Concern tugged at Erik’s lips when he noticed her condition. “What happened?”
“She uh… ate a bad mushroom.”
Erik scowled, shaking his head. “I hope this trip was worth it.”
Behind him, Theo stepped forward, his tired eyes fixed on the sky. “We need to get you back quickly if you want to be home before sunrise.” He glanced at me. “Can she ride?”
Erik scoffed. “Look at her, she can hardly stand.” He leaned forward to gently pry Raena off me. “I can take her, my horse is big enough for two.” His voice then softened as he addressed the swaying girl. “Listen, Raena, I know you’re not feeling very well so you can ride with me, okay? I’ll get you home safely.”
“Careful, Erik,” Theo teased, “it almost sounds like you care.”
The golden-haired guard shot Theo a warning look before he guided Raena towards the horses.
“Come on, Princess,” Theo said to me with a laugh. “Let’s get you back.”
When I finally arrived back in my tower room, I had just enough leftover willpower to change out of my travelling dress and into a nightgown before I crashed onto the bed. Erik ended up carrying Raena up the stairs to her room beside mine. I’d made sure she made it into bed safely before thanking Erik profusely and slipping him a few extra gold pieces. He’d declined at first, but changed his mind quickly after I refused to let him leave without taking them.
We all needed to get to bed.
Sleep overcame me faster than my eyes had time to close when my head finally hit the soft pillows. But I’d been sleeping for what only felt like five minutes when I suddenly woke to a loud commotion outside my door.
“This is absurd, do you not know who I am? You must letme see her,” a male voice sounded from the hallway. My eyes opened only slightly, still heavy from sleep. I had no idea what time it was, but judging by the intense growling of my stomach and the golden sunlight pouring in from the windows, I guessed it was at least midday.
Three sharp knocks echoed through the room.
“Naria! Are you in there?”
Prince Lukas… It’d been almost a week since I’d spoken to him last, but still, I recognised that low, commanding voice. It was a struggle not to groan as I rolled over, my back now facing the door. He wouldn’t come in here, it wouldn’t be proper. Besides, I was still in my nightgown, and for him to see me like this would be highly—
The door swung open, and my entire body flinched enough to send me tumbling off the bed and onto the hard wooden floor in front of him.
“Lukas,” I gasped, clutching a hand to my chest. The thin white nightgown I was wearing did little to protect my modesty. “You can’t be in here. You need to leave, now!”
Before me, the prince stood in the doorway, wearing an unusually plain tunic and breeches. His dark brown hair was a mess of waves that flopped lazily against his forehead, and judging by the way his chest rose and fell and his lips were slightly parted, I supposed he’d run all the way up here. When he noticed my nightgown, a subtle dash of red coloured his cheeks, but he didn’t move. Instead, he remained frozen in the doorway.
After a few very long seconds, he cleared his throat before speaking in a serious tone. “I came to check on you. It’s been so long since we last spoke, and I was worried something might’ve happened.”
“Well, I can assure you, I am completely fine,” I huffed, my hand still covering my chest. “Or at least I was until you came barging in here.”
He shifted nervously. “I apologise for my intrusion.”
Several breaths passed between us as I waited for him to turn and leave. But instead, my stomach dropped as he stepped further into the room, letting the door click shut behind him.
I opened my mouth to protest, but his next words forced all the air from my chest.
“I’m sorry about what happened in the garden.”
I blinked, my mouth falling open.
“And I’m sorry for how I acted on your first day. I realise I may have been a bit… harsh at dinner, and you didn’t deserve to be treated like that.” He swallowed hard and tensed his jaw.
His confession left me speechless. There were so many things I wanted to say – horrible, angry things. But they all melded together in my mind, along with the few traitorous thoughts that said maybe I should forgive him. Perhaps Raena was right? Perhaps he was just deeply affected by his father’s curse, and being an arrogant brat was his odd way of coping.
A few moments passed before I finally found my voice, though it came out softer than I expected. “Thank you for saying that.”
He nodded, his gaze meeting mine. In that moment, a sense of something I hadn’t felt before washed over me. It felt warm, albeit very, very brief.
“And just so you know,” he added with a slight smile, “I didn’t barge in here. I knocked, several times actually, loudly enough that even the guards began to worry. But you didn’t answer.”
