“Just like always, of course.” This time the words sounded welcoming.
“Three years have passed,” I said, not sure why I was resisting.
“What are three years compared to a lifetime of friendship?”
Warmth filled me, although Navid looked far less impressed by the prince’s words. I tried to suppress my emotions and focus on coming up with a new topic of conversation that would jolt Navid out of his unhelpful attitude.
But just as I was about to make another attempt to speak, the door in the wall behind Rek squeaked open. All three of us turned to look at the new arrival, our faces showing varying levels of the same shock.
“Adara!” It was Rek who spoke. “What are you doing here?”
“I think that’s my line, brother. What can possibly have brought you—” Adara’s cool, polished voice cut off in a sharp gasp. “Zaria!”
She swiveled between me and her brother, eyes wide and all trace of the elegant young lady gone, replaced by the animated girl I grew up with.
“This is why you snuck away from the palace this morning?” she demanded of her brother.
“I didn’t sneak anywhere,” Rek said in dignified tones.
She rolled her eyes. “Close enough.”
“And what, to ask again, areyoudoing here?” He gave her a glare similar to the one I had just been directing at Navid.
She just laughed. “Obviously I had to know what lead you were pursuing that you didn’t want the guards involved in, so I followed you. But never mind that now! I can’t believe it. Zaria is back! Why didn’t you tell me?”
Her eyes lingered on me, her expression confused. She looked half delighted to see me again, and half hurt and bewildered. I understood the feeling since I had felt the same confusing mix of emotions in the forest only a day ago.
“Actually, I never left,” I said. “I don’t have relatives in Ardasira—I’ve been here the whole time.”
“We were waiting all that time for her to write,” Rek added, “while she was waiting for us to visit—thinking we’d abandoned her now she’s a servant.”
“A servant!” Adara’s hands flew to her mouth, her bright, expressive eyes full of horror. “Oh no! And here in Karema this whole time? But surely…”
Her response seemed to confirm my old fears, but now that she was in front of me again, they all seemed like nonsense. Of course my oldest and closest friend was upset on my behalf, not her own.
“I’m all right,” I said. “I’m just so sorry. I should have known you wouldn’t…I should have tried harder to…”
“But what could you have done?” She turned a reproachful look on Rek. “You know how closely father kept us guarded back then. You should have looked harder.”
“Me?” Rek frowned. “How is this suddenly my fault? You know I looked—but I was looking in Ardasira. I was never going to find her there when she was here the whole time.”
Rek had looked for me? Of course he couldn’t have gone to Ardasira himself, but even the thought of him making inquiries about me brought back the previous warmth. I had never been abandoned at all. At least not by them.
Looking away, I blinked moisture from my eyes, my gaze falling on Navid. His arms had dropped to his side, all hostility gone from his face. He looked more dazed than anything, his eyes fixed on Adara.
I turned back to her, trying to view the princess through his eyes. Her long, sheer chemise was silk with golden embroidery around the neckline, and her ankle-length outer robe fell in soft, expensive folds. Combined with the thin golden chains that wound through the piles of dark hair on her head, she looked the picture of a beautiful, unapproachable royal.
But her face was animated, emotions flitting rapidly across it as she sparred with her brother. Her manner softened the picture, transforming her classical beauty into something more approachable and appealing.
I looked back at Navid, a sinking feeling in my stomach. I had been the inadvertent cause of this meeting, and I only hoped it wasn’t going to bring my friend pain. I couldn’t blame him for being struck by her, but he would do well to overcome the emotion as quickly as possible.
I cleared my throat, bringing everyone’s attention back to me. “Of course it’s not Rek’s fault. I should have tried harder. But wishing can’t change the past. I’m just so glad to see you now.”
Adara laughed, a bright, bubbling sound, and rushed forward to throw her arms around me. “That’s my Zaria! Always so practical.”
Some combination of her words and manner jolted my memory, and I realized how similar she was to Kali. Was that why I had found the miller’s daughter so instantly likable?
“Someone has to be practical,” Rek muttered. “It certainly isn’t one of your qualities.”