She lifted her head and folded her hands calmly on the table. “Nixie dear, I’m sorry if that was overwhelming, but I don’t think you understand how much we’re trying to help you.” She reached out to touch my hand, but I snaked it away.
“Help me?! By arranging for Milo to propose without warning?” I snapped, my daze fully replaced by anger. “Minerva, you knew I wanted to return to the east. I can’t marry Milo. What about my mother?”
She rubbed her brow. “Nixie, mothers only want what’s best for their children, and what’s best for you is that you stay safe and hidden.” Her tone held an icy sternness I had never heard from her before.
“What do you mean? Why would I need to stay hidden?” My voice trembled under the weight of her tight glare.
“Oh Nixie... I’m not a fool,” she huffed exasperatedly. “Your hair was a dead giveaway. Marrying Milo will keep you safe from the people who wish to force you into being queen.”
chapter sixteen
I took a walk.
It seemed like the only reasonable choice in the deranged reality that had somehow become my life. All this time, Minerva had known... She had known about my connection with the princess and had been trying to set me up with a husband who would shield me from the world in the dark depths of his homemade cave. In some ways, it was kind of her to want to protect me. She claimed that she only wanted to do what was best for me, and that she believed becoming Mrs. Nevio was my best option. While I appreciated her consideration, it was an absolutely ridiculous plan.
Hiding in a deep, dark hole seemed like the worst way to go about resolving my princess problems. If I was going to hide, then I was going to do it in the east, with my mother, not with a sorcerer husband I barely knew.
The sky was thick with clouds, but only a slim drizzle trickled from the sky. My clean dress became slick with rainwater in only a few minutes and my hair began to grow stringy from the excessive moisture. I paused under a dense tree to comb my fingers through my wet curls and bind it into a tight braid. Once my hair was secure, I leaned against the trunk of the tree and titled my head toward the sky. Heavy droplets passed between the leaves above and splashed onto my face. I shut my eyes, allowing the water to run over my skin. It was nice to feel something real. The rain didn’t lie; it was always simply rain. It didn’t keep secrets or try to deceive you, it only fell. It was as transparent as it was pure.
For a long time I stayed still, allowing the water to wash over me and clear my thoughts of the day’s events. The humid air sent my curls into a wild frizz and the strands brushed constantly against my cheeks and forehead, tickling my skin. As the rain pattered on, my eyes remained closed and I drifted into a light doze. Dreams of crowns, wedding rings, and Ashbourne soldiers fluttered through my mind. I tried to push away from it all, but it only overwhelmed me more. The sound of a snapping twig caused me to thrash awake, and I sat up with a gasp, my chest heaving from the fitful dreams.
Rain soaked my face, so I rubbed my eyes until my vision cleared up. When I finally regained my focus, my gaze fell on the broken twig that had roused me from me sleep, along with the shoe that had broken it... I followed the boot upward until I was staring into the gray eyes of the man who had haunted my dreams.
Prince Killian.
The sky had grown darker since my nap, but I still recognized the prince with ease. He stared at me with a twisted mixture of shock and caution, as if I was a wounded animal that might spook at any moment. We both remained silent, entirely unprepared for this sudden meeting. He had a large cluster of kindling tucked under his arm, and I instantly noticed that his hand was shaking from the heavy load. His injury had definitely improved, but he was in no shape to be carrying firewood. There had been so many times he had tried to push himself too far, and it always angered me. Seeing him do the exact thing I had warned him not too stirred up the familiar frustration inside me.
“What do you think you’re doing out of bed!?” I scolded fiercely. “You are not nearly healed enough to be back on your feet. Give me that!” I stormed over and snatched the pieces of wood from his arms.
The prince jumped at my harsh tone but didn’t fight me when I began taking his load. Instead, he merely stared at me with the same cautious look. His mouth gaped open for a moment, but no words followed. Once I had collected the last piece of kindling from him, I promptly marched toward his campsite.
“Come on now, I’m not going to carry you, too,” I called back, not even bothering to turn around.
Obedient footsteps splashed behind me, and I let out a quiet sigh that he didn’t argue. I know he betrayed me, I know he lied to me, and I even know that he’s a prince of Ashbourne... But right now, more than anything, I needed someone to talk to and before I knew all the things he didn’t want me to know, I knew I could trust him.
When we arrived at the familiar campsite, I unloaded the wood into the usual spot. Killian followed close behind me and sat quietly on his pallet as I finished sorting the wood. For a wishful moment, I thought he might refrain from bringing up the incident from this morning. I knew it needed to be discussed at some point, but right now, I just wanted to pretend that everything was normal, and that he was still just Kian and nothing more.
My wish was only granted for one blissful moment, before Killian shattered it. “Nixie... I didn’t think you ever wanted to see me again?” His voice was soft and tender. He spoke as if I were made of glass and the tiniest jostle would cause me to crack.
I sighed. I suppose there was no use avoiding the topic. “I didn’t.” Killian’s expression darkened at my words, but he remained quiet. I turned my attention to the dagger on the damp ground. In the midst of my anger, I had completely forgotten about it this morning. I reached for the blade, twirling the weapon as my thoughts progressed. “I was hurt, and I still am, but...” I took another deep breath and met the prince’s eyes. There was a fresh gleam of hope shining back at me through the haze of gray. “As much as I wanted to believe it, I don’t think you’re a villain. I refuse to believe that all the time we spent together was part of some overarching scheme. If I’m wrong, and you’re still only after my supposed crown, then tell me now, but the Kian I knew... He was real, and he was my friend. I-I don’t want him to be gone.”
Tears clustered along my lashes, but I blinked them back before they could fall. Today had been filled with so many unexpected turns. All I wanted to do was talk it out with someone I trusted... and despite everything, I still trusted the second prince of Ashbourne.
Killian didn’t reply at first; instead, he stepped off the pallet and approached with tentative steps. My heart sped up as he closed the distance between us with a single stride. He hunched down to my level and met my gaze. He was closer to me than Milo had been, but my racing heart felt different now than it did then. “I’m still the same man you met on the riverbank,” he said firmly. “I know I said that you shouldn’t trust me, but I take it back.” He reached out his hand for mine, pausing before actually taking it, as if asking for permission. I stretched out my fingers to meet his, and he took my hand with a tender touch. “All day I’ve been realizing how foolish I’ve been. I was fighting for a crown that meant nothing to me. If I’m going to fight for something, I want it to be something that has meaning. Nixie, if you can find it in your heart to forgive me, I swear I’ll make it up to you, and I’ll do it by finding the truth about your lineage.”
I sucked in a breath, my eyes widening at the surprise of the precious promise this man had made me. “Would you really do that?”
“Of course,” he said adamantly and without hesitation. “If I can prove you’re not the princess, then you’ll be free from all this chaos. You can stop running and hiding from pointless proposals.”
I scoffed silently.If only he knew...
His grip on my hand tightened, and I felt my face fall. “But... what if you can’t prove it? What if I really am Estelle?”
“Then I’ll help you escape.” His eyes flashed with determination, and I felt the weight of his promise sink into me. “As soon as the river drains, I’ll help you get back across. We’ll find your mother and get to the bottom of this whole mystery.”
“But what about you?” I questioned worriedly. “You’re the prince of Ashbourne. Won’t you get into trouble if you return home empty-handed?”
Killian released my hand, then ran his fingers through his hair, a soft chuckle sounding. “It wouldn’t be the first time I disobeyed an order.” He flashed me a sideways smile. “Technically, my task was to recruit more soldiers for the impending war against Isalla and Drancos. I haven’t exactly been tending to those arrangements while hiding out with you, so I’m sure my father has already passed the job onto someone he deems more... competent.”