All's Fair in Revenge

Chapter 26: Lemon Cake

The following day, with only a few words spoken between us, and only made of necessity, I decided Liv needed—and deserved—a formal apology. It was not lost on me that I should've considered such right away, but I had a lot going on.

With the help of Brix, I went to work planning an outdoor luncheon on the beach while Liv slept in. Besides my apology she also needed the rest. My friend hadn't returned to our quarters by the time I'd wiggled under the tight covers. I heard her door close sometime after midnight.

By noon, when Liv still hadn't appeared, I knocked on her door. She hastily asked for fifteen more minutes, and I obliged, busying myself with rubbing down the dozen or so weapons I kept under the bed, including my ax. How I longed to take it outside and practice without the condemning, judgmental eyes of the court—or worse, the queen.

When I heard a door open, I tiptoed into her room and coaxed her from bed into a fresh mint green dress. Outside the quarter doors we found a determined Sira Alona who complained about losing me the day before as I had convinced her that I had no plans to leave my room. I had told her accompany Liv instead. She was furious to find out I had lied. Though, I didn't seem to be the only one hiding things for that morning her shirt was spilling out of her armor and long wisps of hair had fallen uncharacteristically lose from her braid as though she had rushed to meet us that day.

As she saluted me, stepping into position behind us. "Would Lord Thorne approve of your tardiness, Sira?"

She gulped and glanced at Liv. "My apologies, Your Royal Highness."

"No need," I said. "I won't tell." A cruel smile climbed up my cheeks like a cat up a tree. "But you owe me." The wink I offered her might have been over the top, but her averted eyes told me she understood.

Outside the castle, I led the way to the beach path Alona had showed me. With only the ocean and the back of the tent before us, I grasped Liv's hands in mine. "Before we descend a trail that could led us to an early death, I need to say I'm sorry." Tears formed at the corners of each eye. "Truly. I never should've said what I did. I hurt you."

"You did." She glanced from me to the tent nestled into the sand below us and back. "What have you done?"

"Come and see." We stumbled along the jagged path until we reached the end where we hopped into the warm sand, thankful to have made it through the most treacherous part of our short journey. At the tent's corner I led Liv to a chair. "I know words aren't enough this time." Liv had never gone so long without speaking to me. "So, I wanted to make it up to you. I can't take credit for all of it." I wasn't allowed to set it up myself, so I instructed the servants on erecting a tent and bringing a set of chairs and a table onto the beach. They'd taken my subtle apology idea and transformed it into a temporary beachside parlor. "Many helped, but I planned it and did whatever they'd let me."

As soon as I began rummaging for ingredients, the kitchen staff crowded around me, insisting on preparing the court's favorite tiny sandwiches and pitchers of cucumber lemonade. When I requested sweets, they arrived with a precarious tower of lemon cakes that had somehow had the sharp path around the cliff without incident. Liv went right for those, pinching one between her fingers, and placing it on her tongue. Her face glistened with pleasure, and she moaned as she chewed.

"Consider yourself forgiven." She placed another spongy yellow square between her lips. "But for future apologies, as I'm sure there'll be many, refrain from such presentation and just lead with the cake next time."

I laughed, the sound mixing with the rumble of waves down the shore. "Duly noted."