Page 69 of Ties of Dust

Chapter

Sixteen

The days following passed interminably, the constant need to be on duty wearing Flora down further and further. She was embarrassed by her lowered capacity, especially when the prince caught her out, on the third day after their conversation in the hedge.

“Flora?” Cassius actually had to wave his hand in front of her face to bring her out of her reverie.

“Your Highness.” Flora gasped, embarrassed at her inattentiveness. “I apologize deeply for my distraction. I—”

“Relax,” he told her, with more warmth than she deserved. “You can dispense with the formalities. Look around, we’re alone. The audience has finished.”

Flora cast her eyes around the small meeting room, her face flushing with mortification when she saw that he was right. She hadn’t even noticed the two members of the Merchants’ Guild leaving.

“I truly am sorry,” she told him in a more natural voice. “I’m a disgrace as a bodyguard. I suppose we just have to be grateful they didn’t intend to harm you.”

Cassius leaned back in his chair, perfectly at ease as hesurveyed her. “If I considered them a threat, I wouldn’t have invited them to meet with me privately. I don’t usually have guards in the room with me during every meeting, you know.”

She didn’t reply.

“You’re too hard on yourself, Flora,” Cassius said. “No one could keep their edge for this many days in a row without a break. I don’t expect it for a moment. You’re here because you have to be, through no choice of either of ours, not because your presence as a bodyguard is indispensable.” He waved a hand at the seat next to him. “Sit. You must be eager to get off your feet.”

Flora eyed him. “I don’t think that’s a good idea,Your Highness.”

Cassius’s answering smile had an edge of smugness which made it hard to remember the need to retain the demeanor of a guard. If she was free to respond however she wished, she would have rolled her eyes at him for baiting her when she was on duty and unable to return the favor.

“Why is it not a good idea?” Cassius asked innocently.

“I’m sure you have other duties awaiting your attention.”

“Let them wait,” Cassius responded, his voice light.

He put his hands behind his head, watching her with far too much confidence. He was in a better mood than she’d seen in a long time. It reminded Flora of his infuriatingly relaxed manner when he’d woken on the floor of the inn that first morning after the tether was imposed. She distinctly recalled him lounging at his ease, in stark contrast to her fidgeting and not knowing what to do with her eyes while she waited for him to properly dress himself.

She couldn’t really be annoyed, though. Now that sheknew him better, she secretly enjoyed this manner. It was a balm to her soul to see lightness on his brow for once, instead of the heaviness and frustration it usually wore. The meeting must have gone well—she’d been paying no attention to its contents, so she wouldn’t know.

“You’re so stiff, Flora.” The prince’s voice cut into her thoughts. “I could be excused for thinking you’re afraid to be alone with me.”

“I’m not afraid of you,” she told him, rising to the bait at once. “I just have more decorum than you do.”

Cassius leaned forward, his eyes pinning her. “Do you? I’m not sure I would call it decorum when you wound your magic around my hand at the dance. Some would even consider it brazen.”

Flora flushed in spite of herself, not missing the answering grin that crossed the prince’s face when he saw it. He was deriving far too much enjoyment from teasing her.

“You didn’t object at the time,” she said defensively.

His smile broadened. “I don’t object now.” But a moment later, his expression became abruptly more serious, and he swiveled on his chair to face her.

“I think you are afraid of me, a little.”

“I’m not.” Flora’s protest was immediate. “I never have been.”

He raised an eyebrow.

“Not since that first night at the inn, anyway,” she insisted. “You told me I didn’t have anything to fear from you, and I believed you. I’ve never doubted it since.”

He considered her for a moment before answering, his gaze so warm Flora had to fight another flush.

“I’m glad,” he said, and he clearlymeant it. “You can believe it with confidence—I would die before I intentionally harmed you.”

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