“Schemer,” I complained. Gods, he’s not even pretending to hide it. “Feed me; I might forgive you.”
Lorcan chuckled and set about making breakfast while I changed into the green checkered dress. I layered it over a white shift, since I get cold easily. Although it’s warm now, the weather patterns can shift quickly here in the foothills of Mount Astra.
The lacing at the waist makes it almost look as though I have a normal woman’s shape. Still thin, but not so starved. Perhaps going around in a warrior’s castoff clothing hasn’t been doing my self-image any favors. Not to mention that the tunics Raina lent me are so short they leave my bony wrists exposed.
We ate, as usual, outside on the patio. I propped my bare feet on one of the unoccupied chairs, my skirt falling up my legs and pooling above my knees.
“I remember you sitting on your balcony like that,” Lorcan says. “Early. When you didn’t like me.”
“I still can’t figure out how you got onto the roof to spy on me.” I picked up an apple and handed it to him, wondering if he remembers. He took it and bit. His expression precisely the same as it was that day, if not quite so boyish anymore. The sight stole my breath.
He shrugged. “Your father wanted to see you. But you looked so content reading about frogs on your balcony. I didn’t want to interrupt.” Lorcan’s mouth curved into a grin. “Besides, the view was spectacular,” he adds, indicating my legs.
I mock-gasped and pressed my palm over my heart. “Are you telling me that my sworn knight was ogling his charge?”
“There weren’t many perks to guarding the world’s grumpiest princess,” he teased.
“You wanted that task and you know it.”
“Of course, I did. I still do.”
A shadow from a passing cloud fell over the fields below us. Our relationship as princess and knight will end soon. Neither of us said anything for a moment.
“How are preparations for your birthday celebration proceeding?” I asked, to break the uncomfortable silence. I know perfectly well that Rya has rented out the town meeting hall for the afternoon and evening, ordered casks of beer and cider, and hired vendors to serve food. I also know Lorcan is only tolerating all of her fuss because last summer, his family believed he was one breath from death.
As far as Rya and Arya know, this will be his last summer as a resident of Tenáho. I dislike lying to them, but that decision was made before we came here.
Lorcan scrubbed his face. “Extravagantly.”
“Are we still to meet your mother for lunch?”
“Yes. Which means we should probably get going.”
We washed up the dishes and made our way into town. I chose my new Converse instead of boots. Arya about went out of her mind with envy when she saw them. Not the reaction I was trying to provoke, but amusing nonetheless.
“What are these? Where can I get some?” she asked, examining my shoes. “You know my brother almost never brought me things from the outside world? No mobile phone, no camera, no clothes—”
“How much money do you think knights earned?” Lorcan said with exasperation. “And what would you do with a phone, anyway? There’s no service here. Not unless you want to spend all your wages on satellite service.”
Arya pouted. “Instagram. TikTok.”
I groaned. The last thing I need is Lorcan’s sister creating mood boards or whatever and becoming an Auralia influencer.
“How do you even know what that is?” he demanded.
“You told me about it, Lorcan. You showed me pictures of you and Princess Zosia one year.”
He frowned. “I’d forgotten that.”
“There were a lot of embarrassing memes about us going around for a while,” I added gently. “Scarlett says there still are. Something about ‘shipping’?”
“Boats?” Lorcan’s confusion echoed my own.
“I don’t know what it involves, but I don’t get the sense it means boats. We’ll have to ask her about it when she arrives.”
“When is she coming?”
“End of August. I’ll have to arrange transportation for her and all of our belongings.”
