Walkingdown the hall to his castle room, Ian reenacted a dramatic lunge with his wooden sword. “You didn’t even see that one coming, did you?” he said, gleefully referring to a recent sparring session with his younger brother.
“No, no. I did see it,” Onric protested. “I was just trying to block with it a clever parry instead of head-on as the captain showed us. It almost worked, too.”
Ian heard the frustration in his little brother’s voice. “That would have been a smart defense,” Ian responded. As the crown prince of Iseldis, he had been taught to always be gracious—at least out loud. The confident swagger of his walk remained even as he praised Onric’s attempt at defense.
“She’s here!” Princess Meena crept out of her room, whispering in a loud hiss as the older boys walked by.
Ian stopped abruptly. “Already? Why are you hiding from her?”
Meena scrunched her small nose. “She said I was cute.”
“What’s wrong with that? It’s true,” Onric blurted out, not seeming to notice that their only sister was quite upset.
Ian chose not to point out that the six-year-old girl was wearing an airy purple dress with an enormous ribbon tied atop her loose dark curls.
“It was the way she said it,” Meena defended, still whispering as her eyes glanced toward the door at the end of the hall. “I don’t like her.”
“She can’t be all that bad,” Ian responded, hoping Meena was wrong. The Sirilian siblings were a close-knit family, but as children of the king, they rarely found friends who would treat them as equals. They were all excited to welcome a fresh new face into their inner circle—especially since it was a girl. Although, Ian knew better than to mention that last part in front of his younger brother. He would never hear the end of it if he did.
“She squeals,” Meena declared before twirling around and slipping back into her room, slamming the door behind her.
“Shall we go meet her?” Ian asked his brother.
Twelve-year-old Onric had his eyes warily glued to the far door. “I don’t like girls. And I especially don’t like girls who squeal.”
Ian nodded, pretending to agree with his brother’s assessment. He was not sure he had ever met a girl who squealed, but he guessed he wouldn’t like it too much. Secretly, he hoped she was pretty.
“Come on,” he repeated. “Let’s go meet her.”
“Ooh!” The girl’s squeal was so loud when the two brothers opened the door to the family salon that Ian visibly flinched.
At least he hadn’t covered his ears as Onric had done.
“You must be Prince Ian and Prince Onric,” she said, dropping into a dramatic curtsy. “It’s so good to see you again after all these years!”
“Lady Lockwood,” Ian responded, bowing his head lightly. “Welcome to your new home. I am so sorry to hear about the loss of your parents.”
“You are too kind, my prince,” she said, smiling up at him.
She was not un-beautiful, Ian decided, though he felt that her smile was too ... elated. Perhaps her parents had not been as kind as his own. “Please, call me Ian.”
“Ooh! Thank you.” She turned toward Onric expectantly.
Ian’s younger brother was openly scowling when he dropped his hands from his ears after her second squeal. “Do we have to call you Lady Lockwood?” Onric asked. “That seems a bit ... generous.”
Ian jabbed Onric’s side, a little harder than necessary. Since they were still wearing their padded sparring armor, Onric probably couldn’t even feel it.
The new girl glanced between them, her broad smile still plastered to her face.
Ian felt his hopes begin to fade. “Let’s go clean up before supper,” he said to Onric.
“Could you escort me to dinner, my prince?” the girl asked, dropping her large eyes and blinking rapidly. “I’m afraid I’ll get lost in this large castle.”
“Ian, please,” he repeated. Something about the way she said “my prince” irked him. Perhaps Meena was right. He did not want to make a snap judgment of this girl, but in less than a hand’s length on the sundial she had come across as thoroughly annoying. “Of course, Lady Lockwood. Though I’m sure you’ll find your way around soon enough.”
No matter that they had several staff members who could have easily shown her the way to the dining hall. He knew when graciousness was expected of him. “I’ll wait for you outside your room.”
“Ooh! Thank you!” She nearly danced out the door.
