Chapter 8
Tea
Evelyn was alone in the abandoned shop. The dead soldiers sat in their chairs, missing body parts and bleeding all over the floor.
They laughed at her, and the one without a tongue sounded horrifying.
Evelyn read the message on the wall, but the words were wrong. Now it said: Where are you, Princess?
Evelyn woke from the nightmare with a scream. She fingered the soft sheets and smelled the lavender bouquet to reassure herself the world around her was real.
“It was a dream.” She got out of bed, an overwhelming urge to run bubbling in her gut. “You are fine. Everything is okay.”
Even so, Evelyn threw a robe over her nightgown and fled the room.
Tea will make me feel better. Tea fixes everything.
The kitchen was large enough to accommodate royal events. Leo sat at a small table in the front corner, his elbows resting on the tabletop and his head in his hands. It was the middle of the night, but he was still dressed. Evelyn waited silently by the door.
He looks exhausted… Is he even awake?
Leo blew out a breath and sat up straight. A genuine smile appeared on his face when he saw Evelyn. “Hi.”
“Can I join you?” she asked.
“Of course!” Leo stood to greet her.
“Are we plotting or wallowing tonight?”
Leo chuckled. “Whichever you like, Princess.”
“I think I’ve had enough wallowing. Plotting it is.”
“Why are you up so late?”
“I had a nightmare,” Evelyn admitted.
Leo looked sad at that but not surprised. “Can I make you some tea?”
“I would love you forever if you made me tea right now,” she told him dramatically.
“Promise?”
Butterflies filled Evelyn’s stomach as she realized what she’d said.
Gods, is this what Hannah feels like all the time? This floating, giddy nonsense?
Leo didn’t wait for an answer, just moved to the stove and got a kettle boiling.
Evelyn leaned against a counter. “What about you? Why are you awake?”
“I couldn’t sleep,” he replied. “It was a long day. We interviewed half of the army and most of the neighborhood around the shop. But nobody saw or heard anything.”
“How is that possible?”
“We don’t know. Whoever killed those soldiers is either very sneaky or very talented with illusions.” Leo drummed his fingers on the countertop. “Or both, which is exponentially worse.”
“Did you learn anything from the interviews?”
He sighed. “Yes and no. It doesn’t seem like anyone here was involved. That’s technically good news because it means we can trust our people. But it also doesn’t get us any closer to figuring out who is responsible.”
“That’s what happened with the Kennedys,” Evelyn remembered. “Everyone had an alibi, and eventually they ran out of people to question.”
Leo poured two mugs of tea and found some cream and sugar. He and Evelyn sat down at the little table.
She cocked her head. “Can I ask you something?”
“Always,” Leo said without hesitation.
“Why do you use an illusion to hide your eyes?”
He widened his eyes, showing them off. “People find two different-colored eyes distracting.”
Evelyn couldn’t argue with that. She was staring at him again, which he definitely noticed. “Have they always been different colors?”
“Yes.”
“Then isn’t it like you’re hiding part of yourself?”
Leo grinned. “Maybe I’m saving a small part for people worth showing myself to.”
Evelyn rolled her eyes. “You didn’t have a choice with me.”
“Even if I did, it wouldn’t change anything.”
They were silent for a minute, sipping their tea.
“The staff here have been whispering rumors all day,” Evelyn said.
She recalled the hushed conversations throughout the palace: “Did you hear that the younger princess found the bodies?” “I heard more soldiers are missing.” “Do you think the Connollys will leave?” “What if King Tristan is involved?”
Leo’s expression darkened. “They shouldn’t be doing that, especially not loud enough to be overheard. I can talk to them in the morning.”
“They just want to know what’s going on. I don’t blame them for gossiping. The kings aren’t saying anything and it’s suffocating to feel surrounded by secrets.”
“You’re right. Damien said something similar about the army.
He wanted to be honest about what happened to the soldiers, but King Gerard refused to announce anything.
So now, that’s all anyone can talk about while nobody has accurate information.
Same thing in the city with the neighbors and business owners. It’s a mess everywhere.”
“How do we fix it?”
“Without angering two kings? I wish I knew the answer.” Leo took a sip of tea. “Damien said things didn’t go well when he brought you back here.”
“No. My father wasn’t happy that I’d left the palace, much less the rest of it.”
“He’s protective of you.”
“Too protective,” Evelyn grumbled. “But you know what else? King Gerard won’t even speak directly to me. How rude is that?”
“What do you mean?” Leo frowned.
“He talked about me like I wasn’t in the room. He told my Father, ‘Your daughter can be dealt with later.’ I should have burned the crown off his head!”
“If you ever do that, please come get me first so I can watch,” Leo begged.
“You wouldn’t defend your king?”
“Not against you, Princess.”
“You keep calling me that. I have a name.”
“You’re still a princess. You aren’t a queen yet, so the title stands.”
“I’m not going to be a queen, remember? Hannah is.”
“Would you want to be a queen? Would you trade places with your sister?”
Evelyn scoffed. “And marry some prince I’ve never seen? No, thank you.”
Leo laughed, which made her smile.
“Would you want to be a king?” she asked him.
“With you by my side, absolutely.”
He’s definitely flirting with me. But does he mean it? Does he want more? Obviously, we would never be king and queen, but we could be… something.
Evelyn blushed and finished her tea as a distraction. His gaze warmed her like sunlight.
I need to leave before we test how sturdy this table is. The last thing I need is a scandal with a guard.
“I should go back to bed,” she said, standing. “Thank you again for the tea.”
“Anytime. Good night, Princess.”