The Saintess and the Villainess

Chapter 48

"Surely you guys must have something in common," said Anne, who, after a few cupfuls of tea spent listening to them go at it, was starting to get a bit tired of Agis and Sebastian's bickering. "Why don't you both start listing things that you like and see if anything matches up?"

"Do we have to?" said Agis. "I don't want to have anything in common with the shitty human prince."

"Come on, Sebastian's not a bad guy!" said Anne. "Just try it, okay?"

"I'm willing to give it a try, Saintess!" said Sebastian.

"Ugh, fine," said Agis. "What's something that I like...? Arrows."

"Fine linens," siad Sebastian.

"Bows."

"Those little finger sandwiches our chef sometimes makes with cream and strawberries."

"Back-flips."

"The point at one of Lettie's parties where everyone's a few drinks in and people stop being quite so stiff and formal around me."

"Horses."

"Horses!"

"There you go!" said Anne. "Talk about horses."

Anne almost immediately regretted her instruction.

"I have the most wonderful horse in the world!" said Agis. "My swift, noble, and loyal steed Iramis, and—"

Anne kind of zoned out for a while while Agis described his horse.

Anne glanced over at Corvina and then immediately looked away when they accidentally locked eyes. Corvina hadn't really been saying much while they were having their tea, which seemed odd. And she kept staring at Anne with this strangely intense gaze that was making Anne feel squirmy. She didn't understand what it meant. Was Corvina mad at her for some reason? They had parted on such good terms the night before.

"Iramis does indeed sound like a noble steed!" said Sebastian. "Tell me, I simply have to know if elves have any unique horse breeds. What sorts of horses do you have in general? What breed is Iramis?"

"He's a beautiful, deep shade of brown!" said Agis.

"Yes, but... what sort of breed is he?" asked Sebastian again.

"I don't know what you mean," said Agis. "I already told you he's brown."

"Right..." said Sebastian. "Have you been to the Cathedral's stables?"

"Yes!" said Agis. "They have some really beautiful horses. None of them as good as Iramis, of course."

"Oh? What breeds are they... Never mind. You should just show me!"

Agis agreed and the two of them got up from the table.

"You girls will be alright without us, right?" said Sebastian.

For some reason he looked at the bouquet, now in the center of the table in a nice vase, and then at Corvina, who wouldn't meet his eyes, and then back at Anne, all with the same sort of knowing look in his eye.

Anne was baffled. Whatever it was that that look knew, she certainly didn't know it. So she just said, "Yes, of course!"

With their brothers out of the way, Anne and Corvina were left alone in the Blue Courtyard with what was left of the tea things.

"Do you know much about horses?" Anne asked, munching on a tea cake.

"I know how to ride one," said Corvina. "I don't pay much attention beyond that. I rarely leave the city, so I don't often need to ride, and I don't find it a particularly interesting or useful hobby, so I can't say I'm an expert."