Ladies, Lords, & Liars

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Just a Bit Longer...

   As he walked, it started to feel like the whole encounter with Odette had been nothing but a dream. Had he really just revealed everything to a girl he'd met no more than an hour or so before? How had he been stupid enough to slip up like he had? He would have to be a lot more careful.

   But maybe he wouldn't have to be careful at all, if Odette's idea worked out. He could leave the castle safely and unsuspected. There would be all kinds of chaos and drama when the real prince showed up at the end of the summer, but Aeric would be long gone by then.

   He really hoped they could pull it off, but until he had a chance to talk to Odette again, he couldn't do much else about it. He dropped off the books on a table in his sitting-room before leaving again right after. If his guess was correct, breakfast would be served shortly. He might as well be early.

   And he was, in fact, early. The dining room was deserted except for a lanky, blond servant boy that was setting out plates and silverware. He didn't seem to notice Aeric, and he finished with his task before disappearing through a door without a single word or glance.

   Aeric stared at the door through which he'd disappeared for a moment, but he didn't allow himself to try and puzzle too deeply about the kid. He had no need to know why he acted like he had.

   He went to sit down near the far end of the table to wait for the rest of the nobles to arrive.

   It was a good fifteen minutes before the first few early arrivals began trickling in. Odette was among them, and she shot him a quick smile as she sat down near a gaggle of other girls that might have been her friends.

   He smiled back before watching the door again. His gaze didn't leave the spot until the Royals walked in. Kyra was absent, but it didn't come as a surprise. She was missing more often than not. It was one of the many reasons he hadn't figured out her secret identity earlier.

   The meal passed like any other. He served himself extravagant dishes that he didn't recognize and ate them slowly. There was a difference with this particular breakfast, though. Every once in awhile, he would look up and meet Odette's gaze. The knowledge of his secret acted as an invisible tie between them, almost solid enough to reach up and touch.

   But when the last dishes had been scraped clean, the queen rose daintily to her feet, and the crowd hushed to hear what she had to say.

   As soon as her mouth opened, he could tell it wasn't going to be good news. At least, not good news for him.

   She was announcing another ride through the country. The weather was particularly fine, perfect for taking a ride, according to her speech. At least three different people cheered when she was finished, but Aeric's hopes had been crushed. He'd been planning on meeting with Odette again right after breakfast.

   He almost wanted to skip the ride, but he knew he couldn't make up any reliable excuse on such short notice without seeming suspicious. So he went along with it, no matter how much he hated it.

   And it wasn't even anything to get excited about. It was an exact replica of the last time they'd ridden through the woods. They walked down to the stables, he was given a horse. They were off before he could even see if Odette had come along, and then they were on the trail. They had to ride single file, one horse behind the other. He had no hope of talking to Odette until afterward.

   He waited impatiently as the horse slowly plodded up the trail. They reached the waterfall, he feigned awe upon seeing the tumbling, crashing water, cascading down the mountainside. But although it truly was a sight, he eagerly awaited the moment when they finally turned back towards the palace. The mist dampened his clothes as he waited, despite the fact that he was near the back of the crowd. The thundering made it hard—if not impossible—to hear anything else, which would have prevented him from speaking with Odette even if she had been there. He hadn't seen her since he'd left the palace.

   The moment he saw a horse turn towards the trail again, he was there behind it. Now that the idea had taken root in his mind, he could think of nothing else. If all went well, he might even be leaving this place in as little as a day.

   The ride back took an agonizingly long time, especially when a prissy little daughter of some important lord fell from her horse and supposedly twisted her ankle. It caused a traffic jam, and the girl refused to be helped by anyone but her older brother, who was several horses back. It took an unbearable amount of time to get her back in the saddle, and even longer before they were moving again.

   He was actually relieved when the blue stone of the capital came into view. The palace rose above it all, nestled closest to the cliffside. It was dwarfed next to the towering mountain, looking like nothing more than a dollhouse, but he knew that it was huge. He'd been living there, after all.

   It seemed to grow as they neared. He could see the gate and part of the garden peeking over the wall.

   By the time they were at the stables, it loomed like a giant above their heads. He never thought he'd be so happy to be back, and he was among the very first to enter the huge front doors, which had been swung open before they'd returned.

   He searched the jovial, chattering crowd for Odette, but he couldn't see her among the throng. He didn't know where she could have gone, but he supposed he might as well go change his clothes before he went to look. He felt grimy after sitting atop a horse and getting sprayed with river water for a solid two hours.

   He rushed to his room. He noticed that the books he'd brought up had been stacked into the shelf in the corner. The rest of the room must have been tidied up as well, but it was done daily, so he didn't notice much difference.

   He didn't bother to try and nitpick through the things the servants did while he was gone. He wanted to get changed and head to the library as soon as possible. Odette might even be waiting for him already.

   His fingers fumbled infuriatingly often as he pulled on his new clothes, but he was dressed before too long had passed. He wasted no time in hurrying to the library, not bothering to knock or pause before he pushed his way through.