Page 64 of Legacy of Glass
Olivia had even enjoyed the event more than she expected, making a game of finally putting faces to all the names she had learned. She was just sorry Julius had found the event so draining. Even the prince deserved to relax and enjoy himself sometimes.
When a knock sounded on the door of her sitting room, she called a hopeful welcome. And sure enough, it was Julius who strode into the room, making her smile and push away the last of her breakfast.
Unlike the night before, he smiled back. A night’s rest must have done him good. He did give Mildred’s nest a wide berth, though, which made her laugh.
“She’s not going to hurt you,” Olivia laughed. “She’s sleeping after a big feed, so she’s not even going to wake up. I was worried about her feeling too confined at the palace, but I don’t think she’s left my suite even once since we arrived. She seems to love it.”
“For the sake of the other palace residents, I suspect that’s a good thing.” Julius eyed her with misgiving. “Is she bigger than when we brought her here?”
Olivia winced. “She looks that way to me, too. There’s just so much Legacy power here given our recent betrothal. But at least she’s safe—even if she eventually grows to the size of a fully-grown horse.”
Mildred opened an eye and squeaked at Julius, making him flinch. Olivia laughed again.
“I heard you have a whole day off,” he said, finally reaching the small table where she was sitting. “And it just so happens to be a full market day as well, which gives us a good excuse to go into the city. So would you like to visit the central market?”
“Oh yes!” Olivia leaped to her feet. “Just let me get organized.”
Julius laughed. “You can finish your breakfast. We have the whole day.”
“No, no, I’m ready.” Olivia was too excited to sit sedately and eat, and she’d been mostly finished anyway.
Julius’s gaze saddened as he watched her. “I’m sorry you’ve had to wait so long to get into the city again.”
Olivia stilled, worried by his tone. Did he think she resented him for her busy schedule?
“I’m not totally unreasonable.” She kept her voice light. “I know we have no evidence that something bad has happened to Marigold, and I know my first responsibility is to my current role here at the palace—Marigold herself ensured that. I just want to be allowed to search for her in my free time.”
Julius hesitated. “I want you to know that if we do find any solid evidence of foul play, everything will change. If we can prove to my parents that she’s been abducted, then finding and retrieving her will become a matter of utmost importance to the crown—despite her most recent actions.”
Relief flooded Olivia. Finding evidence was a much less daunting prospect than actually finding and freeing her friend. Everything considered, it was a most reasonable compromise.
Riding out of the palace, she practically bounced in her saddle. A visit to the market was appealing even without an ulterior motive. She had often found an excuse to head into the city on market days when she lived with her aunt and uncle.
The bustle of the crowds reached her ears before the central square came into view, and the smells followed close behind—the delicious scents of roasting food and sweet buns mixed with the less appealing smell of livestock—a combination potent enough to override the pervading smell of the ocean.
Olivia and Julius dismounted, half the guards dismounting with them while the other half took charge of the horses. Olivia feared the guards would serve as an invisible wall, scaring the populace away from them, but to her surprise the royal couple were approached by a slow but constant trickle of people.
Most wanted to congratulate them on their betrothal, but a few had questions about Olivia’s background or complaints to raise with the crown. Olivia answered the questions about herself honestly, and Julius fielded the complaints with easy poise. And each time he was forced to do so, she was grateful again for his presence. Without him, she would have struggled to answer.
“The people don’t seem at all put off by our guards,” she murmured after a middle-aged merchant bowed and disappeared back into the crowds. She reconsidered her words. “Or perhaps they’re put off just the right amount since no one is crowding us this time.” She shivered involuntarily at the memory of her previous excursion, and Julius stepped closer, the pressure of his shoulder against hers reassuring.
She tried to shake off the mood. “It’s admirable the way your family have made the crown so accessible.”
“Actually,” he said slowly. “I think they’re approaching us because of you. I’ve never had this experience before.”
Olivia turned to him in astonishment. “But you must have been to the market before today!”
“Of course. But when I came, no one approached to talk to me. Not like this.”
“No one?” It didn’t seem possible given their experience thus far.
Julius shrugged. “It seemed normal to me, and I never questioned it. Not until my mother made that comment after our betrothal.”
Olivia frowned, trying to think what comment he might mean. It had obviously made more of an impression on him than on her.
“I thought I’d mastered my role as crown prince—as Prince Charming,” Julius continued in a low voice. “But it turns out I had only learned how to manage at court.” He forced a laugh. “I’m not nearly as charming as I thought I was.”
The sound of his flat laugh twisted Olivia’s heart. In her time at the palace, she had seen how much Julius dedicated himself to his position. And she had experienced firsthand the power of his charm—even when he was being Julius, not the prince. It pained her to think he doubted himself so much.
