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“Aye. I’ve never slept like such a baby, actually,” he mused, picking a grape from the fruit bowl on the table. He plopped it into his mouth. “And now, I’m hungry. And you, sir, haven’t eaten since your picnic yesterday, so it’s time to get some breakfast in ya. Plus, I don’t like to eat alone.”
“Since when?”
“Since Lyra threw me out of our suite.” He nodded to the rooms next door. “She said she refused to spend another morning alone with me and that I should come bother you.”
“Of course she did.” Ever his chipper self, Callon smirked and tossed another grape into the air, catching it in his mouth.
A servant hustled down the hall, which meant the castle was already awake. “Do I at least get some privacy?” I said, motioning to the open door.
“That depends.” The grape popped between his teeth. “Are you going back to sleep the moment I step outside and close the door?” Callon crossed his arms over his chest, his arms flexing as he settled in to wait for my answer.
“As if that were an option,” I muttered.
Callon nodded. “Touché.”
Yawning, I sat up and ran my fingers through my mop of hair. “You need a woman, Cal,” I said, flinging the covers back. And then it dawned on me. “That’swhy you’re so...awake.” I bent down and snagged my pants from the floor.
“What do you mean? I’m always like this in the morning.”
“Annoying? Yes, I know.” The ground was cool under my feet as I tugged my trousers on.
“No,” he deadpanned. “It’s called beingchipper, but I know you’re unfamiliar with the term. I’m sure Del has a dictionary of some sort in this palace,” he said, making a show of looking around for one. “I can look up the term and define it for you, if you’d like?”
I ignored him and smiled. “You want to see Ada at breakfast,” I drawled ruefully.
“This has nothing to do withAda—”
“Yes, it does!” Lyra called, her voice drifting down the hallway.
“I figured,” I said with a chuckle, enjoying Callon’s stuttering response as he tried to deny it. But as Del, Hills, and her coronation liaison walked past my room, our laughter faded, and my easiness all but vanished.
Del paused, her eyes meeting mine as I snagged my shirt off the floor.
“Good morning, Your Highness,” Callon said, turning to face her. He bowed his head.
Del smiled, if a bit weakly, as she tore her gaze from me and looked at him. “Good morning, Callon.” But her eyes quickly met mine again. “Good morning, Fin.”
“Good morning,” I said, tugging my shirt over my head. Despite having my pants on, I felt strangely naked, rumpled in my bare feet.
Del uttered something to her companions, and leaving them to wait for her farther down the hall, she stepped into the doorway. “I trust you all slept well?” She looked at Callon. “Your suite is comfortable?”
Callon nodded. “It’s perfect. I was able to shut Lyra’s door when she started snoring.”
I could practically hear Lyra rolling her eyes from the other room.
Del smiled despite herself. “I’m glad.” She fingered the parchment in her hand as she glanced around my room, but there was nothing to see. Nothing in it was mine, save for the boots discarded at the end of the bed and jacket draped over one of the chairs.
She looked at me, taking in my attire. “I’ll—uh—send someone in with fresh clothes for you while yours are laundered. I’m sorry, I hadn’t thought of it until now.”
This stiltedness between us was foreign to me, yet it felt apt after all that had happened and all the time we’d been apart.
I cleared my throat. “You’ve got enough to worry about,” I said and waved her concern away.
“I’ll send someone,” she insisted, more adamant this time. “And there’s breakfast in the dining room if you’re hungry.” With another tight-lipped smile, Del turned to leave.
“Thank you, Your Highness,” Callon said with another slight bow. Del glanced back at him, another look of uncertainty in her expression before she joined her companions.
Something was wrong, though it wasn’t the time to ask. Nor was I certain it was my place. So, I glared at Callon because it was easier.
