He nodded, then went to walk to me. I stepped back, and he halted in place.
“Lena, I—”
“No!” I yelled, tears burning in my eyes. “I’m not goinganywherewith you.”
His lip trembled, color staining his cheeks. “Please, just let me explain—” he pleaded.
It broke my heart to see him like this. But I was too angry, too shocked to react any other way.
“You had your time to explain.” I shot my glare to the Queen. “Your Majesty, if there are no charges, I wish to be escorted out of the palace to my home.”
“Lena…” Silas begged, walking closer. I stepped back again and gazed into those golden eyes. I knew he was hurt, and I knew he didn’t wish to hurt me.
Or did I? I had known nothing about him. He didn’t want me to know he was the Prince—who he really was. But why? Even Queen Ryia seemed surprised he hadn’t told me.
I didn’t want him to explain or to hear him out. Quill wasn’t real. The fact that I was so close to telling him the secret about myself made me sick—that secret, to the son of the leader who hated my people more than most—nearly damning my mother and myself.
I’m such a stupid fool.
The Queen looked at me with what appeared like disappointment. The Prince was kept from the kingdom; anyone lucky enough to be in his presence, I’m sure, would be kissing his feet. And then there was me, once again being impolite.
I didn’t care. I needed to be anywhere but here.
“Very well.” The Queen stood up, and I stiffened. She sauntered over to me, her deep blue, long-sleeved gown gliding against the marble floor. “I will walk you to one of the guards. Silas, you can go get ready for your training.”
I glanced over at him.
Training. No wonder he was so skilled. The Prince’s regimen was said to be rigorous. It hadn’t made sense that a normal teenager training to be a guard would be as polished as he was.
He looked at me sorrowfully and mouthed, “I’m sorry.”
My lip trembled as I looked away.
I will not cry.
I followed the Queen out of the large double doors before it slammed shut behind us.
“He’s in love with you, I hope you know,” the Queen said quietly as we descended the stairs. I looked over at her momentarily before staring at my feet.
“I’m in love with him, too,” I whispered. “Which is why I can’t see him anymore.”
“Why ever not?”
“Why? He is the Prince. And I am…me.” My tears fell, and I quickly wiped them. I was surprised at how comfortable I felt speaking with her. But Ryia always put out an energy that felt…genuine. “It could never work, and you know that too.”
We walked a step further, and guards appeared.
“You would be surprised how people will make things work for the one they love…despite it all,” she said solemnly. I glanced at her again, and the look in her eyes made me wonder if she somehow related to our situation. I opened my mouth to respond, but the Queen walked forward, getting the attention of a nearby guard.
Torrin.
“Please, escort this citizen back to the Outer Ring.”
Torrin led me out of the front gates down to the steps that went from the Center to the Outer Ring. It wasn’t past curfew yet, but he escorted me anyway. Most of the walk home was a blur, so many thoughts bouncing around my head that I felt like I was in a fever dream of some sort. Nothing made sense, yet everything did.
“I consider Silas my friend,” Torrin said quietly as we arrived outside my cottage. My eyes shot to him.
“He told you about me?”
