Page 102 of The Heir's Bargain

Sylvia gasped. Grabbing my arm, they tugged, pulling me further away from the rest of the soldiers who had run with us. "You and Fynn had sex, didn't you?"

"What?" The blood rushed from my face, and I looked over my shoulder, checking to see if anyone had overheard. "Why would you?—"

Sylvia clapped, bouncing up and down. Apparently, Sylvia still had some energy left despite what they had said before.

"You did! You have that whole I-just-screwed-the-Crown-Prince look on your face."

I scoffed, eyes rolling. "How would you know what that would look like?"

Sylvia shrugged, wiggling their brows. "Call it intuition."

I grabbed the water canister from my belt and drank, avoiding Sylvia's pointed gaze.

But Sylvia was having none of it. They grabbed my arm and pulled, causing water to spill onto my face and down my shirt. "When?"

I snatched my arm back. "I am not talking about this."

"Ah-ha! So you admit it then!" Bright excitement lit Sylvia's amber eyes, making me back up. Sylvia's grip, however, tightened, pleading. "Come on, Ferrios. My love life is practically nonexistent right now. Let me at least live vicariously through you, for once! How was it? Is he, you know, as good as they say?"

My mouth dropped, and a bud of jealousy bloomed bright green in the pit of my stomach.

I quickly squashed it.

"It was fine," I said after a passing moment.

"You mean to tell me knocking between the sheets with the Fynneares Nadarean was fine?"

I snorted. "You say that as if he's some god."

Sylvia curled a fallen red piece of hair behind their ear. "I mean, based on how some women talk about him? He might as well be. Wait? Are you jealous?" My eyes enlarged, but before I could deny it, Sylvia continued. "You are! By the gods! He must be some sort of god because I've never seen you act jealous about any man you've been with."

"I'm not jealous," I said, crossing my arms as if the very act would shield me from Sylvia's assessing gaze.

"If you say so, Captain." Sylvia smirked. "So, when did it—" They gasped, slapping me on the arm. "The summer solstice! Ever since you've come back, you've been giddy. I can't believe I didn't notice it until now! It's so obvious. I would even bet that the two of you haven't since, huh? That's why you have so much pent-up energy. The man had the nerve to send the stars spinning, but now you're just left hanging somewhere among them, waiting for?—"

"By the gods, Sylvia!" I hissed, looking around us to make sure no one was listening.

Everyone mainly had cleared out, though. No one was ever keen on staying around for long out of fear of having to run more.

That wasn't the only reason I needed Sylvia to stop talking, though. They were saying everything I was refusing to even think about. But once I heard it said aloud, I no longer could deny it.

Fynn had royally screwed me—in more ways than one. And now I was left with this sickening feeling twisting inside my gut.

In the carriage, we had agreed to stop pretending, but I hadn't seen him since then. What if the time apart had changed his mind? What if?—

"Oh, Captain. I can see your mind spinning even now. If you have that much nervous energy, go make him shake it out of you."

"That's not—" I groaned. "It's complicated, all right?"

Sylvia grabbed my shoulders and quirked a brow. "How is it complicated? He just puts his?—"

"Not like that!" I slapped their hands off my shoulders, suddenly needing a bath. "Fynn and I have been busy. That's all."

Crossing their arms over their chest, Sylvia said, "You're always 'busy.'"

I waved a hand in the air. "Exactly."

"No, Dani. That's the excuse you always give when you're avoiding something."

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