The showers in the prince’s palace were absolutely glorious. The shower head was larger than the size of my face, and next to the shower, there was even a tub that bubbled. As if the princes weren’t enough of a work distraction, I’d spent far too long in the bathroom. I lathered soap that smelled like fresh flowers over my body, soaking in the luxury.

I was feeling more than satisfied when I left the bathroom and stepped into my room. My hair was damp. I took a towel and patted it dry then slipped on my nightgown.

I strode out of my room toward Rylan’s, which was two doors down from mine. I needed to have a talk about his brothers and their strange new arrangement. Plus, I required a ride to the council tomorrow, and I was deliberating whether I should let Kael or Micah take me. I wanted no part in their games, even though I was the catalyst.

I had to cross Gaius’s room to get to Rylan’s. His door was wide open, and because curiosity got the better of me, I peered in.

Gaius was sitting on a couch, cleaning his axe with a cloth. He noticed me. I stilled, trying to come up with a plan to escape a confrontation with him. The day had worn me out too much for another argument.

The plan was simple— walk away. So I did.

But Gaius didn’t let me go. He set his axe aside and strode up to me, wearing his usual sour expression and slap-able face.

“What is it?” I asked, a sigh in my voice.

“You poured water on me,” he said. I had to strain my neck too much to look up at him when he was this close.

“And? It’s just water. You’re a hidrae. Are you that easily defeated?”

“I demand an apology.”

I balked. “After what you said? I’m the one who deserves one. You said some horrible things.”

“Nothing but the truth.”

“I can’t stand another second with you.” I was about to leave, when he halted me by grabbing my bare hand. The sizzle of magic happened, and Gaius promptly let me go.

Micah had said that Gaius might like me. The notion was as unbelievable as a flying Geckari.

He raised a finger. “That’s what I’m talking about. You lowborn are always like this. Thinking too highly of yourselves and that you’re better than us nobles.”

I had to roll my eyes at that one. “Maybe the reason why we’re treating you this way is because you’re a large turd. Have you ever thought about it like that?”

Doubt flickered through his eyes. “No.” And then he chased that ambivalence away with a scowl of anger. “It’s because of people like you that bad gossip about me keeps spreading around.”

“Gaius!” I waved my hands. “Wake up. Not everything is about you. People don’t go out of their way to be mean to you. It’s tiring to stir that much drama. You’re the one flicking things around with your bad attitude.”

“I want to have you strung up,” he said, narrowing his eyes and drawing his lips into a tight line.

“Go ahead. And then you’d seem like an even bigger dick, because most of the Council of Intelligence sees me favorably. Stop digging your own hole.”

That seemed to shut him up. “I have to clean my axe.”

“Do that. Because it’s as dull as you are and probably needs some sharpening.”

“It’s one of the sharpest axes in all of Constanria,” came his not-so-clever retort.

I sighed, running my hand through my still somewhat damp locks, and made my way over to Rylan’s room. I felt Gaius’s gaze digging into my back as I strode off, but I didn’t let it bother me. I’d actually managed to shut Gaius the Big Turd’s remarks up, and it made me feel a little too good about myself.

Rylan’s door was closed. I raised my fist and rapped on it twice. He opened it just before I was about to knock on it a second time.

“Sera,” he said. His hair was down in a messy tousle that only made him look more attractive, and the earring he usually wore was gone. “Shouldn’t you be asleep?”

“I have to ask you something.”

“Come in.” He pulled his door wider, allowing me in. I stepped into his room and was surprised by how clean it was. The only things marring the neatness of his place were the stacks of books and scrolls splayed across his bed.

“Busy?” I asked, eying the scrolls.

“Complaints from the magistrates about the famines, and I’m trying to figure out what’s causing them still.” He moved to his bed and sat on it. He pulled one of the sheets of paper from the pile. Seeing Rylan working on his bed made a smile quirk up my lips—I did the same thing too, even though it wasn’t the most efficient thing to do. Bad habits often got in the way of productivity, but they were so hard to change.

I stepped forward. “Isn’t it the king’s job to answer to the complaints?”

“Father is getting old. He wants me to take up more duties.”

“And you could ask the council for help.”

“I’m not sure if Gisiroth would like to see me slacking off. It’s my job as our future king to answer to the worries of the people.”

“You should sleep more. Kael mentioned you stay up late with your worries and duties. You won’t be able to rule with a calm head if you are constantly overworked.”

Rylan exhaled, letting his shoulders relax. He brushed his hair aside from his slender face and set down the document. “I should. So what do you need?” He turned his attention to me, and was giving me the same look Kael had. Was he…

No, that was stupid. All four princes couldn’t have an interest.

“I was wondering if you could give me a ride to the council tomorrow,” I said. “I’ll be needing those, since you’re so adamant about me not moving back and all that. I mean, I could walk… but then I’d have to wake up at five in the morning to get there on time.” Maybe I should do that anyway. Troublesome, but probably the lesser evil.

“What about Kael or Micah?”

“They started this stupid bet, and I’d rather not have to entertain either of them. It’ll only cause more problems.”

“What bet?”

“Uh. Kael had this brilliant idea to find out who I’d…” This was too embarrassing. “Who I’d kiss first?”

Rylan’s eyes widened. “And Micah agreed?”

“Quite willingly, in fact, which surprised me.”

“It’s surprising me, too. Micah has had partners before, but it was usually due to the girls’ interest and happenstance. They eventually left when they figured he wouldn’t pay them much attention.”

Hearing that made me feel special, but I couldn’t let that get to my head.

“So, about the ride?” I asked.

“I’m guessing you don’t want one from Gaius.”

“No, I believe I’d rather have my head eaten by an inca.”

A smirk brushed the side of Rylan’s lips. “All right. I’ll take you to the council tomorrow. Is there anything else?”

“No, that’s all.”

“See you tomorrow.”

I nodded, then spun around. I lingered for a little longer than I should have, wanting to take in the sight of the crown prince’s room. How many other Constanrians would be able to see this? Frederick would be beside himself with awe if he were in my position.

And then I heard a snap from behind me.

I looked back at Rylan.

Rylan tried hard not to show it, but his brow was wound too tightly. My gaze traveled down his face to his hand, and there, I saw a broken quill.

“Getting frustrated?” I asked.

“It’s just this food shortage,” he replied, standing up so he could fetch a new quill from his desk. “I’m getting letters upon letters from nobles and magistrates who need to stock up their granaries. I’m going through complaints. They’re all of the same nature, and it’s draining.”

“Do you want help answering them?”

“You’re plenty busy yourself.”

I ignored him and walked up to his bed, picking up one of his documents and reading through the letter. “This Duke Qhutiar sounds like an awfully insolent man.”

“And intruding into my work isn’t the same thing?”

I started. “Sorry. I… was getting ahead of myself.” I set the paper down.

“It’s fine. Let me know what you think.”

“He’s in the Jura region, which is having a shortage of root vegetables and grains at the moment. The Geckari there are dying. But we have a surplus of those foods here in the central areas and the farmlands surrounding us. The springs are still flourishing, and it’s staving off the effects of the high summers. The drought is a problem, but I also believe the inequality between the regions is another large one we have to solve. Respond to him, telling him that you’re working on ways to create incentives for trading between our regions.”

Rylan looked deep in thought. He sat back down on his bed with his new quill, and passed me one, too. “That’s an interesting proposition, but do you believe we actually have the means to do so? It’s not as straightforward as bringing the food there. We have draerin and hidraes who might be able to help with that, temporarily, at least, but who will want to pay for these services? And who will want to give up their food? The nobles will get angry if we take away their spoils.”

“We don’t have a plan, not yet. We’ll need to draft new laws, which all intermingle, for this to work, or convince the king to make a national order, which has to also be checked by the two councils. It’ll be a few months before anything happens. But what we need to do first is appease the worries of the people so chaos doesn’t happen.”

“I can see why Tindyll is considering you as secretary despite your young age.”

Rylan’s praise made me nervous. “I spend all my time reading and catching up with happenings. I don’t know if one day, I’ll look back at my youth, and wonder where all the time I could have spent enjoying went.” But it was worth it, because if I didn’t strive this hard, I’d lose my standing, and instead of reading through papers, I’d be lugging buckets of feces around.

Rylan began scribbling his response to the duke. “I don’t think I have the luxury of such doubts.”

“Of course you do. You’re crown prince, but you also have to take care of yourself.”

“Sit down, Sera,” he said, patting the empty spot next to him.

“What?” I stilled. “On your bed?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

I shifted a hesitant glance to the documents. I did as Rylan requested, and sat next to him, making sure I kept a proper distance from the prince.

“What do you think about this?” Rylan asked, passing me another letter. “I value your opinion.”

I didn’t realize that the crown prince having such expectations for me would bring such stress. “It’s a dispute over succession.”

“And?”

“Doesn’t the eldest deserve the position of lord? It’s common practice.”

“Even if someone younger is more suitable?”

“We have rules to avoid conflicts like that.”

Rylan took the paper back from me. “Such conflicts were what started the rebellion between my father and the Gavril family so many years ago.”

History stated that Gisiroth Everborne was the youngest in the line of succession, but his father had awarded him the position of king because he showed the most promise. His brother, Ailen Everborne, was angered by the decision, and broke off from the family to form the Gavril clan. This sparked tension for many decades, which eventually led to a small rebellion that Gisiroth subdued. Ailen Gavril had been executed in the end.

“I’ll listen to your opinion,” Rylan said, setting aside his penned reply. “What about this one?”

We went on like this for the next hour or so. Being with Rylan was so calming that I didn’t keep track of time. I wouldn’t have minded spending every night like this, helping him through his material and listening to his intellectual arguments. We didn’t agree on everything, but his retorts always made sense, and widened my views.

And before I realized it, he was sitting close to me, inching nearer, and a warm spark formed between us. I didn’t back away. I liked it there.

Eventually, we had to rush to finish the entire stack of papers, and Rylan trusted me enough to pen responses in lieu of him. Silence fell as we worked.

“Rylan, would you mind reading…”

Prince Rylan had his head on the bed’s headrest. His eyes were closed, and his lips were slightly ajar. He looked so peaceful when he slept.

I wasn’t thinking and, for a split second, let my emotions get the better of me. I leaned in and reached up my hand, letting it hover over his face.

His skin was so pale, unlike Gaius’s. Kael had mentioned Rylan couldn’t sleep well. I probably should have left, but his beauty enraptured me, and I leaned in more than I should have.

Then, before I even touched him, his hand jolted up, and his fingers wrapped around my wrist. My heart nearly dropped to my stomach. His electrifying bright eyes locked on mine. They traveled down toward my lips. Then his gaze flickered to yellow, as the eyes of hidraes and draerin often did when they were feeling emotional.

“Sera…” he said.

“I—I’m sorry, I should have—”

His hand lingered around my waist. What was he thinking behind those yellow eyes? A low growl shook from him. Was he going to kiss me? The warmth of his breath brushed my skin.

“Rylan?” I asked, softly, because I couldn’t manage anything louder. Not with my mind blanking out.

I shouldn’t have called his name. It shoved him out of his trance. He let go of me, and that simmer between our touch dissipated like a mist.

“I think it’s time for bed,” he said.

“Yeah,” I managed, sliding off his sheets, feeling my legs wobbling beneath me.

I scampered out of Rylan’s room, not daring to look behind.

Holy Aereala—what was that?