“I’m sure that’s more common than you realize.” I thought of my own queen and her refusal to acknowledge how bad things had become in Vantillios. Was it possible that her denial was a symptom of her love for the kingdom?
We sat in silence, both roaming our own thoughts, until Tarben looked at me and smiled.
“Thank you for meeting me this evening. I wish I could have seen you sooner, but with everything that’s happened…”
Another pause. The flames of the candles continued to flicker in the breeze. I did my best to hide my shiver. “Did you know him well?”
“I’ve known him since I was a boy. We weren’t close but, of course, he was a member of my father’s court.”
He looked thoughtful for a moment. “Oriane knew him better than I did. Her aunt was Lord Hywell’s first wife.”
It was a throwaway comment—an afterthought—but I was stunned.
My surprise must have shown because he continued. “She died before Oriane was born, but he always took a special interest in her because of it.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, unable to bite down my curiosity.
He shifted in his seat. “I’m not sure she would want me to say.”
“Of course,” I responded, although I was desperate for more information. Lord Hywell took aspecial interestin Oriane? This mysterious connection between the two of them must be why she looked so unlike herself in the great hall. She was in mourning because he meant something to her.How fascinating.
“Do you have any idea who would have done something so awful?” It wasn’t the most romantic of topics, but I had to ask.
His eyes darkened. “No. Though I suspect it was someone with a score to settle with him—Lord Hywell could be ruthless at times. It made him more than one enemy in the kingdom.”
“So you don’t believe it’s witchcraft?” I kept my tone casual, even though I leaned forward, eager to know what he thought.
He looked at me incredulously. “Alara, no. Those are just silly rumors from the servants, nothing more than fairy stories. There are no witches in Solvardunn.” He continued more gently this time, “Please, don’t concern yourself over that nonsense.”
He took my hands in his. “We will find the bastard responsible. In the meantime, I want you to know you’re safe here. I won’t let anything happen to you, even while I’m away. My father has reinforced security around the castle and the Royal Guard are on high alert for any suspicious activity.”
I sincerely doubted that the Royal Guard could protect anyone from a murderous witch, but I swallowed my cynicism and instead asked, “How long will you be gone?”
“It’s hard to say, but hopefully only a few days. Especially because my interests lie very much here, at the castle.” A suggestive smile crossed his face as he met my gaze.
My stomach did a somersault. What in confinement was that about? I jerked my hand away, as though his touch was the flame my grandmother had warned me not to play with.
“Are you okay?” Tarben asked, a crease forming between his eyebrows.
I was spared from having to respond by a procession of servants delivering trays of steaming food.
I sucked in a deep breath. It was probably just a combination of the sunset and the wine making me feel so strange. I needed to slow down on the drinking, that was all.
With a forced smile, I said, “This looks delicious. Let’s eat.”
***
The evening passed in a glimmering haze. At some point, the sunset melted into twilight, then twilight melted into nightfall, but it did so stealthily, evading my attention. I was only vaguely aware of the twinkling stars and the moon ornamenting the velvet, black sky. I barely registered the servants that came and went, serving dish after dish and refilling our goblets. My mind was focused with razor-sharp singularity on the prince sitting across the table from me. It was like existing in another world. A world where Tarben and I were the only inhabitants.
Everything was going exactly how I had planned it. Well, almost everything.
During the course of the evening, I’d felt an increasingly light and blissful sensation in my body. Giddiness. Obviously, I couldn’t allow for that. I had a very important job to do, and I couldn’t get distracted by the nice feelings I was having.Remember the curse. Remember why you’re here. Remember what will happen if you go home a failure.
“You’ve gone quiet. What are you thinking?” Tarben asked, his face cast in a golden hue from the dancing candlelight.
“I’m thinking how flawless this night has been and how it’s a shame it can’t last.” The fact that it was not entirely a lie came as a surprise.
“We’ll have many more just like it when I return from the border.” His grin turned flirtatious. “We can sit around the hearth and I can feed you little chocolates…”
