Chapter 15

CHAPTER 15

B y the end of the day, the storm had blown itself out, but it took several more days for the ground to dry out enough for Korth to deem it suitable for walking outside. Instead of the gardens on the sodden days, he gave me a tour of the east wing, where their historical records were kept near the library, as well as the chapel, the armory, and the council room.

On the first truly dry afternoon, after a great deal of coaxing on my part, Korth led me through the town. Decorations in the form of colored paper lanterns were strung up across the street, crisscrossing overhead and painted with cheerful, bright illustrations. The chatter in town carried a palpable aura of great anticipation.

“What is everyone so excited about?”

“They celebrate the summer solstice with a masquerade each year,” he informed me, nodding toward a booth that had dozens of masks on display, all arranged by color. Some were basic fabric eye coverings with a band and little other decoration. Others were elaborate, with feathers, beads, and even some full-face masks that gave the wearer the appearance of an animal. Looking at them was similar to staring at a textured rainbow. “It’s called the Night of Masks festival.”

“So it’s a masquerade ball?”

Korth pondered. “Not quite a ball. I believe there is some optional dancing, but it is more like a week-long festival.”

“Haven’t you ever been? It seems like a big event.”

He shrugged. “It would be late and I have a trade delegation to host tomorrow morning, and there is a criminal trial beginning soon that a sovereign needs to oversee. The testimonies usually take a week by themselves.”

I used my fan to swat his chest lightly. “You, Prince Korth, need to learn to have a little fun.” I took an exaggerated glance at our chaperone doggedly following us several paces back, then lowered my voice. “If you-know-who wasn’t around, I’d love to have some fun with you.” I trailed the fan up his chest, then opened it to flutter in front of my face, raising my eyebrows suggestively.

Korth’s ears flamed bright red and his mouth worked, trying to find the correct response. I couldn’t resist smiling. It was so easy to get a reaction from him when I flirted, and a strange, heady thrill surged through me each time I managed to get him to stumble over his words and lose his rigid composure. It felt powerful to know that I could control his thoughts. The idea that he was thinking of me, and only me, was intoxicating, leaving me wanting to flirt with him more often and more boldly. How long would it take for him to break down completely?

He certainly didn’t seem to be losing interest. If anything, each flirtation was driving him a little crazier, and I reveled in it. Other men would have gloated over having such attention, but not Korth. He was wrong-footed in the most adorable way. If only I could get him alone to test his resolve, away from the prying eyes of our dratted chaperone.

Korth and I strolled hand in hand through the sprawling gardens on the way back, and I caught sight of a wide swing whose ropes were covered in flowering vines. “Look!” I tried to tug on his hand, but he resisted.

“We aren’t supposed to walk on the grass. It was just trimmed.”

“Right. You said that before. I just—oops!” I fumbled the fan I held, and as Korth released my hand to pick it up for me, I darted across the lawn to the swing.

“Odette!”

It took a matter of seconds for me to reach the swing, then I shot a mischievous look back at Korth. “Oh no. Who’s going to stop me?” I ran my hand along the painted seat and sat on it, threading my hands through the sweet-smelling plants adorning the cords that hooked the seat to the branch above. The ropes were just far enough apart that I could reach them without fully extending my arms, but it was close. Two small people would easily be able to sit side by side.

Korth teetered on the edge of the path but then finally stepped onto the grass and crossed to me, gingerly setting each of his feet down so cautiously I wondered if he would write an apology letter to the gardener.

“There’s no grass here,” I told him coyly, nodding down at the two grooves worn into the dirt where people had dragged their feet. “We aren’t the only rebels.”

Godfrey seemed similarly conflicted, poised at the edge of the path and biting his lip but unwilling to step onto the manicured lawn.

“While we’re here, you may as well give me a push.”

Hands wrapped around my own as Korth pulled the swing back then gave me a shove, pushing me each time my body swung back so I soared higher and higher. My stomach swooped joyfully as my body curved through the arc of the swing’s trajectory, and I reveled in the weightless sensation I experienced as my feet brushed the low-hanging leaves. I leaned back so that I caught a glimpse of Korth upside down as my toes reached the pinnacle of the arc. He smiled as he watched my long hair brush the ground below, raising his arms to prepare for the next push.

“Get on with me,” I called as his arms propelled me forward once more.

“It isn’t made for two,” Korth objected, shooting a glance at Godfrey, who still diligently watched us from a distance.

I dragged my feet to slow the swing to a halt. “You and your rules. It’ll be fun; come live a little!”

It didn’t take too much more convincing to persuade Korth to join me. His taller frame made it easy for him to hold the ropes, but the seat groaned in complaint as he settled his weight onto it. “It’ll break,” he fretted.

“Only one way to find out.” It was a tight squeeze with both of us on the painted wooden plank, and I nestled against Korth’s side, wrapping one arm around his torso and the other around the rope.

Korth stepped backward, then let us swing forward. Instantly, I heard the ropes let out an ominous groan as our combined weight increased the pressure on the swing, but it held.

“Higher!” I commanded, stretching out to pump the swing to greater heights. The creaking from the seat and ropes became more pronounced the higher we went, and I heard Korth let out a nervous laugh. “Keep going,” I urged, fully aware of Godfrey hurrying forward in alarm and not wanting to cut Korth’s laughter short. Though the situation, of the crown prince swinging with his fiancée on a weathered old swing, wasn’t particularly funny by itself, the knowledge that we were causing so much stress to our chaperone delighted both of us to the point that we broke out in peals of laughter, unable to stop as we swung back and forth.

A snap from above made both of us look up. The rope was starting to fray.

“I think it is going to—” Korth’s words were cut off when the seat split cleanly in two as we approached the height of the arc, breaking the swing’s trajectory and catapulting us onto the grass below. Korth was dumped unceremoniously onto the ground and got grass stains on his breeches. I attempted to land on my feet beside him, but my weight came down on my ankle, and I yelped in pain.

“Odette!” Korth crawled over to where I lay, still laughing between my pants of pain, in the grass. “Is it broken?”

“No, I think it’s just a sprain. It isn’t bad.” I winced slightly as he felt my ankle but couldn’t stop laughing.

“I’m sorry.” Korth’s somber attitude had returned.

“For what? I was the one who suggested it. I’m just glad it wasn’t you.” With a tilt of my head, I used my forefingers to push up the corners of his mouth. “I liked hearing you laugh. And I love your smile.”

Korth grinned, exposing each of his gleaming white teeth. “Then I shall have to do it more often.”

“Your Highness!” Godfrey had puffed his way over. “Your Highness! This is?—”

“I can handle this,” Korth told him. “Please go fetch the physician.”

The chaperone paled. “I can’t leave you two alone together…”

“We’ll be right behind you. You’ll still be able to see us.”

Godfrey’s hangdog expression twisted into a disapproving frown. Behind him, the two ropes of the offending swing waved in the breeze, each with half of a wooden plank hanging sadly from the bottom. Korth began unlacing my shoe and tugging off my stocking to expose the injury. It wasn’t anything that would cause me concern. There was a mild bruise coming in, and a small amount of swelling, but nothing that would indicate something terrible.

“I’m not sure I’ll be able to walk,” I said hesitantly, biting my lip. “Should we call for someone to assist me?”

“I can carry you,” Korth assured me.

When he gently took my ankle in his hands, I winced. Korth’s brow knotted in such concern that I almost felt bad for exaggerating the pain, but when he scooped me into his arms and picked me up, I managed to forget any guilt. The way he carried me as he walked back to the castle, I felt like I weighed nothing at all.

“You really are strong,” I whispered, trailing my fingers across his shoulder before I curled my arm around his neck to help support my weight.

Korth blushed. “You aren’t heavy.”

“Not so loud or Big Ears up ahead will think we’re flirting.”

“I thought we were.”

“Oh, are you flirting with me?” I leaned in to whisper directly into Korth’s ear. “I like it.” I let my lips press against his earlobe.

Korth’s arms tightened around my back and under my knees. “What if he sees?” Godfrey’s back was currently toward us, but he frequently turned around to check on us, likely to make sure we weren’t doing exactly what we were doing.

“Then he would probably be very jealous.”

“But…” Korth struggled for words as I blew a gentle stream of air against his neck. “But…”

“We could get into trouble,” I suggested.

He looked down at me, eyebrow quirked suspiciously. “I think we might be thinking about two different kinds of trouble.”

I widened my eyes innocently. “What sort of trouble are you thinking about? I only meant that we might be reprimanded.”

“I could probably handle that kind of trouble. I’m not so sure about the other sort.”

“Oh, is there another sort?” I stroked my free hand across his chest, where I could feel his heart pumping rapidly. “What sort of trouble is that?”

“I think you know.”

Godfrey turned around, narrowing his eyes as he entered the castle and called out for the servants to fetch the physician. I lowered my voice so Korth had to lean even closer to hear. “Maybe I want you to tell me anyway.”

Korth smiled broadly and let out a quiet laugh. “I think you just like watching me be tempted past endurance.”

“I don’t know, you’re enduring a little too well. You haven’t even kissed me yet.”

“A situation I will remedy as soon as we are alone together.”

I leaned against him with a sigh. “At this rate, that will never happen. Are you always watched this closely?”

“Only around you. They must know I’m weak.”

I let my fingers trail down Korth’s shoulder to his flexed arm supporting under my knees. “I could never believe that.”

“Your Highness!” The physician had arrived, wheezy from his run down the hall with his medical bag in hand. “I heard you were injured.”

“It isn’t bad,” I assured him, then shot a sly glance at Korth. “His Majesty Prince Korth has been very attentive.”

In too short a time, I was deposited in my room and the physician looked at my ankle, which he professed to be a minor sprain and bound with a length of white linen with instructions to keep it elevated.

Korth heaved an enormous sigh of relief as the physician left. Gerta volunteered to temporarily take Godfrey’s place as chaperone so he could go eat, which he gratefully accepted. “Watch them closely,” was his growling admonition as he left.

With a wink in my direction, Gerta shut the door and busied herself in the next room, saying loudly how she had been meaning to organize the washroom for days.

For the first time, Korth and I were practically alone.

“I’m sorry you got hurt,” he said, softly stroking my cheek as he sat at my bedside.

“It was my suggestion for us both to get on the swing. Besides, a mild bruise to my ankle and pride is a fair price if it means being pampered and carried like a princess.”

“You are a princess,” Korth reminded me.

My heart beat faster. While I sometimes felt guilty about the luxurious lifestyle I was living while others in Ebora were mistreated and had none of my comforts, I had no shame about accepting Korth’s attention. I loved the sensation of him caring for me so tenderly. My hand rose of its own accord to press against Korth’s chest. I could feel his heart thumping inside, matching its beats with my own that I felt pulsing through my body, right down to the fingertips that were exploring the fabric of his shirt.

“I don’t want you to get hurt,” I finally said. Korth had no idea how much the truth would cost me.

“I’m not. I’m fine.”

“You don’t resent that I roped you into one of my adventurous schemes?”

“No. An adventurous life with you is the best thing I could imagine.”

My fingers curled around Korth’s rolled-up sleeves as waves of pure, undiluted happiness flooded through me. “I’m glad you’re here, Korth. You make me feel safe, and that is something I’ve never really had before.”

“I’ll always keep you safe,” he promised, fingers exploring my hair. Everywhere he touched left scorching trails that demanded my instant and undivided attention.

I couldn’t even breathe with how giddy and lightheaded I was feeling. As I closed my eyes to more fully embrace the touch, shame slunk back in to remind me that this happiness and affection didn’t belong to me. It was reserved for the title he assumed I held. I felt a keen sense of loss for that which could have been mine as guilt swept through me. I was a fraud. I couldn’t fall for Korth. Even if he didn’t know it, he would never truly be in love with me. He was in love with the woman he thought held my station.

Were the poor always destined to lose? No wonder others became discouraged and gave up on their quest for equality. If all evidence led someone to believe that such a bright future was impossible, then why try? But selfishly, for the tiniest of moments, I was prepared to set all that aside and share a moment of pure happiness with Korth. What was the harm in getting a taste of the life that could be possible once the rebellion was complete?

The warmth of Korth’s breath swirled around my mouth. How wonderful it would be to marry a man who truly adored me and wanted to provide the best in life for his wife.

“Your Majesty!” Godfrey was back and sounded horrified. Korth immediately pulled away from me and turned to face his ever-diligent manservant. Curse that man’s ill-fated timing; I was never going to be kissed. Godfrey looked aghast at how close Korth and I were. “Where is your chaperone?”

Gerta poked her head back in. “I was just tidying up the washroom.”

Godfrey glowered. “You need to keep a closer eye on these two.” He shot us a dirty look, like we were misbehaving children.

“What do you need, Godfrey?” Korth asked, much more politely than was warranted. Shoving our overly vigilant chaperone into the lake was becoming more appealing by the second. “I thought you were going to have a meal.”

“Peter Pan’s trial will begin soon. In order to commence, we need a sovereign representative. The judges were looking for you and it’s a good thing I ran into them.” He inclined his head pointedly. “As your parents are overseeing the reconstruction in the east, you need to oversee the trial.”

Korth’s back muscles, visible even through his shirt, looked tense. What would he do if I offered to massage them? Godfrey would faint dead away if I even suggested such a thing. Perhaps I should do it just for that reason.

For several long seconds, I watched a vein throb on Korth’s neck, pulsing to match his heart rate as he worked his jaw from side to side. I flopped back onto my pillows. So much for having time with Korth. He was going to be trapped in court proceedings for days, possibly weeks. A high profile criminal trial would be drawn out, and as an outsider, there would be no room for me.

“Ask Tess.”

I nearly cricked my neck as I whipped my head around to look at Korth, sure it hadn’t been he who spoke.

Godfrey looked equally as shocked. “Your…Highness?”

“Ask Tess,” Korth repeated, sitting back down on the stool by my bedside. “She’s expressed interest in having a more involved role in the kingdom, and this is a simple enough case; we know he’ll be convicted. Let her get some experience.” He took my hand again and stroked his thumb across my fingers, a tender, concerned expression in his eyes. “Besides, my fiancée needs me.”

My heart would melt into a puddle any moment now. I didn’t even hear Godfrey’s stammered response before he bowed himself out. Gerta, still charged with being our chaperone but who had finished in the washroom, lowered her head over her cross stitch, the better to give us the illusion of privacy.

“I won’t leave you,” Korth whispered, and pressed my fingertips to his lips. My hand tingled. How could he stand the explosions of emotions rocketing around and not fly into hundreds of pieces when we touched each other? How had he managed to hold himself back for so long? If only I had his fortitude. But more than that, I wished that every leader was like Korth. If Odette and Raquel shared his relentless pursuit of justice, there would be no need for a rebellion. I wouldn’t be a traitor to my kingdom. But if I’d never been a traitor, I’d never have met Korth.

My fingers traced the veins that stood up on the backs of Korth’s hand and ran up his forearms. I couldn’t let myself fall for Korth. He was a royal, one of the ones we were working against…but it might be too late to say I had no feelings at all for him.

Why did life have to be so complicated?