Her blinding smile made my heart swell. And when she swept her hand toward the table, I decided I needed to keep her. She was just too precious.
“I’m Rosabella,” she declared proudly. “Mama said I could be the one to show you to your places. It’s not proper, you know. But Mama said that you’re not actually a guest.”
“Oh,” I laughed. “Thank you.”
“So you’renota guest?” Rosabella pressed. “Does that mean you’ve come to live here?”
“Rosabella!” Anatal scolded. “I said you could show them to their seats, not interrogate them.”
The six-year-old’s cheeks turned red and she looked down at her shoes. “Sorry.”
I laughed. It could not be helped. “Don’t be. I’m not offended. But to answer your question, I think your Mama merely meant that I’m more like a friend than a distinguished visitor.”
“Don’t let her fool you, Rosie,” Taelon announced as he swept in behind me. His hand landed on the small of my back and the light touch burned all the way to my toes. “This is the most famous guest you’ll ever meet. She’s not just any princess.” He leaned in and with a conspiratorial wink whispered, “She’s theLost Princess.”
I would have laughed at Rosabella’s gasp of surprise, but I was too embarrassed to do anything but want to die. Taelon must have noticed, but it didn’t seem he cared.
Instead, he picked up my arm and looped it through his elbow. Then with his deep baritone he said, “Lost Princess, your chair awaits.” After I’d taken my seat, Taelon introduced Oliver.
“Father, Mother, this is Oliver, Tessana’s bodyguard.”
Oliver nearly choked on his tongue. “Hardly,” he laughed. “More like her traveling entertainment.”
I smiled at him. “Oliver is an apprentice to the Order of Silence. He has yet to take his vows and it is my theory that until he does, he plans to use as many words as possible.”
Oliver wrinkled his nose at me and Hugo howled. “I see you have not wanted for friendship, Tessana. That is good.”
I nodded. “Oliver was my savior many times. As it turns out I do not fare well when forbidden to speak.”
Taelon, who was seated across from me, laughed. “I remember that well.”
“You’re truly her, then?” one of the boys asked. “The Lost Princess?”
“Leo,” Anatal scolded. She turned to me. “I apologize, Tessana. It appears that my children have no manners. I must speak with their governess.”
“We have no governess, Mother,” the other son, Dorian, reminded her. “You are to fault for our lack of propriety.”
Anatal smiled. “Oh, that’s right.”
Hugo chuckled and looked adoringly at his wife. “Ah,” he murmured. “Now I know who to blame them on.”
“Blame them on?” She gasped. “Why, my king, whatever do you mean?”
Hugo continued to smile, “There’s the one that can’t stop talking.” He gave a pointed look at Rosabella. “And the two in the middle, forever causing mischief with their fencing instructor. And that one,” his gaze swung to his oldest son.
“What is wrong with that one?” Anatal asked, trying to hide her smile.
“He’s leading a rebellion against his own kingdom. The very one he’s going to rule.”
Taelon leaned back and grinned. “I have yet to wage war against your troops, Father. However, should you fail to meet my list of demands…”
“Bah!” Hugo guffawed. “You’ve access to the treasury. Take whatever you need.”
I spoke before I thought better of it, “You’re serious? You know he’s leading a rebellion and you’re fine with it?”
Hugo’s warm gaze landed on me. “He’d like you to believe it’s a rebellion. And I suppose it is of sorts. But he’s not rebelling against the Nine. More like the darkness infecting our realm.” His voice was filled with the despair I’d often felt traveling through Tenovia. “He fights to keep peace. To save lives. He fights to keep those blasted Shadows out of our land and away from our people. It’s not the most conventional way to fight, I’ll give you that. But, he is able to keep peace with Elysia by hiding behind the guise of a rebel commander. And for now, there is nothing more important.”
I had nothing to say to that. I had assumed Taelon had been leading the rebellion as nothing more than an act of… well, rebellion. But Hugo spoke of him with such pride and confidence.
