The Princess and the Bard (Royals of the Realms #1)

Chapter Twenty-Six: A Good Reason

"Don't tell me I'm lucky," Alori hissed, pointing a finger at the huge, outrageous skirt and the indomitable girl wearing it. "You weren't there yesterday when the shieldmage was slain by Dantalion, when one of the guards was murdered right in front of me. I almost died, and then you would have been queen. Is that what you want, Liahfey, to be me?"

She collected herself and continued up the stairs, her glove sliding slowly up the banister. Her anger ran deeper than yesterday's trauma, but she wasn't about to share the details of Taelan's confession with a gossipy girl who thrived on theatrics.

"I'm sorry, that's awful." Liahfey matched her step for step, speaking in a light, soothing tone. "But at least you weren't alone. Taelan was with you, right? You finally found your bard prince, and he seems to really care for you."

Liahfey should have been counting her blessings, not swooning over someone else's relationship, which she had no business making assumptions about. Yesterday had been a close call, and Alori doubted romance would be on her sister's mind today if things had gone differently.

They'd made it to the last stair. The grand entrance was a vignette of gleaming marble and polished wood, far below them. Had it always been such a far drop down?

Alori squeezed the banister. "What makes you think Taelan cares so much for me?"

"Anyone with eyes can see the way he looks at you. I wish a man would look at me that way."

A certain glow lit the younger girl's soft, doll-like features. With a face like that, Liahfey wouldn't be waiting long for a decent suitor. Though she wasn't yet eighteen, the second princess had already rebuffed a few older men, among them Prince Inigo of Cardosia. Despite his wealth and strategic alliance with the Ville-Realms, Liahfey hadn't given the arrogant needle-nose the time of day, which was a minor relief. It would have been a headache if she'd fancied the southern prince and Alori had been forced to forbid the marriage. The Villenatas could marry whomever they wanted, insofar as they were a lawful resident of the Ville-Realms. Moving to foreign lands and mixing bloodlines outside the country's borders was forbidden. 

The goddess' magic was to remain concentrated where it had been bestowed, and where it was most useful. Alori hadn't created the law, but she planned to uphold it. 

"I watched you up on the observation deck last night, just for a minute." Liahfey held up her hands to emphasize her innocence. "When Taelan pulled you into his arms–" maybe not so innocent, after all "– I may have been jealous. Slightly. He's a bit short for my taste."

Alori swatted her sister's hands. "He's not that short."

"You say that because you're even shorter." Liahfey chuckled, rubbing her wrists.

Alori turned away from the mezzanine and continued down the main corridor of the family's private wing. Images of their ancestors gazed down at her from framed portraits hanging on the walls. Some smiled or preened, while others were stone-faced. A few bounced between expressions, a feature of the spellpaper's enchantment.

Was the way Taelan looked at her really something special? The intensity of his stare had burned into her from that first morning on the Conservatory's mainstage, and he'd never stopped looking at her like that, as if he was desperate to convey a message.

If she'd been asked yesterday, Alori might have said she knew what he'd wanted her to understand, but now she wasn't sure. "I love you. Forgive me. I made a terrible mistake." Taelan might have been trying to tell her any number of things. For all she knew, he didn't even know what he was trying to say.

Did Taelan genuinely love her? After his secrets and confessions, was it still possible? She'd accused him of obsessing over an idea, of idolizing the fantasy of a princess who didn't exist, but she didn't want to believe it. She wanted him to love her truly, the way she loved him, regardless of everything else.