AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Why not?” Jace asked curiously. His genuine interest took me aback.
I shrugged, averting my eyes so that he couldn’t read my innermost thoughts. How could I explain to him that my inspiration to lift a brush had died with my mother, and I’d never purchased a single art supply since moving out of the palace? Every once in a while, I doodled in my journal.
“You don’t have to tell me,” Jace said quietly, and I laughed nervously to break the seriousness that had fallen between us.
“There’s no time for frivolities like that, anyway,” I answered weakly.
He didn’t crack a smile. “Life is nothing without art, Elix. That’s what makes it beautiful.”
My chin raised, and my pulse skipped at the oddly profound statement, but Jace had already turned to stalk down the hallway.
“Go explore the palace while your wardrobe is being prepared. Enjoy yourself, but don’t forget to meet me for breakfast and dinner. I’ll assign a maid to you.”
“Oh, please don’t, Jace.” He paused and turned, the pain in my voice stopping him. “I really don’t want any kind of personal maid.”
His face softened slightly. “It reminds you of your mom?”
Swallowing the lump in my throat, I nodded. “I can handle basic chores. I promise not to embarrass you in public, though.”
He considered my ask and nodded. “I won’t assign you a personal maid, but when we’re around others, you have to let the servants work for you.”
I agreed, and with that, he was gone. Closing the door to my suite, I could hear my heart pounding in my ears.
This wasn’t so bad. Saint was right. I’d find a suitable match soon, and in the meantime, I could live like a literal princess.
But suddenly, all I could think about was dinner and how many hours I had to wait before I met up with him again.
Maybe I’ll just take a shower and cool myself down first.
Chapter 9
Jace
“Jace…” Elix mumbled again.
“Shh!” I insisted, hands still over her eyes. “No peeking. Just keep walking.”
I couldn’t help but inhale the scent of her shampoo as we walked, my chest constantly bumping into her back when I steered her through the hall.
“But I can’t see where I’m going!” Elix complained. She didn’t fight my hands away from her face, though, and I caught the lilt of interest in her voice as I led the way through the maze of hallways on the main floor. We’d just finished dinner, and I’d asked her to come with me before we separated again for the night like we did every evening.
But I’d slid my hands over her eyes to block her vision, surprising her as we moved down the main hallway.
“Can you tell me what this is about at least?” she begged. “I’m not a big fan of surprises these days.”
“This is a good surprise,” I promised her. “You’ll like it.”
She shook her head. “I don’t know if you understand the difference between good and bad surprises.”
“If you don’t like this, I’ll never surprise you again,” I promised.
“Can I get that in blood, please?”
I laughed. Guiding her around the east wing, I stopped before a set of double doors. “Ready?” I asked.
“I have no idea!” she answered honestly, and I had to chuckle. I lowered my hands and threw open the doors at the same time, my gaze fixed on her face.
Elix blinked, her long eyelashes slightly tangled as she reclaimed her vision. One hand raised to brush out her hazy vision, and a small gasp spilled from her lips. She turned her head to look at me as I beamed, nodding encouragingly.
