Ella nodded grudgingly, following as he led her out of the stables and into the main house. As they walked quickly, avoiding the main halls where there were bound to be people, Ryu cursed himself.
How could he have forgotten about this? Of course, Ella would need a washroom.
How had he thought to keep her in the stables? He shook his head. He was paying for his impulsiveness, even now.
As he led her to the washroom, Ryu prayed that his luck would hold, and they would encounter no one on their way. As soon as they were there, Ella rushed in, and Ryu blinked, stepping away to give her privacy.
A moment later, Hiroshi found him.
“Whatever you’re upto, Ryu, Lady Clara has her suspicions,” he muttered, his eyes darting around as he tried to figure out why they were standing in the unused guest rooms. “She’s on her way to see you now.”
Ryu cursed, and Hiroshi frowned. “If you need help—”
At that moment, two things happened: Ella stepped out of the washroom, and Mizuki stepped into the guest room.
“Who’s this?”
“What’s going on?”
Ryu latched a hand around Ella’s wrist.
“Quiet!” he hissed, and she clamped her mouth shut, looking fearfully at his best friends.
Mizuki and Hiroshi, for their part, were looking stunned.
“Why do you have ahumanwith you?” Mizuki said, shaking her head.
“Is she your mate?” Hiroshi demanded.
When Ella opened her mouth, Ryu tightened his grip on her wrist. “She’s my ward,” he said, wondering where the words were coming from.
He hated keeping secrets from his best friends, but they were targets of the court too, for being his best friends. For all their years of steadfast friendship and loyalty, he had to keep them safe.
They didn’t need to know just how precarious his position as the Heir was. They were depending on him to ascend the Twilight Throne.
Ella blinked, and her mouth turned down in a mulish frown, but she didn’t contradict him.
“Ward?” Hiroshi frowned. “Why do you have ahumanward?”
“I met her six years ago,” Ryu started, and Hiroshi nodded, his eyes lighting up with understanding.
“During Lord Erlan’s voyage to the human kingdoms?”
“But why did she become your ward?” Mizuki persisted.
“I’ll tell you everything later, Ipromise,” Ryu hissed. “For now, help me keep her a secret from the court. And my mother.”
~
After running into Mizuki and Hiroshi, Ryu knew he didn’t have the time to take Ella back to the stables. His mother was already looking for him.
If she found him with a human girl in the stables—Ryu shuddered. His mother had no magic, but her rage was terrifying enough on its own. She would befuriouswith him.
From what Mizuki and Hiroshi had told him, his mother was sure that he was hiding something. She wanted to see him, and so she would. He just had to make sure that his mother didn’t find out the truth.
If she found he’d brought Ella here from her village…
He couldn’t bear the thought of disappointing her or facing her disapproval.
