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If I were brand new to the palace, that encounter with Prince Clavis would have left me frightened and confused. Now, over two weeks into this job, I was just annoyed - with Prince Chevalier and Prince Clavis.
Prince Chevalier could have been a little more clear about what he meant by holding my breath. I had been thinking along the lines of the saying ‘don’t hold your breath,’ as if he didn’t think I’d actually get into Prince Clavis’ room, but he’d literally meant for me to hold my breath. Although, come to think of it, Prince Luke said something similar during that surprise party about holding my breath if I ever saw Prince Clavis throw a small glass vial.
Maybe I shouldn’t be so annoyed with Prince Chevalier. At the very least, I shouldn’t confront him about this, because he could easily point out that I was in the wrong for misinterpreting what he said.
But my annoyance with Prince Clavis was entirely justified.
What was so wrong with just locking his door?
And that was only one trap. Prince Chevalier said Prince Clavis deactivated most of the traps when he was in his room. He really didn’t want anybody in there, which was ridiculous, because he had nothing to hide. The books in his room were all heavy tomes with dull topics like politics, economics, and pharmacology, and the stacks of papers and documents looked like official business, similar to what I’d seen in Prince Chevalier’s office. I didn’t inspect every single note tacked up on Prince Clavis’ walls, but at a glance, they appeared to be reminders of events, tasks, or ideas. He was obviously a hard worker and very studious. The only thing that was potentially suspicious was his home laboratory in the corner. That must be where he made his assorted ‘concoctions,’ as he called them, and I had a hunch that none of those were actually harmful beyond causing temporary discomfort.
His mask covered more than his face. He had carefully cultivated this image of a carefree, fun-loving, possibly traitorous man to hide the fact that he was just insecure because of his genius older brother. The locked room no one was allowed to see added to his mystique. I imagined the other six so-called ‘Seven Wonders of Clavis’ were just as contrived. And what I found most irritating about the whole thing was that he wasn’t mediocre or average in the slightest. He probably was a genius in his own right, but Prince Chevalier was so phenomenally gifted that Prince Clavis still felt hopelessly inferior.
I wanted to slap him and hug him, but he would probably enjoy both, shameless flirt that he was.
“Ivetta!” Theresa called, bursting into the library at noon, her green eyes bright and shining.
I abandoned my cleaning supplies and headed toward her. “Could we maybe not talk about the princes at all today?”
“Ooh, what happened? It couldn’t have been Prince Nokto this time, since he’s away on business,” she said, linking her arm through mine and leading me out into the hallway.
“They’re all trouble, and I have a hard enough time dealing with them the rest of the day, so I’d rather not even think about them on my lunch break,” I said firmly.
“You know you’re only making me more curious,” she teased.
I sighed. “Fine. We’ll switch. I’ll be Prince Leon’s maid, and you can be Prince Chevalier’s maid. One day with his faction will have you begging to switch back.”
She laughed. “Not likely. Prince Leon’s faction is so tame compared to Prince Chevalier’s. I could do with a little action, if you know what I mean.”
“I’ll introduce you to Prince Nokto, then. You’ll get plenty of action that way.”
“No need. I left my contact information in his room,” she said, smirking mischievously. “Although I wouldn't mind you putting in a good word for me.”
I rolled my eyes. “Saying what, exactly? That you’re easy?”
“If I didn’t like you, I’d take that as an insult. But, just for that, I’m not letting you off the hook until you spill everything about Prince Nokto.”
“I’m not saying a word until we’re in an enclosed room behind a locked door with nobody else around.”
Which was how I ended up eating lunch in a supply closet. Theresa and I sat on the floor, talking and laughing, and I told her about Prince Nokto. He was the safest prince to talk about, oddly enough. She already knew about Prince Jin; Princes Leon, Yves, and Luke were flirts in their own ways but weren’t the most exciting to talk about, by her standards; and I couldn’t tell her about the rest, for one reason or another. Everybody knew what Prince Nokto was like, though, so I really wasn’t telling her anything new.
Of course, she’d never ask me about Prince Licht.
I thought he hated me, but Prince Chevalier had said both of the twins were interested in me. Now that I thought about it, Prince Licht only said he hated women like me, not that he hated me specifically. He certainly didn’t seem to hate me last night. His attitude was cold and distant, but I remembered the gentle warmth of his hand on my wrist, showing me how to pet his horse.
He didn’t have to do that.
He’d said what he came to say, and he’d mounted up, ready to leave, but it seemed to bother him to see that I wasn’t comfortable around his horse. Which was funny, because it didn’t bother him at all that I wasn’t comfortable around him at first. Every encounter we had chipped away at that hard, cold facade, revealing just a little more of who Prince Licht really was, and I was finding that Prince Yves was right. Prince Licht was kind, sweet, and gentle.
Maybe he really did just come to see me out of a sense of duty. He blamed himself for what happened with Jack, after all.
But Theresa didn’t need to know about any of that. And she definitely didn’t need to know about the tension between Prince Chevalier and me, or the strange friendship Prince Clavis and I were developing.
Was ‘friendship’ even the right word for it?
Probably not.
Prince Chevalier came to the library at two thirty, and I went to the kitchens for his tea, reminding myself to get in and out of that back room as soon as possible. There had been no weirdness with him this morning, but that meant nothing. Everything could change in a second when we were in an enclosed space.
It would be so much easier if he would ignore me. Because that’s what I’d been expecting at best when I took this job. Why should anybody treat me better at the palace than everybody else treated me out on the streets? It made no sense.
Working at the palace was nothing like I expected.
I delivered Prince Chevalier’s tea and stepped back as I always did, waiting for his next instruction or, preferably, his dismissal. The way his icy blue eyes met and held mine while he took his first sip of tea dashed that hope to the ground.
“You wanted to ask me about the Hill of Remembrance yesterday,” he said coolly.
I don’t know why that surprised me. He noticed everything, and he remembered everything, even if I had momentarily forgotten.
At least he wasn’t asking about Prince Clavis or Prince Licht.
“Well, I was wondering, what benefit is it to you to visit a grave, Prince Chevalier?” I asked reluctantly.
Maybe I could have worded that better.
“The responsibility for every death in battle or in the line of duty lies squarely on the royal family’s shoulders,” he replied, unconcerned by my harsh phrasing. “I memorize the names of all the knights who have proven their worth.”
This was the danger of talking to him. Every glimpse into his mind made me curious to know more.
“So that’s your way of mourning them, then?”
“No. It is pointless to mourn the dead. A knight knows the risks when he takes his oath to serve his country. I carry their names with me, so their legacy continues in my work to improve the kingdom.”
The door opened while he was speaking, and I looked back to see Prince Clavis walk into the room, his bright smile fixed in place and his golden eyes gleaming. Prince Chevalier’s eyes shifted to Prince Clavis, but he didn’t pause or alter his tone at all. A sudden tension settled over the room. Prince Clavis began a slow clap when Prince Chevalier finished. I took an involuntary step back from both of them.
“Very eloquent, Chev,” Prince Clavis said, leaning casually against a bookcase and crossing his arms over his chest. “That almost makes it sound like you have a human heart. But why don’t you tell her your thoughts about the loss of civilian lives, hm?”
Prince Chevalier sighed irritably and glanced at me. “Out.”
I wanted to go, but I had a horrible feeling they were about to fight, and Prince Leon’s laughing remark about Prince Chevalier drawing blood rang in my ears. My feet wouldn’t move.
“Don't you want her to hear the truth?” Prince Clavis asked, smirking. “Go on. Tell her I’m an inferior, mediocre fool, and she’s just an amusing little plaything for you, two of the many allowed to continue our paltry, insignificant lives until you determine we’re a threat to the kingdom.”
“You are only partially correct,” Prince Chevalier said coolly. His frigid glare turned to me. “I told you to leave.”
“Only if you both promise not to draw your swords,” I said, trying to keep my voice even.
“Isn’t she adorable?” Prince Clavis said, his hard golden eyes also landing on me. “Don’t worry. It takes a lot for Chev to draw on me.” His eyes shifted back to Prince Chevalier. “I’m not worth the effort,” he added, lowering his voice.
Prince Chevalier smirked. “So long as you realize it,” he said, reaching for his teacup again with a relaxed, languid motion that seemed out of place in the chill atmosphere. “I would not risk my books for my foolish younger brother. There will be no swordplay. Now, get out. Don’t make me tell you again.”
I looked from one to the other, both of them holding what at first glance looked to be relaxed positions, both of them staring each other down with eyes that could kill. There was nothing I could do to stop them if they got into a fight, and it wasn’t my place to interfere, either. This probably wasn’t just a sibling dispute. It was about Prince Clavis’ party last night. I left without a word and returned to my dusting, my heart throbbing uncomfortably. They were princes, and even though I didn’t fully understand the dynamics of their world and their relationship, even though I shouldn’t even be close enough to care, I was, and I did. I liked them both, and I didn’t want to see either of them get hurt.
But this was none of my business. Dust and grime were my business. And I had two more hours of cleaning it up here until I got to go home and deal with whatever mess I would find there. Probably the bucket, judging by Mother’s weakness this morning when I left.
The silence from the back room was eerie.
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