Page 30 of The Nymph Prince

“Apologies for being late.”

“Never apologize,” he said, staring at me with a hardened expression. “You’re a prince and the son of a god. The world waits foryou.”

I didn’t quite see it that way.

He’d invited all sorts of people to the feast, which I thought was respectable of him. In our kingdom, just like in the surface world, there were peasants, servants, and those not as fortunate as some. Members of the royal guard and council held higher status and everyone else fell below them.

As the king addressed the people, speaking of my return home, I looked at Alek.

His dark hair was combed and styled like that of my people. Although his hair wasn’t too long, it was long enough for some of the strands to be braided. One strand was tucked behind one of his ears, and I ached to touch it. He wore a nice tunic and breeches that actually fit him. He looked absolutely stunning.

Then, I wondered who’d gotten him dressed for the feast and immediately grew jealous of the person for putting their hands on him.

“Your hair isn’t braided,” Alek whispered after looking me over. “That’s not fair.”

“I tend to reject certain customs,” I responded. “I used to have someone dress me for these occasions, but I threw such a fit the last time that I’m able to dress myself now.”

Alek’s lips twitched. “You threw a fit? Like a spoiled child?”

I bumped my shoulder to his and scoffed. He could call me spoiled all he wanted to. I often pushed the boundaries to see how much I could get away with, so perhaps Iwasspoiled.

Spoiled, arrogant, reckless. It was a miracle I’d survived that long. Any time I was in trouble, Malik came to my rescue or I escaped with dumb luck.

I’d never be a good king. I could barely be a good prince.

Father raised his goblet, and in turn, so did everyone else. “To Prince Lorcan.”

“To Prince Lorcan,” the people echoed before drinking.

I didn’t take a drink.

I wasn’t worth a celebration.

8

Alek

Something changed in Lorcan during the feast, as if the light that was within him began to flicker out. The green eyes that were normally so alive dulled and he seemed to be trapped in his head. Once everyone began to eat and talk amongst themselves, I touched his leg beneath the table to get his attention.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“Nothing,” he said too quickly. “Just tired is all. It’s been an exhausting day, and I long for my bed.”

Not wanting to press the issue, I nodded and focused on my food.

I’d never eaten so well before. The fish was juicy and spiced with herbs and lemon. The bread wasn’t hard like it always seemed to be in the taverns I visited. It had a slight crunch on the outside but was soft on the inside. I ate one before grabbing a second.

Since Lorcan was in no mood to chat, I turned to Troy.

He hadn’t said much to me since I’d met him earlier that evening. Upon our introduction, he’d said he was Lorcan’s best friend and lived in the palace. I got the feeling he wasn’t interested in conversing much. Maybe he was just shy.

“How long have you and Lorcan been friends?” I asked.

Troy’s violet eyes flashed to me. “You should refer to him asprince. You don’t have the familiarity to call him by his name.”

“I beg to differ,” I countered, becoming frustrated at his poor attitude. I’d done nothing to warrant it. “I know him very well.”

That technically wasn’t true. I knew Lorcan, but notthatwell. However, Troy’s behavior irritated me. He seemed bitter about me being in Avalontis. Were they lovers? I hated the thought.