Chapter 39
The next morning, I woke to find Tarben gone. He must have wanted to avoid being spotted by a gossiping servant.
My pulse leaped as I remembered that it was two days until the full moon. I was certain I would see him again tonight which meant the time for pretending was over. It was time to end this ruse, which, after last night, felt less like a task and more like a betrayal.
From the way he was talking, the way he’d held me all night, I knew he loved me, he just needed to say it out loud.
And once he spoke those three little words, I would have to look him in the eyes and tell him I didn’t feel the same way.
I’d have to be convincing—cruel, even. I’d have to lie and make him believe he was nothing to me.
Only I would know the truth, and I would carry that secret with me for the endless years still to come. How I truly felt about my mortal prince.
A jolt shot through my body. I knew the answer to the riddle.
Sitting up at the breakfast table with my quill and ink, I opened the notebook. Blowing out a breath, I wrote the words that might finally reveal its mysteries.
A secret.
My heart stopped as the words vanished from the page. As quickly as they disappeared, they filled with new words. Pages and pages of words, illustrations and arcane symbols.
I blinked. This was no ordinary notebook; it was a grimoire.
Flicking through the pages, I found it was filled with spells, potions and rituals. All but the last page, which contained numbers. No explanation, just rows upon rows of numbers.
I was puzzling over what in confinement they could possibly mean when there was a knock at the door. Slamming the grimoire shut, I looked up to see Britta with my breakfast tray.
“Sorry to disturb you, Miss,” she said, entering the space hesitantly. I hadn’t exactly been the most welcoming towards her. It wasn’t anything personal, but her presence was a grim reminder of Runa’s absence. “I was instructed to get you ready after breakfast.”
“Ready for what?” I asked.
“Prince Tarben has returned, and all the nobles have been instructed to gather in the great hall in preparation for a celebration.”
A celebration? Strange. Tarben hadn’t mentioned it the night before. It must have slipped his mind.
We barely spoke while she dressed me, and, by the time she was finished, I had to begrudgingly admit that she had done a fine job. More than fine.
I wore an ochre, silk gown with long, flowing sleeves and a fitted, raised waistline that accentuated my curves.
Anchored around my neck was a heavy, gold necklace encrusted with beads of amber, giving it the appearance of a gilded honeycomb.
My hair cascaded down in loose waves, with the braided sides meeting at the back of my head like a crown.
Today’s earthy tones brought out the green in my eyes.
“You look lovely, Miss,” she said while I examined myself in the mirror. I thought of Runa and immediately felt a stab in my chest—how could something be so familiar and so foreign all at once?
Despite my heavy heart, my stomach fluttered as I followed Britta down to the great hall, already bustling with people and filled with lively chatter.
Amongst the crowd, I caught sight of Magnus standing with several other young lords.
He caught my eye and gave me a cocky wink that I pointedly ignored.
I glanced toward the dais and saw the king conversing with Lord Helvig, positioned to his right.
Standing slightly behind the throne was the figure I was looking for—Tarben.
The butterflies in my stomach surged to my heart.
Divine goddess, he looked dashing in an azure doublet embroidered with silver.
I tried to catch his eye, but he was completely focused on something I couldn’t see.
Pushing aside the sinking disappointment, I watched as the king rose to his feet. The entire room fell into silence.
“Today, we welcome my son, Prince Tarben, back from the border,” he boomed. “Not only does he return victorious, but he brings with him exciting news for which I have gathered you all here today to share.”
No one uttered a word as we waited for the king to go on.
“It is my pleasure to announce that Prince Tarben is betrothed.”
My mouth dropped open. Betrothed? Was this his way of proposing to me? Surely not.
The entire hall released a collective gasp. My wide eyes found Tarben, who was beaming as his father continued. “Please join me in celebrating the engagement of Prince Tarben and Lady Oriane Valtteri.”