“And the dancing!”
The ladies began to speak all at once, sharing cherished memories of their first experiences at the protection ceremony. As Luna listened to the multiple tales, she couldn’t help but feel a growing sense of unease; it gnawed at her.
She turned to look over her shoulder at Clyde. He was standing stiff as a board, his eyes focused intensely on her. She wanted more than anything to sneak off together, go somewhere far away from the court, from the dangers of unicorns. Clyde wouldn’t agree to that though, he had worked very hard to achieve his rank. It made her wonder what her life would be like if she were truly free . . . to not have her title or illness weighing on her, to do whatever she wanted, with whomever she wanted.
All of a sudden, it occurred to her—she could have that—at least a taste of it. If the shadow unicorn had been able to sneak onto the palace grounds, then it might not be impossible for someone to sneak out. She could leave, even for just a day, and pretend to be someone else. Someone who was free to roam with no obligations.
Once afternoon tea was over, Luna set off for a leisurely stroll through the main gardens. Clyde accompanied her, as well as the umbrella-wielding servants, and another guard. She enjoyed taking a walk before or after her study sessions, and on this particular day, she decided she was going to postpone her studies for as long as possible.
The main gardens were designed in a style that gave the impression of untamed, yet aesthetically pleasing, growth. Climbing vines snaked up and along the stone archways with flowers flourishing on every available surface. At the heart of the garden stood a two-tiered fountain, with watercascading gently from the top level to the bottom. This was not the only fountain, despite it being her favourite. In each corner, small pools featured different animal sculptures: An elephant, a dolphin, a bird, and a bear. Each animal spouted water, creating graceful arcs that connected one pool to the next.
As they walked towards the central fountain, Luna noticed a figure casually leaning against the water’s edge, and she dropped into a curtsy. “Good afternoon, Your Highness”
Prince Kieran was known for his kind demeanour, except to Luna, who knew him as an ass. He indulged heavily in practical jokes and pranks, often targeting Luna. He could openly test the boundaries of Luna’s protections without consequence. The prince stood in a white shirt with golden buttons and matching chains looping on each shoulder. His black hair was slicked back, and he stared down his nose at Luna, even though he was shorter than her.
With a polite smile, the prince bid her to rise, although the warmth in his expression didn’t quite extend to his eyes. “And how is the king’sfavouritenoble lady faring today?” A hint of jealousy lingered in his voice, as there always was. Ever since they were children, the prince had expressed a disdain for her. Perhaps he resented the idea of the king’s desire to protect her so fiercely. Luna had hoped he’d outgrow it, but the jealousy continued, despite her aversion and willingness to forgo such privileges.
“I am not his favourite,” she corrected, “and I am doing just fine.”
She had no doubt that the prince was fully aware of yesterday’s events, except for the private moments with Clyde. As prince, he was privy to her affairs and took great pleasure in using them as fodder for his so-called ‘jokes.’ At times, it seemed as if she existed solely for his amusement.
Prince Kieran turned to Clyde and the other guard, gesturing towards the entrance of the garden. “You can protect from . . . over there.” Both guards bowed and did as instructed. Luna wanted to ask Clyde to stay, but she had no authority over the prince’s commands and could not go against them. Instead, she glared at him as her feelings of unease built. Why would he ask her guards to go away? What ‘joke’ did he have planned for today?
Prince Kieran held out his arm, and unable to deny his invitation, Luna hesitantly wrapped her hand around it. Her servants swarmed around her like honeybees would their queen. They always took extra care to ensure Luna was completely shaded when the prince was around, lest he have complaints that reached the king. With every step forward, the servants would readjust, double- and triple-checking that every part of her was shielded from the sun. Their umbrellas hovered above, behind, and in front of her, making her unable to see where she was going. They bumped against her, too, causing her to wobble like she was a ball being bounced between them all. She stumbled over someone’s foot and would have tripped had she not been holding onto Prince Kieran’s arm.
Annoyed, she groaned. “I hate this.”
The prince looked at her, his face tight, and if she didn’t know better, she swore there was the tiniest shred of sympathy in his eyes. “Anything I can do?”
She scoffed. “Burn the umbrellas.”
He laughed, causing her to frown. She had only been half joking. “Order more umbrellas—got it.”
With an eye roll, she said, “Let’s not even joke about that.” They strolled towards the small dolphin fountain, and she sat down on the edge of it, swatting her hands around her as if she were batting away flies instead of servants. They took a step back, each stretching their arms long to ensure she remained shaded. Inwardly, she smiled, happy to have gained a small amount of personal space.
Her gaze wandered over the garden, appreciating the beauty of the other fountains and the flowers, before returning to the prince. He had a cruel glimmer in his eyes, and before she could do anything, he shoved her and she fell back . . . directly into the fountain.
With a huge splash, she landed on her rear. Servants scrambled around her, trying to keep her covered. A few actually steppedintothe fountain to ensure her body was entirely shaded. They were like dogs obsessed with a bone. She sat there; her dress completely drenched, glaring at the prince, but he was too busy laughing hysterically to notice.
“Your Highness, I must request you be careful with the lady,” Clyde said, rushing over.
“Rest assured, there’s no need to remind me to be careful,” Prince Kieran retorted, extending a hand to assist Luna to her feet. “If she got hurt, it would ruin all of our fun plans, and we can’t have that happening, now can we?”
Narrowing her eyes to slits, she continued to glare at him as she seized his hand tightly. Then, with a sly smirk, she suddenly tugged him towards her, attempting to pull him into the fountain. He remained unmoved, his body like a statue cemented into the ground. She slipped and lost her balance, tumbling back into the fountain, sending water splashing around her once more.
The prince buckled over, laughing so hard he could barely breathe.
She slammed her fists into the water. If he had been a proper gentleman, he would have pretended to fall into the fountain, or at the least, tried to catch her before she fell again.
Embarrassed, she gathered herself up, ears burning as she took Clyde’s outstretched hand. Without a word, she turned and walked back towards her family’s house, her footsteps squelching against the stone while the prince’s laughter echoed behind her.
Chapter 4
Banquet
By the time she had recovered from the whole ordeal with the prince, her bath water had cooled to lukewarm. It had taken her nearly half an hour to wash away the musty smell of fountain water, and even now, she wasn’t sure if it was completely gone.
The rest of the house was filled with noise: doors opening and closing, her mother’s and sister’s voices echoing as they chatted about what to wear. Luna sighed. After a terrible day, all she wanted to do was stay home. Luck was not on her side, though. Her mother had planned for the family to attend dinner at the Grand Hall tonight and, as usual, everyone would be there, from the royal family to all the nobility. Luna only hoped she’d find a way to avoid the prince; she’d go so far as to take the shadow unicorn over him.
