AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“My God. You almost exposed us. I could just strangle you for this. I told you not to do anything.” While I couldn’t tell who spoke, they seemed extremely upset. “How dare you—”
“Excuse me? How dare I? I did nothing wrong.” The second voice wasn’
t so quiet and thus easier for me to recognize. Prince Urban had a very clear, distinct baritone.
Curious who he was arguing with, I set a hand against the wall and cautiously peered around the corner, only to jerk back when I caught sight of his sister’s back as she faced him, her finger pointed archly at his face. “I explicitly ordered you not to—”
“And I repeat, I did nothing wrong,” he insisted more calmly this time. “No one was hurt. It actually made her smile, if I recall, and oh… Did I mention I did absolutely nothing wrong?”
I thought maybe they were talking about his offer to teach Nicolette how to play chess, until Princess Allera hissed out an impatient sigh before answering. “You’re the one who’ll be hurt, Urban. There is no gain in this for you. I know you feel connected to—”
“Hush!” he hissed, interrupting her for the third time in a row. “Watch what you say. We’re not alone.”
“What do you mean, we’re not—oh!”
I was so busy wondering what he felt connected to and how it would hurt him even though whatever it was had made some unnamed woman smile that it took me a moment to realize he was referring to me when he’d said they weren’t alone.
Oh no! He somehow knew I’d accidentally started eavesdropping on them. I wasn’t sure if I’d made a noise, if he could see my shadow on the floor, or what, but he knew.
My heart tripping into double time, I pushed away from the wall to flee in the opposite direction, but the princess suddenly appeared around the corner, looking winded.
I gasped, not expecting her to appear so suddenly.
She gasped as well. “My lady,” she said, her voice high and breathless.
I blinked at her before glancing around the corner, only to find her brother turning away and marching stiffly down the hall away from us. There was no way to hide my curiosity or the fact that I’d heard some of their conversation. So I turned back to Princess Allera with a worried smile.
“Is everything alright, Princess?”
“Oh!” She puffed out a harried breath as if equally surprised I would address the situation as candidly as I had. “You mean…that? Yes, I… Yes, of course, my lady. My brother… He…”
She motioned after the prince with a tense laugh, only for her smile to fall and sadness to enter her eyes as she watched him retreat. When he disappeared around a corner, she turned back to me with a wave of the hand, trying to dismiss the fact that she had tears in her eyes.
“He has a good heart; he just does the stupidest, most reckless things with it sometimes. It’s exhausting. Younger siblings can be so aggravating when they deliberately ignore your wisdom and experience.” After forcing another laugh, she asked, “Do you have any younger brothers or sisters yourself, my lady?”
“Only Yasmin,” I murmured, understanding her vexation perfectly, since Yasmin had aggravated me plenty.
But my answer seemed to confuse her. “Oh, I didn’t… I mean…” She blinked at me before laughing and apologizing. “I’m sorry. I just assumed you were younger than the queen.”
I grinned. “Well, thank you. I’ll take that as a compliment.”
Princess Allera chuckled again before leaning in and setting a hand on my forearm. “I hope I don’t seem too forward by asking this. I’m just confused… Or maybe I’m too used to the customs we have at home. But where I come from, the oldest daughters usually get paired to the higher rank in an arranged marriage. Yet, here…” Blushing, she took her hand off me and stepped back. “I’m sorry. That felt unforgivably rude to even bring up.”
“No, it’s okay,” I assured her. “And you’re right. The custom is the same here. My family fully expected me to marry Caulder, but when the king arrived to meet us, he took one look at Yasmin and, well… That was that.” With a smile, I sighed and shook my head. “I assure you, I’m pleased they were actually able to find true love.”
“Yes,” the princess murmured, looking even more forlorn than she had been. “It’s such a blessing when someone can be with their one true love.”
Realizing she must be thinking of her first husband and how she was now ending up with a forced marriage, I rushed to reassure her. “Never fear, Princess. Your union with Prince Brentley will be fair. I promise you. I think he’s the kindest, gentlest soul I’ve ever met. He’ll be a good husband. I just know it.”
The princess trilled out a watery laugh and then impulsively threw her arms around me in a warm hug. “Thank you again, my lady, for your continued reassurances about him. I have a feeling you’re very right. He’s been nothing but warm and considerate since we met. And I have another feeling you’re the female version of him, too, for you also have been most kind and welcoming. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate it.” When she pulled away, she gave me a nod of approval as if proud of me for my behavior.
It caused a knot of emotion to swell in my throat. Not used to such praise and a bit uncomfortable by it, yet touched beyond measure, I nodded stiffly, hoping I could make a true friend from the princess of High Cliff.
“Please, call me Vienne,” I said. “I may have been born with my title, but it’s never felt right when people refer to me as my lady.”
With a laugh, the princess nodded. “I’m the same with princess. I always search the room for my sister-in-law, Ianna, when someone says it. Which means I would be delighted for you to call me simply Allera in return.”
“It’s a deal.”
