I almost choked with laughter. “I am not brave.”
“Not many princesses would throw themselves between two angry duellers,” he sighed, relaxing further into my bed and spreading his toned arms against the sheets.
Eyes rolling, I retorted, “You’d probably be surprised. I’m sure plenty of women would be happy to throw themselves at you.”
That was a mistake.
Propping himself up on his elbows, he asked in a tone that some might almost believe was innocent, “And why would that be?”
“Well…” My cheeks flushed as a wolfish grin appeared on his face. “You know you are a prince after all and—”
“Do you think I’m attractive, fiancée?” Mischief danced in his gaze.
Yes, incredibly so.But I’d rather throw myself out of my tower window than admit that to his frustratingly charming face. So instead, I shrugged, trying my best to ignore the way my heart was racing, and replied in a dry tone, “Looks don’t matter to me.”
“Oh?” He moved closer. “And what does? Would it impress you if I said I have the biggest sword in the duelling club.”
I scoffed in confusion. “Why would that matter?” Maybe it was a Drothmore thing? As far as I was aware, nobody compared weapon sizes in Corlixir. “Besides, I care about what’s up here more.” Without missing a beat, I tapped twice against my head. “And as a princess, I care about who can provide the best future for my kingdom.”
The amused grin that was covering the prince’s face slipped away. “So you’re still certain about rebuilding Corlixir?”
Our eyes met, mine turning glossy with desperation. “I can’t let my people down, Lukas. As a soon-to-be king, I hoped you would understand that.”
Silence hung between us. There was no reason for him to change his mind. Raena was a fool for suggesting that any feelings he had for me might change what he planned for my kingdom, and I was an even bigger fool for holding out any kind of hope that she was right.
But then, something unexpected flashed across his features as he spoke in a light tone. “How about this?”
A breath caught in my throat. Could it be that we weren’t so foolish after all?
“I’ve seen how much you love healing, and the more I hear about how you saved that poor boy’s life… Naria, you are spectacular.”
My knees began to tremble.
Please, just say it. Say you’ll help me.
“So I was thinking, last night…”
Oh Ancients.
“I think I would love for you to have your own hospital, here in Drothmore.”
My heart sank like a bucket being dropped in a well.
“It’s perfect, don’t you think?” he went on with a proud grin. “You can invite all of your friends to work there. I’ll happily supply the funding so your scholars can continue the research they never got to finish after the Great Blaze. I’ll even let you take time away from your duties here to help out every once in a while. Just think, it’ll be the talk of the realm!”
Moments ago, the air was like a summer’s day, but in that minute, the air felt more like when you first slip out of bed on a winter’s morning. Cold. Stark. Reality.
“Oh, Lukas…” My voice wobbled as a tear rolled down my face. “That’s very thoughtful but—”
“What? What is it?” Confusion swirled across his features, and it made my head hurt. How could he not see that this was so far from what I wanted – what I needed – for my people?
“I appreciate the thought, I really do, but the Corlixins in the woods… They don’t just want a hospital.” I swallowed and steadied my voice. “They want several hospitals, and schools, and libraries, and hundreds of market stalls, where they can buy food and ingredients for medicines. They want streets of houses with bedrooms and kitchens. They want gardens where they can grow their herbs and raise animals. They deserve all of this and more, just like your people do. Don’t you see? They don’t want to travel to work in a Drothmore hospital, helping Drothmore people only to then go back to a tiny village in the woods. They want their real home. They want Corlixir.”
When I was finished, Lukas just stared blankly back at me, blinking several times as if I was speaking another language. After a few painfully long moments, he added, “You know they could live here too? They wouldn’t have to walk back to the woods.”
“Did you not listen to a word I said?” My voice was deathly low. “This isn’t about the woods!”
Lukas rolled his eyes, the motion making me want to slam my fist against the bed sheets. “You’re being absurd. I’m making a very generous offer, and you are doing a disservice to your people by not grovelling at my feet.”
