Chapter 14
“Svana!” Mr. Evergreen called. “Wait!”
I fled through the crowd and took every which way, every turn that I could find. I didn’t understand why he’d left after me, yet he was relentless. Finally, he found me at a dead end—an alley the city had forgotten about.
“What are you doing?” he huffed. “Do you want to be robbed?”
“Robbed?” I asked.
He grabbed by hand and brought me toward the street but we were met by two unsavory-looking types. One held a knife and they blocked our path.
“Give us the purse,” the taller one hissed. “Copper and no one gets hurt.”
Evergreen let go, stepping forward and unsheathing his broadsword in a flourish that scared even me. It caught every scrap of light as it snaked around either side of his body and cast its glimmer back upon their faces before the point settled directly at them.
“A very bad decision,” he said. “Is copper worth your life?”
The men looked at each other and must have decided it was not. They ran from him, nearly tripping as they went.
I heard him breathe, before he turned. His blade went back into the holster with a metallic clink, and he was furious.
“Never leave me like that again, Svana!” he cried.
The reality of what had happened hit me seconds into his scowl, but as soon as I had begun to react, Mr. Evergreen's face fell and he swept me into his chest. His arms were tight around my frame.
“Forgive me,” he begged, speaking into the side of my hair. “Are you alright, love? That should’ve been my first demand.”
“Oh, God,” I whined. “Oh, my god. Had you not come after me!”
“But I did,” he said. He met and held face. “I did come after you and I always will. Do you understand? I will always come for you, Swan!”
Tears burned the edges of my eyes and my fingers drilled into his shirt. I nodded, pulling him closer and feverishly kissing him. Cyrus’ hand slid down my back, but after a brief moment of surrender, he took a staggering step away, and looked out into the market.
“We should go,” he said.
“Is it Lydia?” I asked.
“Back at the shop? Yeah.”
“No, I…”
“Does she not handle your gowns? I was sure you'd met.”
“No, not… Is Miss Lydia why you’re acting…Is she why…? It wasn't coincidence we wound up there today, was it?”
“Coincidence?” he asked. “No. No, not coincidence. Habit.”
“What?”
“Lydia’s shop was close. I knew it would be open. I only meant to get us off the street. I… It wasn’t an act intended to… to hurt you?” he said. “Are you? Are you hurt?”
“Like physically?” I pouted, checking my person. “I don’t think so.”
Cyrus nodded. “I was flustered,” he confessed.
“Oh, great.”
“I was,” he said. “But not because of her.”
Evergreen touched the bottom of my lip with his thumb.
“I went into her store because I knew it was there. I wanted to get us out of sight. You drew far too much attention to yourself and your copper.”
I motioned angrily at his attire. “And you’re not a walking declaration of wealth?”
“Fine. Yeah. Maybe a bad choice of venue but it’s not every day a woman buys me a dagger. In some cultures that means far more.”
“I don’t like to be ignored. If you don’t want daggers, don’t ignore me.”
“What?”
“You spent all morning ignoring me, and then you took me to see your… your fiancé! What should I think?”
“I was not ignoring you; I was occupying Sam.”
“What?”
“What was my option?” he asked. “Should I have endured him flirting with you all day? Like I did this morning?”
I tsked but he insisted.
“Is that what you want to do? To torture me?”
“Torture you?” I croaked. “Don’t be so extraordinary. The Prince would flirt with anything that moved. Anything with a pulse that didn’t. I’m not special to him.”
“But you are,” Cyrus said. “You’re his.”
“I am not!” I cried. “I am my own!”
That made him grin. “Is that right?”
“He can flirt with me all day, but I will never, never forgive him for what he’s done. It will not matter!”
“And I’m extraordinary,” he said.
“You are!”
“Aye, and I’d wager that’s precisely what you like about me, Swan.” He held his arms out to either side, turning full circle. “My zest.”
I shook my head. “Zest! You ignored me, excluded me, and then made me watch your shared yearning with Lydia. I-”
“Yearning?” His arms dropped. “Please.”
“I saw it.”
“You saw two previously engaged lovers trying to coexist.”
“W-What?”
“She was not yearning.”
“Could have fooled me,” I said.
“She was trying to be polite after I obliterated her hopes of rekindling our romance the other day.”
“You did?” I asked.
“Aye. And if that doesn’t clear it up, I was not yearning, either.”
“Oh.”
“At least I didn’t completely lose my mind, picking up a bra.”
“Ugh!” I growled. “That was! I didn’t! I-I’ve never seen that sort of thing before! It was shocking!”
“Is that right?” His lips came together, deviantly as his eyes trailed to my blouse. “An interesting discovery, the Swan is bare beneath her feathers.”
“I… I meant lacy. That lace-like material, sir. I wear, I- I wear underthings, sir. In the winter.”
“It's summer,” he said, intrigued.
“It’s… It’s very warm here,” I argued. “Oh, what use should I have for that anyway? I’ve barely a chest to support a bra!”
“Don’t blush on my account,” he said. “Lest I mistake your rosy cheeks and flustered response for yearning.”
The ambience of town soared back into the foreground, bent on separating us. Somewhere among the endless chatter and children playing, Sam called our names.
He watched me. “Your chest is perfect,” he said.
I had nothing to say but it did make me feel good to hear. After a second, he moved to leave the alley and I blurted, “See me again tomorrow!”
Cyrus narrowed his eyes. “Is that an order, Your Highness?”
“Y-Yes,” I said.
“As you wish it.”
“There you are!” the Prince chimed, appearing.
Evergreen’s hands went to his hip as the Prince bounded by him and into the aisle beside me.
“Look at this linen, Cyrus. I-What is it? What’s happened?” he asked. “You’re as white as a ghost, love.”
My Sword held his hilt. “Two men, thieves. They followed Svana from the blade display.”
“And you did not get me?” he asked.
“To endanger the Prince?” he checked. “They hadn’t seen you yet.”
Sam moved my way, but paused. “…Are they related to our friends in the south?”
Cyrus shrugged. “Unlikely. They spooked easily.”
“Easily?” I asked. “They were young. You drew your sword and asked if they wished to die.”
Sam raised a brow.
“I asked them if your copper was worth their life,” Cyrus said. He went on. “We will share their description with her knights and your staff when we return.”
“Yes, immediately,” Sam said. He looked at me, sure. “And you should know… I’m… I’m sorry.”
“You’re sorry?” I asked.
“For not being here for you. I was locked elsewhere. I had no idea you were in distress. For that, I’ve failed you.”
“I…” I crossed my arms. “Mr. Evergreen was here.”
“Indeed,” he said. “Yes. Thank you, Mr. Evergreen.”
The Prince heartily wrapped his arms around my Sword, ensnaring him in a tight embrace.
“Once again you have proven my truest friend,” he said into his shoulder. “My best friend. Thank you for saving my wife.”
At the Palace, Sameer walked beside us long enough to instruct Mr. Evergreen to take me to my room. He continued in a hurry to find his father. Cyrus and I went through the foyer and down the hall. He was the epitome of ease, calm. I was not.
“You should have Miss Josie draw you a bath,” he said.
“A bath? At a time like this?” I asked.
“Why not?” he asked.
“Is this punishment?”
“Punishment?” he asked. “On what authority do I have to punish you, Swan?”
“You say that, but call me Swan and I cannot be sure if you are dodging the question or being obtuse.”
“I’m sure it’s neither,” he said.
“If I’ve done nothing wrong, why must I be confined?” I asked.
He shook his head. “You’ve had a long day. His Highness wants you safe.”
“I am safe,” I told him. “You saw to that.”
“It was nothing.”
“It wasn’t nothing! You saved my life. If anything, I should remain in your company, and, seeing as it would be improper to bathe near you, I shall accompany you to see the King.”
Cyrus frowned. “First of all….” He stopped. “Bathing comments aside, I, I’m not seeing the King, love.”
“What? But you informed Sameer you would spread the description,” I said.
He nodded. “I told Sam. Sam will tell his father. That’s where he went, remember?"
The distinct rattle of Oreian armor came from the far end of the hall. We shot our eyes to where it had begun, and despite the fact that Mr. Evergreen took a deliberate step toward the wall to distance himself from me, the arrival of Ser Elías came with his knightly, protective prowess.
He seized the swordsman, bringing him close into his face. “Oh, son,” Elías muttered. “Can you not learn?”
“We’re nowhere near each other!” I hissed, prying them apart.
Elías rolled his shoulder, releasing the Blade by my request but he scowled.
“Leave him alone!” I cried. “Mr. Evergreen was told to deliver me. You suggest he disobey the Prince?”
“The Prince?” Elías asked.
“Yes! The Prince.” I cleared my throat. “Did you not cross his path stomping over here?”
They shared a glance.
Mr. Evergreen said, “Her Highness was followed in the market.”
Elías looked at me.
“It’s true,” I said. I crossed my arms. “And, had it not been for Mr. Evergreen’s quick reaction to their attack, I would have been robbed!”
“Attack? From what angle did they attack?” he asked.
“It wasn’t an attack,” Cyrus replied. “Her Highness and I wound up in a dead end. It was a robbery not an assassination. More about opportunity than who she was. Though, I’m sure they had their eye on her from the moment we arrived.”
“You didn’t see them before they spotted her?” Elías asked.
“No.”
“That’s hard to believe. A decorated soldier, are you not trained in tactics? What did they want? Only her purse? Did they ask for your coin? What else?”
“Elías,” I huffed.
He continued and Cyrus listened carefully to his questions, answering them the same way.