“Well, it’s not really notice her I mean.” She paused and glanced sideways at her brothers, lowering her voice again. “Have you noticed anything strange about Cassian?”
“Ooohhhh.” I considered her question, looking between the prince and the girl up ahead of us. “He has seemed even more reserved and detached than usual, possibly.” I knit my brows. “Do you think that means something?”
Celine nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, mmhmm, absolutely. He stares at her all the time, and I don’t think he’s spoken in her presence even once. He’s in love with her.”
I felt a twinge of unease. Was that really enough evidence to draw such a conclusion? There were probably plenty of people who Cassian had never spoken to. I expressed my doubt.
“Oh, no,” said Celine. “It’s not just that he’s never spoken to her, it’s that he doesn’t speak at all when she’s around. I know he’s reserved, but he’s also usually self-assured. He doesn’t really get nervous, precisely. Well, not before now.”
I considered her words. She was right. Maybe?
“Well, what if he is in love with her?” I said. “It’s none of our business. She might not be a traditional choice, but you said yourself the alliances with other kingdoms are all taken care of by your other siblings. A closer link with the merchants and traders wouldn’t be a bad thing for Lanover.”
“But exactly,” said Celine.
“Why do I have a sinking feeling in my stomach?” I asked.
“Because you know I’m right,” said Celine promptly. “You know I’m right, and you know we have a hard job before us.”
“We do?”
“Yes. Because he clearly needs all the help he can get.”
I narrowed my eyes and wondered if I should just push Celine off the camel right now. For poor Cassian’s sake. But then I looked between the prince and the trader girl. She would make a wonderful princess, and it did seem like Cassian might need some help…
That evening Celine cornered Frederic.
“Frederic,” she said without preamble, “Cassian needs our help.”
“He does?” Frederic looked back and forth between the two of us before settling his eyes on me. “Why do I suddenly feel afraid?”
“I know exactly the feeling,” I said, “but don’t look at me. She’s not my sister.”
Frederic groaned. “What has poor Cassian done now?”
“The question,” said Celine, not in the least abashed, “is not what he’s done but rather what he hasn’t done. And what he hasn’t done is talk to Tillara. Or around Tillara. Not even once.”
A dawning look of shock passed over Frederic’s face. “Are you saying you think…”
Celine put her hands on her hips. “Just think about it for a minute, Frederic. You know him better than any of us.”
Frederic frowned, clearly deep in thought. “You know, now that you mention it…”
“So, as I said, he needs our help.”
Frederic looked uneasy. “Now hold on just a second, Celine. I’m sure the last thing Cassian wants is any of us getting involved.”
Celine raised an eyebrow. “That’s all very well, Frederic, but what exactly do you think is going to happen if we leave him to sort it out for himself?” She didn’t wait for her brother to answer. “Nothing. Nothing is what’s going to happen.”
Frederic looked at me, and I held up both hands.
“Don’t look at me, I didn’t notice anything until she pointed it out.”
“I have to admit it’s true,” said Celine sadly. “While Evie is a more than satisfactory friend and seamstress, she’s been a highly unsatisfactory partner in crime.”
Frederic threw me a look full of such admiration that I actually blushed. “That’s high praise indeed. I hope you feel honored, Evie.”
I grinned back at him, filled with a warm glow that he still wished to joke with me after everything that had passed between us, and that I now knew him well enough to be confident when his serious manner hid a jest.
“Oh, absolutely,” I said, grinning back. “I have rarely received such an accolade.”
“You are both highly disappointing,” said Celine. “But I will not be distracted. The first step, I think, is to get close to this Tillara.” She turned her bright gaze on me. “Do you know her, Evie? From when you used to live here?”
“Yeesss,” I said, drawing the word out with reluctance.
“Excellent.” Celine clapped her hands together. “Let’s go find her, and you can use your old ties to reminisce and get close to her.”
“I can what?” I said, just as Frederic said, “Right now?”
Celine ignored us both. “Let’s go.” She got several steps before looking back at us. We hadn’t moved. “Well? Come on!”
I stepped forward, a little reluctantly. I hadn’t spent much time with Caravan Adira, and Tillie and I had never been friends, exactly. Although she had never done anything to ostracize me, either. I just didn’t know if she would even remember me, let alone put any value on our past connection.
Frederic looked like he wasn’t going to come until Celine fixed him with a withering stare. “You wouldn’t leave Evie to face this alone, would you, Frederic?”
He fell into line after that.
“Only three more years,” he muttered to me under his breath as we trailed behind Celine.
I looked at him with a question in my eyes.
“Only three more years until she’s eighteen, and I can ship her off to make a marriage alliance somewhere. I keep telling myself it’s not that long, but…”
I stifled a laugh, knowing he didn’t really mean it. “You’d miss her if she was gone, admit it.”
He looked at me and grinned, the full smile I didn’t get to see often enough. “You’ll have to take pity on me and keep me company when that day comes, Evie.”
My lips twitched, but I kept my eyes on the sand ahead of me, hoping he couldn’t see the warmth in my cheeks. What did he mean?
A quiet intake of breath made my eyes fly back to his face. His gaze was fixed on my lips. I flushed again.
“I found her,” called Celine, distracting us both. She flew back and pulled me forward by the hand, pointing to where the other girl sat beside a newly-lit campfire. Sighing, I walked forward out of the gloom of twilight and into the cheery circle cast by the dancing flames.
To my relief, the other girl leaped to her feet at the sight of me and circled the fire in my direction.
“Tillie.” I reached to embrace her.
“Evie!” She placed a kiss on each of my cheeks. “Ofie told me you were here, I should have come to find you earlier.” Her voice sounded just as musical as I remembered.
I shook my head. “You have many responsibilities, I hear.” I let some teasing seep into my voice.
Tillie laughed, the sound like tinkling bells, and nodded. “Oh, so boring, is it not? Would that we were carefree children again.”
“Except we had Ofie, so I’m not sure I’d consider it carefree.” I grinned at her.
“Oh, Ofie.” She sighed. “No, I suppose you are right.”
I remembered the reason for my presence here and gestured toward the other two. “You’ve met Princess Celine and Prince Frederic, of course.”
“Certainly,” she said with a small curtsy. “We are honored to host them in Caravan Adira.”
“As we are honored to be here.” Frederic gave a half bow.
“Yes,” said Celine, jumping in. “So honored that we would like to invite you to eat the evening meal with us tomorrow.”
“How kind,” she said, looking between us with curiosity.
I forced a smile. “You’ll have to fill me in on all the news.”
“But of course,” she said with a smile of her own. “It has been so many years.”
“Yes, indeed,” said Frederic. “I would love to hear some stories about Caravan Adira and Caravan Osmira when the two of you were children.”
A noticeable hush fell over the group around the fire. Several of Tillie’s companions placed their palms to their chests as the camel-puller had done earlier. Tillie herself gripped both my arms and rested her forehead against mine.
“We grieve together.” She said the rote words quietly.
“And together we find the strength to go on.” I struggled to get the traditional reply from my suddenly tight throat.
Celine and Frederic watched us with questions on their faces that no one attempted to answer.
Chapter 21