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I had managed to keep my tears at bay and so held his handkerchief out, but he would not take it. “Would you like for me to pretend to use it so you feel accomplished?”

He looked at the handkerchief, then back at my face. “Your behavior disappoints me, my lady.”

His words sent a prick of shame through me. How this boy managed to convict me so thoroughly I would never understand, but I was determined he would never see it. “How so, my lord?” I asked, coldly.

“You were kinder at the audition.”

“Well, if we’re comparing attitudes, so were you.”

“Was I?”

I smirked bitterly. “No, now that I think of it.”

“So I was genuine.” He took the cloth, finally, and placed it back into his pocket. “And you were not.”

I opened my mouth to counter, but he walked away across the dim room. My ears burned with annoyance.

“You had my cousin dragged away like some common criminal,” I said, catching up to him, “and you expect me to be cordial to you now?”

“My expectations of any knight are on the floor, I assure you,” he said, looking up at the paintings lining the wall.

“You are positively horrid.” My chest ached with anger. “It’s no wonder no one wants to be your friend.”

Beric scoffed, glancing at me. “You think a bard who flirts with any girl with a pulse in exchange for coin wants to be your friend?”

“He’s certainly far better company than you.” I scowled, forcing away the knowledge that he might have a point—Sunny had been so lovely to me that I didn’t want to entertain any sort of mercenary intentions. “Jealous, are we?”

Beric shrugged. “I am a bit jealous of him. He has an ease with people—”

“That you lack,” I finished coldly.

“Yes,” he agreed. His honesty brought me back to myself, made me feel … ashamed. Having Ann here brought out the worst in me, I thought, and if Beric would just cooperate with me then I wouldn’t have to take it all out on him.

I nearly tripped on my dress as he stopped abruptly in front of a large portrait on the wall. It was of a knight in silver armor, her skirt a rich jeweled violet. And all I could think of was myself in her place—except, with gold armor. Yes, I’d prefer gold, to match the aftersmoke of my magic. And a green dress. Green and gold were so lovely together.

Beric would probably harp on my vanity, but I had to think of something to keep this life I so longed to be a fairy tale from becoming a nightmare.

“The king was meant to explain these paintings to you,” Beric said, interrupting my thoughts. “Of the history of past knights.”

This was the perfect opportunity to excuse myself, to rejoin the pleasant company of my maids and the people who actually liked me. Instead, I said, “You’re the Royal Squire. Were you never instructed on the past knights?”

“I … don’t know anything about them.” He played with his necklace absently. “Or at least not the stories that are sanctioned by the crown. I earned my position twenty years after Lady Vi was given this lecture, and neither she nor the king had the patience or desire to go through it again for my sake.”

“It is odd, that such a highly sought-after position would be so little talked about except by the few parties involved.”

“Well, knights aren’t allowed correspondence outside of the palace, nor are they allowed outings where the public can see them.”

I paused. That was definitely another bit of information no one had been gracious enough to tell me sooner. If I’d had anyone to miss back home, perhaps the news would be devastating. As it stood, I was just annoyed by the lack of communication with me. “Why is that?”

“Secrecy,” he said. “And security. At least from what I’ve read in the few journals I found in the king’s adjoining room.”

I raised my brows, grinning. “Reading the private business of knights, how very scandalous of you.”

He was unmoved by my teasing. “They’re a bit more like history books at this point.”

“Did Lady Vi keep one? Perhaps I’ll get the answers I need from there.”

Beric folded his arms across his chest, looked at the painting again. “She did have a journal.”