Page 48 of The Prince's Curse

He cleared his throat. “Likewise.” Forcing himself to stride forward and take her hand, he kissed the back of it. “Blessings of the Goddess upon you.”

“And blessings of the Light uponyou,”she replied with a small smile.

They stood there awkwardly for a moment, Haldric still gripping her hand, before he finally dropped it and stepped back. All his lessons on Khordanite etiquette fled his rattled mind.

Was he supposed to sit first, or was she? Would it be too forward to ask her about her day? Perhaps he should stick to more benign, less personal topics. Goddess’ mercy, he really was terrible at this, no matter what Benjin claimed.

He waited for Lady Katalin to resume her seat before moving to join her, sitting with his back ramrod straight. His gaze fell upon a jug of water next to an empty glass on the table. Recalling something he’d read about Khordanite gentlemen serving the women whenever possible, he jerked forward in his seat.

“Here, allow me.”

He reached for the water at the same time as Lady Katalin. Their arms collided, and Haldric watched in horror as the disturbed glass teetered and tipped over, spilling liquid all down Lady Katalin’s side. Letting out a startled gasp, she swiped ineffectually at her soaked gown with her hands.

Haldric yearned for a swift death. “I’m so sorry. Here, let me help.”

He stepped in closer, though he wasn’t entirely certain what he intended to do. Just as he leaned over to pick up the toppled glass from where it had fallen, Lady Katalin tried to stand. Her head collided with his outstretched arm, and she collapsed back in her seat with a muffledwhoof.

Haldric stared at her, hardly able to believe how badly he’d messed this first meeting up.

She stared right back, her eyes wide.

He was contemplating fleeing the room with some hasty excuse when she abruptly burst into laughter. “Merciful Light,” she said, still chuckling. “I suppose that’s one way to break the ice.”

“Please, my lady,” he said miserably. “Allow me to help you.”

“I think you’ve ‘helped’ quite enough for one day, don’t you?” Her smile softened the sting of her words, her blue eyes dancing with mirth. “Truth be told, I was nervous I might mess this up. You beating me to it comes as a great relief.”

His brows shot up. “Really?”

“Oh, yes. Mother has insisted on the importance of this union for weeks now. House Galax is one of the newer noble houses in Khordan, you see, our wealth built on our trade with Ilthabard and Sanjarka. Should relations between our kingdoms falter, we’ll be among the first to suffer. When King Roland reached out to us, Mother was only too eager to accept.”

“My circumstances are much the same,” he admitted. He paused, considering how much he should confide before deciding there was little he could do at this point to make matters worse. “My father’s rule is already tenuous. Once I take the throne, the other governors will likely seize the opportunity for increased freedom, even at the cost of long-term prosperity. Some worry about my mission here, believing it would be tantamount to declaring Ilthabard a Khordanite vassal.”

Katalin bit her lip, absently swiping her long hair back behind her ear. “I’ve heard the same whispered about here. But you needn’t worry—though your fertile farmlandswouldmake a tempting prize, most of the Houses are far more concerned about the risk of Nalax expanding into your territories. Helping you preserve order would keep your kingdom as a buffer between us while simultaneously maintaining good relationswith Sanjarka, who wouldn’t take kindly to any perceived invasions of their neighbor.”

Haldric shook his head, feeling out of his depth. “I admit, all this politicking makes my head spin.”

“Personally, I enjoy it.” Her lips curved in a small grin. “Perhaps we’ll make a better match than I expected.” A faint blush colored her cheeks. “And I’ll admit, you are quite handsome…albeit a touch clumsy.”

Haldric mustered a polite smile in response, even as inwardly, he winced. He should be thrilled at how this was progressing. Katalin had taken his many blunders in stride and seemed a perfectly lovely person, both within and without. So then, why did he have this dull ache in his chest? And why, when he regarded her, was it Benjin’s smirking face he couldn’t shake out of his head?

Katalin stood, smoothing down her sopping dress. “How about a tour of the grounds? The weather’s quite nice this time of year—barely hot enough to cook an egg.”

Rising, he smiled dutifully even as his gut churned. “It would be my pleasure. Perhaps you can enlighten me further on the political situation here.”

“That would bemypleasure.” She moved forward to clasp his hand, then stopped and winced when her dress squelched wetly around her feet. Droplets of water splattered over the stone floor. “Though, perhaps a change of attire is in order first. I hope you don’t mind if I dress in something more comfortable?”

“Of course not. I’ll await your return here.”

He watched her go, that sinking pit in his stomach growing. No matter his reservations, however, his duty was clear. Securing this marriage would guarantee Ilthabard’s future.

As he looked around the library, his thoughts once again inexplicably turned to Benjin. Hopefully, the apprentice was enjoying his time here more than Haldric was so far.

seventeen

Benjin

Percival’s tower reminded Benjinof the Grand Magus’ workshop back in Ilthabard, albeit with far more marble and gilded gold, as well as a number of unfamiliar devices and reagents.

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