He slows his steps, shortening the small space between us, and looks back again. “Yes. Why do you ask?”
“Some of the other servants mentioned there was one, so I decided to try and look for it. I was too nervous to ask any of them to show me.”
“You like to read?” he asks, sounding surprised. I try not to take offense; most servants don’t have the time or the want to learn, but I’ve been reading everything I can get my hands on since I was small.
I nod eagerly. “I read all the books in our castle’s library at least twice. I even brought a few with me because I couldn’t leave them behind.”
He makes a soft noise that almost sounds like a grunt. “You are very interesting, Lizette.”
“As are you, Your H— Oryx.” His name makes my tongue tingle, a shot of adrenaline racing through me at ignoring his honorifics. I take a shaky breath, hoping he doesn’t notice. It’ll probably take me the rest of the day to completely settle from this conversation.
We stop in front of a set of glossy black doors with ornate golden handles, and I recognize them immediately. It’s the kitchen entrance.
Disappointment drags my shoulders down, but I try to keep the emotion off my face. I want a few more minutes alone with Oryx, to ask him questions and pick his brain, but it seems my time is up.
“The kitchen,” he says, gesturing to the doors with a wave of his hand, though he makes no attempt to turn and leave.
We stand there for a long moment, staring at one another, like neither of us is sure what to say. Heat creeps up my neck, spreading across my face, and I force a breath into my lungs.
“Thank you.” I curtsy awkwardly, and my cheeks scorch even more.
“Of course.” He nods, his eyes shifting between me and the doors. “If you want, I can show you where the library is sometime.”
“You would do that?” My lips part in surprise.
“Of course.” He scratches between his horns thoughtfully. “What about tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow?” The thought of seeing him again so soon has my head spinning. “That would be amazing. Yes, please.”
He nods once, and I can almost swear I see the hint of a smile tugging at his mouth. “Meet me here after breakfast.”
I blink and nod, words failing me completely, and he turns to walk away, leaving me staring after him.
Three
Oryx
Anyone bold enough to say my brother leaves much to be desired is worthy of my time, so if the human servant wants to see the library, I will indulge her. I might have offered to show her around regardless, just to get another look at her.
She’s bold—much bolder than she has any right to be—and I have a feeling I only got a glimpse of the sassy attitude she’s hiding beneath her curated mask. That piques my curiosity further, making it itch under my skin. I haven’t been able to get her or our conversation out of my head since yesterday.
Are all human females so fiery and strong-willed? Or is she simply a rebel? Whatever the reason, her nature calls to me, which makes sense. I hardly fit the mold of a prince.
That’s the one thing I can say for my brother, aside from him being an asshole; he was made to be king.
Me? I was made for comic relief and tension diffusion. For bending the rules and making stuffy, royal life a little more enjoyable.
And apparently showing a human woman around the castle.
As I pace the hall in front of the kitchen doors, I can’t help but wonder if she’ll show up. Hopefully I didn’t intimidate her yesterday, but it’s possible I scared her off. I shouldn’t have been so straightforward, but my desire to talk to her consumed all my other thoughts. I’ve only seen a few humans in my life, and I’ve never spoken to one alone.
If she declines my invitation, it will be a shame. I’ll just have to find another way to spend time with her.
Considering I’m a prince, I should be able to do whatever I want, but it’s not that simple. Especially not where the human servant is concerned. Not only does she have her duties to keep her occupied, but relations between royals and servants are prohibited. My sisters would love to torment me if they found out I was spending time with Lizette, even if our meetings were nothing but good intentions and polite conversation.
I chuckle to myself at theifthat accompanies the thought, as though my subconscious has already decided that something more is plausible. Ignoring the Ulleh laws that forbid such a relationship, Lizette is small. Frail. I doubt she could even take a male like me without snapping in half.
Though, if Nor is to consummate his marriage with the human princess, it must be possible. Right?