Page 31
The prince shakes his head, taking the cup and draining it. “Your nagging reminds me of my mother,” he says, with a trace of affection.
“Their Majesties asked me to watch over Your Highness and your sister.” He calls out to a nearby soldier, “Send for a troop of guards to accompany His Highness.”
“There’s no need. We won’t go far,” the prince says impatiently. “The attendants can follow from a distance.”
“Your Highness, it is dangerous to set off unaccompanied,” the chief attendant protests.
“I have my sword; I still remember how to use it,” Prince Zixin replies brusquely.
He reaches for my hand, his fingers covering mine. A current glides from his touch. Part of me wants to echo the chief attendant’s concerns; I know the dangers that lurk in these mountains, but the thought of being alone with the prince is intoxicating… along with the realization that he wants this too.
We stroll along the lakeside, the waters gilded with the last embers of the sun. In the distance, the barge glows, its lanterns shining like small moons. Prince Zixin walks so close to me, our arms brush occasionally. I’m all too aware of each time, as I am of his hand wrapped around mine—his grip firm, yet loose enough that I can still pull away. His attendants follow a short distance behind, the tread of their feet barely perceptible. Maybe this is as close as it gets to being alone with the prince of the realm.
“Do you have everything you need?” he asks.
“Yes, Your Highness.” Except my ring.
“Are you enjoying your stay here?”
“The palace is beautiful.”
“Is your courtyard satisfactory?” he presses. “I pass by it each time I head to court.”
The way he looks at me as he says this… my breath catches. “It’s wonderful,” I manage to say. “The flowers in my courtyard are especially lovely.”
“The trees are in bloom?” He sounds surprised, even pleased. “Flowers don’t grow easily in the palace; our gardeners claim it’s the soil. And to cultivate gardens as lush as those of the Amber Forest would be a wasteful use of funds.”
“What are the funds spent on?” A daring question, one I wish I could take back as his expression shutters.
To my surprise, he replies, “On our future: our army, defenses, and weapons.” His face is grave, that of the future king, not the prince who chose to abandon his own banquet and walk with me tonight. “Such things are more vital than gilding the palace.”
“I hope to have the chance to explore more of the palace soon.” I smile at him, wanting to recapture the lightness of his mood before. “My lessons have taken up most of my time.”
“You may explore as you wish after your classes. Madam Lau is the best teacher in the palace, which is why I asked for her to instruct you.”
Prince Zixin knew of my lessons? I’d thought it was the chief attendant’s doing. Unease coils around my chest. The night of the ball, when the prince spoke to me… was he judging me, searching for flaws?
I pull my hand from his, clamping my lips before I say something rash—but his hand catches my chin, turning my face back to his. “I don’t mean to offend you. But the palace isn’t as free as where you have grown up. Few dare to show their true selves here; many judge on what they see, and they treat you accordingly. I instructed the chief attendant to ensure you were adequately prepared, to protect you from their disdain, not because I found you wanting.”
He speaks smoothly, with a quiet sincerity that loosens the tightness within me. “Thank you for explaining this to me.”
As his hand drops to my shoulder, drawing me closer—the silence strikes me, unbroken by step or breath. Where are his attendants? Have we walked too quickly ahead of them? A twig snaps, the prince’s gaze darting behind me. Spinning around, cold blots my insides. Shadows stretch from the nearby grove, seven figures detaching from the dark of the trees to stalk forward—clad in black from head to toe but for a sliver of their eyes and the curved blades glinting in their hands.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
I open my mouth to scream—but one of the assassins hurls a fistful of fine powder into the air. As I inhale, it sears. Choking sounds erupt from Prince Zixin beside me, gasping as he claws his neck. I gag, trying to spit the powder out, yet the acrid bitterness clings to my throat, stealing my voice. I scramble back, grabbing a branch and slamming it against a tree, trying to alert the prince’s attendants or the guards back at the pier. A rope is thrown around my shoulders, dragging me to the ground—another flung around Prince Zixin, catching him around his waist. We struggle furiously, but more ropes slither through the air, holding us fast. As one of the dark-robed figures seizes Prince Zixin’s sword, my insides clench with terror. They drag us swiftly, deeper into the forest until the trees swallow us—far from hope of aid.
The ropes bite into my skin, welding my arms to my body, loose stones scraping my legs as we’re yanked along. Finally, our assailants halt, wedging us against a rocky slope. Their eyes shine like marbles through their masks. The tallest of them clutches the ropes that restrain Prince Zixin, while a stout one wraps the end of mine around his fist. We’re leashed like prey. Helpless and trapped.
Except I still have my knife, the one I always carry, tucked into the inner fold of my sleeve. I writhe against my binds to reach it, trying to conceal my actions. While the prince’s hands are bound in front of him, mine are toward my back.
“A gift to find Your Highness alone in these woods, with just a handful of attendants standing watch, easily dispatched. We’ve been waiting for a chance like this for months.” The tall one tugs the ropes harder, dragging Prince Zixin off-balance.
As he stumbles, he digs himself in, his face clenched with fury. The prince lunges forward abruptly, kicking at the assailants—but one shoves him roughly back. I squeeze my eyes in warning as I move in front of him, working on loosening my knife.
The prince coughs to clear his throat. “What do you want?” he demands, his voice a fractured whisper. “A ransom?”
They shake their heads grimly. “We don’t want your tainted money,” the tall one seethes, their leader from how the others defer to him. “Just your life.”
