Page 71 of Legacy of Glass
Olivia promptly sat down and picked up her tankard with an apologetic expression. They had to act normally while visiting Markus, and Julius had never seen Olivia abandon an unfinished cider.
Satisfied, Markus gave them directions to the Larkins’ home, but he also issued a warning not to go there straight from his stall. Once the information was imparted, he changed the topic, chatting about innocuous things until they had all finished their drinks.
Walking around the market afterward was an exercise in patience. They didn’t know exactly how long they needed to wait, and Olivia in particular was having trouble even pretending to focus on anything else.
But Julius had a different struggle. He found himself unable to keep his attention away from Olivia herself, no matter how many times he tried to wrench his eyes elsewhere. She glowed, her excitement at the potential breakthrough lighting her up from the inside out. He wasn’t in the least surprised that people approached them constantly—her vibrancy and compassion certainly drew him like a moth to a flame.
Now that he had grown used to her presence in his life, he couldn’t imagine how bleak and lifeless the palace would seem without her. She had taught him his own weaknesses and then showed him how much stronger they could be as a team—teaching him that it was all right for him to be both more and less than what the Legacy tried to make him.
And seeing the way people reacted to her, it was obvious she was just the princess Sovar needed. She was just the princess he needed.
She turned to him with a dazzling smile, and his heart stuttered. It was a good thing Cade was with them, or he might not have been able to resist pulling her into his arms and pressing a kiss to her lips.
Cade leaned over to him, a mocking grin on his face. “Still sure you want to break the betrothal?” he asked in an undertone.
Julius stared at him, struck silent. Of course he didn’t want to break the betrothal. He wanted the wedding to happen tomorrow.
Sick dread crept down from the top of his head, swamping him completely. When had he forgotten that breaking the betrothal was the plan? In the weeks spent at Olivia’s side, she had slowly grown to eclipse everything else in his heart. But the process had been so gradual and constant, he had forgotten the game they were playing.
Cade’s brows drew together. “Julius? Are you all right?”
Julius shook himself, trying to force the chaos in his mind into order. He dimly remembered he had once told Cade that he wasn’t in love with Olivia. It seemed an impossibility now—a lifetime ago, although it had been less than a full season. When had his distaste for the betrothal transformed into worry over Olivia’s feelings? He couldn’t pinpoint the exact moment it had happened—he just knew he couldn’t remember the last time he’d wanted to be free of her.
“I’m fine,” he managed to choke out, and Cade clapped him on the shoulder, although a faint line remained between his brows when he looked at his friend.
Was Cade worried that Julius had changed his mind and wanted to keep the betrothal after all? Was he concerned because he wanted Olivia for himself?
Julius’s thoughts burned hot, but he remained silent. The question wasn’t how he or Cade felt, but how Olivia felt. And while she seemed to have settled well into life at the palace, he worried that all their best times together were spent outside it. Did she spend her days putting a brave face on a situation she couldn’t easily escape?
Even if she did care for him on some level, was it enough to outweigh the burdens of his rank? Olivia had never been interested in being a princess, so his rank was a count against him in her eyes.
From his earliest memories, he had known his life would be sacrificed to duty. He had long ago accepted that. But could he ask Olivia to sacrifice hers as well? And if he did ask it of her, would his parents agree?
If he truly wanted what was best for her, should he step back and let her connection with Cade grow? She might have a happier life with him than with Julius.
“That’s the tenth group to approach us since we left Markus,” Olivia murmured, breaking through his tortured thoughts.
Julius had barely noticed the excited greetings being exchanged between Olivia and the young family who had just walked away. Had they been the tenth? He hadn’t been counting.
He nodded anyway because he was sure she had been paying close attention.
“Any of them could have said something that sent us to the Larkins’ home, so surely we can go now?” Olivia looked first at Julius and then at Cade.
The two men exchanged a look. Julius shrugged and Cade nodded, his own face reflecting some of Olivia’s determination. Olivia took their gestures as consensus, leading the group toward the edge of the market.
Julius tried to push his tumultuous thoughts into a compartment at the back of his brain. He could think about Olivia and their future later. For now, he was about to visit a family who had just had a daughter abducted, and he needed to keep his mind in the moment, no matter how hard that seemed to achieve.
When they reached the indicated street, Julius sent most of the guards back to the palace, keeping just two men to hold their horses. Two would be sufficient for the ride back to the palace.
At the door, Olivia hesitated, as if finally faced with the reality of what they were walking into. Julius stepped instinctively to her side, trying to brace her with his presence. She looked up at him and smiled tremulously before knocking.
The sound was greeted with a long silence. She exchanged another look with Julius before raising her hand to knock again. But before she made contact with the wood, footsteps sounded inside.
A moment later, the door was flung open.
“Elisabeth!” The middle-aged man in the doorway cried the name before he took in their presence, his face immediately crumpling when he did so.
Julius glanced sideways at Olivia who looked on the verge of tears herself. He cleared his throat and took a half step forward.
