Page 45 of Kingdom of Crowns and Daggers

She whimpers, tightening her arms around herself protectively.

“I’m Crux. What’s your name?”

She doesn’t answer for a while, so I crouch and wait, and when she realises I’m not going to pounce and hurt her, she sniffles. “Alyx,” she whispers, her voice soft and small.

I smile reassuringly as she glances at me. I know what she sees—tattered, holey clothes I managed to steal and long, unkempt hair.

I am the total opposite of her. Even covered in blood and rain, it is obvious she comes from money.

“Are you okay, Alyx?” I ask as softly as I can, blinking away the rain.

She hesitates before shaking her head.

“Okay.” I press my knees to the hard stone, ignoring the way it hurts. “Do you want me to take you back to your family?” The second the word is out of my mouth, she begins to sob harder. “Okay, okay, I won’t. Hey, it’s okay. Don’t worry, I won’t let anyone hurt you. I promise.” She lifts her head. “I promise, Alyx. How about you come with me and we find some shelter from the rain? Get you warmed up and fed?”

It will cost me all my coin, but I don’t care. I can earn more, despite my earlier misgivings about what I did to get it.

I hold out my hand, covered in dirt and dried blood. She swallows, looking from me to it. “Promise?”

“I promise,” I vow. Staring into her bright, glassy eyes, I realise some very important things.

This girl will be everything to me, and I will do anything, give her anything so I never have to see her cry again.

I am nothing but a street rat, a homeless boy, and I know what I have to do.

She lost her home, so I will build her another.

I blink the memory away and look at the sleeping woman beside me. I don’t want to go, I want to spend eternity with her in my arms, but I know she will need space to think through what happened. I know my Alyx better than I know myself, and I don’t want her to be upset.

I place a lingering kiss on her forehead. “I love you, Alyx. I have since you placed your trust in me that night, and one day, you will be ready to hear that,” I promise softly, and then I slip from her bed.

I set my gift down with a note and slip out of her room and into the dawn, a smile I cannot get rid of branded across my face.

Chapter

Twenty-Five

ALYX

My dressing room is packed full of women I don’t know, all poking and prodding me with critical eyes and making my sour mood even worse than it already is. Standing in a room full of people while only wearing a see-through top is certainly not how I wanted to spend my morning.

I have no qualms about being naked in front of others and feel no shame about my body, so this isn’t an issue. However, my skin is covered with scars, an occupational hazard and something you wouldn’t expect to see on a princess’s body. The last thing I want to do is blow my cover before I’ve even properly started.

Today is my first true day at court, and apparently that means having a dozen assistants and maids attending me. While perfectly capable of bathing and dressing myself, I know this is expected of someone of my status. What I didn’t expect was so many of them fluttering around me like hummingbirds, their voices high-pitched and blurring into one as they bustle around me.

Two are working on my hair, and another is covering my face with a light dusting of powder. There is a young woman who is working on my fingers, cutting, buffing, and painting my nails a pale, feminine pink. The other four or five maids are rushing around the room, exclaiming over dress choices and colour combinations.

To be honest, I zoned out a long time ago, lost in my own thoughts. My head is already pounding, and I’m dreading the day ahead. Despite sleeping like a baby last night, I’m exhausted, and if someone snags my hair one more time, I’m going to lose my patience and throw a dagger at somebody.

The fact that I woke up alone in my bed probably isn’t helping with my mood. Realistically, I know that it’s too big of a risk for him to be in my rooms. He shouldn’t be in the palace, let alone my bed. I can only imagine the pandemonium that would ensue if was found.

All of this is true, and from my years as an assassin, I knew better than to expect him to be there when I woke. Feelings are dangerous; they cause you to make mistakes and get you killed. All of the lessons I’ve learned in my life have taught me this over and over again.

However, my head and heart have very opposite opinions. While I know all of this, I can’t help but feel disappointed that he didn’t stick around. Last night felt like a monumental moment, and he just . . . left.

We had a moment . . . more than a moment.

He kissed me.

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