“Sister,” Sophia said, stopping in front of me. She held her fan up to hide the lower half of her face, but I knew her expressions well enough to know she was smirking.
I guess she hadn’t learnt her lesson just yet.
“Sophia,” I said, clasping my hands in front of me. “It’s good to see you here. I was under the impression you were banned from social events for a short while.”
She clenched her jaw. “It was an Imperial Order for all nobles to attend, you know that.”
“I do, but I thought Father would make sure you were accompanied by a guard. Or did you give one the slip?”
“You—”
“My lady,” Ruby said softly, casting her gaze to the left.
I followed where she was looking and caught sight of one of the aides who worked closely with Father in the trading business.Ah-ha.Father had posted some of his people through the area to keep an eye on her, presumably to allow her to save face.
Sophia took a deep breath and glanced at the aide before huffing. “How frustrating. I’m like a leashed dog.”
“That is the result of your own actions, Lady Sophia, is it not?”
Oh, no.
Not him.
“Your Highness.” I curtseyed. “It’s an honour to greet the Crown Prince.”
Crown Prince Torin looked at me, smirking, then turned back to Sophia who was still staring at him, dumbfounded. “If maids and a knight who isn’t even of the empire’s knightage can greet me appropriately and you can’t, perhaps you need an even more intense education than the one Marquess Vermillion is providing you, Sophia.”
Sophia immediately dropped into the correct greeting. “Forgive me, Your Highness. I was not expecting to see you when I turned around and briefly forgot myself.”
“Then perhaps you should return to your tent so that you may remember your manners.”
“I will take my leave.” She didn’t even look up at me as she scurried off with Ruby on her heels.
Heh.
Crown Prince Torin kept his eye on her as she went. For a moment, he closely resembled Kalon, but it was one that was truly fleeting. As he turned to me, it quickly became clear that all they had in common was the purple hue of their eyes—the symbol of the Sada Imperial Family—and a ghost of a portrait.
“Lady Alicia, where are you heading?” he asked me.
“I was just wandering around on my way to find the Grand Duke,” I replied.
“Ah, yes, as his fiancée, I suppose you have a handkerchief to give him.” His smile was tight. “I was on my way back to my horse. Would you mind if I escorted you?”
Yes.
I would mind greatly.
“Thank you, Your Highness,” is what actually came out of my mouth as I took the arm he offered. “I suppose it wouldn’t be inappropriate for you to escort your future sister-in-law, would it?”
“Of course not. Nobody in their right mind would dare suggest otherwise, not with my dear brother’s reputation.”
‘Dear brother’ my arse.
“Mm,” I said. “Are you ready for the hunt, Your Highness?”
“Yes, I am, although my sword is lacking a handkerchief.”
“What a shame. I’m sure you’ll find no shortage of honourable young ladies willing to solve that problem for you.”
