A Dove's Tale

Chapter 49

The rest of the morning passed without incident, giving me time to process everything with Prince Clavis. Aside from his embrace, of course. I didn't have the energy to even think about that, so I focused on what he told me about Bloodstained Rose Day. Prince Leon hadn't mentioned that Prince Clavis was captured and tortured. Maybe Prince Clavis was back by nightfall, and Prince Leon assumed his injuries were due to battle. I didn't know. But Prince Chevalier knew, and he let that happen to his brother. He let nearly a thousand people burn to death, too. Although Prince Leon said he had no choice other than surrendering to Obsidian, which would have meant the end of Rhodolite.

And Sariel taught Prince Clavis how to pick locks. That would explain why Prince Clavis didn't trust a lock to keep Sariel out of his room.

What was a court minister doing teaching a prince to pick locks? Why did a court minister have that particular skill set, anyway?

It was a mess. As usual. And my sleep-deprived brain couldn't handle it.

I couldn't find Theresa, so I spent my lunch break curled up on the window seat in the library, reading The Romance of the Rose, while the birds outside taunted me with their freedom. I tried to read, anyway. Mother was on my mind. Last night had really shaken me, and leaving her alone most of the day worried me. Maybe I should ask Prince Chevalier if he would let me go home on my lunch break to check on her. I could use a carriage to get there and get back as soon as possible, and that would give me a bit of a break from the princes, too.

And increase the likelihood of something happening to me outside of the palace.

But what I told Prince Clavis was true. I wasn't leaving her, no matter what, and I couldn't worry about anything except her right now.

One o'clock came, and I put the book away and got back to work. I needed to keep moving so I wouldn't fall asleep, anyway. Two thirty would bring Prince Chevalier, three o'clock would bring the worst of the exhaustion, and I just needed to get past both those obstacles to finish my day at the palace. Then I could go back home and take care of Mother. Hopefully, I wouldn't be awake until midnight tonight doing so.

I couldn't keep doing this.

"Ah, there you are. Easy to find, as usual," a voice as smooth as silk said from across the library.

I sighed. It had been two days, hadn't it?

"Welcome back, Prince Nokto," I said politely, glancing back at him as he walked toward me. "Did you have a good trip?"

"It could have been better," he replied, his fingers threading through my ponytail. "But Licht wouldn't have approved of me bringing you along," he added suggestively, lowering his voice and leaning in to breathe the words into my ear.

I stepped quickly away from him, my cheeks burning as I pulled my ponytail free from his hand and met his teasing crimson eyes and smug grin.

"I didn't ask him to talk to you, Prince Nokto."

"Of course you didn't. You like to handle your problems on your own." He chucked my chin playfully and turned back to the nearest sofa, stretching across it with a contented sigh. "Ah, much better than that stuffy carriage."

The reminder that comfortable sofas surrounded me wasn't a welcome one. Turning my back on Prince Nokto wasn't a good idea, as proven just a minute ago, but it was safer than me looking at him lying comfortably on that sofa, so I turned away and got back to work.

"It was quite a surprise to have Licht barge into my room because of you," Prince Nokto said casually. "But judging by your reaction, you already knew about that."