had. And not just the ones she’d negotiated with recently. Many citizens of Olso had come through Ruina, since their kings and queens always seemed more intrigued by the Ruined than scared. Em’s mother had admired the way warriors dedicated their lives to training for battle, and had invited many to stay as guests in the castle.
    Cas was watching her, waiting for her answer. Would Maryhave met any warriors? It seemed unlikely. Olso looked down on Vallos.
    â€œNot that I recall,” she said carefully.
    They walked to the main dining room, the sounds of laughter and chatter filling