6. Chapter 6
Chapter six
T he air outside isn’t quite freezing, but it’s close enough to make my teeth chatter. By this time of day, any light or warmth that the setting sun has yet to share is blocked by the city walls and the densely packed buildings that populate this part of Cedelia. I’m still not sure why Samis insisted that we meet in the city instead of just talking things out in the palace; when I asked him, he just shrugged and said, “You need to get out more.” I didn’t have the willpower to argue with him, so here I am.
Still, the cold doesn’t completely deter me. It’s been a few days since I saw Tag at the library, but I’ve been thinking about him quite a bit since then, and hopefully the shock of the cool air on my face will help distract me. Besides, despite what Samis seems to think, I do enjoy getting out of the palace on occasion, especially when I need to clear my mind. And my mind could certainly use a good clearing right now.
My boots click loudly as I walk down the cobblestone road toward a tavern called the Crystal Sword. Behind me, following at an unobtrusive distance, is one of the palace guards. Her presence is more of a precaution than anything else, as her skills likely won’t be needed tonight. I’m dressed like any other noble, so there’s no reason for anyone to single me out as a prince—not that anyone would really want to attack me even if they knew, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. Plus, there are torches lighting up the street, so there aren’t many shadows where pickpockets might lurk.
In retrospect, I should have known that Samis would realize something has been off recently, and once he gets a bit between his teeth, there’s no stopping him. Even when we were much younger, Samis was always convinced that every problem had a solution if he just tried hard enough to find it.
I’m not sure I’m headed in the right direction—Samis comes here far more often than I do—but eventually I spot a building with a large sign depicting a silver sword that appears to glitter in the half light. As I approach the tavern, I see another palace guard seemingly lounging outside, which means Samis is already here. The guard bows to me slightly as I walk by, and I acknowledge him with a nod as I walk through the entrance.
As soon as I enter, my nose is assaulted by contrasting smells. The scent of roasting meat mixes with smoke from candles and a large fireplace and, underlying it all, is the musk of people enclosed into a relatively small room. I wouldn’t say it’s unpleasant , exactly, but it is certainly a shock to the senses.
It’s still early in the evening, but the common room is already starting to fill up. At one table, a group of four people who look like well-to-do merchants or minor nobles are playing cards, while others are eating dinner or drinking ale. Samis sits near the back, his table slightly separated from the rest of the common room, presumably for privacy. He sees me and waves me over with a big grin.
I’ve barely sat down when he slides me a mug of ale. “You actually showed up,” he says. “And here I thought I was going to have to be all by myself for the rest of the night.”
“I’m sure you would have found some way to entertain yourself without too much trouble.” I take a sip of the ale; it’s better than I was expecting—hoppy and strong without being too bitter. “In fact, I’m betting you were thinking about joining that card game.”
“Maybe I was,” he says, laughing. “I still might.” His laughter fades. “But, first, tell me: what in the world is going on with you? It must be serious if you’re willing to sit through a council meeting, of all things.”
I’m saved from having to respond by a server who stops at our table with two plates of food—roast chicken and cabbage, with a generous hunk of bread still steaming from the oven. It smells amazing, but I always lose my appetite when I’m nervous, and tonight is no exception. Samis, on the other hand, digs in immediately. I’m not surprised that he ordered before I got here, but I am surprised he waited long enough so that his food would arrive around the same time I did. I pick at my food while Samis demolishes his, and I try to figure out what to say to him.
Eventually, he stops eating just long enough to say, “You didn’t answer my question.”
I swallow over a sudden lump in my throat. “You know Tag Leara, right?”
Samis pushes away his empty plate. “Of course I do. I was there when you met him not a week ago, remember?”
“Yes, obviously I remember. I just wanted to make sure you knew who I’m talking about. You meet new people all the time, after all, and I doubt even you can remember all of them.”
He doesn’t rise to the bait. “In that case, yes, I know who he is.” His eyes narrow. “He’s not giving you any trouble, is he?”
“No! Nothing like that. I mean, not in the way you’re probably thinking, at least.”
“What does that mean? Either he’s bothering you or he isn’t. Which is it?” A look of realization passes across his face before I can answer. “You want to court him, don’t you? Is that it?”
Here goes nothing . “Yes,” I confess. “I don’t know what it is about him, but I felt a spark almost as soon as we met.”
“Good for you!” He reaches across the table and clasps my shoulder with one hand, grinning. “I knew you’d find you like someone eventually, and from what I’ve seen he seems like he’d be a good match for you. So, what’s the problem, then?”
I glare at him. “For starters, I don’t even know if he’s interested in me. I mean, I think he is, but what if he’s just being polite? Or what if I just think he’s interested because I want it to be true? And…” I bite my lip; I know Samis just wants to help, but it’s hard to shake this irrational fear that saying it out loud might make it come true somehow. “What if he is interested in me, but only because of my title? You know I don’t want to court someone who doesn’t care about me as a person. But I feel more strongly about him than I ever have about anyone else, even if I can’t explain why. He doesn’t seem like the others, but what if I’m wrong? If it turned out that he was only after my position, I don’t know if I could bring myself to turn him down.”
“I still think you’re setting an unreachable goal for yourself there.” Samis holds up a hand to forestall my response. “I know you think I’m wrong. It doesn’t matter. If that’s how you feel, that’s how you feel. I’m not going to tell you to compromise your principles and start courting someone just for the sake of it—that’s Mother and Father’s job, not mine. I will tell you one thing, though.” His eyes hold mine, as though he’s making sure I’m paying attention to his every word. “Tag might be interested in you, or he might not. Maybe he is, but only because you’re a prince. I don’t know either of those things, and clearly neither do you. But I do know that the easiest way for you to find out is to talk to him yourself .”
I roll my eyes at him. “Right, so I’ll just walk up to him and ask, ‘Are you interested in courting me? And if so, would you still be interested even if I wasn’t a prince?’ I’m sure that’ll go over just great.”
As usual, Samis doesn’t seem to be affected by my sarcasm. “You’re a smart man, Darien. You’ll figure something out.”
If only I was so certain . “Well, in any event, thanks for listening to me. I really do appreciate it, you know, even if I don’t end up taking your advice.”
“Of course, Darien. That’s what siblings are for, right?” He grins, then gestures to the full plate in front of me. “Also, are you going to eat that?”