CHAPTER THIRTEEN
IRIS
I tied the white headband around my hair and adjusted it until it sat neatly in place. The same white, off-shouldered dress from yesterday brushed lightly against my knees as I moved. It felt strange wearing something so simple again, but I didn’t want to draw attention.
The morning light poured through the castle windows, soft and golden, as I made my way to the healer’s wing. The air smelled faintly of herbs and warm bread drifting from the kitchens.
I told myself not to think about it. Not about the river. But each step I took made the memory louder. The sound of his deep voice. The way the sunlight caught in the water. The way he’d said tomorrow.
It had sounded so simple then. Just a word.
But now that morning had come, the word felt heavier.
Reckless. I had barely slept, turning over the same thought again and again.
I should not go. Father would notice if I vanished too long.
He always did. And yet, every time I tried to convince myself, the same image came back: the book in his hands, his voice reading the story aloud.
By the time I reached the healer’s wing, I had already made the choice I knew I should never have made.
Raven was already there, sleeves rolled up, arranging jars on the counter. She turned at the sound of my steps and smiled. “Good, you’re early.”
“About that,” I said, hesitating.
Her brow lifted. “About that?”
I took a slow breath. “I was wondering if you could cover for me today.”
Raven set down a jar and turned fully toward me. “Cover for you? Why?”
“Going somewhere?” she crossed her arms.
“Yes,” I answered quickly. My cheeks warmed before I could
stop it.
Raven’s lips curved, amusement flickering in her eyes. “Where
exactly?”
I didn’t answer. I didn’t need to. The way her smile widened told me she’d already guessed.
“Oh,” she said, dragging the word out. “I see. You’re skipping duty to meet the same knight, aren’t you?”
Heat crept up my neck. “It’s not like that. I just—he lent me something, and I want to return it. That’s all.”
Raven raised a brow. “Right. And you just happened to put on that same pretty dress for returning a book?”
I sighed. “Raven.”
Her teasing expression softened, replaced by something more
serious. “No, Iris. I can’t cover up for you again.”
I blinked. “What?”
“Yesterday, your father kept drilling me about where you were. I told him you slipped in the mud and needed to bathe before coming back.” She rubbed the back of her neck. “He barely
believed that. If I lie again, he’ll know something’s off.”
My stomach twisted at the thought of my father’s anger, but I kept pushing. “Please,” I said quietly. “Just one last time. He won’t notice I’m gone.”
She gave me a long look, the kind she used when she was torn between reason and loyalty. “You’re really going to get us both killed one day.”
“Then at least we’ll die trying,” I said with a weak smile.
Raven groaned, though there was the faintest laugh behind it.
“Fine. But if the king asks, you’re helping the midwives. Don’t make me regret this.”
“I won’t,” I promised.
She pointed a finger at me. “And you owe me. A week’s worth of chores.”
“Deal.”
Raven shook her head as I turned toward the door. “I hope he’s worth all this trouble.”
I didn’t answer. Maybe because I didn’t know yet. I only knew that as I stepped out of the healer’s wing, my heart was already
racing at the thought of seeing him again.
“Wait a moment,” Raven said.
I stopped and turned back toward her. “What?”
She crossed her arms, her tone sharper now. “Does this William
know your true identity?”
My throat tightened. “Not yet.”
“Not yet?” she repeated, stepping closer. “You didn’t tell him yesterday? After he ditched his duty for you?”
I looked down at the floor, the stone cool beneath my slippers. “I’ll tell him when I can trust him.”
Raven blinked, disbelief flickering across her face. “When you can trust him? Iris, he skipped duty for you. He’s already proven more trust than most men in this castle.”
“It’s different,” I said quickly. “If he finds out who I am, he’ll
act differently too. They all do.”
Raven’s jaw tighten. “So let me understand this,” she said slowly. “You’re about to sneak off against your father’s orders to meet a man who could get you both in deep trouble if you’re caught, and you don’t even trust him enough to tell him your name?”
The words hit hard. My chest tightened, and I felt heat rise to my face. I wanted to argue, but the truth was tangled somewhere between fear and longing, and I couldn’t pull it free.
“I don’t know,” I said finally. “I don’t know yet.”
Raven studied me for a moment. Her expression softened, though worry still lingered in her eyes. “Then figure it out soon,” she said. “Because I won’t be able to cover up for you forever, not for a third time.”
“I will,” I promised, though my voice didn’t sound as steady as I wanted it to.
She pointed a finger at me. “You owe me for this, Iris. Remember that. I am not dealing with any more of the king’s anger.”
A small smile tugged at my lips. “I’ll make it up to you.”
“You better,” she said, turning back to her work. “Now go before I regret helping you at all.”
I nodded and started for the door. My heart thudded faster with each step. Whatever waited for me beyond the castle walls, I knew I was already too far in to turn back.