Page 25 of Beacon

While I’d miss my home, I wouldn’t miss the suffocating feeling filling the empty lighthouse. Until Father had been lost at sea, I’d never realized there could be another type of silence—a tense, uncomfortable, even lonely one so different to the ones I’d shared with Father. As out of place as I felt at the palace, at least I wouldn’t be alone.

I turned back towards the prince, who shifted anxiously before taking a wavering breath. “I—”

His voice immediately faltered. I tilted my head curiously. He seemed anxious to know what we’d talked about but seemed to be debating whether or not it’d be gentlemanly of him to ask for details outright.

It was difficult to communicate with him when he determinedly avoided my eyes. I waited for him to tentatively peek up at me before I gestured towards him with an encouraging nod, hoping he’d accept my silent invitation to speak his mind.

My encouragement seemed to be enough to unstop his tongue. “You two were talking about me, weren’t you?”

I hesitated before nodding again. He visibly deflated.

“I knew it. I should have known I wouldn’t be able to hide the truth from Mother.”

His eyes darted nervously about, as if searching for potential eavesdroppers. Though the corridor was abandoned except for his guard standing a discreet distance away, he still took my arm and gently guided me into a secluded alcove. Despite the innocence of our hiding spot, my cheeks still warmed at the thought of anyone discovering me in such close proximity to the prince.

And then he leaned even closer and lowered his voice. “She wanted to know if we’re faking it, didn’t she?” He looked so anxious that I was tempted to lie to spare his feelings, but doing so wouldn’t do any good, so I reluctantly nodded. He sighed. “I knew she suspected.” He shifted uncertainly. “Did you tell her the truth? I wouldn’t blame you, considering it’s exactly what I deserve after involving you like this.”

Even when I shook my head he didn’t look entirely convinced. I shook it again, this time with a reassuring smile, and he finally relaxed.

“I’m sorry I doubted you; I should have known you hadn’t told her, considering Mother is now preparing a room for you. But despite our bargain, it’s still difficult to believe you didn’t seize the earliest opportunity to escape from the mess I’ve entangled you in. I’m relieved…though I know I shouldn’t feel that way; I know I’ve messed up.” He sighed.

His obvious penance softened the last of my lingering annoyance. Although our charade would undoubtedly be difficult and at times rather uncomfortable, his sweetness only confirmed how relieved I felt that my time with the prince wouldn’t come to an end just yet.

Prince Owen relaxed at my smile. Now that his anxieties had been abated, he returned to his usual jovial self. “When Mother asked to speak with you alone, I truly thought I was a goner, but I appreciate your support. I promise I’ll do all I can to repay you. In the meantime, the Lycerian royal family is due to arrive in a few days, so we should take the opportunity to set the stage.”

I furrowed my brow in question. He promptly responded.

“In order for our engagement to be convincing, we need to know one another better. While arranged marriages between strangers are common amongst the nobility, for a prince to choose someone else other than for political reasons, it needs to be believable.” His eyes rounded as he realized how his words had come across. “Not that I’m saying that it seems unlikely I’d choose someone like you! You seem like a lovely person. It’s just that, considering the circumstances…wait, this is coming out all wrong…”

His tangled words faded into an awkward silence, as if he’d concluded that not saying anything was preferable to saying something poorly. Although I usually preferred silence, I found his fumbled words rather endearing.

It took a wavering breath for him to speak again. “I was hoping…if you have no other plans for the evening that we might spend it in getting to know one another.” The moment he extended the invitation, he smiled, seeming relieved his words had come out the way he wanted them to this time.

Normally, my duties tending the lighthouse would force me to decline, but considering it wasn’t currently my responsibility left me the entire evening. If I wanted any chance of returning to that old life, then we’d need to succeed in our charade, making setting the stage all the more important.

Although I didn’t have the faintest idea how we could possibly get to know one another when I could barely communicate, I nodded. Prince Owen brightened. “Excellent. Wait here, I’ll be right back.” And he ducked from the alcove, leaving me alone.

He wasn’t gone long when he returned with a book tucked beneath his arm. I tried to steal a peek at the cover, but he hid it from view with a mischievous grin.

“I’ll show you what it is in a moment. First, I want to take you somewhere.”

He offered his arm and led me to a nearby private balcony that overlooked the ocean, now black under the cover of night. He instructed the servants to light some lanterns and bring a tray of tea and sweets before scooting his chair closer to mine and holding up the book. The flickering orange light illuminated the title I couldn’t read, but by the illustrated cover it appeared to be a book for children.

“This was my sister’s favorite picture dictionary; she adored learning new words.” His easygoing smile faltered at her mention before the look faded, leaving him not quite as bright as before, but still just as warm and genuine.

I hadn’t realized he’d had a sister, one who his clouded manner suggested was now deceased. It was likely for the best I couldn’t speak, else my curiosity might have compelled me to ask about her, and by his haunted look she was a topic he didn’t wish to speak about. Another emotion mingled with his heartache, one almost of…guilt, and though it was barely discernible amongst the others, my own familiarity with the emotion made it one I could easily discern.

Prince Owen seemed to push it away with great force before he leaned closer to explain his idea. “I don’t want your inability to speak to be a deterrent in getting to know you, so I’ve come up with an idea.”

No one had even tried to get to know me before, and though I knew the true motivation behind his interest, I was touched all the same. I hastily blinked away the sudden tears burning my eyes and nodded, my permission to proceed.

He opened the picture dictionary with boyish eagerness…before pausing with an uncertain look. “I’m not entirely certain what couples should know about one another. Even if I could speak with my parents about our situation, theirs was different considering their marriage was arranged. Though they’re in love now, their affection developed after their vows, which has no pertinence to us considering we’re only pretending that’s where our own relationship will lead.”

He awkwardly cleared his throat before continuing.

“I could ask Ronan or Seren…but then they’d know the truth behind our engagement. Ronan would undoubtedly tease me, whereas Seren would certainly scold me; she’d consider the scheme thoroughly impractical, and Ronan will agree, considering he always takes her side.”

From what I could tell from the crown prince’s and crown princess’s reactions at dinner, I suspected they already knew it was all a ruse, as did the other princes; the only one who seemed oblivious was the king, and that was likely only because hewantedto believe it.

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