Page 22 of The Mirror and the Curse

Ianthe chuckled. “‘Guess who’ is a rather juvenile trick.”

“Oh, you two!” Eddi frowned. “Where’s your sense of fun?”

“That particular prank plays havoc with eye makeup,” Maria pointed out. “And it’s terribly unsanitary.”

Eddi would have defended Fidelio if she hadn’t glimpsed a hint of mischief in Maria’s hooded eyes.

Chastened, the prince gave Eddi’s eyes a closer look. “I’m sorry if I messed up anything.”

She shook her head, smiling. “I’m not wearing eye makeup, so we’re good.” She gave his shoulder a little pat. “Maria’s the one messing with you.”

“He’s such a vulnerable target.” Maria gave a little shrug. “And I love watching him blush like a girl.”

If Fidelio hadn’t been pink-faced a moment ago, he was now. “I guess I’m not so welcome at the ladies’ table.”

“Nonsense. You’re always welcome as far as I’m concerned,” Maria assured him with a slight flutter of lashes. “Not that you’ll notice me while Princess Edurne Zuri is near.”

“I noticed,” he protested quickly. “I noticed you and Princess Ianthe.”

Ianthe laughed outright. “Just eat your breakfast before it gets cold.” She indicated the steaming plates that had appeared at his place. “Eddi’s nearly finished, so she can talk your ears off about horses and riding and training andoh-wowthings like that. Maria and I are dreadful listeners.”

Eddi folded her arms and huffed. “I do plenty of things that don’t involve horses. Yesterday I was ultra-feminine, dress shopping with you and getting a mani-pedi—”

“Which you promptly ruined,” Maria pointed out.

“I had an itch.” Eddi scowled. “And I only ruined one fingernail and two toenails. The rest of it still looks brilliant.” She displayed her teal fingertips for Fidelio’s perusal. “See?”

“Um, colorful,” he said with a bland smile that sent Maria and Ianthe into giggles.

But Eddi nodded in satisfaction. “Exactly. And they talked me into a getting a purple streak in my hair—but it washed out, thankfully. And I’ll have you know that last week I played what had to be entire tournaments of tennis and archery—"

“Hardly ultra-feminine when you’re playing with all boys,” Maria interjected.

“Unless she did it for flirtation convenience,” Ianthe pointed out.

“I wasn’t flirting, and I didn’t say that part was feminine . . . but sometimes I did let them win a round at archery—a feminine ploy. And I waterskied and watched beach-volleyball games—ooh-ing andah-ing properly at all the muscle flexing and power shots—and I attended improving lectures and a tea party in the garden. Overall, I was as girly as any girl can be. Besides, riding and talking about horses doesn’t make me unfeminine.”

Ianthe grinned. “Darling, you are totally feminine. You just happen to be a sporty and horse-crazy female, while Maria and I are partial to spa days and lapdogs.”

“We’re finished eating anyway, so we’ll leave you two to discuss racing to your hearts’ content.” Maria laid her serviette beside her plate and rose.

Fidelio stood quickly while the girls made their farewells, and Maria reached up to pat his cheek. “The beard is a good idea,” she said in her heavy accent. “It makes you look a few years older than fourteen, Your Highness. Enjoy your Princess Eddi while you may.”

“I never know what to make of those two,” Fidelio confessed as soon as her friends were out of earshot. “I sometimes think they enjoy confusing me, especially Maria.”

“Perceptive of you.” Eddi sipped her tea while he dug into his breakfast with only vestiges of the delicate manners befitting a prince. His poor mother would have wrung her hands in horror at the sight.

Little though Eddi wished to admit it, Fidelio did look and behave like an oversized boy, as Maria frequently commented. That girl’s incisive wit struck too close to home. Yet she was a solid, faithful friend who spoke her mind openly, not behind people’s backs. A refreshing anomaly in Eddi’s circles.

His hunger sated at last, Fidelio sat back in his chair while Eddi poured his tea. “Did the rest of your family come too?” she asked.

“No.” He shrugged. “I skipped off as soon as I was free of schoolwork. Honestly, I’ve felt awful about how the awards banquet after the race ended up, and I’ve worried that you’d hate me now.”

Eddi shook her head, smiling a little into her teacup. “I don’t hate you.”

“I thought maybe you . . .” He flailed for words. “Oh, never mind. I just . . . don’t want that to happen again.” He gave her a defiant look from under his brows. “If you’re hoping Carlo came too, the answer is no.”

Did he seriously think it was Carlo who came between them?

---