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Resenia nodded. “Mhm. Put the rumors to rest, won’t you, dear?” She waved her cup in the air. “How many Pontians did our valiant soldiers have to fight off on the ship before you all could depart?”

Avoiding the women’s stares, Kallie’s gaze dropped to her cup. Raising it to her lips, she mumbled, “One.”

Gilliana tipped her head to the side. “Excuse me?”

“Did she sayone?” one woman whispered to another.

Kallie’s heart rate increased. Her palms grew sweaty, and heat flushed her neck.

“Your Highness?” Resenia asked, eyebrows drawn together. “Are you sure? The soldiers said it nearly took all of them to get rid of them.”

“Poor girl was probably too traumatized to remember,” another woman whispered at one of the nearby tables. However, she did a poor job of keeping her voice quiet. “I heard she had fainted on her way out of the castle and had to be carried back to the ship. She must not know.”

Tessa shifted beside her, raising her chin and pursing her lips.

An ice-cold shiver ran through Kallie’s body. Her blood vibrated beneath her flesh. “I am not mistaken. There was only one Pontian aboard.”

Clink. Metal hit porcelain, and a snarl sat upon Tessa’s face.

“One? Are you sure?” Resenia asked, just as Tessa scoffed and said, “Impossible.”

Ignoring Tessa’s remark, Kallie cocked a brow and met Resenia’s gaze. “Yes. I’m sure.”

“Who could have possibly required that many people?” Gilliana asked.

Kallie took a deep breath and relaxed the muscles in her jaw before answering. “The Prince of Pontia.”

Some of the women inhaled, the conversation coming to a halt. The clatter of dishes stopped. The only sounds that permeated the silence were the birds chirping in the nearby rose bushes.

“The heir?” Resenia asked after a moment.

Kallie nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat.

A few of the women gave Kallie odd glances. She saw the questions of why the Pontian heir would have risked his life for her flash across their features.

If only they knew.

“Don’t worry, ladies. The prince got what was due to him.” Tessa smiled, smoothing down her dress. “Sebastian made sure of that.”

Kallie gripped the napkin, her nails testing its durability as they bit into the fabric.

Hurried footsteps sounded behind her.

“Pardon the interruption, Your Highnesses,” Myra said.

Kallie’s shoulders sagged slightly at the welcomed interference. She turned to face her handmaiden with a relieved smile. “Yes, Myra?”

“Your presence has been requested, Princess.” Myra’s voice was calm and polite, but her hazel eyes sparked with an intensity Kallie was all too familiar with.

Kallie’s smile faltered. Her chair scratched against the brick pavement as she stood from the table. “Ladies, it has been a delight,” she said to the women with a saccharine smile. Tossing her napkin on the table, she spun on her heel.

Myra’s interruption was well-timed. Kallie had listened to enough gossip for one day. The women could say what they wanted about the Pontians, but she would not sit there and listen to them defile her brother’s name.

Still, as convenient as the interruption was, Kallie did not look forward to the next conversation awaiting her presence.

“He’s arrived, hasn’t he?” Kallie asked as they strolled past the guards.

Myra nodded. “The king is waiting for you in your room.”