nod. “I always am.”
It’s the only way I know how to live.
“Edwin?” I say, poking my head into my brother’s study only to find him absent.
I walk the halls, stopping one of my father’s guards. “Have you seen Edwin?”
The man nods. “I just left him. He was speaking with His Majesty.”
“In Father’s quarters?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Thank you,” I say, continuing down the hall.
Voices drift through the partially open door, causing me to pause when I’m just outside.
“…trapped like an animal,” Edwin says. “It isn’t right.”
“He’s a prisoner. He’s fortunate you pulled him from the dungeon.”
“He hasn’t caused any trouble, not with the guards—not even with Cassia when she tended him. Can we not give him a little room to breathe? I’m not saying I want to hand him a sword and set him free on the castle. But perhaps larger quarters? An outing to the garden once a day?”
“Of course,” Father says, his tone making me wince. “Why don’t you invite him to join us for meals?”
“I’d like that,” Edwin responds, ignoring the bite in Father’s voice. “Very much.”
My brother is answered with a sharp curse, and I bite my lip. I should go, stop eavesdropping. Instead, I shift a fraction closer.
“Do what you will,” Father finally says with a heavy sigh. “But you are responsible for him. One misstep and he goes back to the dungeon.”
“Yes, Father,” Edwin says, and then there are footsteps.
Blinking, I leap back, feeling guilty for listening to a conversation that was obviously not meant for my ears.
Quickly, I dart behind a drape, feeling like a child.
Edwin doesn’t notice the curtains have sprouted feet, and his footsteps fade as he walks down the hall. Where is he going?
I peer past the fabric.
To visit the prince, perhaps?
Slipping from my hiding spot, I furtively follow my brother.
12
The knock at my door takes me by surprise, as no one has bothered with that courtesy before. Perhaps I imagined it.
I’ve been in this pitch-black room for what must be a week, slowly going mad. I haven’t eaten in days. I have water, but it’s in a wooden bucket near the door, and it tastes bitter.
I’m not sure my fevered brain didn’t invent Cassia. Have I been in here this whole time? Was I ever in a dusty room with heavy drapes that blocked the view of a dead kingdom?
Did the sickness truly abate, or am I in the throes of it now?
The door opens, letting in light that makes me shy away.
“What is this?” a man demands. “Why is it so dark?”
A guard mumbles something, but I can’t make it out. There are the sounds of men scuffling about outside, and a few moments later, a man steps into the room. He carries an oil lamp that illuminates the space and hurts my eyes.
I can feel him studying me, and I blink, feeling like a caged animal.
“I apologize for your poor treatment,” he finally says, looking around with a frown. “This is unacceptable.”
“Who are you?” I demand, squinting at him. “What do you want?”
“I’m the crown-prince of Draegan, and I have come to officially apologize for your treatment. You may call me Edwin.”
I grunt.
“You’d like to clean up, I imagine?”
Finally, my eyes adjust to the light, and I stare at him, refusing to give an answer.
“Come with me.”
“Where?”
“To my quarters. I’ll order a bath to be drawn and find you something to eat. In the meantime, I’ll have a more suitable room selected for you.”
There’s a trick here. But what difference does it make? I’m at his mercy. He’ll either kill me, or he won’t.
“I have personally vouched for your behavior,” he says as I rise. “My father would rather return you to the dungeon, so I ask you not to lash out unless you’d like to spend the rest of your stay with our rats.” Then, ominously, he adds, “And other things.”
“My stay?” I scoff. “You make it sound as if I were invited.”
He nods, his expression grim. “Come with me.”
I follow him out of the room—much to the chagrin of the scowling guards that stand outside the door.
My legs are tired, weak from too many weeks of disuse. My calf cramps, but I grit my teeth, following without complaint.
As I walk, I take in my surroundings, memorizing the layout of my prison. It’s a stone castle, more fortress than palace. We turn the corner, entering a hall that’s empty save one lone girl.
I come to an abrupt stop.
Cassia stares at me, her lips parting with her surprise, and