Oliver’s wide-eyed look of horror clashed with mine before we both burst into laughter. “No, never!” he exclaimed.
At the same time, I said, “Never in his wildest dreams.”
Then to me, he said, “You’re daft if you think I would ever dream aboutthat.”
More laughter from the two of us. It couldn’t be helped.
“Oh,” Katrinka murmured, “I just thought.”
“No, you’re not wrong to assume... that,” Oliver reasoned diplomatically. “I would do anything for Tess. Die for her even. I just... we’re not like...”
“Nor will we ever be...” I added, trying to explain what neither of us could even say.
“Simply friends,” Taelon cut in, saving us from losing our breakfast on the stone path. “They are friends and nothing more. I assure you.” Katrinka turned to look at him, clearly pleased he’d saved us all. “And sometimes I’m not even sure they’re that.”
Oliver chuckled gently. “No, you’re wrong there. When we disagree or bicker, that is merely the purest version of our friendship. We care too deeply about each other to let polite excuses or false opinions taint our true feelings. We are always honest, always upfront. And that is how we know we can always trust each other.”
I threaded my arm through his, beaming with his assessment. “Sometimes, we might want to pull our hair out and abandon each other to the pits of Denamon. But Oliver is right. I trust his opinion and advice above everything else. I know he will tell me the truth I need to hear. And even more, the truth I don’t want to hear.”
“The Light must have looked upon you favorably, Tessana,” Katrinka said, a cold tone to her voice. “To find a friend like that. And in a monastery of all places.”
Her words stole my happy mood and replaced it with dread. She was not happy for me. That much was clear.
But Oliver did not notice. He laughed again and echoed, “Asilentmonastery of all places.”
I led them deeper into the gardens, our polished heels clicking against the weathered stone. Nearly a battalion of guards was behind us, but thankfully, they stayed far enough in our wake so as not to interrupt our conversation. I knew there were even more royal guards stationed around the grounds. Otherwise, they would not have let us wander so freely. But with so many monarchs in one place, my uncle would have taken every security measure.
“That might be the only place to find a true friend,” Caspian said from further behind me. “In disguise, at a place for peasants. Royals aren’t given the luxury of real friendship. Not like the two of you enjoy.”
He sounded as bitter as Katrinka. I retracted my arm, feeling as though it was showing off. “That can’t be true,” I argued. “Maybe it is harder as a royal to make friendships. But it can’t be impossible.” I glanced at Taelon. “You have friends, surely. I’ve seen them. Met them.”
He gave me that brief look he sometimes did when I confused his dual personality. “As a royal,” he clarified without an obvious inflection to his voice, although I heard it nonetheless, “I do find it hard to make friends. I have those I respect more than others. And those who respect me more than others. But I would not call them friends.”
“Haemon? Really?” I could not believe him. Although I did realize there was a distinction between the men he knew as Arrick the Rebel Commander and Taelon the Crown Prince of Soravale. But I had seen him interact with his captain of the guard. I had seen their easy conversation and laid-back manners with my own eyes. “I cannot believe you do not consider him your friend.”
His lips twisted into a frown. “It is not that I consider him less than a friend. But Haemon would give up his life for mine without hesitation.” I opened my mouth to argue victory, but he added, “Out of duty. Sure, a part of him might loyally sacrifice his life for mine because we are close, but I will never know. His position requires him to act the same whether he loves me or hates me. And that puts a divide between us that no amount of friendship can close. Caspian is right. It is the rare royal that enjoys a friendship with anyone.”
I looked at Katrinka. Was that how her life had been in Barstus? Lonely and friendless? My heart ached for my abandoned sister. Had I heard a whisper about her survival during my time at the Temple, I would have left immediately to find her. To give her the friendship she so dearly missed. To be the family she needed.
We walked for several minutes in silence, each lost in our thoughts. But finally, Caspian couldn’t seem to help himself.
“How is it that Barstus managed to keep the sole living heir to the Allisand bloodline a secret for eight years? You would think someone would notice a princess wandering around a palace that did not belong to them.”
“I grew up in a temple, not a palace,” I reminded him tersely.
His voice held the hint of a smile even though I refused to turn around and acknowledge it. “I wasn’t talking about you, Tessana.”
“O-Oh,” Katrinka stuttered, caught off guard to have the prince of Vorestra’s attention. “I’m not sure, actually. Everyone in residence at Bale, er the Castle Bale, knew who I was and where I had come from. But there was never talk of my taking over the throne.” She thought for a moment before adding, “Maybe they knew I would not have accepted the offer.”
Could that be true? Her shy demeanor did seem to speak for itself. I couldn’t imagine her ever desiring to wear the Crown of Nine. But it should have at least been proposed.
“It is odd, though,” Taelon agreed. “It would have comforted the realm to know an Allisand had survived. In Soravale, we knew Maksim had a daughter that did not make public appearances. Still, we couldn’t have guessed he was hiding you, Katrinka.”
“He wasn’t hiding me,” she argued immediately. “I preferred not to be in public. He was respecting my wishes.”
A hitch to her tone made me ask, “The choice was given to you then, sister? You were asked whether you wanted to be in public or not?”
She took her time crafting an answer before saying, “Well, no. No, I suppose not. But... well... you’re making this into something it’s not. My father, rather, my adopted father, was not a cruel or unkind man. His charity and secrecy kept me alive. Same as Tessana’s priest.”
