Page 5 of Ties of Deception (Tethered Hearts)

Chapter

Five

A fter I insisted we not stay in Fierro, I was grateful that Flavia didn’t ask me any questions on the long carriage ride home. By the time I was safe in my villa, it was long past midnight; I was so tired, I didn’t even brush my hair. But the dagger strapped into my sandals made me pause. I’d completely forgotten about it. What was I meant to do with such an awkward gift? If I threw it away out of dislike for its owner, the Aida prince might tell the empress who would scold me again for being discourteous. I had upset her enough as it was. Or was I completely overthinking this?

In the end, I shoved it under my pillow. I doubted any intruders would ever break in here, but at least it was hidden, and I wasn’t going to lose it.

I collapsed onto the massive bed laden with silk cushions and tried to block out all thoughts of the disastrous evening.

The next morning, I woke with a hollow ache in my chest, and it took more effort than it should have to push my feet to the edge of the bed and rise. It was hard to think of anything that could motivate me. I had hoped the party would help me feel more grounded as a Grace, but instead it had been bitterly disappointing.

Drusella, Hermon, and Pris called on me while I was eating a very late breakfast and asked if they could join me. At first, I thought about asking them to leave, but then I had questions about what I’d seen and heard last night burning at the back of my mind, and I wasn’t sure who else I could ask.

The maids moved the low table and chairs into the courtyard and erected an awning to keep us out of the sun. The table was soon laden with enough food for a dozen people. I sprinkled sugar on my grapefruit, hoping that they hadn’t been told that I’d been reprimanded and asked to leave by the empress.

I kept my voice light. “What does Fated mean?”

Drusella straightened, a spoonful of yogurt and honey suspended between her bowl and her lips. “Where on earth did you hear that?”

I innocently concentrated on excavating my grapefruit. “I overheard somebody mention it at the ball. There were a few terms I didn’t understand.”

The older woman snorted. “Superstitious mumbo-jumbo, that’s all it is.”

Pris frowned at her mother and shook back the free golden curls framing her face. The rest of her hair was skillfully bound by blue ribbons crisscrossing her head. “Well, I think it’s terribly romantic.”

Drusella arched an eyebrow. “That’s because you can be terribly silly.”

“It’s just the eastern word for ‘love at first sight,’” Hermon said in a calm tone, patting my shoulder.

Love at first sight…had the Aida prince used that as a joke? A sarcastic excuse for his behavior?

A shiver of hot annoyance trembled down my back. How many women had he acted that way with before, to be so surprised when I resisted his touch and told him to stop?

Drusella’s shrill voice broke me from my thoughts. “Purity! Please be careful! You must stay happy!”

I blinked and was surprised to notice several items of crockery now had cracks in them. A pitcher slowly bled juice onto the tablecloth. I swore internally. Before I could apologize, Pris suddenly disappeared from her place at the table, falling to the flagstones with a loud crack. To my horror, I realized her chair leg had broken.

I covered my mouth with my hands “Sorry! I’m so sorry.” How could I be so bad at this?

Pris stood up with an awkward laugh. “I’m fine.” A maid hurried to replace her chair with a new one.

Hermon’s voice was low and calming. “It’s all right, Purity. Think grounding thoughts. Concentrate on how the taste of sugar contrasts with the sour grapefruit. The smell of the flowers. Think of the beauty around you.”

I did as he said, thinking of every positive sensation I could discern around me. Once I was calm, I dared to look at the expressions of the family. They were all carefully blank. “I’m sorry,” I repeated.

Hermon shook his head. “No, none of these apologies. You’re tired. All of us struggle with our emotions when we’re tired.”

Drusella gave me a decidedly fake smile. “How about a long bath after breakfast? You could try all the different lotions. Then I could arrange a massage.”

Pris perked up. “Oh, Mother, why don’t we host some dancers? Then Purity can watch a show with me.”

I nodded. “Thank you. That would all be very kind. Excuse me.”

I stood up, careful to keep my thoughts under control as I left the courtyard to return inside. As I rounded the corner, I heard Pris whisper, “Is this normal? Should we contact the priest and ask if something is wrong with her?”

Her words were sharply hushed. But then heard Drusella’s barely audible grumble. “This is all the empress’s fault. How could she invite such a young goddess to the palace?”

I closed my eyes for a moment before I walked back to my chamber. Happy. All I had to do was be happy. I could do this. I could learn to control myself. I’d been given a life of luxury most could only dream of. I should be grateful.

“Just be happy, Purity,” I whispered under my breath. I had to try harder. Once I had full control of my emotions, everything else would fall into place. I simply had to ignore this itching restlessness just below the surface of my skin.

After three days of resting and being entertained by dancers, singers, and even a contortionist, I finally convinced Hermon and Drusella to let me see petitioners again. I didn’t think it was possible for me to get more emotionally steady, and the events of the ball were pushed far from my mind. I didn’t give the hollow ache in my chest any further thought. For four hours, I gave my Blessings to people and accepted gifts or profuse thanks in return. The activity had made me strangely tired, even though I’d barely left my seat. I ate dinner alone and retired early for the night.

Seeing the good I had done today brought me a far deeper happiness than the last three days combined. One of the petitioners had given me a yellow-and-red songbird, and I watched it hop around its ornate golden cage until it found a place to roost for the night as the pale curtains lost their last tinge of gold from the dying sun. It was nice to have company that didn’t expect anything from me in return.

I sank into the silk bed, relishing the endlessly smooth sheets and fluffy cushions. The sea breeze kissed my cheeks and caressed my hair, lulling me closer to sleep.

Then something hit the marble floor with a sharp clack. I sat up in surprise, squinting through the twilight as the breeze played with the gauzy curtains hanging from the pillars. The sound of crickets and eerie nightjars echoed around the room, and shadows rippled in the moonlight.

I’d almost convinced myself to lie back down when the sound repeated itself, closer this time. I took the dagger from under my pillow and unsheathed it before rolling to the edge of the bed that was closest to the sound. Shadows flickered across the cool marble, and I noticed a small rock on the floor that had definitely not been there before.

I frowned. What could send a rock skittering in here? After I dismissed the servants, nobody was meant to come to this area of the grounds—it was meant to be completely private. Could it be some sort of animal?

I eased out of bed on silent feet, still clutching my dagger, and walked to the pillar nearest the stone. Tentatively, I parted the curtain rippling with silvery moonlight and looked out onto the garden.

I startled so hard, I barely bit back a scream.

A man stood alone with his arms folded. He was dressed all in black, his features obscured by shadow. There was nobody else nearby. How had he gotten in here? It should be impossible. He raised one hand in a casual greeting.

I cleared my throat and tried to sound assertive instead of afraid. “You shouldn’t be here.”

The man took a step forward, and I recognized the way he moved even before his harsh features were sharpened by moonlight. The Aida prince.

I gripped the dagger tighter, and my heart beat a chaotic rhythm. “Don’t come any closer.”

He cocked his head and spread his arms, displaying empty hands, as if such a gesture would make a large man with a sword strapped to his back less threatening. “I wondered if you would speak with me?”

I was glad I’d kept the dagger, as it was the only thing that gave me the courage to hold my ground. The empress had told me to be courteous, but this was ridiculous. “At night? On my own with nobody around after your previous behavior? Of course not. You should leave right now.” The lilies next to me exploded into fractured petals at my tone.

To my surprise, he smiled and appeared almost relieved. What was wrong with this man?

His mouth was wide, and his whole face softened when he smiled. The transformation was so far from his normally cold and brutish expression that he seemed an entirely different man.

He held up one hand as if to calm me. Even his voice had softened. “Please, let me…”

I raised my weapon. “Leave right now, or I will scream and bring the guards.”

He chuckled, making my jaw clench. “I would be gone before they got close. They wouldn’t find me.”

I raised my eyebrows. “Yes, and you’d be gone. That’s the point.”

He folded his arms and cocked his head, amusement still clear in every one of his features. “You realize I’m a prince? Most people try to be polite when addressing me.”

“Yes, and I’m telling you I don’t care and to leave this second.”

He shrugged. “Fine, I’ll go. But hear me out for one moment. I wished to speak with you again, in private. There are very few places without listening ears and watchful eyes. I’m sorry for what happened when we met and wanted to promise it won’t happen again. I won’t touch you without your permission. It was inappropriate of me.”

I glared at him, though he didn’t seem at all ruffled by my mood.

He took a step back out of the moonlight, melting into the darkness as if he was made from it. “I’ll come back another time. I want to show you something if you’ll let me.”

“What?” I asked, stepping forward despite myself.

His voice was almost disembodied by the gloom. “What life’s really like outside of your gilded cage. Or do you enjoy being ignorant? A tool for everyone else’s pleasure?”

“I…” I stopped myself. I had told him to leave, and I wasn’t about to fall for any of his games and change my mind.

I watched and waited, but I could no longer make him out. I shook my head and returned to bed, this time drawing the heavy velvet curtains fully closed and keeping the dagger in my hands.