Cheeks burning, I scramble up from the pavement, glaring at all of them. “Have I told you guys today that you suck? If not, you suck.”
Then I whirl around and continue marching toward the woods, ignoring their continued laughter as they follow me.I’m just going to try to do everything in my power to ignore that embarrassing moment. If I don’t, I’m going to completely lose the upper hand with them.
So, back straight, I try to hold onto the tattered remains of my pride. Their laughter eventually dies down, and then they’re suddenly all around me, matching my pace. I hated them laughing at me, but for some reason, them being close is even worse.
“So, you were a healer back home? Helping Ebron wasn’t just a one-time thing? Or did you guess how to help him?” Prince Lucien asks.
“If I say yes, how are you going to use this new information to torture me?”
They bristle. As if they haven’t been trying very hard to make my life a living hell.
“We’re just talking,” Prince Lucien mutters. “You know how to have a basic conversation, don’t you?”
“Not with the three of you.”
He huffs. “We’re not that bad.”
I glance at Prince Alaric, and he shrugs. “We haven’t exactly given her a reason to trust us…”
“Of course you would say that,” Prince Lucien says.
Prince Gareth just looks straight ahead, as if he’s not listening to us at all. Unfortunately for him, I know damn well he’s listening to every word. He just doesn’t have a thing to say to defend himself.
We make it to the woods, and I slip into the shadows of the forest, instantly feeling some of my nerves calm. The scent of green life seems to surround me, and the breeze weaving through the trees, making the leaves dance, warms my heart. This would be the perfect day. If they weren’t here.
“So, you’re engaged.” Prince Gareth stays at my side as he pushes forward through the woods, even though I know he can move faster.
“Something like that.”
An uncomfortable silence stretches between all of us. I know they want details, but I’m not offering them information for free, especially about Tesson, the man I’m currently trying not to think about. The man I’ve been wondering about. I’m aware of the fact that if Tesson sent that message then started heading this way after, he could be here any day, since my village is onlyabout a week's horse ride away. If he sent the message then remained at home for a while after, he could be here anywhere from another a week to weeks from now. He's clearly still playing games, because rather than say when he'll arrive, he's left it so it feels like holding a box with a snake inside and wondering when it’ll pop out.
“How long have you known your fiancé?” Prince Lucien asks.
This answer is easy. “My whole life.”
More silence follows my response, before he continues. “And when did you start dating?”
My nose wrinkles. “I’m not sure we’ve ever officially dated.”
“So, it was some sort of an arranged engagement?”
“Not exactly.”
“And what does he do for work? A farmer? A baker?”
“He’s the son of the lord in my town.”
All three of them look surprised, which I try not to be offended by. Is it really so crazy that a noble would be interested in me? I don’t think so. The arrogant pricks aren’t all that special.
“And how did your fiancé feel about you coming to train as a dragon rider?” Prince Lucien asks, continuing to fish for information.
“Not a clue. I didn’t ask him for his opinion.”
Stepping out into a clearing, I see yarrow growing and get excited. Picking up my pace, I hurry toward the little flowers, careful to watch where I place my feet in the tall grass. I kneel down, open my pack and a leather pouch, and then start collecting the pretty little yellow flowers.
“What are those?” Prince Alaric asks, sounding curious.
“Yarrow.”
