“To the royal solarium. We had a picnic.” At least, we tried to.
She wiggles her brows, a gleam in her eyes. “Is thatallyou had?”
She is far too intuitive for my own good. And my flaming cheeks certainly don’t help either.
“I knew it! I could tell the man was besotted the moment I saw the two of you in that alcove.”
“Truly?” I mean, Senansaidhe still loved me, but words mean nothing without truth behind them.
“Cross my heart and dare to fly.” Braith kneels on the ground beside her bed and reaches for the corner of the panel at its base. The wood pops off, and she slides it aside, revealing a dark space underneath. “I’ve never seen someone as far gone as your prince. The man set a prisoner free because you asked it of him, for star’s sake. Look at the gown you wear—I’ve never seen a garment as fine.”
She is right. I really shouldn’t be questioning Senan’s love or loyalty, but it’s so difficult to come to terms with still being enough for him despite all I’ve lost.
From beneath her bed, Braith drags out random items. Notepads. Charcoal. A small sewing kit.
I snap it right up, checking for needles and white thread. “Can I borrow this?” I still need to mend the mask and uniform I secretly kept.
“I don’t care.” She flings a paint brush next to the books.
Hold on. Is that apaintset? I tap a rose at the corner of the mural. “Did you paint this?”
Braith flops onto her stomach so she can reach even farther under her bed. “I have trouble sleeping at night. Painting helps calm my mind.”
“You’re incredibly talented.”
Snorting, she slides out a stack of books. “If you say so.”
Despite being near the bottom of the social ladder, my family owned some fine paintings, including one of the Folly Sea by a famous artist whose name I can’t remember. Those paintings don’t hold a candle to Braith’s.
I’m about to ask if she has had any formal training when I catch sight of the book at the top of the stack. I ease forward to trace my fingers along the soft leather spine where faelight dances over the delicate gold inlay.
The Many Lives and Loves of Lady Farley
Braith stands and dusts off her white skirts, a bottle of wine and two mugs in her hand. “Isn’t it beautiful?” She nods her chin toward the book. “It’s from the king’s library. I was assigned there earlier in the week.” She sets the mugs down on her tiny table and works the bottle’s cork free with her teeth.
“You stole this from the king’s library?”
“Not stole.Borrowed. There are so many, I figured they wouldn’t miss two or three.” She fills the mugs almost to the brim and replaces the cork. “When I’m up there again, I’ll put them right back, and they’ll be none the wiser.”
I flip through the pages, the smell of ink and parchment bringing back memories of the books I used to borrow from the library in the city. “Is it any good?”
“It is quite scandalous. The things she has written will curl your toes in the best way.” Braith holds out one of the mugs for me to take. “You’re welcome to borrow it if you’d like. Men on paper are better than the ones in this world anyway.”
I don’t know. Senan Vale could give any fictional man a run for his money. I set the book aside in favor of the wine. After everything that has happened over the last twenty-four hours, I need this drink more than she knows.
The mattress dips when Braith sinks down next to me. She clinks our mugs together and smiles. “Now, tell me about your prince.”
I take a fortifying sip of wine and do just that.
For the firsttime in forever, I wake with a smile on my face. That smile stays in place during my shower and breakfast. For the record, it is incredibly difficult to eat scrambled eggs whilegrinning like a fool. I get more egg on my lap than in my mouth. Everyone seems to be in a wonderful mood; even Jeston is back to his smirking self, teasing Mari and Del about being hungover. Apparently, they stayed awake drinking until all hours and are planning on doing it again at the end of the week for Del’s birthday.
Braith giggles at everything the man says. If he didn’t know she had feelings for him before, he certainly does now. The problem is that he seems to have distanced himself from her, smiling politely but no longer being overly friendly.
No doubt she will be overanalyzing every blink and nod the way she did last night after I finished gushing about Senan. Speaking of Senan, I cannot wait to see him today. It feels as if we’re back in those early days of being in love, when everything felt fresh and new and hopeful. As long as I block out reality, all is right in the world.
The House Master emerges from his office, head bowed, reading the stack of papers in his hands. Those who have yet to clean their dishes all rush over to the sink before lining up for assignments.
Braith pokes my back and whispers, “Do you think you’ll be in the family wing?”