With a sigh, I nod. “Thank you, Mel.”
I hope whoever Father picks as her suitor is nice. And I hope Orion will let me visit home regularly, so I can make sure that all my sisters find someone suitable. Real love, ideally.
Because otherwise I may have to take some more dagger lessons with Kasimir.
“Ugh,” I growl.What is happening to me?
“Come on,” Mel says, standing up. “Let’s get you that cream. And I’ll run you a bath too, with my special salts. You look like you need it.” She laughs as I gladly take her hand.
32
KASIMIR
Orion is a tricky bastard to hunt down. After leaving Ruby with a plate of strawberries and her engagement ring, I spent the rest of the morning searching for him.
Leaving the ring on her finger might’ve been bold, but at this point I couldn’t care less. I meant what I said last night when I carried her to her bedchamber. Today Orion dies, and then I’m taking Princess Amaryllis home with me – forever.
Now, if I could just find the bastard…
Keeping close to the palace walls, I veer around another gold pillar. I’ve already checked his bedchamber, the dining hall and searched most of the palace grounds, but there’s no sign of him.
There’s a chance the coward is still hiding out in one of the safe rooms.
He did screamquite a lotafter my arrow nicked his hand.
The hallway splits into narrower staff corridors, and I take the one to the left. It’s dark, bustling, smells of piss, and I’m certain I won’t find Orion down here, but it leads to the nobles’ wing, and it wouldn’t surprise me if I found him there with a half-full tumbler of whiskey, playing cards with some other noble.
If there’s one thing I’ve learnt from my time in the palace, it’s that there’s nothing royal men love more than getting drunk and gambling their vast riches away. Not that there’s anything better they could do with all that gold.
It’s not as if there’s thousands of desperate people outside the palace walls.Starving.
“Remind me to quit after we get back to that idiot prince’s palace.”
The mention of ‘idiot prince’ has me lifting my head to see a familiar feather bobbing out of a colourful hat in front of me. Squeezing ahead of a few servants, I draw closer until I’m right behind the short man.
While he’s not the prince, Orion’s carriage driver might lead me straight to him, especially since it looks like he’s all dressed up and ready to go.
I’ve got you now, arsehole.
“The pay’s good, but Orion was a nightmare on the journey here,” the driver prattles on as he walks. “Kept wanting to stop so he could hunt, and then he’d blame me for not pushing the horses enough when we were behind our travel schedule!”
The guard he’s talking to grunts, probably one of Orion’s soldiers judging by the crest on his shoulders. “I’m just glad he’s got his bride now, so we can get out of here and all go home,” he replies gruffly.
“Yes, well, it won’t be long now,” the driver huffs. “He told me this morning he’s got some business to attend to then we’ll all be heading home around midnight – his new princess included.”
My chest tightens. He’s taking her today?
“Business, huh?” the guard chuckles. “Might that have something to do with the guard she was spotted with late last night? I was posted outside his room when he found out. Orion was furious.”
Guard?
Shit.
But how? I was so careful on our way back from the library. Unless it happened while we were dancing together. I should’ve paid more attention.
“Yes, I heard it was one of the gardeners who caught her,” the driver laughs. “Poor boy almost lost his life when he told the prince what he’d seen. But he was lucky Amaryllis happened to run past the window of Orion’s bedchamber before the prince could do any damage, shortly followed by her mysterious male companion, of course. All the proof he needed, really.”
My heart sinks.
