A Royal Ruse

Chapter 25

Confessions in the Library

"I won't stay long," Adair said, frowning, as he emerged from behind a shelf.

After her day of inspired conversation with her poetic idol, the princess decided it seemed fitting to burrow herself in the library. She needed to be surrounded by stories as she decided how to rewrite hers. But after she pushed the hefty door open, she soon found out she was not alone.

"This is a change." Zita watched the prince shift uneasily from foot to foot. "I don't often run into you in here."

The prince scratched the back of his neck. "I was just looking for something."

"Now I'm intrigued."

"It's nothing." he shook his head dismissively. "It wouldn't be interesting —" He stopped his sentence, perhaps remembering the princess' inflammatory reaction the last time he said something that wouldn't interest her.

"Is it about farming?"

He nodded, vaguely ashamed. "I have a meeting tomorrow with some cultivators and I was reading about last quarter's sorghum yield. I needed to remind myself of the crop density per square cubit. And then I remembered there's a book we have about various grains and cereals..."

The princess nodded. Within the lull of the conversation, Zita detected an unfamiliar quality. Silence often spread between them but this time it held a question, an invitation for more to be said rather than a brutal punctuation to distance the other.

"Boahdahn was everything I thought he would be," Zita said, still feeling pensive and invigorated after their conversations all afternoon.

Adair's eyes lifted into a smile. "He doesn't disappoint. It was a shame I couldn't stay."

"Was the matter in the counsel chambers urgent?"

The prince inhaled sharply. He looked unsure of how to answer the question. "Not particularly."

"Are you sure? Everyone is acting so... strangely these days. There must be something significant going on."

The prince looked at Zita with shifty eyes. "There are..." he proceeded cautiously,"...the coup in Arnoa has brought on some unforeseen domino effects." The prince said, his words tiptoeing carefully out of a very tense-looking mouth. "We're trying to figure out how to proceed. Looking at the situation from all angles."

There— it had finally been addressed. Zita's true identity now sat exposed in the stagnant air of the library. They hadn't ever spoken of Adair calling her 'Princess Zita' after the meeting with the Farmworkers' Guild. Now there was no more use for pretense. For the first time 'Princess Nara' could tumble to the floor.

The princess felt shaky. She always braced for impact at the mention of her kingdom.

"I see." The princess said, feeling hurt. Although she knew why, it seemed unfair that these discussions were playing out without her being present. It was her kingdom after all. "You're sure there's nothing to report?"

"Yes."

"If there was..." Zita looked at him, pleading. "Would you tell me?"

The prince turned silent.

"Believe me, I wouldn't be asking you if I didn't have to. It's just... no one tells me anything." Desperation crashed off Zita in bold waves. "I'm not asking for details. I'm aware there are many things you aren't at liberty to discuss with me. I'm just asking for..."