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Chapter Twelve

T ime seemed to flow differently when you had three meals a day and a full night’s sleep every evening. Hunger pains no longer dragged out my day, and nights flew by the moment my head hit the satin pillowcases. Before I even realized it, an entire week at the palace had gone by.

An entire week of lies.

Kipu didn’t seem to mind the ruse. He cawed awake, joyfully stretching his wings and showing off his fattened belly. I would need to tell the maids to cut back on his birdseed before he couldn’t fly off the ground anymore.

I checked the lamp every morning, always relieved to see that the ring was right where I had left it. Jean did an excellent job keeping it safe, and Kipu did a sub-par job of keeping quiet.

“Lamp!” Kipu screeched at Priynna as she braided my hair back. “Kya! Lamp! ”

“Goodness, Princess. That bird of yours sure does seem to like lamps,” she said with a perplexed glance at Kipu.

“Uh, yes...” I nibbled the edge of my lip. “That’s...because there was another bird in our home country named Lamp. He missed her very much, clearly.”

“A bird named Lamp?” Valorie joined in the conversation as she swapped out my bedsheets, nerve-rackingly close to the real lamp on my nightstand. “That’s certainly a peculiar name for a pet.”

“What can I say?” I shrugged. “She lights up his life?”

They stopped asking questions after that, but I think it was more because they didn’t want to hear me struggle through another joke. They prepared me for breakfast, then escorted me to the dining hall where I’d been enjoying meals with the prince and other invited ladies for the past week.

It was usually the most interaction I could get with the prince. Ever since the ball, he’d done his best to attend to the other ladies and avoid giving me any special attention. This certainly helped me blend in, but I missed having moments alone with him.

But it doesn’t matter what I want. I’m living the life of a princess, the least I can do is protect him from having our lie uncovered .

Despite all the guilt I felt for putting Adir in this position, I couldn’t deny that it was the best thing that had ever happened to me.

My fainting spells had been lessening by the day now that I was receiving proper sleep and nutrition, and my stamina had never been better.

It almost made me wish for another evening of dancing where I could properly enjoy time with the prince. ..

I took my regular seat at breakfast and immediately filled my plate with fresh fruit and a fluffy pastry. The ladies started chatting around me, and I tuned in and out while devouring my meal.

“Is Adirion coming today?” Lady Pollyanne asked. “I was hoping to talk to him about an issue I’ve had with my personal guard.”

“An issue?” Princess Morana looked up from her mug of spiced tea that I could smell from all the way across the table. “What’s happening with your guard? I’ve had a few issues as well.”

The whole table seemed to lean in, myself included as I imagined all the other Jeans across the palace.

“Well... he’s not protecting my belongings.” Lady Pollyanne pouted. “This morning, I looked everywhere for my favorite diamond necklace, and I still can’t find it. What’s the point in having a personal guard if they can’t keep thieves out of our rooms? ”

Thieves?

I nearly choked on a piece of dragon fruit, the small bite getting lodged in my throat for a scary moment before I could gulp it down.

“You’re kidding!” Morana slammed her mug down on the table. “I’m missing jewelry too!”

The other girls broke into gasps and chatter.

“What? Me too!”

“I thought it was only me!”

“My diamond earrings went missing last night!”

“I can’t find my mother’s diamond broach!”

What started off as one lady blowing off smoke fanned into a flaming uproar of frustrated girls, all listing off the trinkets and jewels that had gone missing over the last week.

I soaked in every word but couldn’t find anything to add to the conversation.

I didn’t come with any jewelry, so if something was missing, there was no way I would ever know.

The only true treasure I possessed was still safe inside my lamp.

Everything that’s missing consists of diamonds...

I glanced down at my hand, and for the first time since I’d taken the ring off, I felt nervous that it wasn’t with me.

Was Jeteran behind all the missing diamonds?

No, it couldn’t be... He knew exactly what the wishing diamond looked like, and who had it.

Why would he go to the trouble of stealing from any of the other girls?

Does that mean there’s another diamond hunter in the palace?

My breakfast soured in my stomach.

“We must speak with the prince about this,” Princess Morana said firmly. “Surely he’ll do something about it.”

The girls all agreed, and no one seemed interested in finishing their breakfast after that. When the servants finally informed us that Adir would be skipping breakfast, the entire group got up and started looking for him, hunting him down like a prized stag.

I somewhat followed the crowd, eventually finding myself in the same courtyard where we’d danced for our welcoming party.

All the peacocks were roaming free, and a few of the monkeys were lazing about in the sun, on benches and in the grass.

I moved to one of the wall-less rooms, stepping into the shade where I could process my thoughts and hide from the hunt.

My fingers curled around the phantom ring, itching to go back to my suite and check on it once more to make sure it was safe.

Unlike the other girls, I had full faith in my personal guard, but what if the thief was smart enough to outsmart even Jean?

He wasn’t exactly good at smooth-talking himself out of situations.

.. Maybe keeping the ring on me would be safer. ..

Unless that’s what the thief wants me to do. What if Jeteran is trying to trick me into bringing the ring back into the light out of fear?

I sat down on a bench, catching a funny look from a monkey who was half-asleep in an olive tree above me. My finger twitched, imagining the ring’s power warming my skin.

“I wish I could talk to Adir about this.”

It wasn’t a real wish. I didn’t have the power of the ring to make it come true, nor did he have any reason to come seek me out. I was a liability at best to him, especially now that I couldn’t even offer him my help if I wanted to.

But sometimes, wishes didn’t need magic to come true.

“Kya?” Adir’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts, causing me to double-check that I hadn’t been wearing the ring by mistake.

Adir slipped into the shady corner with me, looking around to ensure no one was watching us as he took a seat with me on the bench.

“Thank goodness it’s you. I was hoping I would find you alone. ”

There wasn’t much sun in the shady space, but I could have sworn I was glowing when he sat down beside me. He clutched his hands in his lap, his shoulders slouched and leg bouncing like he was fighting to untangle a bundle of nerves that I desperately wanted to help unwind.

But I can’t help him.

“Is everything all right?” I asked once he was settled.

“Yes. Well...no, not really.” He gave me a sheepish smile that was masking so much more behind it. “But it’s not anything for you to worry about. I’ve been needing to check in on you for a while now. Are you comfortable? Have the guards given you any trouble?”

There was a thief running loose in the palace, a scheming uncle looking to take his crown, and he was asking the lying princess if she was all right?

“It’s been more than I deserve,” I admitted, wiping a bead of sweat off my brow. Even in the shade the heat was sweltering. Maybe I should have eaten more at breakfast. “And the guards have been wonderful. For the first time in my life they aren’t chasing me down with swords.”

“Good.” He laughed, the joy seeming to alleviate his anxiety.

He sat up a little straighter, his eyes sparkling like an oasis to my parched soul.

“I’m glad at least one of my guests feels protected.

I’m sure you’ve noticed the hoard of angry princesses I narrowly dodged at breakfast.” He pressed a hand to his forehead and dragged it down his face, cupping his chin, where I noticed the slight shadow of a beard coming in .

“They were saying something about a thief in the palace,” I said. A cool breeze rustled through the olive tree above us, showering us in soft leaves that left a woody aroma in the air.

“They’re not wrong.” He looked at me with a coy smile. “There’s definitely at least one thief hiding within these walls.”

My cheeks flushed. “Wait, you don’t think I’m the thief, do you?” I gasped. “Because I promise you, Adir. After how kind you’ve been to me, I would never—”

“It’s okay, relax.” He chuckled. “I don’t think it’s you, Kya.”

A wave of relief washed over me, but I didn’t think Adir felt the same. The stress of his teetering crown clearly weighed on him, and I cursed the ring for preventing me from taking some of the burden off his shoulders.

If only he could use the ring...so many of his problems could be wished away.

“I’m sorry this is happening.” It was all I could say. There was nothing I could do to help him, but maybe just being there for him would be enough for now.

“I’m sorry you were dragged into it,” he said with a kind smile that I didn’t deserve. “I know this is a palace, but you’ve been imprisoned in it all the same. I promise I’ll keep working until I’ve secured a place over my uncle and can promise your freedom. It just... It hasn’t been easy.”

I reached for his hand, not even realizing I had done it until his warm palm was in my grip. He looked down at our shared touch but didn’t pull away. I wondered if he could feel my pulse pounding in my fingertips, desperately wanting to do more than I was able.

“Is it Jeteran again?” I asked in a hushed voice, afraid that the breeze would somehow carry my words to prying ears.

He squeezed my hand. “It’s always Jeteran,” he said coldly. “His persistence is unmatched. When he’s not following me around, he’s whispering in my father’s ear or disappearing to plot against me. If I don’t tread carefully, I could lose everything, Kya.”

He met my eyes, and I felt the power of his wish pulling me back like a tiger being yanked by its handler’s rope. I could fix this. With just a simple wish, I could dethrone Jeteran and save Adir from all this anguish.

But would it be right?

My hand felt limp in Adir’s as I thought back to how I had commanded Jean to keep a secret, or how awful I felt being restrained by Adir’s wish. The power of the ring was incredible, but it was also terrifying. Could I trust myself not to make another mistake ?

“Adir,” I said softly. “Tell me, what will Jeteran do if he becomes sultan?”

What type of world would I be protecting everyone from if I took the risk?

“Why don’t you just ask him yourself?” A low voice crept up behind me, startling me away from Adir so I dropped his hand. I looked behind me, my breath catching in the back of my throat as Jeteran’s polished smile gleamed at us. “Hello again, Princess Kya.”