I opened my mouth to speak, but before I could say a word, soft conversation sounded through one of the nearby tall shrubs.
“Chatting with the staff like a common woman,” said the first, a man with a tone to his voice that made it obvious he was a member of Edorian nobility.
“And it goes without saying, but did you notice the way that she was dressed?” this voice belonged to a woman with the sort of upper-crust tone that also marked her as a member of nobility.
“Oh, you mean in jeans and a T-shirt with that jacket? How could I not? I swear at times it’s impossible to believe that sheis the daughter of Queen Analise.”
“Between you and I, I can’t help but wonder if they found the wrong girl.”
As soon as they were done speaking, a chorus of laughter sounded in the distance. I recognized one of those laughing as Ava.Shit.
I glanced over at Alaric. His mouth was in a hard, flat line, his eyes narrowed in anger and frustration. He silently gestured for me to follow him.
“Unbelievable,” he said, his voice tinged with anger. “Can my daughter go one single day without embarrassing me?”
“Alaric,” I said, keeping up with his quick pace. “There’s no need to—”
We stopped when we reached the end of the path, turning to see a small group of women chatting with one another. Most of them were members of the palace staff and I recognized Kinley, the royal dressmaker, as one of them. In the center of the group, however, was none other than Princess Ava herself. She and the rest of the women were laughing and chatting, big smiles on their faces.
It made me happy to see. Ava might’ve been having a tough time with her duties as a princess, but she was a hit with the staff. As far as I was concerned, her ability to make others feel comfortable around her, regardless of their station, was a wonderful trait.
Alaric, on the other hand, didn’t seem to share my sentiments. At least, judging by the expression of tight, controlled anger on his face.
“What is she thinking?” his voice came out in a low growl. “Does she have any idea how improper it is for the princess to be galivanting with the staff?” He was mad in a way that I didn’t see very often. Alaric was typically cool and calm—almost to a fault. Seeing him that upset gave me pause.
He flicked his eyes at me. “Luc, please go tell the princess and the rest of her companions that carrying on like that in the garden in front of members of the nobility is not acceptable.”
“Alaric, hold on” I said. “Maybe it’s not such a bad idea to let her have some fun. Making some friends might help her ease into things.”
A beat of silence passed. “Do not make me repeat myself.”
I understood why the king was upset. However, I didn’t at all agree with it. Ava’s touch with people was something that ought to be prized rather than squelched. All the same, there was no way I was going to rebuff an order from the king himself, friend though he may be.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Alaric nodded. He was still angry, but I could sense that he was pleased that I wasn’t going to be another issue to deal with.
I started toward the group, with an unfamiliar heaviness in my heart.
Chapter 25
Ava
One week later…
The moment my eyes popped open that morning, I needed to puke like crazy.
I sprang out of bed, my stomach flip-flopping, tying and untying itself into knots. The bedroom spun around me, rain pattering down onto the big, arched windows.
“OK, OK.” I held myself steady as I moved, chatting as if I could talk myself out of throwing up. “Let’s keep everything in my stomach, where it needs to be.”
I felt terrible; my stomach was churning and my head was pounding. Thankfully, I managed to make it to the bathroom. Once there, I knelt in front of the toilet and prepared to get sick, but after a minute or two the nausea faded until it was completely gone. I gave myself another moment, trying to figure out what on earth had caused it. After I was sure that the feeling had passed, I stepped in front of the sink and splashed my face with cool water.
My headache was still there, my temples throbbing, though not as bad as it had been when I first woke up. With careful steps, I made my way back into my room and sat on the edge of the bed, letting time tick away as I listened to the soft patter of rain on the window, the low rumble of thunder sounding out every now and then in the distance. The sky was thick with gray, and nothing about the outside world seemed inviting in the slightest.
As I sat, a soft knock sounded from the bedroom door.
“Yes?” I called out. “Who is it?”