Their swords locked, and Maya smiled, narrowing her dark eyes and tossing her dark curls—the mark of her Sunvaaran heritage, so different from his own long, blonde hair—as she suddenly heaved and slid out from under him, leaving Luka temporarily open.
He followed quickly, cursing himself inwardly for the slight shift in power. He couldn’t afford to lose focus, not in front of all these watching eyes, hehadto win—
This time, he was the one at the advantage, but his sword slid to Maya’s neck a moment too late and she had jumped away from him, both of them panting.
Maya leapt upon him again with a growl, giving him no time to rally, their eyes meeting as their swords clashed, and somethingelectricpassed between them—
“Luka!”
He sprang back with a gasp, his sword still at the ready as he turned to see who had called him so familiarly.
“Uncle,” he said, trying to catch his breath. Why was Uncle Yarek at the Academy?
There was a low, wordless sound of annoyance from Maya, but Luka had already turned away to face his uncle, who was walking toward him at his usual stately pace.
“Your father is meeting with the War Council today and I would like you to join us,” his uncle said. “Come, nephew, you can train the half breeds later.”
Another sardonic chuckle, much like the one that had led to their duel, and then Maya von Rakhmonov had dropped into an elaborate bow, a perfect example of the height of court etiquette.
“By your leave, Prince,” she drawled, glancing up at him from with dark eyes that sparkled with amusement.
And then she smoothly rose and walked away.
Well, it had been a long time since he had had a chance to test his skills with such a worthy opponent, and for that he was grateful, even if Maya von Rakhmonov was only half Drakkan.
With a shrug, he turned away and accompanied his uncle, dismissing the incident—and the girl—from his mind completely.
But that night, he dreamed of burning eyes, long dark hair, and hot breath panting across his ear.
It was the first night of many that Luka Kamenev dreamed of Maya von Rakhmonov.
CHAPTER ONE
“An excellent shot, Your Highness!”
Maya sighed, and pretended to be dusting off her lapel, hiding her eyeroll from the men a few feet away from her. Lord Gorchakov and Count Putyatin were both looking at the Crown Princess, their smiles fixed in that particular kind of flattery that was normal at court. Courtiers were supposed to have been trained to give compliments that sounded natural, but anyone could spot the Count’s insincerity. Their companion, Lord Ivan Menshikov clapped with them, but his eyes darted to Maya.
Behind them all, Prince Sekhar, heir to the Empire of Sunvaara, clapped politely, his retinue joining him in applause. The Royal Hunt was being held to celebrate Prince Sekhar's engagement with Princess Ludmilla von Engelhart, the third princess and youngest child of the Tsar. The marriage was politically important, bringing together the nations of Sunvaara and Drakazov, turning erstwhile adversaries and rivals into allies.
As such, Prince Sekhar rode with the royal party, which consisted only of Princess Annika. Princess Ludmilla, who couldn’t bear the idea of animals in pain, had declined to accompany her fiance. Her parents and the Second Queen, her stepmother, had kept her company back at the pavillion.
As fit the occasion, the hunt a was a grand event, organized in a sprawling forest near Rurik Castle, the seat of the Tsar. The forest had been stocked with a diverse array of wild animals, including deer, boars, and pheasants, all for this very occasion.
As the morning sun rose over the forest, the royal entourage, dressed in their finest attire and carrying hunting rifles and bows, had set out on horseback, accompanied by a pack of well-trained hounds.
The hunt had been ongoing for several hours, with the air full of the sound of gunshots, the baying of hounds, and the exhilaration of the hunters as they pursued their prey. Maya looked at her brother Nikolai, who nodded. She urged her horse forward, sidling closer to the Royal group, which consisted of Crown Princess Annika, her prospective brother-in-law, Prince Sekhar, and their retinues of courtiers.
Normally, her father, Baron Stepan von Rakhmonov, would have accompanied Princess Annika. But with her father away on diplomatic business in Sunvaara, her brother had attended in the Baron’s stead, and Maya had seized the opportunity.
She’d begged and pleaded with Nikolai for a chance to attend the royal hunt with him, and shehadto make the most of it now.
As the applause died down, Crown Princess Annika von Engelhart, heir to the throne of the Drakazov Kingdom, simply nodded at her impressive shot. Famously known as the Ice Princess, she was not one for displays of excessive emotion.
It was refreshing, because it meant Maya only needed to appeal to the Princess’s logic, rather than her heart.
As the lords surrounding the Crown Princess continued their desultory conversation about the woods, Maya urged her horse closer to their group. She had to find an opening to talk to the Princess about her inventions.
Her future depended on it.
