Page 80 of The Prince's Sacrifice

He shot Yomil a withering look.

“Had you protected only the citizens of the United Realms, you wouldn’t have been in such a situation,” Yomil argued.

Tor’s nostrils flared. “For your safety, I am going to pretend you did not just suggest that I leave children to die. Instead, I’ll point out that thereasonI was in that situation was because King Forex sent half his guards to wipe out the exiles even though he knew they might not be in Tond. The guards were under orders to march over the mountains and to kill everyone they found. They sneaked away from me and Pel in the middle of the night.Thatwas why we were up the mountain.Thatgoes against your orders. And if King Nostex in Filon is upset about the mountain pass, I’m sorry, but that has nothing to do with me!”

“King Nostex isn’t the problem,” the High King said dismissively.

Tor’s brow furrowed. “I haven’t had any interactions with any other realms to destabilize them.”

“Exactly,” High King Varex snapped. “You were meant to go to Vayrin and court Princess Terila. She has been so seriously displeased by the whole situation and by Sir Rinil’s initial presence in your stead that she threatened forceful reprisal if he didn’t return to straighten out the mess thatyou made. If he is unable to do so, the goddess only knows how we will keep peace with Vayrin.”

Tor stared at his brother, looking genuinely surprised for the first time. Pel couldn’t begin to imagine what had happened in Vayrin while Tor wasn’t there—except that Pel knew how Princess Terila was. He thought threateningwarfor not getting her way was excessive, but if she’d expected the High Prince and instead gotten one of his knights…? Pel had been so grateful for where that High Prince had ended up that he hadn’t spared a lot of thought to what might be happening in Vayrin.

From the look of him, Tor hadn’t thought about it much, either.

That was… really not good.

Tor drew in a breath. “If that’s what occurred, then I’m very sorry to hear it. I do take responsibility for the fact that Sir Rinil was there in my stead. But there was no formal courtship agreement between our two realms, or if there was, I was not made aware of it. I cannot be blamed for her upset.”

“You were ordered to go to Vayrin and to court Terila,” High King Varex said coldly.

“That’s not actually what you said,” Tor argued.

“You are splitting hairs, Torex, as per usual, and not taking responsibility for your actions.” The High King’s voice was clipped. “The stability of the entirety of the United Realms is at risk! I’m not sure if it’s worse if it’s due to negligence or malice.”

“Var—” Tor began, sounding genuinely distressed. “That’s not—!”

“Your Majesty,” Yomil intoned.

The High King drew in another breath, his already straight posture growing infinitesimally straighter, and Pel’s stomach sank like a rock. Why was the manbracing himself?

Face expressionless and voice rigid, High King Varex intoned, “High Prince Torex, you have displayed a flagrant disregard for the health and wellbeing of the United Realms and its HighKing. Until such a time as the serious allegations against you can be resolved, all but your base magic will be bound.”

Tor gaped at his brother. “You’re going to bind my magic? Seriously?”

It was a punishment reserved for Illustrious and Extraordinary who’d committed grievous crimes, ensuring they had no more magic than an Unremarkable and could be more easily imprisoned—or killed.

High King Varex’s face was implacable. “It is clear that you cannot use it responsibly.”

“Would you please at leastlistento what actually happened?” Tor snapped. “How can saving thousands of lives be irresponsible? You’re being completely unreasonable.”

“It is notIwho am being unreasonable. People havedied, Torex, and I cannot allow anyone else to be harmed simply because you are my brother.”

Tor’s face spasmed. “I will always carry the weight of those twelve guards who died because of me, but that’s not what this is, Varex. Isaved livesin Tond, thousands of lives, and now you’re punishing me for it.”

“You did something that you had no right to do!” High Queen Fernila burst in for the first time. “Varex was incapacitated! What if you’d seriously injured him or killed him? Did you even think of that, or did you just do whatever you wanted, as you always do?”

“I did the best I could in an untenable situation,” Tor said. He looked at the High King. “You must know I would never willingly harm you.”

“So you say,” Yomil accused, not even trying to be circumspect.

“Look, you—!” Tor started angrily, actually taking a step towards him.

Pel’s stomach swooped again. Goddess, if they really thought Tor had somehow conspired to harm the High King…

“Enough!” High King Varex roared. “Torex, clever words aside, you willfully disobeyed me. You chose to go to Tond, and within months of your being there, the realm has nearly been plunged into war. You claim that it is a coincidence.”

“It is,” Tor said stiffly. “I knew nothing about issues with exiles when I went there.”