Page 81 of Legacy of Glass
“Marigold didn’t want me to,” Cade said simply from behind him.
Julius turned a hurt expression on his friend, but Cade only shrugged.
“As Sovar’s prince and future king, you have the loyalty of my sword,” he said. “As a friend, you have the loyalty of my time and care. But when it comes to my heart, my loyalty lies with only one, and it isn’t you, old friend.”
The two young men stared at each other silently for a moment before Julius relaxed and clapped his friend on the shoulder. “I suppose I can’t argue with that.”
Cade looked relieved at Julius’s acceptance, and Olivia even more so. He felt like a fool for worrying about the two of them. And even more of one for never guessing what Olivia had apparently worked out with ease.
“But what happened?” Cade asked, clearly still bewildered. “What made Lord Emerson thinkI’dtaken Marigold?”
Olivia briefly related her conversation with Lord Emerson, repeating exactly what she’d said.
“I never dreamed it would set him off in such a way. He was clearly much closer to the edge than I realized.”
“It isn’t your fault,” Julius said quickly, and Cade nodded agreement. “You barely said anything. He was the one who decided Cade’s father must have abducted Marigold on Cade’s behalf.”
Cade frowned, anger dancing in his eyes. “He’s a fool to react that way if he believes that’s true. Shouldn’t he be relieved to think his daughter was taken by someone who would cherish and care for her—someone of her own choosing? At least it would mean she was safe. His rigidity and his foolish pride are exactly what drove his daughter away in the first place.”
“I even got excited for a minute,” Olivia said despondently. “I thought he was going to throw his resources into the search. But all he did was jump to another ridiculous assumption. We can’t possibly risk telling him about the Larkins.” She dropped her voice for the final two words, and Julius looked questioningly at Daphne.
“Don’t worry,” Olivia said. “I’ve told her everything.”
Julius wasn’t sure that confession alleviated his worry, but he had to trust Olivia knew her cousin well enough and that he could trust Daphne too.
Daphne must have caught him looking at her because when Cade and Olivia began to speculate about when they might hear from the Larkins, Daphne shifted in his direction.
“Don’t worry,” she murmured to him. “You don’t need to worry about me doing anything to hurt Olivia. It’s far more likely Olivia will try to do something to help and get herself into trouble.”
Julius’s chest tightened at hearing someone speak his own fear aloud. Apparently he wasn’t the only one who cared about Olivia, although the relationship between the two girls confused him.
“I know you and Olivia are cousins,” he said, “but haven’t you been living in Glandore since you were seven? How do you know Olivia so well?”
“My cousin writes long letters.”
Julius chuckled, but his amusement quickly died. “What can I do to make sure that when we hear from the Larkins, she doesn’t put herself at risk? Between us there has to be something we can do.”
“Do something?” Daphne eyed him in surprise before sighing languidly. “I suppose such delusions come from being a prince. Convincing a determined person not to follow their course is a hopeless endeavor. So I, for one, don’t bother trying anymore. Believe me, I have a lot of experience in this area.”
“But we can’t do nothing!”
“Can’t we?” Daphne sounded mildly surprised. “I think you’ll find we can indeed do just that. We do nothing until the time comes to do something. And then we do the right something.”
Julius blinked at her as she stepped away to rejoin Olivia and Cade’s conversation. He had expected Olivia’s cousin to be a little unusual thanks to the Oakden Legacy, but he was increasingly unsure whether she was oblivious or brilliant.
She spoke so confidently, but for himself he just hoped that when the moment she spoke of came, he knew the right course of action. Because that night had only sealed his determination to win Olivia’s heart properly. He might not have realized it at their first meeting—or second, or third—but she was the perfect person to help him guide and protect Sovar.
Chapter26
Julius
Julius, Olivia, and Cade headed into the market again the next afternoon, this time with Daphne in tow. Ostensibly they were taking Olivia’s cousin sightseeing, so her presence was essential. But he suspected she wouldn’t have accepted being left behind anyway.
They went straight to Markus’s stall, and as soon as they had received their tankards of cider, he spoke in a low murmur. “Mistress Larkin showed up this morning. Bought a loaf of bread and four rolls from the baker’s stall, just like you said.”
“This morning?” Olivia looked ready to jump up, but Julius put his hand over hers, and she settled, lifting her tankard quickly to her lips.
“Mmm,” Daphne said. “You’re right, Olivia. This really is delicious cider.”
