Page 67 of Legacy of Glass
The siblings beamed at his words, once again falling into a series of bows.
When they had exchanged final well wishes with the unusual two, they strolled further down the row of stalls.
“Are Auldanan mirrors really so valuable that you would request one without limitation?” Olivia asked, surprise and unease stirring inside her.
Julius nodded. “I’m sure my parents will be willing to purchase any mirror the Halburans can find.”
Olivia worried at her bottom lip, thinking of the mirror she had tucked away in her room back at the palace. When Avery had gifted it to her, she had claimed to still have it because it was faulty. Olivia had accepted the gift under the assumption that it was a defective product—one the merchant girl wouldn’t be able to sell. But now she suspected Avery had phrased it that way so Olivia would feel free to accept it. And as a consequence, Olivia hadn’t realized the value of the gift she had been given.
“Is something wrong?” Julius asked her quietly, concern in his eyes.
“No, nothing,” she said quickly, not ready to confess to the mirror’s existence.
But her mind lingered on the conversation, uneasiness still roiling in her gut. If her mirror was much rarer than she had supposed, was it right for her to hoard it for her own use? Shouldn’t she offer it to Julius to be used for the good of the whole kingdom?
She glanced at him, reluctance staying her tongue. It wasn’t that she feared he would misuse it. She was just reluctant to part with something that was so precious to her. The mirror had given her the last bit of courage to leave home and seek a new life for herself. If she handed it over to Julius now, she would lose it completely when their betrothal was dissolved.
Julius was still watching her with concern in his eyes, so she pushed the thought aside. She didn’t have to make a decision immediately.
“Look, cider!” she cried, spotting her favorite stall. She turned to Julius with a broad smile. “Wait until you taste it. He gets the spice mix perfect.”
Julius looked much more surprised than her enthusiasm for a common market drink warranted, but he followed her over to the stall without protest.
“Olivia!” the stallholder called as soon as he saw her, his face breaking into a welcoming smile. “Lady Olivia, I should say now.” He gave her a deep bow, and she protested.
“That’s not necessary, Markus. Here at your stall, I’m merely another customer.”
The man’s eyebrows rose, his eyes darting briefly to Julius. “Is that right now? In that case, you’ll be wanting two tankards of my cider?”
“Of course.” She grinned at him. “It wouldn’t be a trip to the market without one.”
Markus ushered them to two rough stools he kept along the far edge of his stall as a convenience for customers who wished to enjoy their drink at a more leisurely pace. Olivia sat in one with alacrity, settling in for a comfortable chat with the unusual man, as she always did.
His manner was odd, at times almost bordering on foolish, but his observations were witty and astute. She had learned many an interesting piece of capital gossip at his stall.
“This is Prince Julius,” she said as she gestured for him to sit beside her. “Julius, this is Markus, the maker of the city’s best cider.”
“You flatter me!” Markus’s obsequious manner was even more pronounced than usual. “But it does a man’s heart good to see his hard work appreciated.”
He filled two tankards and handed them each one. Olivia glanced at Julius, hoping he would see past Markus’s off-putting manner.
To her relief, she could see no trace of distaste on the prince’s face. But the intensity of the look he was directing at Markus threw her off guard. It was almost as if Julius was trying to signal something to the man without words. Had they already met?
“I’m not sure there’s much gossip I can relate to you today, lass,” Markus said with a grin. “Most of the gossip these last weeks has been about you, and I hope I know better than to repeat gossip to its subject.” He chuckled. “But you’ve nothing to be ashamed about, I’ll say that much. The city has rallied behind you.”
Julius shifted slightly, leaning infinitesimally toward the man. “Nothing at all, sir? Are you sure? Not even the smallest tidbit to occupy us while we drink?”
Olivia stared at him, her eyes narrowing. There was definitely something going on she didn’t understand.
“Well, now.” Markus scratched his chin. “I might be able to think of the odd bit of news.” He glanced between them. “Perhaps something related to the new princess if not actually about her, per se.”
“Related to me?” Olivia asked.
Julius tensed beside her, as if anxious to hear Markus’s news. She gave him another odd look, but his full focus was on the stallholder.
“Word reached my ears that Her Ladyship was interested in kidnapped girls,” Markus said, busying his hands as he wiped down his stall.
Olivia’s mouth fell open. But Julius gave a small, satisfied smile before taking a sip of cider.
