The rising sun was at the bottom edge of the circular window before Cyra. Sunrise rights wouldn’t be over until it was fully illuminated. Liane fidgeted in her seat as the Avatheos’ sermon carried on, transitioning from prophecies of doom to more mundane topics: the love of the goddess, her glorious light…
And the longer he droned on, the more her mind wandered, and she gazed around the room, searching the faces of the gathered courtiers hoping to find Heinrich’s mistress among them. Some fanned themselves and tried to keep cool, while others whispered behind their hands with pointed looks in her direction. She didn’t shy away from their stares; that only gave them more fuel.
But then, among the crowd, she saw a familiar face grinning back at her. When their eyes met, her cheeks flamed at being caught staring, and she turned back to the front, to pretend to be listening to the Avatheos. It shouldn’t have been surprising to see him in the church; everyone came for sunrise rights. But had he been staring at her all this time? Just to confirm, she turned to check a second time, and he was still staring. Liane whipped her head back around, her entire body flushed. It must be a coincidence that she saw him again, but this was the fourth time they’d run into one another. Could she really call it that? And if he was following her, what did he want from her? Unless he’d been sent here by Niklas and his gang. He was trying to buy stardust, after all… She’d have to be on her guard.
When the Avatheos finished his sermon, everyone rose and shuffled over to greet the royal family as was tradition. As she took her place in line with her family, she craned her neck, searching the crowd for the stranger, but he was gone. Then surely, it was all in her imagination. She had enough to worry about without having to worry about Niklas sending one of his addict lackeys after her. A few courtiers trickled by to greet her, before moving on to the rest of her family, where they lingered. Then he appeared in front of her, smirking down at her, and her stomach lurched.
“We meet again, Princess,” he said.
“My lord,” She greeted coldly, hoping he’d move along.
His posture was relaxed, and he made no move to greet the rest of the royal family, instead lingering in front of her.
“There’s a rumor going around that I’m courting you, have you heard?” he asked.
Liane gasped and covered her mouth, before looking sidelong to make sure her family hadn’t heard. Was he perpetuating that rumor? Perhaps he’d come to court with the intention of wooing her, and he had no nefarious intent at all. Whatever his motive, she couldn’t let her mother hear him.
Before Mother noticed them together, Liane grasped him by the wrist and pulled him between pews and out a side door into an adjoining garden outside the temple. An ancient ash tree with drooping untrimmed branches provided a small measure of privacy. Liane’s eyes swept their surroundings before she felt safe to speak.
“You’re rather direct. But if you asked, I would have followed you somewhere private,” he said.
“What do you want?” she asked.
“You were the one who kept looking back at me, remember?”
Her face flushed. She didn’t have time for flirting. They could be discovered at any moment.
“If you’re trying to seduce me, it won’t work.”
“Oh? What makes you so certain that’s what I’m trying to do?”
He chuckled under his breath as he reached out, grasping a stray strand of hair to tuck it behind her ear. Liquid heat coiled in her belly as he closed the space between him. She’d be lying if she said she wasn’t attracted. But she could never be with someone who was using stardust. She didn’t need another reminder of her pain. Instead, she hitched up her skirt, and his eyes widened just before she drew out her dagger strapped to her thigh and pressed it against his chin.
“Enough games; tell me who sent you.”
His golden-brown eyes flicked from the dagger to her face, but he made no move to escape her.
“I think there’s been a misunderstanding…”
“Liane, there you are,” Mother said.
Dropping the dagger, she hid it behind her back as she turned to greet Mother, who wasn’t alone. Behind her was some ruddy-faced lord she’d never seen before.
“There was someone I wanted to introduce you to, but it seems you’re preoccupied.” Mother raised her brows, looking slowly away from Liane, and a slow smile spread across her face as she misinterpreted what she was seeing.
“We’re finished here. Who was it you wanted me to meet?”Liane asked, waving away the stranger. Hopefully, he’d think twice before approaching her again.
“Liane, don’t be rude. You haven’t introduced me to your friend,” Mother said, putting emphasis on friend. Like a hound on the scent, she wasn’t going to give up until she caught her prey.
“Prince Erich of Sundland. And your radiant reputation is understated, your majesty.” Prince Erich bowed to Mother, and taking her hand in his, he planted a kiss.
“Prince Erich!” Mother said with a gasp. “I didn’t know you would be coming to Artria, now isn’t this a fortuitous arrival,” she emphasized, with a pointed look at Liane.
A prince! Mother must be hearing wedding bells. But what would she say if Liane told her she’d caught him buying stardust? She might not sound so gleeful then.
“The visit was unplanned. Though I am planning on making my introductions at court soon.”
“Then you must join us for the hunt this afternoon. I insist.”
