The prince took her hand. My stomach twisted and I willed myself to ignore it. He's just playing his part. He raised her hand to his lips. One, two, three seconds passed. Would the kiss never end? My face was on fire.
Darren released Priscilla's hand, finally. The girl tilted her head slightly to find me watching. She smiled prettily. It took everything in me to stop myself from tearing across the crowd and ripping the smug expression off her face.
Ella noticed my reaction. "One more week, Ry."
I took a deep breath. She was right, of course. One more week and then I would never, ever have to see Darren's lips on Priscilla's hand – or worse, her lips.
He had warned me things wouldn't be easy, that he would have to continue his part to keep her suspicions at bay… But it had been one thing to hear him say those words. It was another to see him act on them. It was hard to remember that he wanted me - that he loved me - when he and I had never been able to do so much as hold hands since we arrived back in Langli.
Everything will change once we reach Devon, I reminded myself. Then it would be me, not her. I just needed to be patient for a little while longer.
"You know Alex is worried." Ella interrupted my thoughts. "He says you shouldn't get your hopes too high."
I frowned. "I know exactly what I am setting my hopes for."
"He's just trying to protect you. We both are."
"Well, tell Alex if he really cares he will keep his opinions to himself. This isn't a mistake. I don't tell my brother how to go about his relationships – gods only know he's made far more mistakes than me." I immediately regretted the choice of words when I saw the flush on Ella's face. "I didn't mean you!" I amended quickly. "You are the one good decision he's made!"
Ella pulled away, putting more space between our horses. "If anything, Alex's mistakes should tell you he has a point. He knows how a man thinks, he knows how they act, he-"
"Alex isn't Darren," I interrupted. "Alex doesn't have any idea what it is like to be a prince!"
Ella stared at me, hard. "Do you?"
I swallowed and felt my cheeks go red. "More than him!"
Ella sighed. "I wish you would hear your brother out, Ry. I've done my best this whole time to keep my opinions to a minimum but you should at least consider Alex's. He's your brother."
"When he apologizes I will talk to him."
Ella groaned. Alex and I had been feuding for weeks – ever since he blew up in a rare moment of anger and told me I was a fool for leaving Ian and that I was even more so if I thought Darren would ever leave Priscilla. "You've got some fancy notion in that big head of yours," he'd said, "and I'm here to set you straight. You can't have everything, Ry, and this one is out of your reach."
"I'll try and talk him around," Ella said finally. "He wasn't right to say those things to you." She attempted a smile. "You know Alex just wants the best for you, even if he is making a mistake in the way that he goes about it. I think he remembers what I told him about Blayne, and then that time when Darren hazed you during your first year… it's hard for him to forget that. He's your brother, and your twin, and I know more than anything he just wants to protect you."
I glanced to the right of our procession where the Restoration apprentices rode. I recognized Alex's telltale sandy brown hair and broad shoulders near the back. I straightened in my saddle and glared straight ahead. I'm nobody's fool. You'll see, just give it a week. This one isn't out of my reach.
****
I had just handed off my reigns to the palace hostler when I felt something soft pressed into my hand. I glanced down at my palm and was startled to find a piece of paper folded neatly on top. I closed my fingers over the note and looked for the shaggy-haired stableman but he had already disappeared while the rest of his men continued to collect the horses from the remaining apprentices.
Curious to see what the paper said, I hurried to my assigned chambers, locked my door, and then read the note:
R,
Meet me at the palace gardens in one hour. Wait near the statue of Morteus. Look for an old hag with a long, gray braid.
-D
I snorted at that last bit. What in the name of the gods was Darren up to? I hadn't expected to see him until he talked to his father, and an hour was hardly enough time to have such a serious conversation. We couldn't be seen together beforehand, so what was he planning?
I made a quick attempt to wash from the morning travel (the palace servants wouldn't see to the apprentices chambers until much later that day) and then fumbled around my luggage for the right thing to wear. I held out the dress I had worn to the solstice ball, but it was far too nice and I had no idea what Darren had planned. Would I even see him at all? He wanted me to find an old woman so there was no point in dressing up for him. Ultimately I decided on a simple blue cotton dress that wouldn't draw attention. I pinned my hair back in a makeshift up-do and then left to find the gardens.