x
The rest of the morning passed without incident, giving me time to process everything with Prince Clavis. Aside from his embrace, of course. I didn’t have the energy to even think about that, so I focused on what he told me about Bloodstained Rose Day. Prince Leon hadn’t mentioned that Prince Clavis was captured and tortured. Maybe Prince Clavis was back by nightfall, and Prince Leon assumed his injuries were due to battle. I didn’t know. But Prince Chevalier knew, and he let that happen to his brother. He let nearly a thousand people burn to death, too. Although Prince Leon said he had no choice other than surrendering to Obsidian, which would have meant the end of Rhodolite.
And Sariel taught Prince Clavis how to pick locks. That would explain why Prince Clavis didn’t trust a lock to keep Sariel out of his room.
What was a court minister doing teaching a prince to pick locks? Why did a court minister have that particular skill set, anyway?
It was a mess. As usual. And my sleep-deprived brain couldn’t handle it.
I couldn’t find Theresa, so I spent my lunch break curled up on the window seat in the library, reading The Romance of the Rose, while the birds outside taunted me with their freedom. I tried to read, anyway. Mother was on my mind. Last night had really shaken me, and leaving her alone most of the day worried me. Maybe I should ask Prince Chevalier if he would let me go home on my lunch break to check on her. I could use a carriage to get there and get back as soon as possible, and that would give me a bit of a break from the princes, too.
And increase the likelihood of something happening to me outside of the palace.
But what I told Prince Clavis was true. I wasn’t leaving her, no matter what, and I couldn’t worry about anything except her right now.
One o’clock came, and I put the book away and got back to work. I needed to keep moving so I wouldn’t fall asleep, anyway. Two thirty would bring Prince Chevalier, three o’clock would bring the worst of the exhaustion, and I just needed to get past both those obstacles to finish my day at the palace. Then I could go back home and take care of Mother. Hopefully, I wouldn’t be awake until midnight tonight doing so.
I couldn’t keep doing this.
“Ah, there you are. Easy to find, as usual,” a voice as smooth as silk said from across the library.
I sighed. It had been two days, hadn’t it?
“Welcome back, Prince Nokto,” I said politely, glancing back at him as he walked toward me. “Did you have a good trip?”
“It could have been better,” he replied, his fingers threading through my ponytail. “But Licht wouldn’t have approved of me bringing you along,” he added suggestively, lowering his voice and leaning in to breathe the words into my ear.
I stepped quickly away from him, my cheeks burning as I pulled my ponytail free from his hand and met his teasing crimson eyes and smug grin.
“I didn’t ask him to talk to you, Prince Nokto.”
“Of course you didn’t. You like to handle your problems on your own.” He chucked my chin playfully and turned back to the nearest sofa, stretching across it with a contented sigh. “Ah, much better than that stuffy carriage.”
The reminder that comfortable sofas surrounded me wasn’t a welcome one. Turning my back on Prince Nokto wasn’t a good idea, as proven just a minute ago, but it was safer than me looking at him lying comfortably on that sofa, so I turned away and got back to work.
“It was quite a surprise to have Licht barge into my room because of you,” Prince Nokto said casually. “But judging by your reaction, you already knew about that.”
“I knew he talked to you, Prince Nokto, but he didn’t have to. He overheard me talking to another maid about you, and I guess he didn’t like what he heard.”
Prince Nokto chuckled. “Apparently, I went too far. Who knew my shy older brother was so taken with you?”
“Or he’s still blaming himself about Jack, your highness.” I stopped and turned to look at Prince Nokto as a thought struck me. “He’s the older one?”
“Don’t tell me that surprises you,” Prince Nokto replied, smirking at me from his enviable position lying on the sofa, his fingers interlaced behind his head.
“No, I guess not, your highness,” I said slowly, turning away again. “I just hadn’t thought about it before.”
“Mm, yes, he’s the responsible older brother, and he is still blaming himself about Jack, among other things,” Prince Nokto continued, his voice darkening with the last three words. “But, on to more enjoyable topics. Is that maid one of the many who left their contact information for me to find?”
“Yes, she is, and you can thank Prince Clavis for that, your highness,” I said, wondering what ‘other things’ Prince Licht was still blaming himself about. “Her name is Theresa, and she asked me to put a good word in for her.”
“Then you’d better start by describing her,” Prince Nokto said slyly.
I rolled my eyes at the books that were the silent audience to this absurd conversation.
“She’s one of Prince Leon’s maids, and she’s eager to meet you, your highness.”
“That’s all?”
“Do you need more, your highness?” I asked sarcastically.
The library door opened again, and I looked back to see Prince Chevalier crossing the room toward his private library, his frigid blue eyes flicking to mine momentarily. Prince Nokto raised his hand in a lazy wavy. Prince Chevalier ignored his younger brother and disappeared into the back room.
“Guess that means I can stay,” Prince Nokto mused, returning his hand to the back of his head and shifting his shoulders, presumably to get more comfortable. “Ah, I could fall asleep here.”
Was he just rubbing it in because he noticed how tired I was? That seemed like something he would do. Then again, I could just be imagining things because I was too tired to think straight. I set my dustrag down and headed for the door.
“Would you like some tea, Prince Nokto?”
He shrugged. “Why not? We still have business to discuss.”
“I’ll be back in a few minutes, your highness.”
Business. He meant me getting into Prince Clavis’ room, and I had very little to tell him about that. I massaged my throbbing temples when I reached the hallway, reminding myself that it was only for two and a half more hours. The banter wasn’t always frustrating. It could be fun, sometimes. This was doable.
Two and a half more hours. Prince Chevalier in his private library; Prince Nokto in the main library.
I put three cups on the tea tray. If I was getting through this afternoon, I needed a cup, too.
“Oh, good, you’ll be joining me,” Prince Nokto said when I returned, smirking as he watched me set the tea tray on the coffee table.
“No, I won’t, your highness. Sugar or cream?”
“Surprise me.”
“It’s hard to do that with you watching, your highness.”
“And yet you still manage.”
What did that mean?
I decided to ignore that comment and poured three cups of tea, leaving one black, adding a little cream and sugar to the second, and adding a spoonful of sugar to the third, which I pushed toward Prince Nokto.
“Is this because I’m so sweet?” Prince Nokto asked teasingly.
“Not you, your highness. But I’m hoping it will make you more like Prince Licht,” I replied, heading toward Prince Chevalier’s private library with his black tea in hand.
I knocked lightly and let myself in, half expecting him to grab me as I walked through the door. It was a relief to see him sitting in his chair, his pale blue eyes fixed on his book and not me. Maybe the romance novels had finally stopped leaking. I set the tea on the end table and stepped back.
“Do you need anything else from me, your highness?”
He looked up at me then, his icy blue eyes holding none of the fire from yesterday afternoon, but my heart still skipped a beat when they met mine.
“You need to sleep.”
Of course, he noticed. He probably noticed right away this morning, actually, but said nothing for one reason or another. Maybe just because getting into a conversation in his bedroom wasn’t a good idea.
“I intend to tonight, your highness,” I said carefully. “Last night was…”
Was what? A nerve-wracking, horrible, frustrating, tearful mess?
“Your mother?” he prompted, his eyes not leaving mine, though his face remained impassive.
I nodded. “She’s…I might need to start going home on my lunch break soon,” I said hesitantly.
“Then do that.”
“Are you sure? I mean, with everything that’s going on?”
He smirked. “You don’t think I can handle protecting one little maid?”
I blushed at my unintended insult, and my tongue was going again without a second thought, immediately stammered an apology. “Oh - I’m sorry, I - I didn’t mean-”
This was embarrassing. I stopped, took a deep breath, and tried again.
“I’m sorry, your highness. Thank you, and I’ll let you know when my schedule needs to change. May I go now?”
“Yes. If the Clown gives you trouble, tell him to leave.”
“I’ll do that. Thank you again, Prince Chevalier.”
That could have gone worse, but I really needed sleep.
Prince Nokto was sitting up when I returned to the main library, one leg crossed casually over the other as he sipped his tea, his crimson eyes watching me curiously.
“What were you doing in there?” he asked, smirking.
“Just talking, your highness,” I said, picking up my tea and taking it back to the bookshelves where I was working.
“I won’t maul you if you sit down,” he said, chuckling.
“I have work to do, your highness, and I can’t do it sitting down.”
“Or you’re just afraid of falling asleep if you sit down.”
I winced. “Is it that obvious, your highness?”
“Only to someone who’s watching you closely. But you’re in luck. I haven’t engaged in any stimulating conversation over the past two days, so I don’t mind staying to talk and keep you awake the rest of the afternoon,” he said smugly.
“That might not be a bad idea, your highness,” I admitted reluctantly.
“I’m glad you approve. Now, drop the ‘your highness’ and tell me why you’re so tired.”
Drop the ‘your highness.’ It was mostly automatic by now, but it also took additional thought to insert it into a sentence every time I addressed a prince. Dropping it would take a little strain off of my brain.
“I had a late night.”
He chuckled again. “So did I, but I’m guessing yours wasn’t as fun as mine.”
“No, it wasn’t fun at all,” I said flatly. “You wanted to know about Prince Clavis’ room, right?”
“Mm, yes. Were you successful in holding up your end of the deal, or will I have to chat with Chevalier about your living arrangements?”
“I was successful, and Prince Chevalier already knows. But I saw nothing to suggest you can’t trust Prince Clavis.”
“Clavis actually let you in?” he asked, intrigued. “My, I didn’t realize he was so fond of you. What, exactly, did you find?”
“I promised not to tell, your highness.” And Prince Nokto still probably didn’t realize how fond of me Prince Clavis was.
“Of course you did. Now, how is it Chevalier knows where you live, but he hasn’t forced you to move into better accommodations?”
“He knows my Mother can’t handle a move.”
“From talking to you, or from investigating you?”
I shrugged. “Both, I suppose.”
“You are an accomplished little dove. Getting into Clavis’ room and getting Chevalier to engage in small talk. Any other hidden talents I should know about?”
“I don’t think there’s anything particularly talented about knocking on a door and talking to people.”
“Maybe not the first, but conversational skills don’t come naturally to everybody.”
I finished the shelves in front of me and moved to the next section, which gave me a clear view of Prince Nokto sprawled across the sofa again, one knee up, one elbow propped against the back of the sofa to let his hand dangle above him, his other hand resting on his stomach. A picture of comfort. His crimson eyes met mine, and he smirked.
“Care to join me?” he asked slyly.
“Not at all,” I replied, taking another sip of tea and getting back to work. “Why the nail polish?”
“Shadow fox.”
He touched the fingers with painted nails to each other, extending the unpainted pointer finger and little finger upwards. The light from the windows cast the shadow from his hand on the back of the sofa to make a fox.
“The fox is my crest,” he continued, relaxing his hand again.
“Because you’re sly and crafty?”
He grinned. “Of course. Jin’s is an eagle, Chevalier’s is a white tiger, Clavis’ is a leopard, Leon’s is a lion, Yves’ is a cat, Licht’s is a wolf, and Luke’s is a bear. I’m sure you can guess the reason for each of them.”
I took a moment to think it through. Prince Luke reminded me of a big teddy bear. Prince Licht had a lone wolf feel about him. A cat…Prince Yves came off haughty at first, and when he got frustrated or irritated, I could almost picture a cat bristling its tail. The lion was perfect for Prince Leon, the king of beasts, a picture of royalty and strength. Prince Clavis was shifty like a leopard, sticking to the shadows, disguising his true form from most. A white tiger was beautiful and dangerous, like Prince Chevalier. An eagle…why an eagle for Prince Jin?
“The only one I don’t understand is Prince Jin’s crest,” I finally said.
“He sees everything,” Prince Nokto explained. “You wouldn’t have any reason to know this, but he has an extensive spy network all across the continent. Chevalier knows everything, and Jin sees everything. Having them for older brothers means there’s no getting away with anything.”
“How old are all of you? I know Prince Leon is twenty-eight, and Prince Luke is twenty.”
“Really? Luke hasn’t been here long enough for me to know his age. Of course he would tell you, though. You’re easy to talk to. Jin is thirty-two, Chevalier is thirty, Clavis is twenty-nine, Yves is twenty-six, and Licht and I are twenty-five.”
I giggled as a thought occurred to me. “If you were commoners, you’d all have well-established families by now.”
Prince Nokto chuckled, too. “That’s a frightening thought.”
“Why aren’t any of you married? I can guess why you’re not,” I added, throwing Prince Nokto a knowing smile.
“Getting married wouldn’t spoil my fun,” he replied, smirking. “It’s all about politics and alliances for royalty, not romance. But it makes no sense for any of us to marry right now. One spouse, one alliance, and that’s it - until Belle names one of us king. The king gets to marry as many women as he wants, but his first wife becomes queen, so careful consideration goes into choosing the right woman for that position. We’ve all been getting marriage proposals since we were teenagers, though, from hopeful royalty and nobility that want to position their daughters as potential candidates for the next queen. Chevalier’s got one right now that’s perfect for that role, but on the off chance he doesn’t become king, it’s better to neither accept nor decline the proposal, keeping her in mind for whoever does become king.”
“It sounds complicated.”
“It is. Especially since she’s a stuck-up brat. She’s pretty, so there’s that, at least, and she’s a princess from Benitoite, which is our major ally and trade center. Making her queen would be extremely beneficial to Rhodolite. But what about you? Why aren’t you married?”
I blushed immediately. “Well, I’m only eighteen, for starters.”
“Commoners marry that young, don’t they?”
“Sometimes, but it’s not all romance for us, either. Parents, usually fathers, arrange most marriages, and I don’t have a father or an acceptable background. I’ll probably never get married.”
“That doesn’t bother you?”
“Why should it? I’ve known it my whole life.”
I didn’t expect to enjoy spending the afternoon talking to Prince Nokto, but I did. Five o’clock came, and I bid my farewell to him and to Prince Chevalier. An hour walk home, and then…whatever I would find there. I sighed and breathed in the fresh spring air as the busy city streets passed me by. The next few days and weeks were going to be hard, and yet, I felt a little lighter now than I did earlier today.
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