Page 55 of The Masked Princess

He ignored her, staring intently at the romance novels on the top shelf before pulling down several to better examine them, swapping out one for another until he had three cradled in his arm. “I’ve not read books for fun in a very long time, so please excuse me if my choices rely solely on the quality of the leather and design of the cover, but I want you to take these as well.”

“But—”

“Please, Princess.” He set his selection on top of the pile she carried, then took the entire stack from her. “You shouldn’t limit yourself just because of what some old harpy said. Read. Enjoy yourself. Dream. It’ll be good for you.”

She felt her cheeks heating. “Fine, but let me carry the books. They aren’t that heavy.”

“Don’t worry, if the difference between life and death rests solely on how fast I can drop a stack of books, I fear I’d make a very poor protector indeed.” Soren laughed, and after their heavy conversation earlier, something about the sound made Annalise feel like she’d drunk too much wine.

Soren was still chuckling when they exited the library and picked up the Rhinnean guard who’d fallen asleep in the chair at the entrance and only roused when Soren ‘accidentally’ dropped a heavy tome next to his chair. The head butler was waiting for them outside the double doors, and when he saw the large stack of books in Soren’s hands, his bushy gray eyebrows rose so high they almost disappeared into his hair. “My apologies, Captain Kierson, but I’m afraid I can’t let you take those.”

“Surely King Nelan told you that I could have whatever books I wanted,” Annalise protested.

“Yes, Your Highness, and you can, but I doubt his sentiment extended to the captain. Some of these books may contain sensitive information about our military, trade routes, and politics, and I would be remiss in my duties if I gave a Dovean access to such information.”

“Oh, but you see⁠—”

“Don’t worry about it, Princess Annalise. I deeply appreciate you trying to cover for me, but it appears that the jig is up,” Soren said smoothly. When Annalise looked at him, her protests frozen on the tip of her tongue, he winked at her. He sighed heavily and handed the stack of books over to the butler. “If you’ll excuse me for a moment then, sir, I’ll take my books back into the library and then we can continue on our way.”

“Thank you for your understanding. I apologize for any—wait, what are you doing?”

Soren paused and looked over his shoulder, one hand reaching for the door, the other cradling the three romance novels against his arm. “Taking the books I was going to read back to the library, obviously.”

“But—but—those are romances,” the butler sputtered as he lifted the stack in his arms. “What about these?”

Soren’s eyebrows drew together as if the butler had just spoken gibberish. “Those are Princess Annalise’s, so that she can learn more about Rhinnea to better serve it and your people as its queen. Who did you think those books were for?”

“For you, of course.”

“For me?” Soren’s voice lilted up on the last word, and Annalise had to stifle a grin at how well he played being completely confused. “Why would I need a bunch of dull tomes about politics and trade?”

“You’re the son of a general⁠—”

“Yes, and…? I was also a sea captain. You think we’re an educated lot? Half my men didn’t know how to read, and most of them didn’t care to learn.”

“Of course, sir, but⁠—”

“You think I studied while I was at sea? That I busied myself with learning the nuances of trade and governance? My father’s entire job hinged on how well he could swing a sword and how much loyalty he could inspire in his men. You think I care one whit about how the price of grain affects the quality of wool in some sleepy little Rhinnean hamlet?”

“But the military⁠—”

“The military secrets you were speaking of earlier?” Soren threw back his head and laughed. “You think King Everet and my father don’t have spies? The book you’re holding is what—ten years old? More than that probably, judging by the dust I can see still sticking to its cover. No, even if I wanted to spy for my country, there’s nothing in that dusty old pile of pages of use to me.” He held up the romances. “I was much more interested in what the ladies of the Rhinnean court find romantic…but alas… I suppose even those hopes are dashed.”

“Oh please, let Captain Kierson take the novels. Look at how thin he is; compared to the Rhinnean guards and noblemen here, he’s practically a stick. The man needs all the help he can get,” Annalise pleaded, batting her large blue eyes at the butler.

The older man folded like a wet piece of cloth and escorted them back to Annalise’s chambers without another word.

When they reached her door, guarded by one Dovean and one Rhinnean guard, Soren insisted on entering Annalise’s chambers so she didn’t have to carry the heavy armful of books for even a moment. Once he’d placed the stack on the table, he grabbed the top romance and tucked it into his tunic.

“Soren, what are doing? Where are you taking that?” Annalise asked.

He grinned. “To do some research, of course. Think of it as my fee for you calling me frail and thin and then insisting that I haul your heavy books back from the library.”

Annalise rolled her eyes but felt a grin spread across her face that rivaled his own. She didn’t know what had changed between them, but she was glad that Soren’s mood had improved. She would have never admitted it, but she’d been worried that after she’d rejected his offer of escape, he would hold it against her for as long as he was in Rhinnea. He’d been quiet for most of the castle tour, but his gentle teasing held great promise for a return to their previous friendship, even if in her heart of hearts she wished they could be so much more.

“I’ve seen you lift a keg of beer onto your shoulder like it was a child and defeat the guards of Murana with a smile on your face. Surely you know that I don’t think of you as actually frail.”

His grin widened, and he ruffled his hair with his free hand. “You’re right, I don’t, but it’s always nice to hear. Besides, I think it’s high time I read something for fun—all those years at sea reading up on trade routes, history, and diplomatic relations to keep up with the latest news and maximize profits sure sucked the fun out of what used to be my favorite pastime.” Soren bowed and waved at her as he left the room. “If you need me, I’ll be out here for several more hours doing some research on the mysteries of the fairer sex.”