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My sister and I exchanged looks. Was he offering to take us to see more Ghost Stars? I was about to reply when my sister took my hand.
"Thank you, Your Highness," she said. "However, our family is preparing to retire for the evening. Our father has called for us."
A little crease formed between the prince's eyebrows. Did he think we were rude to refuse his offer? I couldn't take my eyes from him. My cheeks flushed hot. He was the most handsome person I had ever seen. He was supposed to be my age, but he looked older. Then I remembered the phenomenon called manifestation.
People said he was a genius. All Yuriana royalty were smarter than average, but he had already demonstrated his intelligence numerous times at a young age. He had fought in two wars, managed three territories on his own, had been all over the world as a foreign relations diplomat, and uncovered corruption within our own government, which sent at least a hundred people to prison and executed twelve. He also recently came up with an idea that revitalized an entire region within the empire and cut poverty in half.
As I thought of these things, I noticed the small leaf on his hair, and the twig stuck to the side of his uniform. Now that I really looked at him, he seemed a bit disheveled. I had been too focused on his face to see it. My thoughts went back to his horse.
"Are you all right?" I asked the prince. My sister squeezed my hand as a way of telling me to be quiet.
He tilted his head.
"Were you thrown by your horse?" I said.
"Something startled him." He began patting away the dust from his sleeves. He didn't appear hurt, nor did he appear embarrassed for showing up in front of two noblewomen looking less than his best.
He addressed us once more. "You may leave." With that, he swung up into the saddle on his horse and turned the animal back into the woods. He had done it so skillfully and elegantly that my mouth dropped open. I forgot the fact that he never thanked me for helping his horse.
Vanessa turned to me. "I can't believe you were out here speaking to the crown prince!"
"It was an accident. He showed up out of the blue—"
"And what's all this about 'Ghost Stars'?"
"It's a special plant I want to research."
Vanessa put a hand on her hip, looking quite annoyed with me. "You shouldn't trouble His Highness over such trifling matters."
"But I didn't—"
"Father wants us to return to our rooms. I won't tell him what happened today. But please stop wandering off on your own. This is the imperial palace. If you break any rules, it will reflect badly on our whole family and we'll never be allowed here again."
I didn't see the problem in never returning, but I didn't want my family to look bad. "I didn't do anything wrong," I said, but my sister didn't care. She turned on her heel and expected me to follow.
I watched her retreating back for a moment, and then glanced at the forest at where the prince had left.
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