A Beast's Tale

Chapter 16

I heard muffled voices outside my door. Hers, and one I didn't want to hear at this hour.

"Prince Clavis, you and I both know he will. If you'll excuse me—"

The door latch clicked.

"Leave Chev to me. Good morning, Chev!" Clavis called in a singsong voice. "Don't mind me, Ivetta. Just do whatever it is you do. Chev and I didn't get a chance to chat after the festival, and what better time than to do it now, before we get bogged down with work?"

I groaned. This was not how I wanted to start my day, and I had a feeling Clavis had more in mind than just harassing me.

"I'm so sorry, Prince Chevalier. I tried to stop him."

"It's too bad I didn't catch up with you at the festival earlier. It looked like you and Ivetta were having a lot of fun. You, Ivetta, and Leon, of course, since he and you—"

"One more word, and I'll kill you," I muttered.

Clavis laughed. "I see you're as much of a sourpuss first thing in the morning as ever. Does he threaten to kill you every day, Ivetta? Oh? What are you doing?"

I heard the bureau drawers groan and knew she was getting my clothes for the day. "My job, Prince Clavis."

"Chev, you really should get up. Your little dove is going to all this trouble to spoil you, and you're just wasting it by staying in bed."

I sighed. Reading between the lines, I had urgent business to attend to, urgent enough for him to set up this little scene. He put more thought into his antics than most people realized. But he'd had his fun, and it was time for him to leave.

"Get out."

"Did you hear that, Ivetta? He told us to get out, so we'd better go."

"He was talking to you, not—Prince Clavis!"

"Don't worry, Chev. Ivetta and I will give you all the privacy you want. Shall we go?"

I had already pulled my sword from its sheath the moment I heard her surprised exclamation, and I was on my feet, closing the distance between us in a few long strides. He had his arm around her waist, holding her tight to his side while she struggled and he walked to the door, and the tip of my blade was at his throat in an instant. I ripped her away from him. Even with cold, sharp steel pressing into his neck, his bright smile remained undimmed.

"Sorry, Ivetta," he said, holding his hands up in surrender. "We'll have to chat later. I'll see you in the office, Chev."

Silence fell after he left. I dropped my sword arm to my side and looked down at her, snug between my left arm and my body, her back flush with me and her wide green eyes on the door. Unmoving. I had grabbed her without a thought, but she seemed unbothered by my holding her. Or perhaps too stunned to realize her position.

A smile crept onto my lips unbidden. "You can take care of yourself, correct?"

She looked up at me and gasped. I let her pull free from me, amused by her sudden embarrassment. She ducked her head and smoothed her dress, but there was no hiding the color flooding her cheeks. "I can take care of myself outside of the palace, Your Highness. I just—I never know what to expect from Prince Clavis."

Adorable. That's what she was, and I couldn't help chuckling at her expense as I turned away to retrieve my sword's sheath from the bed. "If you say so."

"Um... Prince Chevalier..."

I glanced back at her. She was biting her lower lip now, her eyes hooded by long lashes as she peeked up at me, too shy to lift her head. Too appealing. I dropped my sheathed sword on the tangled blankets and set my eyes on the neat stack of clothing waiting for me, not allowing myself to look at her. "What is it?"