Yet, the pain was there all the same, lurking beneath the surface, waiting to swallow me whole.
I followed Whina through the steps for collecting meals in a daze. We made our way back up to the prince’s rooms with dinner in hand.My rooms. And wasn’tthata thought?
“Ah, there you are.” Prince Cyrus smiled as we walked in. I instantly noticed the table in the dining area was now set for only two. He noticed me eyeing it and his smile shifted into a smirk, “Since we have so many new people in the palace today, my parents agreed to allow us all to skip the formal dinner tonight if we chose. Tonight, we’ll dine together, just the two of us; tomorrow, I must return to the formal dinners.”
I forced a smile and nodded my head, hoping he couldn’t scent the dread rising at the thought of us being alone. “Of course, my Prince.”
Cyrus turned to Whina who took the plates from my hand and put them on the table. “Thank you, Whina. I trust everything went well today?”
I noticed the surprise on her face. I had a feeling thanking her was something he was doing purely for my benefit. As if I’d think better of the man putting in the barest smidgeon of cordial effort.
“Yes, your Highness. She’s going to be just fine.” She nodded, surprising me with her support after her frustration with me earlier. Whina grabbed the wine glasses from the table, motioning to me to hand her the wine bottle. I quickly leaned over to hand it to her and watched as she poured both glasses.
I didn’t recognize the label. Growing up in a vineyard, you end up knowing all sorts of wine variations. The Fae would very occasionally grant barrels to their slaves and the village would throw parties. Ones that were slightly off or contained bottling flaws that meant they couldn’t be sold. And my parents often spoke of their work at the end of a long day, so I’d pick up different names and types from them.
There were even a few times that Soren and I snuck in and stole a bottle from the building where they bottled all the wine. I’m still shocked to this day we never got caught and whipped. After seeing the whippings on Placement Day, I don’t think I’d be brave enough to try such a thing again. I hoped wherever he was, Soren now knew better too.
“From my personal vineyard.” Cyrus proudly stated, noticing me looking at the bottle. “It’s a label not sold anywhere outside Dusk.” That certainly explained why it was so unfamiliar.
“Do you have a lot of vineyards in Dusk?” I couldn’t help but ask, anything to break the quiet that laid over the room like a shroud.
“Not too many.” Cyrus raised his brows, surprised by my interest. “Sunrise and Sunset have better conditions for it. Most of the wine in the realm comes from them, however, my vineyard is along the border between Dusk and Sunset. It allows me to have the very best.”
He motioned to me to sit while Whina bowed and took her leave. “If you need anything else, my Prince? Otherwise, I’ll be back with dessert in due time.”
She gave me a look over Cyrus’ shoulder, her eyes widening in what I could only interpret as an order to behave and mind myself. I nodded my head the slightest bit. Whina looked appeased at that and made her way out of the dining room after Cyrus dismissed her.
“Do you know much about vineyards, Asteria? I wouldn’t expect a slave to ask about it.” Cyrus’s words instantly reminded me of the disparity here. Slaves were nothing to their masters. Why would he expect me to have any knowledge of such a luxurious good?
“I grew up in a village surrounding a vineyard in Sunrise.” I told him as I grabbed my wine. I swished it in the glass and inhaled it. It was sweet and fruity. My favorite type. I took a sip, and it was truly delicious. The berry flavor was underlined by something lighter, giving it a good balance.
“Ah, I should have guessed. Your dress is very much like the style those around the vineyards wear.” His eyes followed the length of my body. “Don’t worry, I have called for my seamstress to arrive first thing tomorrow to get you new clothes.”
“Oh.” I was certainly surprised by that. And was he insulting my dress?Rude. “I thought—”
“That I would have you wear what all the servants wear here?” He scoffed, and I couldn’t help but notice he called themservants, like they were paid for their work. He must have noticed my reaction each time he called them slaves. Like that would change anything. I wanted to scoff in return. Calling them something prettier didn’t change what was. Nor would I forget thatIwas his slave, no matter what he tried here.
“No. You’re mine. You’ll wear clothing fit for my—” Blue eyes lit up as they once again trailed down my body. I wanted to hide from their intensity, a shiver creeping up my body. It felt like he could see right through me and view everything I didn’t want him to see. “Companion.” He finally finished with a smirk.
“Won’t that single me out? Among the others?” I asked him, not wanting to be separated and stand out once more in a negative way. I’d had a bit of hope with Emmie. I’d never fit in among the girls in my village, and knowing we’d eventually leave, I figured that was easier anyway. Don’t get close. Don’t get hurt.
But I had a new chance now. And if I was going to be here for the rest of my life, I wanted to…fit. Even if I didn’t open my heart, being accepted would certainly be easier than not.
But something told me Prince Cyrus didn’t want me to do that at all. He wanted me to be his and his alone. The reminder that this was indeed the rest of my life was a heavy one. Could I handle years and years of his attention and not crack? When there was a part of me that wanted to give into the beautiful Fae in front of me? A small part,yes, but I was fairly sure you’d have to be blind to not be attracted to the Crown Prince of Dusk Kingdom.
“Indeed. But you won’t be like them, Asteria. You will be above them. As my companion, it’s only natural.” He insisted, proving that he had no idea what it was like to not fit anywhere. Or maybe I was right, and he wanted to ensure I only fit with him.
I took a deep breath and dared to oppose him. Hoping this wouldn’t see me bleeding by the end. “But I haven’t accepted your offer.”
“Not yet.” He agreed easily. Clearly, he was convinced it was only a matter of time and my denial of him was temporary.
We ate our meals while Cyrus added commentary about his exploits. He apparently liked to gamble himself, and frequently attended races. Once dinner was over, Cyrus retired to his room, and I sagged in place before quickly making my way to my own. I was so confused by all the changes happening in my life so quickly.
I looked out the window, at the sky I so often wished I could float away to. The city below me didn’t look nearly as peaceful, with bright lights and loud noises that seemed to reach my window all too easily. My village had been quiet, and our nights saw little ambient light, making the stars shine even brighter. You’d think Dusk Kingdom would have brighter stars than Sunrise Kingdom did, given its nature. I thought being closer to Night Kingdom would mean better night skies at least, but no. I heaved a heavy sigh in disappointment.
I caught sight of a hawk circling the air above my balcony and smiled. I quickly stepped out and raised my hand towards the sky, like I could reach out and touch it. Life as a hawk must be nice; completely free and able to spend its days flying through the skies.
“You’re luckier than you know.” I whispered to the hawk, as if it could hear me. Foolish of me, really. My mother always said I was too fanciful and that my head was lost in the skies. But I swear, I saw its head cock in response.
