Page 46 of A Wayward Movement

“Tell me this,” the prince challenged her. “If one guard is such infallible protection, why am I never allowed to stir outside without at least two on my tail?”

“Don’t be absurd,” Alina said disbelievingly. “You’re the heir to Siqual’s throne. Obviously you warrant a higher level of protection than me, the unnecessary assistant on this investigation.”

“You’re mistaken,” he assured her with dignity. “I’m actually extremely dispensable. My tragic demise would give the kingdom Theo as its heir, and I doubt anyone would disapprove of that outcome.”

“All the girls angling to win a crown at your side would disapprove,” Alina pointed out. “Prince Theodore is spoken for now, so you’re their last hope.”

“An excellent point,” Xavier said, his disapproval finally giving way to his usual roguish grin. “It’s a wonderful thing to have a purpose to live for once again.”

Alina laughed, genuine gratitude bubbling up in her toward the ridiculous prince. “I’ll say this for you, Your Highness. You know how to cheer a girl up. I needed some humor today.”

“Did you?” Xavier was still smiling, but his eyes were shrewder than she’d like. “Why is that, I wonder? Why did you go to the city?”

“To see my aunt.” Alina fiddled with her fork, her eyes on her plate. “You inspired me to be bolder in asking for answers, but I’m afraid I’m as much a coward as I’ve always been. All I achieved was to reopen some memories I wish I’d left alone.”

There was a moment’s silence before Xavier spoke, his voice soft, for her ears alone.

“Alina.” His tone commanded her to meet his eyes, but she couldn’t do it. “I should never have said that to you,” he pressed on. “I’ve regretted it for years.”

Alina gave her head a little shake, his apology too painful to examine. She shouldn’t have referenced the old argument, but even so, she was shocked he’d named it so explicitly. She forced her voice into a more cheerful tone.

“I’m just sorry I wasn’t there to assist, since it seems my absence was noted.” She attempted a smile. “Not that there was much to learn, apparently.”

“Yes,” Xavier agreed. He frowned as he studied her face for another moment, then abruptly seemed to decide to let their sleeping carbuncles lie.

He glanced over at the captain, who must have been more attuned to the prince than Alina realized, given he paused his conversation to listen.

“I can’t figure it out.” Xavier shook his head. “The people taken mostly didn’t have money to speak of, so it’s not as though these are just thefts. I suppose the people themselves might be the resource, but we haven’t had slave trading on the Peninsula since the dark days before we won the old war against the continent.” His eyes glazed over as his voice turned musing. “And if it’s a power from the continent behind it, what’s their aim? Destabilizing our region by making us seem weak against threats? But if that was the purpose, surely they’d make it clear people were disappearing, not try to make it look like the victims had just moved on.”

“You suspect that someone from the continent is behind all this?” Alina asked, surprised.

Xavier was lost in thought for a long moment before he answered. When his gaze shifted to her face, she had the sense he was pulling his thoughts from deep waters with an effort.

“I do.”

“Why?”

“Well…” Xavier looked over the group, most of whom were engaged in their own conversations. Captain Mitchell was listening, his gaze sharp. “I’ll just say that it wouldn’t be the first time in recent months that players from the continent have tried to cause trouble here on the Peninsula.”

“But what would they want with the people who’ve disappeared?” Alina asked, unnerved.

Like everyone else in Siqual, she’d grown up hearing about the war between their Peninsula region and the neighboring kingdoms of the continent, generations before. She’d always been glad that Siqual was perched on the end of the Peninsula, far from the mountain range that separated their region from the continent.

“I don’t know,” Xavier acknowledged. “The only vaguely credible motive I’ve come up with is that they’re trying to weaken the kingdom by removing its magic users gradually, but it’s a pretty poor plan if so. Most of the magical ability is concentrated in the capital, well protected and not likely to be vulnerable.”

Alina had nothing to add, and for a minute there was silence between them. It was broken by Charles, on her other side.

“His Highness is right that most of those skilled with magic craft live in the capital,” he said to Alina, his voice kind as it always was. “Have you ever considered moving there? Surely there would be many opportunities for you there with your level of aptitude.”

“Maybe there would be,” Alina acknowledged. “But I don’t want to live in the capital.”

She’d hoped the matter would drop, but she hadn’t counted on Zoe, who was clearing the table at that moment. The serving girl had been making eyes at Xavier, but the prince was proving unusually obtuse and didn’t appear to have noticed.

“Alina has lived in the capital,” Zoe told Charles. “Isn’t that right, Alina? You lived there with your parents before they died? I imagine the place is littered with painful memories.”

Alina made a non-committal noise as she ran a finger along the tabletop, not pleased with the direction of the conversation. She would have preferred Zoe not to share that information widely. Perhaps Xavier saw her tension, because he chose that moment to lighten the mood.

Leaning close—too close for decorum—he murmured into her ear.