Page 18 of Kingdom of Tomorrow (Book of Arden #1)

If you heed correction, you will always return to the right path.

“There you are!” Mykal flew down the hall, an arrow aimed straight at me. Since I’d last seen her, her strain had only increased.

“I want to hear all about your first day,” I said, giving her a hug.

“For starters, I think I made a terrible mistake. All I do is fetch, fetch, fetch. Though I did get to set up a date between our illustrious HP and Countess Soti’s oldest daughter.” She exaggerated a pinched expression, making me laugh, even as my brain performed a series of somersaults.

High Prince Dolion was seeing the daughter of the woman responsible for administrating Cured ’s finances. Interesting. Not the least bit disappointing. Not that his romantic life was any of my business.

“I’m supposed to escort you to His Royal Highness as quickly as possible,” she told me. “My orders were explicit. Every minute you’re not there, we’re late.”

Ugh. “He’s eager to shear.”

“I don’t know what that means. But for whatever it’s worth, I don’t think you’ll be flogged, imprisoned or kicked out.

” Guided by a map provided by a new wristband, she rushed me through hallways, up staircases and elevators, and through common areas filled with knights who’d graduated to different levels within the academy.

She used the chip in her palm to key us past locked doors and bypass checkpoints.

After we cleared a heavily armed door, the building’s interior changed from prison chic to total fantasyland.

Elaborately carved tables and chairs occupied a lobby, set up strategically to allow easy viewing of an array of statues covered in gemstones.

Unlike the statues in my province, these had no human parts, only creatures of myth.

Dragons, winged horses and monsters of mysterious origins.

Countless pritis beamed from the ceiling, illuminating crystals that shimmered from within. Wow. I’d never seen the stones up close or so many in one place. Pretty!

“Spectacular, isn’t it?” she asked.

We entered a large chamber, the thick, heavy door closing behind us, and—I gasped. A piece of the Rock. It divided the otherwise empty room. I lurched back to press against the wall.

“No, no.” Mykal clasped my hand and yanked me onward. “It’s only a replica used for study. There’s no danger.”

“But—”

“There’s no faster way to reach the HP.”

Okay. All right. Boiling tension downgraded to a low simmer, allowing movement from my limbs. Still. I kept my eyes averted until we exited into a wide hallway.

Mykal released me as soon as we reached a red door. She knocked twice before entering without awaiting a response. I hadn’t yet screwed my head on tight enough when I noticed the HP. He stood in front of his desk, leaning against the edge, speaking with his father.

I skidded to an abrupt halt. King Tagin Dolion, leader of the armed forces. The be-all and end-all, whose word was law. Here. In person. His presence added weight to the air, as if the force of gravity had intensified.

Breath sawed between my lips. “Leave, fear,” I whispered for my ears alone.

Maybe they heard. The pair looked my way, but neither displayed a reaction. Was that good? Bad?

Mykal saluted, and I followed suit.

“Wait in the hall, Miss Ellison,” the HP said, pushing the command through his scabbed lips. A scab I’d given him. I gulped.

Off she trucked. Should I leave too?

The king nodded a greeting at me. “It’s an honor to meet you, Lady Roosa.”

My eyes widened. “It is? I mean, thank you. Sir.”

He chuckled. “It is indeed. My wife read your paper on the Soil and Seed Anomaly. It impressed her so much, we asked Cyrus to watch over you.” He patted the high prince’s shoulder. “I hope you don’t mind.”

Excitement burned my trepidation to ash.

The HP’s mother had read my paper. And liked it!

There was no reason for Shiloh to investigate what he’d overheard.

This explained so many things. Why the HP and the king had focused on me upon my arrival.

Why the HP first offered me the job as his assistant.

Even why he might, hopefully, spare me from a punishment he felt I deserved.

Wait. I hadn’t responded out loud. I should speak. “I don’t mind at all,” I burst out. My cheeks heated as my exuberance registered. “I’m the one who’s honored, sir.” This man’s dedicated guidance had prevented many other Great Regrets from occurring.

The high prince was right. A leader could make or break a team.

“I didn’t know your mother is a grower,” I told him.

The fact that his parents were married blew my mind.

With an astronomical marriage tax, few couples took the plunge.

My parents certainly hadn’t. Plus, most people were afraid of creating permanent ties in case either party broke with the Madness.

“Ah. You assume his wife is my mother,” was his response as he straightened, his posture as rigid as the rest of him.

Oops. I had. The heat in my cheeks reached the blistering point. At least he’d sounded amused by my blunder.

Before I could stumble out an apology, the king moved the conversation along, saying, “I’ll leave you to your meeting. Be Cured , Lady Roosa.”

“Be Cured , King Dolion.”

He gave his son’s shoulder another pat before striding from the room. The door shut behind him, but gravity didn’t right itself.

Rather than refocus on the sole other occupant, I occupied myself with a study of his spacious office.

It was as luxurious as the rest of the palace portion of the building.

The walls, though, were gold, not crystal.

A conference table with legs carved to resemble those of a lion complemented four chairs reminiscent of the animal’s head.

But there were no personal items anywhere.

No doodads on the desk. No portraits, photos, or holograms providing a peek into the HP’s favorite people, places, or things. No plants.

“You need flowers,” I stated before I could think better of it. “And plants. Lots of plants.”

“Agreed.”

“If you have access to soil and seed, I’m happy to grow them for you.” I made the offer and experienced instant speaker’s remorse. I did not need to be shut inside his office with him on the daily.

“I called you here for a reason, Bubble Gum.” He acted as if I hadn’t spoken, a specialty of all higher-ups, and I didn’t know whether I should be relieved or offended. “Let’s get to it.”

Right. I inwardly cringed. “Go ahead. I’m ready to do my penance.”

The corners of his mouth twitched, and the sight confused me. “Your prize is there.” He pointed to a platter of desserts on the table, near a large jug with the word Lemonade scripted on a label.

So lemonade was a drink! And oh, my mouth watered. But, um, did the HP know about the code word I shared with Shiloh?

“Why give me a prize and not—oooh!” Because I’d smacked him in the face. Giddy, I bobbed up and down on my heels. “What about my punishment? Aren’t I supposed to shed fear?”

“The loss of free time is the punishment, not the shedding of fear. That is a mercy on my part and something you should value.” He strode past me to lift the plate of desserts, each seeming to feature apples and figs. “Which one will you sample first?”

Nibbling on my bottom lip, I examined the offerings with a sharper eye. “This one, please.” Yes, I slurred my words. No, I didn’t care.

I plucked the creation from obscurity. Anticipation spiked into enthusiasm as I popped the little morsel into my mouth. Oh, my goodness. The sweetness! Juice ran over my taste buds, and I moaned. “I knew I’d love these.” Live without them? Never again.

“They have become a favorite of mine as well,” the HP said, his voice low and thick. “A prize worthy of a throbbing lip.”

Tingles slipped over my spine, and I jerked my gaze to him. Surely he hadn’t meant to sound so carnal . Or maybe he had. Daaaang. He looked carnal, too, his eyes hooded.

I swallowed and dabbed my tongue to the corners of my mouth.

He pulled his gaze from me, set the plate on the table, and busied himself with a stack of papers. I hurried to refocus as well, choosing a second pastry. My eyelids slid shut as new flavors exploded on my tongue. I could do nothing but savor the honey-dipped heaven.

When I remembered where I was, why I was there, and who I was with, I inwardly cringed. Oops. Should I, perhaps, attempt to converse while I stuffed my face?

No need. He took over. “Use the supplies to list your fears. All of them,” he commanded. “I don’t care if the list is a thousand pages long, leave nothing out.” He was back to using his firmest tone. “Do not leave this office until you finish.” He strode off without another word.

Oookay. He definitely hadn’t flirted with me earlier, even for a millisecond. Anyway. The urge to snoop around proved strong, but I didn’t give in. For my “punishment,” I must only list my fears? What, did he think the length would humiliate me?

Joke’s on you, HP.

Whistling under my breath, I poured myself some lemonade and got comfortable at the table.

The first sip of the yellow liquid proved as world changing as the sweet treats.

Tart yet sugary and my new favorite beverage.

I drained the rest and nearly overflowed my cup with my next pour.

In between guzzling, I finished off the remaining treats, loving every bite but the last. I admit, I pouted.

I heaved a sigh, snatched up a pen and a piece of paper and scribbled a single word. There. Done with my assignment.

After securing the page to the high prince’s desk, I strode into the hall, surprised to find Mykal just outside the door, barring Dr. Korey’s entrance.

“—did he go?” the doctor was saying, irritation dripping from every syllable.

“He didn’t tell me. Nor did he mention when he planned to return,” Mykal responded, unafraid to go toe to toe with the other woman. Good for her!

Dr. Korey noticed me and slitted her eyes. “Why are you in High Prince Dolion’s office without supervision? That isn’t allowed.”

“I was only doing what I was told,” I said, high on apples, figs, and lemonade.

Mykal nodded her support. “The next time I see the HP, I can let him know you disapproved of his orders to Lady Roosa and that you’d like to speak with him.”

“No, I’ll find him on my own.” The doctor gave me a final glare before stomping away.

“You realize she has a crush on the high prince and now hates you for getting special treatment, yes?” Mykal deadpanned.

“She hates everyone, I think.”

“Yeah. Accurate.” My friend clutched my hand. “Tell me you’re done. I’m cleared for rest and relaxation as soon as you are.”

Oh, thank goodness. “Start relaxing, baby, because my assignment is completed.”

“Life is worth living again!” Cheering, she threw her arms around me.

As we hustled down the hall, she told me, “I have had a day . All I want to do is go to our room and teach you hand signals.” She lowered her volume and leaned into me.

“There’s so much I wanna tell you but can’t.

Not out loud. Just know you won’t believe half the things I’ve overheard and seen. ”

Oooh, I must find out! We made the journey to our room without incident.

The only teammate we encountered was Jericho, who lounged inside the cell beside ours, tossing a ball at the ceiling.

He was too absorbed in his task to notice us.

The other soldiers must be in the commons, socializing.

How they found the energy I might never know.

As Mykal regaled me with stories she wasn’t afraid to voice, tales of fetching and carrying, and the snobbiness of the boss’s maybe, maybe-not girlfriend, Nova Soti, she taught me signs for each letter in the alphabet, as well as two key signals I “must know.” Help me and kiss me .

I snorted. “I’m not asking Shiloh to kiss me while he’s on duty.” But I was excited to tell him about the lemonade.

“Are you sure? Because I heard about your upcoming date. And I couldn’t be happier for you.” She hooked a lock of hair behind her ear. “He’s an amazing guy.”

Agreed. “So, tell me about your guy,” I said, shining the spotlight on her. “Mr. Mystery.”

Her expression turned dreamy. “He’s absolutely, utterly perfect.” She threw herself flat upon the mattress, giggling like a schoolgirl. “He’s in the military too. A knight. Like you and Shiloh, we have Thursday off. I’ll get to see him.”

“How did you meet?”

“He lives in my building. But don’t tell Shiloh. Or Roman. Or anyone!”

“Your secrets are safe with me.” I meant that. I was a vault.

The automated voice sounded over the PA system, announcing the approach of curfew.

Our conversation ended as teammates returned, filing into their rooms. Mykal yawned, spurring me to yawn as I trudged to my bed.

We secured our shackles as the cell door closed, and she was snoring softly only seconds later.

The trials of the day caught up with me.

From the magnitude of what I’d learned about the Madness to the enormity of the expectations assigned to me.

Plus, my knuckles throbbed, thanks to my incredible bravery with the high prince.

Hey, a girl had to take her victories where she could.

But I couldn’t sleep. I merely tossed and turned.

Again and again, my thoughts veered to the HP, three descriptions coming to mind: enigmatic , unwavering , and smart . Okay, so, a fourth word attempted to assert itself. Sexy. I disregarded it, considering it had no bearing on the situation.

How would he react to my “list” of fears? Predicting his responses wasn’t in my wheelhouse. What if he regretted his leniency with me?

By the time the morning alarm went off, I’d worked myself into a lather. I lumbered to my feet with a series of groans. My eyes burned, and my muscles screamed in protest. But with Mykal as my cheerleader, I made it to the locker room, where I showered and dressed in clean fatigues.

In the gym, Shiloh waited at the side with another medic. He glared at the floor, angry. Oh, no. Had he gotten in trouble for aiding me yesterday?

Determined to find out, I moved toward him, only to halt when High Prince Dolion marched in. My nervous system kicked into hyperdrive at the sight of him. He hadn’t shaved, and his clothes were torn and wrinkled.

“Line up,” he snapped. Uh-oh. He was in a mood too.

Everyone rushed to obey. He stopped in front of the clear office, uncapped a marker, and wrote on the wall in big black letters, Today we are working on:

I swiped my tongue over my lips. Beneath those words, he hung my note. Everything.