“Oryx,” I repeat softly, trying to keep a smile off my face. I’m being silly.
How would he react if he knew a servant girl was fawning over him?He’d probably order me away and make me find the kitchen on my own.Hopefully he’ll mistake my smiles and hesitancy as anxiety and not what they truly are: hints of my absolute captivation.
I clear my throat, trying to untangle my web of thoughts that only seem to grow more confusing by the second. “I prefer Liz, but it's really not?—”
“Liz, then.” With a quirk of his lips, he turns and continues down the hall with me on his heels. The silence sits heavy between us as we walk, interrupted only by his heavy footsteps, and I fight the urge to say anything. To my surprise, he asks, “What do you think of the kingdom so far?”
The fact that he’s still attempting casual conversation has a small smile tugging at my lips, because he doesn’t have to say anything at all. I’m beneath him, meant to make my presence as unnoticeable as possible, while still performing my duties. Meant to exist and serve, nothing more.
But the way he speaks to me, his tone warm and free of condescension, makes the severe social difference between us feel a little less… stark.
Delusional.I’m being delusional, and it has everything to do with the warmth swelling in my chest. Oryx is royalty, forbidden to people like me, and it would do me well to remember that.
Even if the thought of him seeing me as an equal gives me unrivaled stomach flutters.
I’m so caught up in my thoughts, that I forget he asked me a question, and I hurry to answer, “It’s lovely. Your people have been very kind to us.”
He grunts a noise somewhere between a laugh and a cough, and my eyes instinctively narrow on him. I'm suddenly glad he's two steps ahead of me.
“You don’t believe me?” I dare. I know I'm walking on thin ice by accusing the prince of anything, but Oryx’s carefree attitude makes it too easy.
“No, I do.” He shoots a look over his shoulder that has my insides wiggling. “I just expected you to be a bit harsher, that's all. Humans aren’t the fondest of my kind.”
That doesn’t surprise me, considering a rogue group of them is terrorizing nearby kingdoms. And while they fly the flag of Ulleh, it’s becoming harder and harder to believe the royal family has anything to do with them.
More delusion.
I shake my head, fighting another smile as I debate my response—seriously, why can’t I stop smiling? I could keep pressing my luck, joking with the prince the way I desperately desire, or I could keep my mouth closed. Irissa might be a little more lax with the rules, but Oryx isn’t just a random noble.
He’s a prince.
A prince of our rival kingdom.
We turn down another hallway, and I have no idea how much longer we have until we reach the kitchen. This might be the only chance I ever get to speak with Oryx privately like this, at least for a very long time, so I have to decide how I want to be remembered.
As the quiet servant with good manners?
Or someone who can take his playful comments and throw them back at him?
The decision makes my throat tight, the possibility of repercussions weighing heavily on my mind. What’s the worst that could happen? A strong warning and some kind of punishment? It’s not like they can demote me any further unless they kick me out of the castle, and I have to hope Irissa would fight to keep me here.
Surely, they won’t have me drawn and quartered for toeing the line a little… right?
I steel my nerves, my mind made up. Consequences be damned. “I meant what I said, your kingdom is lovely, but your brother leaves much to be desired.”
A bellowing laugh erupts from Oryx, echoing through the hall and making me jump. “Well, you’re not wrong; Nor is an asshole. I’d say he’s nicer once you get to know him, but I’m afraid I’d be lying.”
Pride swells in my chest at his laughter, and I decide to keep going. “The queen is very sweet.”
“Right again,” he says, shooting me a look over his shoulder. “She’s a saint, that woman. She puts up with all of us with more grace than anyone should.”
I have no idea how she does it—I certainly couldn’t—but I keep that to myself.
We make another turn, and the hallways start to change slightly. The decorations are spread further apart, and there areless gleaming accents. Somehow, I know we’re getting close to the kitchen, and my stomach sinks.
I’m not ready for my time with Oryx to end. Not yet.
Scrambling to find something to fill the silence, I ask the first thing that comes to mind. “Is there a library?”