Page 38 of The Princess of Nothing
He nodded. “I had one given to me as a gift when I was younger, from the fae queen, but he ran away.”
“Maybe it’s your old pet’s horn they used on me.” I couldn’t help myself, but I instantly regretted the comment.
He uncrossed his arms and leaned away from me. “I didn’t think of that.”
“It probably wasn’t,” I stated, but the damage was done.
By the time we reached our stop, Kiros was picking at his cuticles, staring out the window blankly.
“Where are we?”
“Hmm.” He whipped his head around. “The Princetown Shop Front. There’s a jeweler we love that I wanted to take you to.”
Appropriately named. “Oh, how fun.” I clapped with forced excitement. “I need to ask you something.”
His expression softened. “What is it, darling?”
I looked at his hand as it squeezed mine. I wished he’d stop calling me darling. “I was wondering if we can have some time on our own. I mean, we always have guards with us. It’s hard for us to get to know each other.”
He removed his hand. “No.”
I closed my eyes briefly. Damn. I clawed to redeem our moment. It was six days to the wedding, and I had to find a way to lax the security. I was either confined to my room or with Kiros and his guards.
When Cedric came, I would need to find a way to reach him.
“No matter.” I bit my bottom lip. “We can get to know one another just fine with the guards.”
His shoulders relaxed. He tapped his fingers against his knee. “I’d like that. Also, about what my sister said.” Uncertainty weaved in his gaze. “I want to apologize to you. For you being...” He inhaled deeply. “Tortured. Neoma was right. It was not acceptable, no matter the circumstances, and I want to make up for what happened. My father shouldn’t have done it, and I should have come sooner to order your release. I guessed, without seeing you in person, it was easy to ignore the princess sent to the pits.” His face paled. “When I saw you, you were so broken.” He choked on his next words. “I didn’t know how to act around you.”
No. No. No. He wasn’t allowed to try to be a better person. It wasn’t a part of my arrangement.
“It was horrible to see,” he said. “Traumatic, really.”
I couldn’t believe it. His redemption was quickly squashed, and I repressed a scowl. He was waiting for me to make him feel better over me being tortured.
I squeezed his hand. “It’s okay. I’m okay now.”
He cast his eyes downward. “Do you mean that?” His gaze trickled up to mine. The glacier blues scattered my annoyed expression. I fixed my face, softening my stare.
“Yes, I do. You saved me in the end.”
“I did, didn’t I?”
I nodded.
He took my hand in his, brushing my skin with his fingers. “It was worth it, wasn’t it? It brought us together.”
My eyes instinctively widened.No, Kiros, it was not worth being tortured so I could be engaged to your arrogant ass!“Absolutely it was.”
“I’ve been wanting to say that to you. I’m happy to get it off my chest.” He puffed out his cheeks, pulled away from me, and slapped his hands on his knees. “Let us get out before dusk steals the day from us.”
The door opened to a bustling street. I took the hand of a footman and stepped out onto the beating hot slabs. Large buildings cast shadows onto the ground, their architecture so beautiful it enchanted even the most lost souls to the city with the promise of a future. It was a place where they could be anything. Groups of light fae giggled, their wings of pinks, yellows, and greens shimmering under the beating sun. The fashion went from normal suits and dresses of sorcerers to the absurd fae outfits of tree bark, leaves and grass blades positioned into the strangest patterns. Many of the women there wore pants. It was a new look, as not long ago, pants were worn primarily by men. The skirts of some of the fae were shorter than was appropriate. My lips parted.
“It’s something, huh?” He shot me a toothy grin, standing tall with his chest puffed out. “Claeri is the biggest city in Berovia, boasting of the most diverse population of solises, fae, and even elves.”
“Even elves,” I said slowly.
I spotted one. Her dark hair ran down her back, poker-straight, and her pointed ears poked through the strands. A bow, made from silver, and a quiver of arrows hung from her back. “I see they still wield weapons even in modernized society.”
