The Prince’s Heart

3. Chapter 3

Chapter three

B y the time I get to the dining room the next night, Samis, Emma, and Kenessa have already arrived. My parents, King Tolmir and Queen Merandia of Soeria, are here too, which is less of a surprise; I don’t know where I got my lack of punctuality from, but it certainly wasn’t either of them.

“Ah, there you are, Darien!” Mother says as I enter the room. “I was wondering whether to send a servant to come and fetch you.”

I walk over to the couch where she’s sitting. “How could I miss it? You’ve only been talking about this dinner for the last month.”

“I’m sure you’d react the same way if you were seeing Ivy for the first time in years, my son.” She turns around and fingers my lapel. “I’m guessing she chose this outfit for you?”

I glance down at my clothes—a white, silk shirt, a high-collared, dark-blue jacket with gold buttons, and gray pants that are so dark they might as well be black—before looking back up. “What, you don’t think I’m capable of choosing my own?”

Her only response is a hint of a smile.

“Fine.” I sigh. “Yes, she did pick it out. But I helped.”

Before Mother can respond to that blatant falsehood, a page steps into the room and bows. “Your Majesties, may I present Viscount Aloran Leara and Viscountess Catherine Leara, and their children.” The page bows again and withdraws, and the Learas enter before the rest of us move to greet them.

Ignoring the others, I head straight for Riella, a lightness to my step that wasn’t there before. She and I may not be as close as Mother and Catherine, but I’d still say I’m closer to her than to anyone besides Ivy, Samis, and Emma. She’s only been gone for a couple years, but I’ve missed her quite a bit. When she first came to court about ten years ago, Mother thought it would be a good idea to have us take history lessons together, and it wasn’t long before we became friends. I was upset when she went back to Zeteyon so she could get some hands-on experience running a large estate, but I always knew she’d be back before too long. Of course, I didn’t think she’d bring her whole family with her, but I’m sure Mother doesn’t mind.

Riella spots me as I come close, turning away from the rest of the group and gives me a wide smile and a hug when I stop before her. “It’s good to see you again, Darien,” she says. She leans back, her light brown hair tied up neatly into a bun, and her eyes sparkling with mirth as she lowers her voice. “Don’t tell my parents I said this, but I was starting to get tired of being out in the country. There’s just nothing to do there, you know?”

“I mean, that’s why you came here in the first place, isn’t it?” I ask, my smile matching her own. “To tell you the truth, I know how you feel. Things were getting too boring without you around.”

“Oh, don’t worry, I think we can fix that before too long.” There’s a mischievous glint in her eyes. “Tell me, have you gotten out of the palace at all since I left? Or even out of your study?”

“I’ll have you know I went to Lady Gerreso’s ball just last night, thank you very much,” I inform her. “I met some people, even danced a bit.”

“Keep it up and you’ll turn into Samis in no time,” she says with a wink. “Speaking of meeting people, though, let me introduce you to my brother Tag. I think the two of you will get along wonderfully.” She gestures to Tag, who had been standing behind her so quietly that I didn’t even realize he was there.

He steps forward and stands beside his sister, a tiny smile on his face, and for a moment I forget how to breathe, or talk, or move, or do anything but stand there with a dumb expression, because Tag is without a doubt the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen in my life. He’s clean shaven, with deep chestnut-brown hair that’s wavy and perhaps a bit longer than mine, and his eyes are the same earthy color. Not exactly the most striking combination, but somehow it fit him. No, not just fit him—he makes Petris, who I thought was quite good-looking, seem average in comparison. His body is somewhere between lean and muscular, and his well-cut clothes accentuate his features. Why in the world has nobody thought to introduce us before now ?

The strange thing is, Tag doesn’t look like the kind of man that I usually go for. He’s not very tall—perhaps half a foot shorter than me—and his lips are thin, not full. But there’s just something about him, something that I can’t quite put my finger on. Whatever it is, I’m already hooked.

With a jolt, I realize I’m gawking and try to pull myself together. “It’s nice to meet you, Tag. Welcome to Cedelia.”

Fortunately, neither Tag nor his sister seems upset at my reaction. In fact, he flashes that tiny smile again. “Thank you, Your Royal Highness,” he says. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, too.”

He begins to bow, but I reach out a hand and stop him.

“Please, call me Darien,” I say, and he takes my outstretched hand, his grip warm and strong. “I hope you enjoy your time here at the palace.”

“In that case, thank you, Darien,” he says, his smile a bit wider than it was before. “I’m sure I’ll enjoy it quite a bit.”

I’m almost lost in his eyes when I realize Riella is speaking again, “See, I knew you two would like each other,” she says, and my mind starts to race as I try to figure out if there’s a hidden meaning behind her words. “Darien, I was hoping that you could introduce Tag to life at court, if it’s not too much trouble? I’m sure you’ll be a much better companion for him than Samis or Emma.”

Is she doing what I think she’s doing ? If she is, I suppose I’m willing to go along with it for now. I don’t like being manipulated, but right now I can’t help it. I don’t know that I want to help it. “That sounds like a great idea, Riella,” I say, studiously avoiding looking at Tag so I don’t get distracted by his beautiful eyes again. “It would be my pleasure.”

“Excellent! I’m glad to hear it.”

I think she’s about to say more, but Mother calls me over to greet the viscount and viscountess, while Samis, Emma, and Kenessa come over to speak to Tag and Riella. With some difficulty, I tear myself away from the attractive man before me, then join my parents and the elder Learas.

As I chat with the viscount and viscountess, I’m struck by just how different they are from each other. I’ve met the viscountess a few times—despite what Mother said earlier, it hasn’t been that long since they’ve seen each other—and every time she’s been friendly and vivacious, a true extrovert if I’ve ever seen one, like Samis. Her hair, the same color as Tag’s, is relatively short, and her green eyes sparkle with mirth. I’ve never met her husband in person before—at least, not that I remember—although Riella has told me about him. Apparently, he’s an introvert like me, only he’s taken it to another level. I once gently prodded Riella as to why he never came to visit her like her mother did, and she told me he hates traveling and is usually content to stay at their estate in Zeteyon. Actually, now that I think about it, she mentioned Tag was the same way; maybe that explains why nobody’s introduced me to him before.

In any event, Riella’s description of her father seems to be pretty on the nose. The entire time we’re talking—if you can call it that—he seems mildly discomfited, with the corners of his mouth pulled down into a half-scowl and his arms crossed in front of his chest. I might be offended if Riella hadn’t told me he does the same thing to everyone. When my parents and the viscountess start reminiscing about their younger days, he shows no interest in conversing with me or them, and in my boredom, I’m powerless to stop my eyes from wandering back to Tag more than once. Hopefully the viscount doesn’t notice.

Although, if he does, at least he probably won’t say anything about it .

After a minute or so of awkward silence between me and the viscount, a bell sounds—our cue to go sit at the dinner table. Shaking my head to clear my mind, I choose a seat near the middle of the table, with Riella to my right and Samis to my left. Tag sits across from me, and it takes all my willpower not to stare at him. Is Riella really trying to set us up, or is that just wishful thinking ?

Fortunately, Riella is just as extroverted as her mother and has no trouble carrying the conversation. At first, I try to engage with her, but soon I’m paying just enough attention to avoid being impolite, my focus repeatedly wandering to the gorgeous man across from me.

Finally, after the remains of the second course have been taken away, I take a few quiet breaths, hoping I can tamp down at least some of my anxiety, and clear my throat. Tag turns his head away from Emma, who’s describing her newest project to the viscountess. “I know you’ve only been here for a few days,” I say to him, “but what do you think of Cedelia so far?”

“From what I’ve seen, it seems like an interesting city.” He grins at me, and I wonder if he can hear my heart begin to pound like a drum. “I already have a list of places I want to go. Historical sites, mostly. Riella promised me she’d show me around when she has time.”

I perk up even more, if that’s possible. “You like history?”

“I do,” he confirms. “Nowhere near as much as my father does, though. I think he’s more excited than I am, which is rare.”

I glance at the Viscount, whose dour expression doesn’t seem to have changed at all in the last hour. “I can believe that.” I turn back to Tag. “Are you excited to live here in the palace?”

“You could definitely say that.” His grin fades slightly. “Although, to be honest, I’m a little nervous too. This”—he gestures widely at the room around us—“isn’t exactly what I’m used to.”

“Oh? In what sense?”

“I’m not sure how much you’ve heard from Riella about our home, but it’s pretty much in the middle of nowhere. I mean, there are vineyards around and a few villages, but nothing so grand as this.”

“I’ve heard. I’m guessing it’s a lot quieter. And less crowded, too.”

He nods. “Exactly. I mean, just being here in the palace … we’ve only been here a day, and I swear I’ve never seen anything like it in my life. The food, the music, the clothes, everything. I have a feeling it’s going to be rather stressful just trying to keep track of who everyone is and how I’m supposed to act. Riella warned me it would be intense before we left Zeteyon, but I didn’t really believe her until we actually got here.” He blushes ever so slightly, and his voice softens. “I feel like I have so much to learn.”

“Well, we can fix that, can’t we?” I silently thank him for giving me a perfect opening, even as I wonder if it was intentional or an accident. “I was serious when I said it would be my pleasure to show you around. We’ll get you up to speed in no time.”

He gives me a sweet smile that makes my heart pound even harder. “Thank you, Darien,” he says, and, for just a second, I see a glint in his eyes—the same one I saw in Riella’s eyes when she introduced the two of us. It’s there and gone in a flash, but somehow seeing it even for that brief moment gives me hope. “I’d like that very much.”