Priscilla looked me up and down. “Tell me where you sneak off to every night. Explain why Sir Piers had suddenly started to take an interest in the same halfwit he was so keen on condemning a week ago? Seems to me you must have found a way to earn his praise through your skirts—”
All I saw was red. I felt that same rage from the night before crackling and sputtering its way to the surface. “I would never!”
“Then tell me where you go,” she countered. Behind her, the rest of our audience had fallen silent. There was a malicious smile on her lips, and it took all my self-control to stop from lunging.
“Unless you’ve got something to hide,” she added with a smirk.
I took a deep breath. Ignore her, I commanded.
I loosened my grip on the sword’s hilt and cast a glance at Darren. The non-heir had an amused expression on his face and did not appear the least bit interested in defending me. Apparently, he was perfectly content to let Priscilla think the worst of me, so long as it didn’t sully his reputation.
We’ll see about that.
“You can say what you like, Priscilla,” I said finally, eyes locked on Darren as I spoke. “But there are some things wealth will never afford. And before you go around soiling my good name, you might go and ask your precious prince where it is he goes each night as well.”
Priscilla blanched and immediately turned on Darren. “What did she mean by that?”
Darren kept his face perfectly still. “That lowborn doesn’t know what she’s saying, Priscilla,” he said smoothly.
“Then why did she—”
“Because she has nothing better to do.” Darren glanced at me, dark eyes flashing. “The girl is trying to upset you, and you are letting her. Honestly Priscilla, I expect more from you.”
“He’s lying,” I told her.
Darren glared, and I ignored him.
Priscilla glanced from me to Darren and back again, unsure whom to believe: the girl she hated or the boy she loved. “Well, I should tell the constable she’s sneaking out—”
“No!” both Darren and I began at the same time.
“What I mean, Priscilla, is that you shouldn’t waste your time on someone as insignificant as her,” Darren amended quickly. His eyes dared me to disagree.
I reluctantly kept silent, knowing better than to say anything foolish again.
“Come, let’s practice closer to the field,” Darren told the girl, gently leading Priscilla away from where I stood.
As soon as his following had left, I took a deep breath.
“What was that about?”
I glanced up and saw Ella walking toward me.
“How much did you see?” I asked her.
“Enough.” She picked up the sword I had dropped and snatched a second for herself. “It seems I’m not the only one who has a bone to pick with the prince. I was just coming down to check on you when I saw what was taking place. Sword?”
I shook my head at the offered hilt. “I don’t know how to hold it,” I told her.
“Well, it’s a good thing I’ve joined you,” she replied easily.
“Are you done with the assignments already?”
Ella shrugged. “No…but I figured you needed some cheering up.” She gave me a kind smile. “This week is only Restoration. I’ll manage.”
An hour later, Ella and I made our way back to the library for the last leg of our study.
“The prince must really dislike you,” she said as we turned the steps of the corridor. “He usually goes out of his way to ignore people.”
I laughed loudly.
“So what did you do?” she asked, pausing to glance at me curiously.
“I think my very existence offends him.”
She cocked her head to one side.
“Well, you’ve made a nice enemy out of Priscilla. If I were you, I’d avoid the both of them.”
I sighed uncomfortably. “What has changed?”
She paused, and I almost crashed into her. Ella had a strange look in her eyes.
“Just be careful,” she said softly. “When people like them notice you, that’s when you should be worried.”
I stared at my friend, trying to understand the odd intensity to her warning. “What happened when you lived at court?” There was something she wasn’t telling me. “Why did your parents choose to leave?”
Ella stared at the walls behind us. “Just don’t trust them.” She looked anywhere but my face. “Don’t trust them, and you can’t get hurt.”
When Darren arrived at the library later that evening, I was waiting for him.
“What are you—” He set down his books.
I cut him off: “You can not let Priscilla say those things about me. I don’t care if it gets us both expelled. If you do not defend me next time, I’ll tell everyone the truth. I swear it!”
He didn’t blink. “What was I supposed to do, Ryiah? Defending you would have only made her hate you more. And you aren’t innocent in all of this. You baited her with all those cheeky retorts and then practically insinuated you were laying with me instead!”
I blushed. “I didn’t mean for her to interpret it that way.”
“Well, everyone that was out there with us formed the same impression, so I hope you keep in mind that you have only yourself to thank for your tarnished reputation.”
“I’m sure they didn’t—”