A Princess' Tale

Chapter Three

I smiled as I opened my eyes.

Although the heat had been brutal all halcyon, it was finally starting to feel cooler. I even shivered when I removed the sheets from my body. If it continued this way, it would be time to retire my silk nightgowns for cotton. I hoped for that, though. There was something quite beautiful about the way the world changed colors during harvest. Glorious oranges, yellows, and reds that eased my mind after long meetings and debates with the council.

I was nineteen years old now. I'd been nineteen for months. I grew closer and closer to my coronation. And so, I'd become more involved in my mother's decisions for Aristol this year. I even pitched my own ideas whenever she needed advice. She often told me I was a natural and sought Grandmother Luciana's agreement with a raised eyebrow glance. Grandmother would only turn her head to avoid answering. I still felt proud of myself, though.

After getting dressed for the day, I made my way into the dining hall and found my usual companions. Edward and Fayre sat across from each other at our table, pretending they didn't want to be right beside each other instead. At least that was how it always appeared to me.

It'd been over two years since Edward took us on that adventure that night. The night I discovered their secret love affair.

The entire time we walked to our destination, I had studied their movements and every subtle glance they'd tried to hide. Once we reached a field of wildflowers—variations I had not yet seen around Starset's fields—I stepped away from them. I realized they had planned to spend a romantic night alone. And despite this, Edward still brought me along rather than encouraging me back into my bedchamber. For that, I was grateful, but I was also confused.

I remained confused as the days passed. I couldn't fathom why they wouldn't simply tell me... until I remembered a crucial morning, two months before that night, where I nursed Edward back to health. In a fleeting moment, he asked me to play with the idea of him and Fayre together. I had laughed in his face at first. When he didn't laugh in return, I became stern.

"Fayre is a great woman, Eddie," I had said, "and you will not go anywhere near her."

He had laughed afterwards and assured me he'd not been asking genuinely. He'd only wanted my reaction.

I knew now he had been asking genuinely. But my response had scared him away from honesty. Even after all this time, he still refused to confess to me. I didn't want to confront them, either.

Edward continued to get into trouble with alcohol. Not as awful as he used to, though. He occasionally stole the hearts of noble woman with his smiles. However, he walked away from them before it went further than harmless flirting. I figured he did this to fool everyone into believing his own heart wasn't already occupied. It worked. Too well. Because Mother still urged me to keep him in check and I had to bite my tongue every time to not say, "Do not worry anymore, Mother. He is in love with Fayre!"

I smiled at the thought.

My brother... in love. Yes, he certainly was. His gaze was so soft whenever Fayre entered the room or whenever she spoke. And whenever they were in a crowd of people—gorgeous women included—Fayre was the only one Edward saw.

How humorous that the one who made fun of me for believing in love was the one who'd fallen first. That was what he got for making jests!

And yet, I was so proud of him. I desperately wished I could say that to him.

As I finally approached them, I felt my smile falter a little when I heard them laughing. Fayre noticed me first and grinned.

"Good morning, Tati," she greeted kindly.