My shoulder knocked into her and I shoved through them. One thing I would not be as a Princess of Delhoon was weak. And I was finally going to get a break from this place, two days of fun for my birthday and the Fall Festival and I wasn’t about to let those two ruin it.
Bindy came out of a darkened hallway, startling me. She was always around a corner it seemed so I should be used to it. “Oh, hi,” I said. “Ready for the party?”
Nodding, she handed me one of two cupcakes. “You know I love a party. And we need to find you a dress for your birthday.”
I took the cupcake and licked chocolate frosting. “I have like nine hundred dresses at home.”
“Not one for an event where both Hesstia and Collweya’s royal family will be attending. The first time all of them have been invited to Delhoon at once.”
I nearly choked on the smooth buttery frosting that should never cause such a reaction. “Surely not Kyria?”
“No, she’s still banished. But King Enden and Queen Saveena will be there as well as King Faustus. He may bring a few of his sons.” Bindy tried to look aloof as she said, “I’m surprised you invited Prince Aric, given the history with his mother and—father. Rorin will be there. And does his mother know he’s coming to Delhoon? She’s never allowed him there before.”
I hadn’t even thought about what sort of problems it might cause. I only invited him because of Legacy. Rorin being his true father and never getting to claim his own son, or even see him. Kyria being his banished Delhoon mother who still held a grudge against us. “I didn’t think about it.” I didn’t think about it because to me Aric was just Aric, someone who’d become a friend.
“Maybe you should find out. And you better hurry.”
I ran through the halls toward the boys’ dormitories even knowing I wasn’t supposed to go up there. I stood at the base of the three stairways leading up to each kingdom, saw the dragon and made my way up. Once I got to the top I realized I had no idea which room was his and by the way some of the boys stared at me as if I was a ghost not a girl; I didn’t know if they’d give me the answer.
“Aric is in number five.” I turned and Zyacus marched up the steps. “At least I’m guessing that’s who you’re looking for so frantically. He seems pretty taken with your cousin though so I wouldn’t risk it.”
My cheeks burned with his implication. “What are you talking about? Risk what?”
When he got to the top of the steps and stood beside me, I noticed the bag slung over his shoulder. Since his parents were coming to Delhoon, so might he.
“Confessing your love of course,” he said and I wanted to punch that smile right off his face.
“Oh, you’re insufferable,” I said, stomping away.
He followed me and leaned up against the door frame of number five. “Or perhaps I’ve got it wrong. Perhaps you have feelings for another prince.”
“You wish.” I knocked on the door and folded my arms, trying not to look at Zyacus who was mere inches from me, I could even feel the heat coming off his body.
“Where have you been for four days?”
I huffed a short breath. “I’m surprised you even noticed I was gone.”
His fingers slid down my long braid and then he held it at the end. “Why would you think that?”
Smacking his hand away, I knocked again. The door opened and Aric looked from me to Zyacus. “What’s wrong?”
“Why would something be wrong?” Zyacus asked, slipping into the room.
I waited to be invited in.
Aric waved at me. “Come in,” when the door closed behind me he said, “because Visteal is with you.”
That drew a deep, honeyed laugh from Zyacus.
“Nothing is wrong, per se, Aric,” I said hesitantly. “And it’s not that I don’t want you to come to Delhoon.”
“Ouch, getting uninvited to her birthday party,” Zyacus said, looking at his fingernails. “Don’t feel bad, she didn’t invite me at all. But her parents did.”
I glared at him then looked at Aric who sat on his bed. My eyes flicked to his room partner who just stared at me in shock. Shocked that there was a girl.
“I’m not uninviting you.” I tapped my finger against the hilt of my sword trying to find the right words. “It’s just that your mother might—get angry. You know how sensitive things are with royal matters. Did you happen to tell her you were going to Delhoon?”
“Does she need to know?” he asked, running a hand through his hair. “She would get angry.”
For once his skull birthmark was visible and I stared at it. Wondering what it could mean.
“Aric,” Zyacus drawled. “She’s going to find out. Grandfather is going to be there. Why don’t you just ask?”
His fingers drummed against his thigh. “You don’t know how difficult it was to convince her to let me come here. I’ve always wanted to go to Delhoon, that’s half of who I am but she’s… bitter.”
Zyacus smirked and I knew he had something working in that devious mind. “You have a father who doesn’t hold a grudge against Delhoon, you know.”
Neither one of them knew how right that statement was.
With some cleverly crafted words sent to Ekarius, a note came back through a candle a few minutes later. Aric smiled and held the paper out to Zyacus and me.
Yes. Don’t tell your mother.
Flashing his white smile, Aric wrapped his hand around my bicep. I stiffened at his touch. “I’m so excited. Thank you for inviting...”
His words and the room seemed to be
