Page 194 of The Discount Damsel

Bradley followed her gaze to a couple dressed as smartly as the princess herself not a stone’s throw further down the boardwalk. The young woman shaded herself from the sun with a parasol the same lavender as her dress, and the lord in question, resplendent in mint green with coral accents, was as young as they were. And staring at Millie as if she were a unicorn, that is to say, a rare, magnificent creature whose pearly horn gave the viewer pause.

“Matcha?” The surname rang an alarm bell in Bradley’s head, and he attempted to pull the princess back. “Isn’t that the family who rules Evertea? Amberly’s sworn enemy? That has to be Duke Evertea’s son!”

“It is,” she squealed with delight. “And only our parents are sworn enemies.” Millie flung up a gloved hand and waved. “Oh, Bobby! How are you? And congratulations on your appointment to Warden of the Tea Road.”

The apprentice grunted as the princess hauled him forward. They stopped just an arm’s length away from the couple, the lord still blinking in astonishment and the woman accompanying him trying to mask her nervousness with a pleasant smile.

“Princess Mildred,” he sputtered, finally remembering to bow. “Th-thank you. The position has been very fulfilling. But what are you doing here? Last I heard you were locked up away in a dragon’s tower!”

“Dirk the Dangerous is a very progressive captor. He believes in a good cup of tea and a princess with a healthy constitution, hence this promenade in the salt air. And what are you doing here? Last I heard, Evertea was preparing for war with Silverwald.”

The young lord gave an elegant snort. “We’ve been ‘almost at war’ with the elves for nearly a decade. And you know the threat of war doesn’t deter nobles from taking an obscene amount of holidays. Your time in that tower has clearly addled your brain.”

“Not nearly as much as this sun has addled yours. Whoever told you mint green was your color was obviously in dire need of offloading his inventory.”

The pair grinned at each other like old friends.

“Oh, and this is Mr. Donmarin, sorcerer apprentice and my chaperone,” Millie introduced. “And you must be Miss Coletta Lavender.” She smiled warmly at the young woman in the dress whose color matched her surname.

“I am, Your Highness.” The blonde bobbed a pretty curtsy and tightened her fingers where they rested on Lord Matcha’s arm.

“Millie,” she insisted.

“Oh!” Coletta glanced up to Lord Matcha as if for guidance on how to proceed or even in disbelief. “Thank you, Your— Millie.” She curtsied again with a crinkle of lavender taffeta.

“We’re not fifteen anymore,” the young lord chastised Millie quietly, glancing around, “and you are a princess, Your Highness. ‘Millie’ and ‘Bobby’ were fine when we were children, but I have a mustache now⁠—”

“And it has filled in wonderfully. You must be very proud.”

“Thank you, I am. And you have a woman’s birthing hips.”

“Take that back, Bobby. Right now, or I’ll prick you with my hairpin.”

He ignored her threat. “Propriety demands we⁠—”

“Oh pish posh.” Millie waved that ridiculous notion away. “Isn’t it reprehensible how a handful of years plucks us from the genuineness of youth and into the tethers of polite society where all candidness is strangled out of us by starched collars and corset strings? Aren’t you tired of the restraints others have forced upon us, Bobby?” Millie’s gaze flicked to the lowborn woman on his arm.

Lord Matcha’s hand moved to cover Miss Lavender’s, and a little spark kindled in his eyes. “Yes, I heard rumor you’d gone rogue again. Millie.”

She grinned. “Would you care to join me? Last time was so much fun.” She offered him her hand but looked to his companion. “I won’t keep him but a minute, Miss Lavender. My chaperone Mr. Donmarin’s sense of propriety is more rigid than the spines of the royal guard on inspection day. You have nothing untoward to fear from him.”

Before Bradley could even protest, much less process what in the hells was happening, Millie whisked Bobby further down the boardwalk with a rustle of her petticoats, leaving Miss Lavender and him standing awkwardly an arm’s length apart.

He was quick to collect himself and gave the pretty young blonde a nod in greeting. Then he offered her his arm. “Shall we follow at a discreet distance and keep them out of trouble, Miss Lavender?”

She took his arm. “Following would be wise, but let us not interfere should they wish to get into trouble. The last time they did that worked out very well.”

It was then Bradley noticed the large diamond engagement ring on Coletta’s finger. “He’s the suitor who was in love with another woman,” he realized aloud.

“Yes.” Coletta blushed. “Princess Mildred refused to marry him and end the feud between our countries because of me. No matter where our lives lead, I will always love her for that.”

And that princess was currently leading—dragging, actually—the duke’s son into a stationery shop. Bradley and Lavender waited outside, and when the minutes ticked by, Lavender left to fetch them some ice cream from the nearby parlor. Vanilla-and-orange swirl.

They were halfway through enjoying their sweet treat when the pair emerged from the stationery shop, both smiling.

“What did you do?” Bradley asked immediately.

“With a tone like that,” the young Lord Matcha said, “I daresay Mr. Donmarin is less your chaperone and more your friend. Familiar with Millie’s antics, are you?”