Page 57 of A Rose Among Snakes

“True,” he said.

My heart stopped. I was being melodramatic, butwasit true?

Enverro continued, “You might not, though, so I’ll keep it to myself. I’ll tell you when you leave. Give you something extra to look forward to.”

I barely heard him, my blood running cold. “Do you really think I’m going to die here?” I whispered, not expecting a response.

Enverro paused with a knife in his hand, fixing me with a solemn stare. “I hope not.”

Chapter Thirty-One

Kezara

Imade a mark for day sixteen as the door opened and Enverro strode in, bringing an early summer breeze along with him.

“Morning, Your Majesty.”

I snorted. “You are horribly obnoxious. Is that really the best you can come up with to insult me?”

With his back to me, he stirred the pot of porridge bubbling over the fire crackling in the hearth. “I’m sure I could come up with something better, but I don’t have to try hard. You’re so easily riled.”

“Prove it. ‘Your Majesty’ is such low-hanging fruit.”

“I’m sure you know all about low-hanging fruit,” he mumbled.

I let out a genuine laugh. “You wound me. Do you ever spend time with anyone who isn’t a prisoner? Do you have any friends?”

Enverro threw me a sour look over his shoulder. “I do have friends in the village. When I need a break from your incessant whining, I go and visit them, actually.”

“Liar. You’re never gone long enough to be spending time with friends. Acquaintances don’t count as friends, either.”

“How many friends do you keep around with that prickly attitude of yours?”

His words hit their mark. I sniffed and jutted out my chin. “Enough.”

Enverro carried over two bowls of porridge and slid mine through the bars. “So, none?”

“My best friend is named Mihrra,” I said, stirring my porridge. The sweet scent drifted into my nostrils. He had started offering small tokens of kindness lately, like getting me cushions and a blanket to sleep with. Honey in the porridge was the latest one.

He sat down in the chair and took a bite. His eyes widened as he closed his mouth around the too-hot porridge and he inhaled sharply, swallowed, and then coughed. I bit my lip to stifle a laugh.

Regaining his composure, he asked, “How long have you been friends with Mihrra?”

I took a bite after blowing on it, stalling for time. It had only been a month since we’d met, and I’d spent two of those weeks locked in a shack. “That’s beside the point.”

Enverro narrowed his eyes. “How did you meet?”

I glanced down at my bowl. “She lives in the manor.”

Enverro’s brows knit together before he raised one. “Are you telling me your best friend is a member of your house staff?” When I only met his gaze with a glower, he burst out laughing. “That doesn’t count! What is she, your maid?” My silence confirmed his guess. He clucked his tongue at me and said, “They don’t count as a friend if you have to pay them to spend time with you.”

I scooped up a spoonful of porridge and flung it at him. It splattered between his eyes and it was my turn to burst out laughing. I wiped away tears while Enverro cleaned his face with a rag.

Laughing, he said, “Fine, what makes you consider her your best friend, then?”

I thought for a moment, reflecting on her character. “Mihrra is kind and funny, and she has this calming presence that seems to make everyone love her. Including my brother. I think he’s smitten with her.” Enverro watched me as he continued wiping away remnants of the porridge. “She understands me in a way no one ever has before. She doesn’t treat me like the spoiled brat everyone thinks I am.” I looked at Enverro’s face, poised to toss out a sarcastic comment, and I cut him off. “I would prefer you keep your impertinent comments to yourself.”

He held up one hand in innocence. His smile was kind as he said, “That sounds nice.” Wistfulness sparked in his eyes as he took another bite. “It does get lonely around here. I talk with a few villagers, but I’m mostly by myself.”

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