The Princess's Servant

86. Friendship

The skies were nearly dark by the time they made it back into town. The bustling market had become a quiet town center as the merchant stands stood empty for the evening and lone pedestrians wove their ways home. The lantern lighters made their way around the square, bringing candles on sticks up to glass boxes that hung off the sides of stone buildings.

Sybil still felt a bit feverish, but nothing like before. She could stand on her own now, though she'd hung onto Holden for far longer than she'd admittedly needed to. As they approached the square, the princess spied the light hair of the servant Sebastian as he waited by the fountain. Fortunately, Sybil doubted he could see her, considering the lantern-lighters had not made their ways to that half of the courtyard yet.

"The doctor is just through here," Holden said as he moved to make his way towards the palace that loomed over the town square. Sybil didn't move with him.

He stopped when he realized 'Cara' wasn't following behind him. He turned to look at her.

"I appreciate all you've done. But I'm feeling fine now, really," she lied. "I—I have to meet up with someone anyways. Thank you for your help." And Sybil went to head out of the square.

Holden ran up after her. Sybil stopped and turned to him. "You were bitten by a deadly snake," he said. "You may be alive, but you're not well. Please. Let me take you to a doctor." He reached for her injured hand.

Sybil snatched it away, grateful for the darkness that concealed her blush. "No, please," she said. And then with a nervous smile, "I appreciate your offer, but I'm fine. Really." Sybil turned her back to leave.

"Before you go!" He said. "I have to know, what were you doing up there?"

Shit. Sybil had been hoping to avoid this question. "I'm... forest folk, aren't I? Do I need a reason to visit a forest shrine?"

"A shrine no, but the northern mountain of Ward? When your territories lay far to the south? I've gone to that place for years and you're the first person I've ever seen up there. So what were you doing?"

Shit shit. She really should have planned ahead. She had no cover story. No time to think. The only way out for her now was... Deflection.

Sybil dipped her head as the edge of warning crept into her tone. "I could ask the Prince of Ward the same thing."

"Oh." A disappointed word. "You know who I am."

Sybil felt the twang of guilt in her stomach, but she told herself it was better he said it than her.

"Hm. Fair enough." Holden rubbed the tip of his chin with his index finger and thumb. "Very well, then," he decided. "I'll let you keep your secrets, if you promise to keep mine. I may have an appreciation for the ancient faiths, but my brother... Well, he'd almost certainly destroy the place if he knew it existed. So can I count on you to not say anything?"

Sybil nodded once. "It's the least I can do, after everything you've done for me." Her hand burned with something that wasn't pain. She clenched it.

The prince watched this motion with furrowed brow. "You're positive you're alright?"

Sybil nodded again, more fervently this time. "And hey," she said. What was she doing? What was 'Cara' doing? "If you really want to make sure I'm okay... Maybe..." She traced the hem of her linen shirt with her finger.  "We could meet up again so you can check on me?"

Now Holden blushed too, though more from embarrassment than anything else. "Oh," he said. "I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong impression. I'm — um — married, and it wouldn't be proper to..."

"No no no," Cara waved her hands. What was she saying? "That's not when I meant. I meant more— If you wanted to— Maybe... meet up as friends?"

That was it. She'd officially lost her mind. And now she was going to have to stand in this town square while she got rejected by her own husband, quite possibly in front of the snitch Sebastian.