Chapter 25
Walls
Once they were back inside the palace and away from Haydn, Rory took Evelyn directly to her room. He waited with her until Damien arrived a few minutes later, then left.
“Are you okay?” Damien asked.
Evelyn paced across the rug. “I’m fine.”
“What did Ritter do?”
“Nothing.”
Damien gave up on sounding patient. “You were standing there like a statue with your eyes closed for two minutes and then you slapped him. What did he do?”
They heard footsteps just before Leo appeared in the open doorway.
“Evelyn? What’s wrong? Did something happen?”
Damien used magic to slam the door in Leo’s face and lock it.
Leo pounded on the door. “Damien!”
“We don’t need your help, Alexander!” Damien yelled.
“Evelyn!” Leo called. “Are you okay? Please let me in!”
Evelyn quit pacing and sat in a chair. She leaned forward and held her head in her hands, ignoring the sound of Leo’s supplication.
I can’t do this today. I know I need to talk to Leo at some point, but not while I can still feel Haydn touching me… even if it wasn’t real.
“Fontaine!” Leo yelled. “Open this door now!”
“Princess?” Damien asked. “What do you want to do?”
Damien could end up in real trouble if Leo decides to pull rank.
Evelyn shot a stream of fire through the keyhole and it grew into a wall of flames in the hallway. It wouldn’t burn the door, but it was an effective barrier to knocking. She heard Leo curse and then go quiet before finally leaving.
Damien let out a breath. He wasn’t beyond reproach, but no one could blame him for a curtain of fire. He leaned against the windowsill and crossed his arms over his chest. “What the hell happened?”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Well, that’s too fucking bad, Princess.”
Evelyn’s head shot up. “Excuse me?”
“You asked for my help. You sent your guard to get me. I’ve sworn to protect you. So I need to know what’s going on.”
“I don’t have to tell you everything!”
“If you don’t want to talk to me, fine. I can bring Leo or your father or the damn general up here. But you are going to tell someone what happened with Ritter and you’re going to do it now.”
Damien and Haydn used to be friends, right?
I don’t want to tell him that Haydn might be using me to gain magic or get between my legs.
Unless it’s not a trick, and Haydn actually likes me.
I’m pretty sure he’s powerful enough on his own, so why would he need Fire magic?
And if marrying him would mean I give up my title as a princess, then it’s not about politics.
I won’t really know what he wants until I go to Lochmatten and find out his secrets.
“Dammit, Evelyn—”
“He wants to marry me!” she blurted.
Damien flinched. “Ritter? He said that?”
“Yes. He keeps asking me to go to Lochmatten with him.”
“Are you considering it?”
“Of course not!”
“Sorry. But… What happened out there?” Damien pointed out the window. “I was watching you the whole time. That wasn’t a proposal.”
Evelyn sighed. “He showed me what my life would be like in Lochmatten. We were in a library, and then we were dancing outside.”
Damien drummed his fingers on the side table. “What are you not telling me?”
“Nothing,” she said too quickly.
“Stop lying. We’re here right now because you slapped Ritter. Hard. I would be impressed if kings hadn’t gone to war for less. Are you really telling me you did it because he showed you a library?”
Evelyn didn’t answer. She was trying not to think about the last scene Haydn put in her head, of them naked in bed together. The scene she would forever deny had been her favorite.
Damien spoke slowly, like she was a child who broke a lamp and hid the pieces. “You need to tell me what made you so mad. What else did he show you?”
“It was…” Evelyn struggled for the right word. “Private.”
Damien looked confused for a moment, and then his eyebrows shot up. “Oh.”
“Do you still need me to tell you everything?” Evelyn asked sarcastically.
“No, Princess, I’m sorry.” Damien sat in a chair across from her. “We should tell the king. One of them, at least.”
“No! Haydn is leaving today, anyway.”
“But this isn’t over. We’re working with Lochmatten.”
“Damien, you’ve seen how protective my father is. He was ready to literally set you on fire when he thought you took me to the city. What would he do to Haydn for this?”
Damien considered her point. “It would cause a greater scandal than you slapping him.”
I probably shouldn’t have done that. But he needs to ask for permission before putting dirty thoughts in my head.
“Haydn said that when people get married in Lochmatten, their magic is shared equally. Like, if they had monarchs, the queen would have all the same abilities as the king.”
“That doesn’t surprise me. They’ve always done a better job with equality.”
“How so?” Evelyn asked.
“The High Council has four men, including Ritter,” Damien explained. “But the Legislative Council has eight women.”
“What? Why haven’t I heard about them?”
“Without a royal family to marry into, the kingdoms don’t usually care much about Lochmatten’s politics.” Damien shrugged. “The Councilwomen are elected by the fae of Lochmatten and do most of the work running the isle. They are also the ones who appoint new members of the High Council.”
“If the Councilwomen do all the work, what do the High Councilors do?”
“It depends. Wendell has always focused on researching magic. I think Heinrich prefers practical magic and experimenting. Moeller oversees the magical training of younger fae. Ritter has the role of diplomat, unfortunately.”
“So… women really have higher standing in Lochmatten compared to our kingdoms?”
“Yes,” Damien said slowly. “But that doesn’t mean you should accept any marriage proposals from High Councilors.”
“I’m not!”
“Did you like what you saw in the visions?”
Evelyn bit her lip. “I… maybe? Haydn showed me his home and his magic. He brought me into his world. He isn’t hiding everything from me.”
She didn’t say, “unlike Leo,” but the compassion in Damien’s eyes let her know he understood.
“Evelyn—”
“I’m okay.” She stood up. “Haydn is leaving. Leo is with Hannah. And I’m fine.”
And I need Damien to go because I don’t want to cry in front of him for a second time today.
Damien walked over to Evelyn. He took her hand and kissed it sweetly. “You’re a fucking liar, Princess, so it’s a good thing you’re cute.”
That made Evelyn laugh, and Damien smiled.
“I will let you rest,” he said. “But I’m sending that guard back up here in case you need something.”
“His name is Rory. My father put him in charge of making sure I went downstairs for lunch earlier.”
“How did Rory get assigned that job?”
“His Water magic stands a chance against my Fire.”
Damien snorted. “That’s hilarious. I’ll see you later.”
Damien opened the door, but the wall of flames that burned in the hallway blocked his path. He glanced over his shoulder and pouted at Evelyn like a puppy who wants to go outside. She laughed and waved her hand, making the fire disappear.
“Thanks,” Damien said before he left.
A couple minutes later, Rory knocked on the door. “Your Highness?”
Evelyn opened the door. “Hi, Rory.”
“Captain Fontaine directed me to guard your room.”
“It’s not necessary, but Damien doesn’t listen to me.”
“I believe you outrank him, Princess Evelyn.”
“Yeah, he doesn’t care. If you’re going to be here, can you keep everyone else away? Tell them I don’t feel well.”
“I’ll keep my sword at the ready, shall I?”
“Please do.” Evelyn grinned.
Rory gave her a nod and Evelyn shut the door again.
In the evening, when Evelyn knew dinner had already started, she popped into the hallway. “Rory, can you do me a favor?”
“Do you need Captain Fontaine again?” he asked.
“No. I want a sleeping potion, the kind that doesn’t let you dream. Do you know where to get one?”
“I can find out. Will you be all right here without a guard for a few minutes?”
“I’ve gone all week without a guard outside my room. I’m fine.”
“Yes, Your Highness. I will be back soon.” Rory bowed before turning toward the stairs.
“You can call me Evelyn, you know,” she called after him.
“I cannot,” he replied without looking at her.
About five minutes later, there was a knock. She assumed Rory had returned, but Leo’s voice came through the door. “Evelyn?”
She froze, but her heart raced like she was running from a bear.
Why is he here?
“I’m sorry, Evelyn. I’m so sorry about what happened. It was all my fault. I know that. I will do anything to make it up to you. Please talk to me.”
Evelyn held a hand over her mouth, trying not to make a sound.
I’m not ready.
“I can’t lose you, Princess. I will fix this. I swear. Just open the door so I can see you!”
Evelyn took a step forward, her resolve cracking. But then she heard a second voice.
“Prince Alexander,” Rory said, probably bowing. “I’m afraid the princess isn’t feeling well. I only left briefly to retrieve some medicine she requested. Is there something I can help you with?”
“No. Thank you.” Leo sounded professional instead of pleading. “Please let her know I need to speak with her.”
“Of course, Your Highness.”
Evelyn heard Leo walk away. She counted out thirty seconds and then slowly opened the door.
“He left, Princess,” Rory whispered.
He handed her a vial of sleeping potion. She drank it eagerly, ready for the day to be over.
I don’t want to think about Leo or Haydn or dead soldiers or explosions or the hospital. I can’t handle one more thing.