Clyde spoke first, barely moving his lips to whisper, “I was thinking about earlier . . .”
“Yes?” she whispered back.
“I shouldn’t have let Prince Kieran walk with you. I should have insisted—”
“You and I both know you can’t stop him,” Luna interrupted. Whatever the king, or the prince, said was law; no one was allowed to question it.
He grumbled, his voice rising with anger, “What was the prince thinking?! You could easily have been hurt . . . I should inform the King.”
The song came to an end, and after a pause, the musicians resumed playing again, this time the rhythm was slow, methodical. The kind of beat that made one want to move their feet.
With an exasperated sigh, Luna said, “It wouldn’t stop him. He’d just find new ways to pester me.” She shifted her weight, leaning against the rail, gazing out at the landscape beyond. The sun had dipped low beneath the horizon, the stars emerging one by one in the darkening sky. “Besides, somehow, it’d probably result in even more rules for me.”
“I wish I could take you away from . . .” His voice trailed off, and there was a moment of silence before he continued, “I wish I was higher ranking so we’d be free to do as we pleased.”
There was that word again.Free. Was this a hint about the note? Maybe he had left it in her room after all. Her first love note—how sweet. Testing the waters, she said, “As do I. It’s rather difficult when one becomes acaptiveto their place in society.”
Luna watched him carefully, searching for any sign of recognition, but there was none; he simply nodded his head in agreement. Maybe he hadn’t been referring to the note.Did that mean . . .Her thoughts were interrupted when Clyde gently placed his hand on her arm, only to immediately withdraw it.
“Excuse me, m’lady?”
Luna whirled around to face a royal guard. He was an older man with a face marked by a stern, unwavering expression. How long had he been there? Had he overheard their conversation? Her heart was in her throat, her mind racing with excuses but coming up blank.
However, if the guard saw or heard anything, he did not address it. “Prince Kieran requests your presence.”
Remembering the incident with the fountain, she put a hand on her hip. She was not about to have a repeat of earlier. “Please tell him I politely decline.”
The royal guard visibly stiffened. “He figured you might say that.” He paused, lowering his voice to a low, hushed tone. “Which is why he sent me instead of a servant.” Then, he straightened, standing to his full height, gesturing with his hand. “This way, m’lady.”
She scoffed. Prince Kieran would rather her be dragged to him than risk rejection? Seriously?Such an ass.She rolled her eyes, gaze landing on Clyde, who remained silent and motionless. What had she expected? Of course, he couldn’t do anything. He might have good intentions and the desire to be with her, but at the end of the day, he was a guard and she was a noble. There were protocols and etiquette that must be followed.
Begrudgingly, she followed the guard, leaving Clyde behind. He led her through the palace to the Lunar room, a circular chamber with tall arched windows, perfect for studying the skies. The walls were adorned with paintings of the moon in its various phases, capturing the ethereal beauty of the night sky. When she arrived, a servant swung open the dark wooden doors, revealing the prince standing near a window gazing upwards. He turned and smiled at her, his eyes holding a sort of twinkle in them. He seemed to be genuinely pleased she had come—as if she had any choice in the matter. She curtsied, and he gestured for her to stand. “Luna, you lookdazzlingas ever.”
Sneering, she rose and crossed her arms. “Is there something you need,Your Highness?” Her voice was laced with annoyance, eager to get straight to business and out of there.
His eyes drifted below her neck, and she awkwardly dropped her hands to her side. “So serious. Tsk Tsk,” he clucked.
She bit her tongue, holding back the verbal lashing she wanted to give him. Not realizing he was playing with fire, he continued, “You know, most ladies swoon over me.”
Unable to control herself, Luna blurted out, “Then go be with them.”
She heard his teeth clench together, his jaw visibly tightening. “If anyone else spoke to me that way, I might have their tongue cut out.” His words spilled out in his usual joking tones, but she could tell there was truth to his statement. Obviously, he was not used to being refused or rejected. To be fair, it made sense, he was the prince after all. He probably had never been denied anything in his life, except a mother.
The prince closed the distance between them. She flinched as he reached out and cupped her face, lifting her chin to make her eyes meet his. His blue eyes were as bright as the daylight skies and his touch was surprisingly delicate. A gesture like that with anyone else would have felt sweet, kind, almost romantic, but with him, it all felt like a trap. She braced for the prank that was sure to come. When he spoke, his words were soft. “But I happen to be fond of your smile and I’d be so disappointed to not see it again.”
Was that supposed to be a compliment? Her eyebrows furrowed together. If he felt that way, why did he go out of his way to make her mad all the time?He’s toying with me. How dare he.
Without breaking eye contact, she took a step backwards, moving out of his reach. “Howluckyfor me.”
Ignoring her clearly sarcastic statement, he replied, “I thought so too. Anyway, I have a present for you.” He snapped his fingers, and out of reflex, she ducked her head, bracing for the incoming ‘joke.’ A servant popped out of nowhere holding a rather large square box. Odd. Prince Kieran had never given her a gift before.
Inquisitively, she asked, “What is this?” She was pretty confident that the box was going to be filled with a bunch of beetles or frogs—or worse; she shuddered at the possibilities.
“Once I become king, I can have every umbrella in Grythorn burned, but for now, we will compromise.” He lifted the lid to reveal the world’s largest hat. It was black with a wide brim, adorned with a sleek ribbon, and featured a single feather. It was so enormous that it would shade her entire body when she wore it, removing the need for umbrellas.
For a split second, she thought about hugging him. “Thank you . . .” Was this his way of apologizing for the fountain incident?
“I figured I better start being a little nicer to you,” he replied.
