(Lina)
I took a deep breath, watching Kieran with the sword still in my hand. We'd just finished a sparring session, and he was eyeing me like he still couldn't quite believe I'd held my own.
There was something I'd been meaning to tell him, something I'd kept hidden for too long, and I knew if anyone could handle it—or at least wouldn't run to Nicholas with it—it would be him.
"Kieran," I started, my voice a little shaky. "I need to tell you something… about who I am."
He looked up, eyebrows raised. "What are you going on about?"
"I'm not… exactly who you think I am. I mean, I am Isabella, but I wasn't always. I was someone else… before all of this." I saw his confusion deepen, but I kept going, needing him to know the truth. "My real name is Lina Carter. I wasn't born a princess. I was a soldier."
He chuckled like I'd just told him some joke. "Sure you were," He said, smirking. "You're joking, right?"
