“I had to tell him who I am. He didn’t take the news well.”
Sam’s expression turned stony. “He’s mad because you are the princess? Damn it, just when I was starting to think better of him, he goes and proves he is a fool, after all.”
A sniffle escaped. “Don’t blame him. It is my fault. He wasn’t mad that I’m the princess.” I wasn’t even sure how he felt about that particular detail. “He’s mad because I lied to him.”
“Did you explain your reasoning?”
“I tried, but... I used a charm, Sam. I controlled his thoughts with magic. I know what Powell did to him and I still used a charm on him.”
Sam frowned. “Your charm is nothing like what Powell did to Alan. You had no ill-intent, the magic doesn’t linger, and it doesn’t change people. All it does is keep people from noticing the clues that you are more than a merchant’s daughter.”
“It doesn’t matter. I messed up. Put yourself in Alan’s shoes. He’s been the victim of magical charms for years. Would you be able to trust someone who used a charm against you after that?”
“You weren’t using the charm against Alan. And if I were him, then I would still trustyou. You aren’t just anyone, Mina. If Alan is too foolish to realize that, it is his failing, not yours.”
I wasn’t so sure about that, nor did I like that Sam cast Alan as in the wrong. Alan needed people to take his side. He deserved friends and support. Even if he forgave me, I left in two days.
Oh gods, two days. I knew Alan needed time. He had to come to terms with what I had done on his own. But I couldn’t wait for his emotions to settle. I wouldn’t be in Skorsa to beg for another chance to prove myself. I’d be back in Haiwella, preparing for the ball that marked the countdown to my wedding. The wedding I had always viewed as an inevitable duty, neither good nor bad.
But I couldn’t imagine it now with any sense of equanimity.
I was about to start sobbing again; I could feel it. Gently, I pulled my hands free of Sam’s grip and stood. “Go easy on him, Sam. He’s been through too much already.”
I didn’t wait for a response, leaving the golden candlelight behind me and crossing the hall to my dark bedroom. I lay on the bed and pressed my face into the pillow, letting the tears fall as I envisioned a future where Alan never forgave me.
Twenty-Five
Mina
???
“May I interruptfor a few minutes?” I asked Bethany Hervor after stepping into the tavern and spotting her and Kayla serving meals to a few customers. Old Gordy and Widow Penniwell were both present, which would save me a visit or two. “I have an announcement to make.”
Bethany shrugged. “Of course.”
“Can you get your parents and husband, too?”
She gave me a funny look, but didn’t hesitate. “If you want. Give me a moment.”
Bethany left the common room by way of the kitchen. I waited, my nerves growing with every heartbeat. I fiddled with the diamond charm, leaving the necklace untucked from my bodice for once.
Kayla crossed the room to my side. “What were you whispering to Bethany about?”
“I asked her to get your parents and brother-in-law so I could make an announcement.”
Kayla’s eyes narrowed, and she studied my charm. I had worn it during my entire stay in Skorsa, but there was a chance she had never seen it before, since I tried to keep it tucked under my clothes.I knew exactly what she was thinking, now. She thought the pendant was a recent gift. A betrothal present.
Based on her glower, she wouldn’t wish me well if it were a betrothal present. I wondered how she’d react to my actual announcement.
Bethany and the rest of the Hervor family filed into the common room. I cleared my throat. I could do this. I could. “Excuse me, can I have everyone’s attention?” Despite my nerves, my voice was clear and steady. “I have an announcement.”
All eyes turned toward me.
“As you all know, tomorrow is my last day in Skorsa. Then I return home to Haiwella. Before I leave, I wanted to tell everyone how much I have enjoyed my time in your village. I came here wanting to experience a life different from my own, and I am honored by how welcoming everyone has been.”
I took a deep breath. Now for the hard part. “What you do not know is that my name is not Mina Devale.” I lifted my necklace from where it rested against me. “I used a charm to hide my true identity because I wanted you to treat me as just another ordinary person. My real name is Princess Charmina Devaoile.”
Several people gasped as my words freed them from the power of the charm and they suddenly could believe that I was a princess. The mage who had made my charm had ensured there would be no lingering effects, though it took more power and effort to make it that way. He had crafted it ethically, but it was still a means of controlling people’s thoughts. How many people besides Alan would see it as a violation?
