A collective hush fell over the room.
The green morsel peeled off the King’s skin and plopped onto his plate. He glanced down at the offending pea and then slowly squared his shoulders, lifting his face to Nin.
Nin’s heart dropped into the pit of her stomach and rolled somewhere under the table. King Ancell’s dark eyes bored into her, his expression unreadable. She could not tell if he was embarrassed, disappointed, or angry—his face was a mask of stone.
“Escort Duke Le Blanc to his rooms and ensure he has fully recovered,” he saidto the servants.
He flicked a steely look toward her. “And remove the plate from the Princess,” he continued coolly while taking his seat. “I believe she’s had enough of her meal. She will wait for the next course.”
Heat seared through her skin as the servants obeyed. They removed her unfinished plate, and every inch of her burned as several nobles turned in their seats in her direction. Nin then folded her hands in her lap, clenching them until they ached.
Chapter ten
Peas.
Of all the things Cedric had prepared Nin for, peas were the last thing on his mind.
Nin dashed out of the room as soon as the king rose to his feet and dismissed everyone. Cedric stared at the empty chair she’d left behind, far longer than he should have. The court did not rush to leave, and he stiffened when a group of noblemen strode past.
“Well, that was certainly entertaining.”
“Perhaps the princess needs more time to recover.”
“Rose Fever can leave the minddelicate, I’ve heard.”
A muscle twinged in Cedric’s jaw as he clenched his teeth. The whispers followed him into the hall, and a sting of guilt pricked through him every time he heard someone utter her name. He picked up his pace, head held high, until he reached his quarters. Pressing his back against the doors, he ran a hand down his face.
Confound it all. This never should have happened.
Cedric wasted no time and slipped through the secret passages. When he knocked on the concealed door, Lucille answered with a grimace. She stepped into the passage, closing the door behind her just as he spied Nin slumped over her bed.
“I won’t allow you to lecture her,” Lucille said firmly. “She’s had enough for one evening. Let her be.”
“I’m not here to lecture. I wanted to speak with her in private,” he said gently.
Lucille eyed him with suspicion. “If you’re hard on the girl, I won’t let you have a peaceful sleep again. I’ll slip bedbugs into your sheets!” she whisper-shouted.
Cedric didn’t doubt she would. “Duly noted.”
Lucille stepped aside, allowing him entrance.
Nin sat on her bed with a handkerchief crumpled in her hands. Her head bowed to avoid looking at him.
“You saw,” she said.
The two words ripped a hollow space in his chest. His mouth tightened, guilt flooding the empty cavity.
“I did,” he admitted softly.
“I failed,” she said, her voice quivering. “You don’t have to remind me. I know that’s what you are going to say.”
Cedric frowned, folding his arms. “Now I know you can’t read minds.”
Her watery eyes peered up at him, her brows pulled together in confusion.
“Because that’s not what I was going to say,” he continued.
Nin sniffed, her nose red and swollen. The makeup was smudged, leaving streaks on her face where tears had fallen.
