Chapter 10
“Oof!”
I land hard, but not as hard as expected. I automatically curl up into a defensive ball and find myself pressing into something firm and warm.
“Miss Shivani?”
I open one cautious eye. The prince stares down at me closely. His eyebrows are somewhere up near his hairline. The night sky is above him, pitch black except for the stars scattered across it like splattered paint.
“Am I dead?” I whisper.
The prince cocks his head.
“No…” He frowns. “You fell.”
He lowers me to the ground. I realise he has caught me and had been holding me up in his arms. The information churns slowly, like treacle, in my mind. I open my mouth but find myself unable to speak. I shiver, ice cold. My body jerks erratically, and my teeth chatter.
“I-I…” I try to say something, but my mi nd is empty, like a plug has been pulled and all my thoughts have drained away.
“You are in shock,” he tells me, but I am not quite able to understand what he means. He sounds far away even though I know he is right next to me. I stare past his head, my mouth open. “Miss Shivani?”
“Huh?”
“We need to get you inside before a guard sees you.” He wraps something thick and warm around my shoulders. I nod numbly before the words sink in.
“No!” I cry, and he claps a large hand over my mouth. I try to twist my face away, but his other arm wraps around my upper back, and he pulls me towards him, holding me tight. His eyes are wide and bore into me as he shakes his head. Quiet , his eyes scream.
A guard walks nearby, whistling loudly. He is mere meters away, but we are hidden in the deep shadow of the tree. The guard sighs heavily, looking bored. The prince’s eyes dart to the side as we listen and stay completely still. After a moment, the guard passes. The prince releases me with a long exhale.
“We need to get inside now,” he tells me firmly, but before he can move me, I burst into tears.
I press my hand to my mouth to stifle the noise, but my tears flow freely. I sink to my knees.
“Miss Shivani.” The prince knees in front of me, alarmed. I remove my hand and suck in deep breaths, trying to steady my voice.
“The-the king, he w-wants to…he s-summoned me…” I force the words out in a low whisper. My body heaves with sobs, and I feel as though I may pass out. I blink rapidly to try and clear the spots in my vision.
The prince grabs my hands and levels his eyes with mine. He breathes in deeply through his nose. Instinctively, I match him. When he breathes out in one steady exhale through his mouth, I do the same. My heart begins to slow, and my vision clears. We breathe in tandem, never breaking eye contact until I can speak clearly again.
“The king summoned me to his chambers tonight.” I swallow the lump in my throat and look away.
The prince does not respond, his face plain but for the flutter of a muscle in his jaw.
“His letter said if you would not step up, he would do so instead,” I finish. Another sob threatens to break in my chest, but I hold it back. “I cannot go back there. I cannot do it. I would rather die.”
The prince glances up at the ledge where I had been hanging from.
“Yes,” is all he says and then he is quiet for a moment.
I shiver in the cool air and pull the blanket closer around my shoulders. Briefly, I wonder what he is doing out here, but the thought is cut off when he stands abruptly. He offers a hand. I refuse it and remain on the ground. He does not withdraw.
“I am afraid I cannot help free you,” the prince says. There is sincere regret in his voice, which surprises me. “But I can prevent my father from…”
He does not seem capable of saying the words. His lips are drawn into a thin line.
“If you stay in my chambers occasionally, he will believe the illusion. That I have…taken you,” he tells me. He looks slightly sick. “He will not touch you.”
“How do you know this?”
The prince gives a wry smile.
“Because he will not touch another man’s property,” he replies before looking away. “And I have done it before.”
White-hot anger threatens to spark, but my body is too weary to fan the flames.
“The Never Queens?”
He nods grimly.
“And what exactly do you mean by ‘stay in your chambers?’”
“Sleep there,” he says, his voice even.
“In your bed?”
“No. There is an adjoining room with your own bed.”
I regard the prince as he towers above me. His hand is still stuck out in front of him, offering to help me up. I glance up at the window to my chambers. I know this is my only choice but I do not know whether I trust the prince. Evil comes in many forms, and not all of them are obvious. After a moment of contemplation, I reach up and take his hand. His grip is firm as he hauls me to my feet.
“We must make haste,” he says, looking pointedly at where the guard had been patrolling. “We have tarried long enough.”
We head away from the castle walls and back to my prison.
The prince bobs and weaves through different routes, avoiding the guards. I try to pay attention and store the information for later, but exhaustion crawls up my body, slowing me. My limbs are sluggish and heavy. I blink several times in an attempt to clear my mind—all I earn is a worried glance from the prince.
He leads us to an unremarkable wall tucked into a back corner of the castle grounds. I watch him spread his hands and run them across the brick before pressing on one of them.
Click.
The wall comes alive, a door appearing in the brick and swinging open. My eyebrows shoot up, and I take a half-step back.
“How?” I whisper.
The prince looks back at me and jerks his head towards the door.
“We can avoid most of the guards this way,” he says before heading in. After a moment of hesitation, I follow him.
The secret corridor is dim, lined only with a few low-burning torches. The walls are dusty, and I suppress a sneeze as I step inside. The silhouette of the prince as he walks in front of me is outlined in orange by the torches. He presses on silently.
As we reach the end, he pushes open the door with caution.
After a peek through, he gestures at me to follow. He closes the door behind us—which I realise is disguised as a large portrait of the king—and I see we are outside his bedchambers.
“Quickly,” he whispers.
“Halt!”
We freeze as a guard comes charging down the corridor. He gives a slight bow to the prince before turning to me.
“You were meant to be in your chambers.” He scowls. “The king has summoned you. I know the maid delivered the note.”
He makes to grab me but the prince’s hand shoots out and grabs his arm first.
“Miss Shivani is busy with me tonight,” the prince speaks, voice low. He throws the guard's arm back at him. “You may tell the king that.”
The guard glances between us before giving a proper bow.
“Yes, Your Highness,” he says, looking contrite, before darting away. I do not breathe even as the sound of his armour fades away.
The prince swiftly opens the door, and we hurry inside, slamming it behind us. He begins to say something, but I am distracted by the luxury of his chambers.
It is almost a self-contained home by itself. There are a few doors leading off into what I assume to be washrooms. One of them is open to reveal a large closet lined with various royal clothing. A twinkling chandelier hangs in the centre of an ornately carved ceiling. One wall is dominated entirely by a large, red-brick hearth. It is still lit, ensuring the room is thoroughly heated. The glow of the fire bathes over me and sets me somewhat at ease. I may not have had any of the other comforts the castle offers me, but sitting in front of a warm hearth is a familiar thing.
“Miss Shivani?” the prince’s voice eventually penetrates my thoughts. I blink and turn to him.
“Pardon?”
“I was saying I shall have the maids fetch you hot tea with sugar. And some brandy from my stores. I have found it helps during…” He stutters to a halt and coughs uncomfortably. “Stressful times.”
I press my back against the door, eyeing him warily.
“You do not appear to agree with your father,” I say. He cocks an eyebrow, waiting for me to continue. “So why did you act such a bastard at our dinner?”
His eyes grow large before his face breaks into a wide grin. It is as though I see his real face then. A break in the clouds when the sun shines through. He lets out a bark of laughter.
“My apologies,” he says. “I did not trust you at first.”
I squint at him, incredulous.
“ You did not trust me ?” I screech and spread my hands. “What could I possibly have done when I have not even met you before?”
“The king has spies,” he says plainly. He clasps his hands behind his back, and his face turns sombre once again. My hands drop to my sides, a short, humourless laugh escaping my throat at the absurdity.
“You believed me a spy. Me. Do I truly look like a spy?”
“If spies were obvious, they would not make very good spies, would they?” the prince snaps, his veneer fracturing for a second before he composes himself again.
“Very well, I will concede to that,” I reply. He tilts his chin up, appeased. “So, your heartless, haughty attitude was an illusion? For the king?”
He bristles at my description but ignores it.
“Yes.”
“And now you do not think I am a spy? ”
“No.”
I wait for him to elaborate, but he does not, his jaw clenched tight.
“Are you going to tell the king? About…” I gesture vaguely outside. His face softens.
“No. I will not tell my father a word.”
A silence falls between us. I am not quite sure I believe him yet, but I desperately want to. I need an ally. And if he is correct and our plan works, I will remain safe from the king. For now.
“I think it has been a long night,” he says, breaking the silence. “I have lavender tonic in my drawer if you require a sleep aid. But I understand if you would rather stay of sound mind.”
He gestures to one of the doors.
“The adjoining room is through there. I will have the maids bring your night clothes.” He pauses. “The door locks from the inside.”
My shoulders sag with relief at this peace of mind. I incline my head gratefully at the prince.
“My thanks,” I say and hurriedly make my way over.
“Goodnight, Miss Shivani,” he says as I close the door. I pause a moment before responding.
“Goodnight, Your Highness.”
I quietly close the door and lock it firmly. I am still awake when the maids bring me hot tea and a neat pile of night clothes. Once changed, I sit on the large bed and sip at the scalding liquid. Every so often, I glance at the lock on the door. It is solid and metal, sliding into place with a loud thunk . It would be difficult indeed to break.
For the first night in weeks, I sleep soundly.