Not budging from his folded-arms pose, Alastar peered inside the one nearest to him. “Or a dragon’s egg. Come look.”
“Really?” I scampered over and peered inside, only to find it empty. I pouted. “You spoiled the story.”
“Giving up the possibility that the other vase contains something fantastic so soon?”
His words eased my disappointment. “Then I won’t look in the other vase so I may forever imagine it contains something magical.”
His lips twitched again. “So tell me, if your quest isn’t to investigate the royal vases, what is the princess’s prestigious guest really doing wandering the corridors so late?”
I nibbled my fingernail. “I obviously wanted to explore.”
Alastar raised his eyebrow, the only change to his seemingly-constant grave expression. “At night?”
“When else would I explore?”
“I’m going to make a wild suggestion for during the day.”
I narrowed my eyes. Despite his deadpan tone, a teasing glint filled his eyes; indeed, he seemed to have been teasing me since the moment we met.
“If you must know,” I said heatedly, “night is the superior time to explore because everyone knows it’s the best time to discover secret passageways. Besides, a certain royal guard thwarted my explorations during the day.” I glared at him. His expression didn’t even falter.
“Of course,” he said with a solemn nod. “It’s also the best time to exercise the dragons that normally guard them, give them a chance to stretch their wings.”
I startled. “There are dragons in the palace?” That couldn’t be true…could it? How splendid!
Alastar furrowed his forehead. “Are there?”
My excitement deflated. Aggravating man. No need to waste any more of my precious exploring time on the likes of him. I gave him a delicious glower and spun around to storm down the hall. Unfortunately, he quickly caught up to me with his much longer stride.
“Leaving so soon?”
I turned a random corner and then another, having no idea where I was or where I was going, but not caring. “The point of a dramatic exit is for the heroine to get away from the annoying ogre bothering her.” I glared at him again, hoping he’d take the hint that the ogre in question was him.
He stroked his chin, as if deep in thought. “Ah, I see why it didn’t work. You forgot your snappy retort in that dramatic exit of yours.”
I froze. “Oh dear.”
He nodded solemnly. “Indeed. Hence I’m following you in order to give you the opportunity to correct your faux pas, but before you do so, might I ask you a question first?”
I sighed. “If you must.”
“Do you have any idea where you are and, more importantly, how to return to your room?”
I opened my mouth to snap out a confident lie, but no sound came out. Instead, I imagined wandering these hallways lost for weeks or even months before dying a dramatic death, by either starvation or being devoured by one of the dragons, about whose actual existence Alastar had been rather vague.
I swallowed. “No.”
“I see. Then may I offer my escorting services? I’d be happy to return you to your bedroom.”
A flush of heat tickled my cheeks as I lowered my gaze. “Haven’t I already kept you up?”
“Not to worry; I found our interaction a pleasant diversion from sleep.”
I peeked up at his face, gauging his sincerity. Although his expression hadn’t changed, his eyes were lit up in a friendly way. I managed a smile as I accepted his offered arm and allowed him to lead me silently throughout the shadowy hallways.
“Are you quite familiar with the palace?” I asked.
“I’ve served as a guard here for many years, and before my appointment, I grew up alongside the prince, where we spent hours traipsing these corridors. I consider the palace my home.”
What a wonderful story. I ached to press for more details, but considering the late hour, that desire would have to wait.
“Is there a reason for your inquiry beyond mere curiosity?” he asked.
“Curiosity played a part, but I also hoped you were familiar enough with the palace to know the way to the kitchens.”
“It appears a detour is in order.” He turned around to go back down the hallway until we reached a fork, where we veered left. I skipped alongside him.
“I’m so glad you know where the kitchens are. I can’t stay away from them for long. Do you think Prince Aiden would grant me permission to use them?” I was bound to make lots of friends at the palace, none of whom had yet tried any of my famous treats. The thought of their delighted smiles as they savored my delicious recipes caused me to grin.
"Considering your relationship with the future crown princess, I'm sure that could be arranged," Alastar said.
My smile widened. Excellent.
As Guard Alastar led me to the kitchens, I tried my best to memorize the route, using the decorations lining the corridors as landmarks. The door to the kitchens was tucked between two still-life paintings of fruit, which would make it easy to find later. And I would, for I had plenty of baking to do.
“Is there anywhere else you’d like me to take you before retiring for the night?” he asked.
“No, thank you.” As much as I yearned to see more of the palace, exhaustion began to press against my senses. My explorations would have to wait for another time, ideally taken with my best friend so I could spend time with her again.
Alastar bowed and led me back to the guest corridors. As we walked, I peeked up at him, searching his expression. What sort of treat would this stoic guard prefer? Berry tarts, perhaps? Or strawberry shortcake? Perhaps a cream-filled pastry?
His gaze shifted down to me. “Is there a reason for your staring?”
“I’m contemplating which dessert is your favorite. Everyone has one.”
He stared at me a moment before returning his rigid attention back ahead to the darkened hallway. “Do I?”
“Of course you do.” I nibbled my fingernail, considering. “I have it, your favorite dessert is vanilla pudding.”
His lips twitched. “Not even close.”
“Chocolate cake? Brownies? Custard?”
He shook his head for each guess.
I sighed. “Won’t you tell me?” How could I bake him his favorite treat if I didn’t know what it was?
“Perhaps it's a secret.”
“A challenge. It shall be my quest to figure it out.” A delighted thrill rippled over me at the thought of embarking on it.
Despite having felt I’d been wandering the palace for hours before Alastar had shown up, we quickly arrived back at the guest hallway. Alastar paused outside what I assumed was my door and bowed.
“Good evening, Miss Rosalina. Unless something dramatic happens sometime tonight, I trust I’ll see you in the morning as I resume my usual role of guarding Her Highness.”
With a goodnight nod, he turned and walked down the corridor. I leaned against my door and watched him until he’d disappeared around the corner, my heart beating frantically, all from a mere stroll after midnight.
After I somehow managed to calm my excitement from having not only explored but nearly gotten lost in a magnificent palace—imagine that!—I managed to fall asleep. I awoke early the next morning and followed the scent of bacon to the private dining room.
The first person I looked for upon entering was Guard Alastar, curious about his reception following our spontaneous midnight stroll. He stood rigidly against the wall and met my gaze with as rigid an expression as ever, making no acknowledgement that we’d been Midnight Wanderers, let alone that he even knew me. My jaw tightened. Stupid guard.
I took my place beside Eileen, whose own seat was scooted close to Prince Aiden’s. She turned from chatting with her mother to smile in greeting. “Good morning, Rosie. How did you sleep?”
I ached to tell her of my midnight wanderings but shifted under Prince Aiden’s own listening attentio
n. What had been a grand adventure the night before now seemed utterly childish. I didn’t fancy being thrown in the dungeon should I have poked in places I shouldn’t have.
“I had trouble falling asleep. How can one sleep in so grand a place as this?”
Eileen used the hand not intertwined with her fiancé’s to squeeze mine. “I’m not surprised. I’m sure your imagination was running wild. Frankly, I expected you to have gone exploring.”
How had she known? Had someone told her? I glared at Alastar, the obvious tattler, and he finally cracked his proper-guard pose to tilt his head at me with a challenging look, as if daring me to confront him.
There seemed to be no hope for my ever keeping anything secret. “I may have done a bit of that.”
“Did you?” Eileen’s eyes lit up as she shared a smile with the prince. “I knew you would, especially after midnight, considering you’d find exploring at such a time an even grander adventure. You’re nothing if not predictable, Rosie.”
“I’m not predictable.” I sharpened my glare at the offender, Guard Alastar. He’d tattled; I knew he had. I was sorely tempted not to figure out his favorite treat after all. “And I didn’t get to explore much; everything was locked.”
“My apologies for that,” Prince Aiden said. “If you wish, you may explore to your heart’s content today.”
Eileen brightened. “I was planning on going over some of the wedding plans after breakfast, but we can explore immediately afterwards. First I can show you the—”
“Actually, sweetheart, we have a meeting after breakfast,” Prince Aiden interrupted.
Eileen’s smile faltered. “A meeting? What meeting?”
“My dignitaries want to meet their future crown princess and outline some of your duties. I told you about it last night.”
“Oh.” Eileen’s smile vanished completely. “I see.”
Prince Aiden eyed her expression with a worried one of his own. “Did you really forget?”
“No,” Eileen said hastily. “I mean, perhaps I did. I’m just not used to my time no longer being my own.” She sighed. “How long will it last?”
Prince Aiden frowned. “You don’t want to go, do you?”
“Of course I do,” Eileen said. “It’s what’s expected, isn’t it? It’s just that…” She nervously swirled her eggs around her plate. “They’re not going to like me, are they?”
“Of course they will, darling.” Prince Aiden rested his hand over hers. “You’ll be just fine. Please don’t worry.”
Eileen took a steadying breath before smiling at him assuredly. “I’m sure I will.”
The prince still appeared worried as he searched her expression. “I’m sure it won’t take longer than a few hours,” he said. Eileen’s eyes widened. Prince Aiden hastily continued, “We can plan something fun for when it’s over. How about we show Rosalina the rest of the gardens?”
“Yes, that would be lovely.” Eileen’s answering smile was not only genuine but enthusiastic. “Would you like that, Rosie?”
“It sounds positively wonderful,” I said. “Although there’s something else I’m also hoping to see—can we visit the dragons?”
Prince Aiden actually snorted in a rather unregal manner into his juice while Gavin—who was unfortunately dining with us—predictably laughed.
“Dragons? Where did you get such a ridiculous notion as that, Rose?”
While I’d always imagined dragons existed, in truth I wasn’t entirely sure whether or not they really did…until last night, when a certain guard had acted as if they were not only real, but could be found within the palace. I spent a rather unpleasant moment burning with mortification before it swelled into anger. I turned this wrath on the traitor in question.
“You told me there were dragons.”
Alastar cocked an eyebrow. “Did I?”
“You most certainly did. You said dragons guard the secret passageways.”
Gavin doubled over, laughing even harder, whereas Eileen and the prince turned bewildered expressions towards Alastar, whose own expression, unsurprisingly, didn’t alter in the slightest.
“When did you tell Rosie something so ridiculous, Alastar?” Eileen asked.
His gaze shifted to hers. “I encountered Miss Rosalina during her midnight wanderings, Your Highness, where she proceeded to accuse me of being a villain.”
“You’ve just proven your villainous role now,” I snapped. “You told me there were dragons, so if there aren’t any, you lied.”
Alastar’s glance shifted back to me. “Did I?”
I slammed my hands on the table, shaking the cutlery. “Yes, you did. You knew I believed you. It was a heartless act to toy with an innocent damsel, making you nothing more than a vile villain.”
He cocked his eyebrow again. I was really starting to hate that habit of his. “It appears my lessons are paying off.”
It was official: I would hate this guard forever. Cheeks burning, I sank further in my seat until my nose hovered over the edge of the table before stealing a hesitant glance at the others.
Gavin, being the goofball that he was, laughed silently; Doreen was especially occupied with her food, as if pretending the recent confrontation hadn’t occurred; Prince Aiden seemed thoroughly bewildered as he gave Guard Alastar a look as if he’d never seen him before. Eileen, however, smiled knowingly, a glint in her eyes.
“Now Rosie, you met up with Alastar last night and he told you there were dragons in the palace?”
I glared at him accusingly. “He did, and since that was clearly a lie, you should sack him.”
“Oh Rosie, I couldn’t do that. He’s not only an excellent guard, but you two get along so well, which will be perfect when he comes with us on our outings.”
I straightened immediately, ramming my elbow against the table in the process. “He’ll what?”
She blinked at me a bit too innocently. “He’s my guard, hence he’ll accompany us in order to protect me.”
I gaped at her before skewering Alastar with another glare. “How…lovely.”
“Indeed it will be, Miss Rosalina,” he said, as serious as ever. “If you’d like, I can walk the dragons while I attend you and Her Highness so you have a chance to see them. No worries about them eating you; they don’t eat during exercise…usually.”
I rolled my eyes while Prince Aiden leaned back in his seat, watching our exchange with the same strange smile as Eileen. She squeezed his hand before glancing at my untouched plate with a frown. “Aren’t you hungry, Rosie?”
“I’ve lost my appetite.” How could one eat in the presence of their antagonist? I glared daggers at Alastar. Rather than wither beneath it like he was supposed to, he merely did that lip twitch of his again. He sure liked to play his part all wrong. I’d have to remain on my guard whenever I was forced to be around him, which unfortunately would likely be quite often.
Chapter 4
We picked our way along the leaf-strewn path that wove around the foliage of trees in the Forest. I shivered in the brisk, pine-scented morning air as I glanced over my shoulder at my foe.
“Why does he have to come? Your fiancé is perfectly capable of protecting us on his own.”
“He’s my guard,” Eileen said simply. “Thus he must accompany me wherever I go, just as Guard Duncan always accompanies Aiden.” The prince’s guard and the attending servants had been following us just as discreetly as Guard Alastar, but unlike that of my foe, their presence wasn’t unwelcome.
Her answer was the same one she’d repeatedly given my prime complaint these past three days, days which I’d enjoyed immensely, especially considering we’d experienced many marvelous things straight out of a storybook. My favorites included spending hours catching up with Eileen, being introduced to the king and Princess Seren—a meeting which had been sadly underwhelming due to their cold politeness—meeting many of the servants who worked at the palace and eagerly learning their stories, baking in the palace kitchens, attending the ball
et, and being fitted for my gorgeous bridesmaid’s dress.
Unfortunately, such wonders had been accompanied by the constant presence of that guard, something I especially loathed considering he and I were currently engaged in what promised to be a record-long silent treatment.
During my palace explorations with Eileen following my disastrous fight with Guard Alastar, I’d kept my eyes peeled for any sign of dragons, and while I hadn’t seen any, I wasn’t fully convinced they didn’t exist at the palace. I doubted I could trust anything Alastar said to me on the matter. And now the very knave who’d caused my confusion was accompanying us to a waterfall in the Forest, a place Eileen had been particularly eager to show me, considering it was one of the places where she and Aiden’s romance had developed.
Despite my annoyance with said villain, I fought the peculiar urge to glance over my shoulder at him as we walked through the Forest to the falls. After convincing myself that giving in would merely be to make sure he wasn’t plotting something conniving, I succumbed to the pull. He stared back in his usual expressionless manner. The man was made of stone—incapable of showing any emotion, let alone feeling any.
“That guard’s services are unnecessary, considering Prince Aiden is an excellent swordsman.”
The prince cast me a rather impatient look. “It’s Aiden, Rosalina,” he corrected for what must have been the dozenth time. “There’s no need for formality.”
I grinned. Whoever would have thought that I, Rosalina, would ever have the honor of calling the crown prince by his preferred name?
“Of course dear Aiden is capable of protecting us.” Eileen squeezed his arm, which was looped through her own. “But we’re still expected to have our guards. Aren’t you pleased Alastar is accompanying us?”
“Pleased is not the word I’d use to describe my feelings concerning the matter.” Were heroines always so misrepresented in their stories?
The strange smile that filled Eileen’s face whenever I complained about her guard returned. She exchanged her sly look with Aiden. They seemed to be exchanging that insinuating look quite often, and I was beginning to get a suspicion as to why, a reason I refused to acknowledge due to it being ridiculous.
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