Page 29 of Fit for a Prince (Fit For A Crown #1)
Chapter twenty-seven
M y ring finger itched miserably today.
Despite his warnings, Atlas had still been inviting me to watch his sparring matches after that. Life almost settled into a routine as Cedric and Atlas took turns summoning me to spend time with them. In fact, it was so routine that I was certain the king had commanded it.
My time spent with the princes was on a three-day rotation.
On the first day I’d have tea with Cedric, on the second day I’d watch Atlas train from the arena seats, and on the third day I’d be called to an empty library, where I could only presume Lochlan hid me so he could fake spending time with me while he snuck away.
Either way, it worked out in my favor since I was granted an entire hour to browse the bookshelves and read through as much material as my eyes could take in.
I was desperate to find a way to get closer to Atlas.
He never addressed me during our interactions anymore.
All he did was spar with his partner and occasionally glance up at me to ensure I was still there.
It didn’t matter if I commented on his performance, cheered, or scolded him; he acted as if I were nothing more than a pesky fly on the wall.
Cedric on the other hand, was more than happy to get close to me. He was polite and a good listener, and he was always careful to get ahead on his work to ensure I could relax during our time together. It was awful.
He still hadn’t expressed any true interest in marriage, but there was no doubt that I had charmed him.
But marrying Cedric would be just as bad as Atlas had implied.
I would be nothing more than an ornament, at best a pawn in the future king’s game.
Life with Cedric would only be safe as long as Cedric was useful.
After that, there would be nothing left.
Plus, he was far too nice.
Nice was likable—and I couldn’t possibly like my husband.
I scratched under my ring as best as I could, imagining Damon’s ghost irritating me from the afterlife the more I thought about marriage. It would be so easy to remove the ring and be done with him, but no matter how much it bothered me, letting go seemed so much harder .
I’d been staring out the window when Beckham brought in the breakfast tray, his hands shaking enough to make the silver dome on top rattle with his steps. I caught his reflection in the frosted glass, his face as pale as the snow that clung to the window’s corners.
“Beckham?” I turned to face him, and the quiet call of his name was enough to make him drop the tray on the table with a clatter.
“Y-yes, my lady?” He tugged at his collar, and I noticed it was buttoned up as high as it could go. Usually, he and the other servants left a button or two undone so they weren’t so restricted.
“Is something wrong?” I asked, the younger boy looking exceptionally small the closer I moved to him. “You look unwell.”
“Unwell?” He swallowed hard, and the tugging at his collar intensified like it was slowly choking him. “Um, may I ask you a question, my lady?”
He glanced around the room, double-checking that no one was hiding behind a curtain or under a table. Not even Mara was around at the moment since she’d run out to empty the fireplace ashes.
“I suppose so,” I said.
“Has your finger been bothering you much?” He glanced down at my ring, and my hand twitched .
“Pardon?” I held up my hand to inspect my finger, wondering if I had been subconsciously scratching at it while lost in thought.
“I guess it bothers me some, but it’s only—” My tongue went limp in my mouth as I took a good look at my hand.
My entire ring finger was tinged purple, almost as if it had been bruised, but there was no pain. “What? What is this?”
“My apologies, I thought you had noticed already,” Beckham said with another tug at his collar.
“I’m afraid the guard has introduced a new type of security into the castle.
They’ve been placing metal talismans around the halls that are used to detect magic users.
It looks like they’ve been picking up on your ring. ”
I turned my hand over, inspecting the strange coloring that was somewhere between ugly and intriguing. It was almost as if it was simply highlighting the source of magic, drawing attention to it like a beacon so I couldn’t hide it.
“That would explain why it’s been itching today,” I said. “It’s reacting to another magic and the two are creating friction against each other, causing a mild discomfort.”
“Yes, and the friction is stronger the closer you get to a talisman,” Beckham said a little hoarsely.
My eyes shot to his throat, my stomach dropping as I remembered the charm around his neck.
“Beckham? How is your neck? ”
His hand lingered on his covered throat, his hands still shaking a touch before he undid one of the buttons. He pulled the collar open, revealing the purple tinge in his skin that was twice as dark as mine.
“It looks worse than it feels,” he said before quickly buttoning it back up. “But I’m not sure how long I can keep it hidden.”
This isn’t good. Why were they trying so hard to find magic sources?
“It will be all right.” I wasn’t sure if I needed to reassure him or myself more, but saying the words out loud seemed to put a touch of color back into his cheeks.
“Try to lie low for now. I’ll see what I can find out about the talismans.
Surely there are nobility who wear magic in the castle.
The servants can’t be the only ones bothered by this change. ”
I squeezed my hand, feeling the tingle of the added magic rush up my arm.
“Thank you, my lady, but please don’t go out of your way on my behalf,” Beckham said with a tight voice. “I’m not worth risking your safety over.”
“What’s the purpose of being safe if I can’t protect those around me?” I said as I picked up my skirts to move toward the breakfast table. “You and every Ivalonian in this castle are worth risking my safety over. ”
“Well, that’s a bit foolish,” Mara’s voice interjected, and I looked over at the servants’ entrance to see that she had just stepped inside with a clean ash bucket.
“I-I’m sorry for being so blunt, my lady.
I just don’t see how any of our lives would be worth endangering yours.
” She stepped further into the room, clutching the bucket against her chest like she might hurl in it.
“I am no better than you,” I said firmly. “I am simply fortunate where others were not. That fortune does not make me superior.”
“But it does make you a bit of a guardian,” Beckham said, his hand still gracing his neck. “Like the one back in the fallen kingdom. You’re our symbol of protection here. We need you alive more than we need to survive.”
Me, like the Guardian? Hardly.
“I’d be a pitiful excuse of a protector if I only cared for myself,” I said with a short click of my tongue as I settled into my seat.
My stomach growled as I looked at my reflection in the silver dome covering my breakfast. “And one more thing, don’t call me a guardian anymore.
Names like that are dangerous to toss around these walls. ”
Beckham gulped, dropping his hand from his throat as he nodded fiercely. “Yes, my lady. My apologies.”
He and Mara went back to work, and I finally took the opportunity to inspect my breakfast. When I lifted the lid, my stomach growled in protest as I looked at the empty plate that contained only a folded note. “What’s this?”
The small remark was enough to summon Mara to my side, her eyes wide and panicked when she saw the lack of food. We were probably sharing the same thought at that moment. “Have I been cut off from meals again?”
“Oh no.” Mara gasped. “Have you stepped out of line recently? Been tardy to a visit with a prince? Spoken out of turn?”
Yes to most of them… I’d never been tardy, at least.
“Not recently .” I opened up the letter, holding my breath as I absorbed the words as quickly as I could. If I was in trouble, then Mara would be in danger, too. Surely I wasn’t that bad of a protector to have acted out without knowing.
Breakfast will be served in the dining hall today. Prince Lochlan, Prince Atlas, and Prince Cedric will all be in attendance. Please arrive no later than a quarter past eight.
“Oh, thank the heavens you’re not in trouble!” Mara exclaimed as she read over my shoulder. “But wait! Did that say a quarter past eight?”
We both whipped our heads around to look at the grandfather clock across from my bed, my whole body turning numb as I read that it was already ten past eight .
“Beckham! Go see if there’s an escort waiting outside!” Mara commanded. She grabbed me by the wrist, flinging me out of my chair and rushing to straighten up any part of my attire that she could.
“On it!” Beckham ran for the door, and the second he pulled it open I saw that two guards were already waiting just beyond the threshold. “H-hello.” He cleared his throat. “Are you here to take Lady Diaspro to breakfast?”
“That’s right,” the first guard said gruffly. “Is she ready yet?”
“Yes!” Mara pushed me toward the door, still running her hands through my hair in an attempt to fluff out my curls while really only torturing me with each tug. “She’s ready. Thank you for waiting.”
I hurried out the door, sneaking one look back at the two servants who had done so much to keep me alive. They waved me off, relieved smiles spanning their faces as the guards calmly led me to the dining hall.
Thank you. I promise I’ll keep you safe, no matter the risk or the marriage.