Page 15 of My Princeling Brat (Tales from the Tarot #2)

Lord Vasil

As I mulled over my predicament with Prince Cedrych, the voice of my old mentor, Master Kane, ghosted through my mind.

The man had been a genius at his craft but a bit of an antisocial misanthrope and, looking back, a tad eccentric too.

One of his tenets was that I was not to have friends or companions, nor anyone in my orbit who might consider themselves an equal.

“A sorcerer must be strong, untouchable, an island in a sea of inferiors. To commune with others is to cede your power.”

For a long time, I believed him and allowed myself to be isolated, thinking it could only enhance my sorcery.

Then, when he and my parents passed, it became necessary to do so.

The transition wasn’t as uncomfortable as it should have been.

But the isolation wasn’t healthy for me in the long-run.

Having Cedrych there in my fortress was like opening the shutters to let in the sunlight.

Proverbial sunlight, of course, since my vampyric nature didn’t allow me to bask in sunshine.

In any case, the prince was someone I could talk to, someone to listen to my thoughts and ideas.

He made me laugh and lightened my spirit, and not because I was paying him to entertain me, but because he enjoyed my company, or seemed to at least. I didn’t think he was acting.

Not to mention the other urges he inspired.

Yes, it seemed I’d grown rather attached to the spoiled brat. I would not let him go. Not without a fight.

“He may try to leave,” I informed my commander as the sun began to set over the glittering waters of the Lunar Straits.

I’d summoned Anika to my chambers so that I might keep a close watch on the prince’s door.

I’d had dinner brought up and had entreated the prince yet again to let me in, but he’d clung to the excuse that he was ill.

“The prince? Leave? What have you done, Mercier?” Anika demanded, assuming straightaway that it was my fault.

“I gave him what he asked for, and it spooked him.” That was my summation at least, though it was hard to pinpoint exactly where things went awry.

Shaking her head, she said, “Nevermind, I don’t need any details.”

As much as I valued my privacy, Anika had seen my sex dungeon and various implements. As head of security, she had to be aware of all entry and egress points and conducted regular sweeps of the fortress.

“So, what’s the plan?” she asked.

“Let him escape.”

“Really? You’re just going to let him go without a fight?

” Anika’s glower said it all. The prince had endeared himself to my household.

He charmed special treats from the cooks, made conversation with the groundskeepers, and jested with the royal guard.

He was only arrogant and entitled with other royals, it would seem, and he brought lightness and camaraderie to my once gloomy household.

“I didn’t say that,” I told her. “I simply want to see how far he’ll take it.”

“You’re going to give him the rope to hang himself?” she concluded, making me sound positively villainous.

“I’m hoping he’ll turn back of his own free will.”

“And if he doesn’t?”

“I truly don’t know. I can’t exactly force him to stay.

He’s not a prisoner.” And yet, if only I could compel him somehow.

I’d miss greeting him in the mornings when his hair was still tousled and his eyes were bleary with sleep, in the evenings when the candlelight played across his drowsing face, our passionate discussions about everything from battle strategy to which type of honey was best for baking.

“Damn it all,” I swore. Even more frustrating was that he’d enjoyed our session earlier that day, so it was only his pride getting in the way. I should have gone slower with him, perhaps even made love to him first, but I hadn’t wanted to mislead him either.

“Have the guards take a break just after dusk,” I told Anika. “Then we’ll see what he does.”

“It might be more effective if you simply talked to him,” she said.

“I’ve tried, but he won’t allow it.” The curve of her eyebrows, all-knowing, only fueled my ire. “What is it, Anika?”

“You like him,” she said with a slow, imperious smile.

I sensed a trap. “He has his charms as you well know.”

“You’re angry because you can’t order him around like a servant or a courtier.”

“I still don’t see your point,” I insisted.

“You’re going to have to work for this one, Mercier. Maybe even invest more than just your time and your money.”

“Speak plainly, Anika,” I demanded, not appreciating her obliqueness.

“You may have to invest your heart.”

I blinked. My heart? That was a step too far. Investing my heart meant allowing for it to be trampled on or disregarded. To become attached to something only to have it ripped away from me so callously? No, thank you.

“Emotions only confuse things, and besides, as you know, this arrangement is only temporary,” I reminded her.

I’d confided in Anika on that point too. There were few secrets between us.

“Well, just remember, Lord Vasil, he’s a royal in his own right. Whatever demands you make are going to be an adjustment for him. Don’t expect too much too soon.”

She was right, of course. I hadn’t been patient or thoughtful enough. I was angry at myself, some of which bled into my irritation with her.

“Thank you for your unsolicited advice, Commander. If you’re quite done, I’m sure you have more important things to do rather than counsel me on matters of the heart. Perhaps you could task a few members of the guard to discreetly follow me at a distance should I need to leave my fortress.”

“You’re my friend and my only family, Mercier, in addition to my lord. I am possibly the only person who will give you the unvarnished truth.”

“And you want me to thank you for that service?”

She flashed me another saucy grin. “What, and ruin your reputation? Good luck catching your charming prince.”

“Be gone, wench.”

She left with a chuckle, and I took to pacing the length of my chambers while keeping an ear out for Cedrych’s movements.

My hearing, like my other senses, was exceptional.

There was the sound of Cedrych’s door opening and the scrape of his metal tray as he dragged it inside.

The guards conversed openly about their shift change, and soon after came their footfalls retreating down the corridor, followed by the quiet snick of Cedrych’s door opening again.

I would not confront him there in the hallway but wait to see where he was headed.

He had nothing but his sword with him, so perhaps he only wanted to stretch his legs.

I gave him a head start, then trailed after on silent feet as he took a lesser-known route through the fortress.

He must have mapped out the various pathways in order to move around unnoticed by my servants and guards, just as any good soldier and battle strategist would do.

Perhaps he was gathering intel for a siege by the fae forces.

Could I be certain he wasn’t a spy? Alas, only time would tell.

I followed him down a hidden staircase, seldom used, to the ground floor, then watched as he felt his way along the shadowed stone until he came to the southern wall of my fortress.

Glancing up at the ramparts, he rearranged his cloak so that his wings might unfurl.

I suppressed a soft gasp at how beautifully they glowed in the moonlight, a translucent light green trimmed in indigo, similar to that of a lunar moth.

Then they were beating faster than I could see, even with my advanced vision, as he flew over the rampart and out of sight.

The fact that he could so easily evade me made me want to chain his ankles to the ground.

I’d not be able to catch him on foot, so I took an alternate route that led me directly to the merchants’ harbor, where I suspected he’d try to find a sea captain willing to give him passage back to Emrallt Valley.

Though I didn’t see my guards trailing me, I sensed their presence in the quiet night.

Blending in with the shadows, I watched as Cedrych entered into the quay and strolled onto the docks with his wings now tucked away, wearing the attire of a common elvish laborer.

He must have traded out his clothing while en route.

If I hadn’t known his stride and the precise set of his shoulders, I may have overlooked him altogether.

What should I do? I couldn’t force him to stay, not physically or otherwise. I would have to do my best to convince him. Present my most compelling argument.

“Cedrych,” I said, stepping out of the shadows to confront him directly there on the docks. I wore a long cloak that mostly hid my face. I didn’t want to be recognized amidst the bustling crowd.

“Vasil,” he said with obvious alarm and glanced around to see if my guards were present. Thankfully, they’d followed my instructions and kept their distance.

“We’re alone and you’re safe,” I told him. I didn’t wish to scare him or risk him running yet again. “You’re free to leave whenever you want, but I was hoping we could talk first.”

His shoulders slumped in defeat and he nodded with reluctance. “All right.”

“The merchant ships will not leave for another hour or so, and I can make sure you get safe passage if that’s what you want, but in the meantime, might I buy you a cup of hot cider? The elvish recipe is one of our best-kept secrets.”

“I suppose a mug of cider would be fine, so long as it’s not drugged,” he said, still with caution.

“Didn’t we agree that poisoning is for cowards?” I asked.

He glanced at his feet, perhaps embarrassed by his suspicion. “Yes, we did. I’m sorry for that. I didn’t mean to imply–”

“I know you didn’t. Come along,” I said briskly.