Page 73 of Twin Crowns

Shen grinned. “Your snowy prince.”

“Oh! Yes. Of course.” Rose frowned. She did miss Ansel, didn’t she? Perhaps it was a bit strange that she’d barely thought of him this past week, but then she’d been so distracted. Her thoughts had been taken up with the witches and her plans for escape.

“Anyway, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be on my way,” she said, trying to scoot past Shen. “I’m sure you have somewhere to be. Someone to kidnap, perhaps.”

Shen moved in front of her. “Rose. I’ve missed you recently, you know.”

Rose started at his candor. It did something to her heart, made it feel as if it was going far too fast and much too slow all at once. Though she hated to admit it, a small part of her had missed him, too. That musical laugh and the stories he told. And maybe even the way he said her name. As if it were a precious jewel.

“I’m sure you say that to all the girls.”

“I don’t.”

“Well, you forget your word means nothing to me.”

“You can’t be mad at me forever.”

She pursed her lips. “I think you’ll find that I can.”

“How about today you give me a reprieve? I’m on my way to the hives, and I’d like to show them to you.” He offered her a half-smile. “You can be angry at me again tomorrow.”

Rose faltered. To her deep, unsettling surprise, she realized she did want to accompany him to the hives. She’d never felt this way before about anyone. Never missed them. Never wondered what they were thinking about. Never wanted to face the collective intimidation of ten thousand bees just to spend time with them.

Oh, crumbs.

Well, she reasoned with herself, she really did have a royal duty to taste this honey. For research purposes. And for Cam. Yes, Cam would certainly want to know what Ortha honey was like. He was fascinatedby new delicacies, always fawning over the treats and spices his husband smuggled home from his trips.

“Well, Princess? What’s it to be?”

Rose chewed on her bottom lip. Then her face split into a mutinous grin. “I’m feeling generous today, bandit. You may have your reprieve. But tomorrow, I shall return to being mad at you.”

“Forever, right?” said Shen teasingly.

“Forever.”

The hives were higher still. Rose had the uncanny feeling that Shen could have scaled the cliffs in minutes if he’d wanted to, but he let her set the pace as they climbed the narrow ridges. The wind picked up and gusted around them, but Rose had learned to press herself against the rock whenever it whistled by.

She kept her eyes on her feet so she wouldn’t stumble. “These cliffs are certainly well named!”

“The first witch, Eana, named them long ago,” said Shen from behind her. “Careful.” He shot out a steadying hand just as Rose slid on a scattering of loose shale.

She yelped as she flattened herself against the rock face. “I thought I was getting better at this.”

“You are,” said Shen. “And it must be easier to climb in those trousers rather than in your nightgown.” Though Rose wasn’t looking at him, she could hear the smirk in his voice.

“It may sound frivolous to you, but I miss my real clothes. Their frills and lace, the fullness of my skirts.” She sighed wistfully. “My dresses have always felt like a kind of armor to me. When I wear them,I feel stronger somehow. Braver.” She bit her lip. “You must think that very silly indeed....”

To her surprise, Shen didn’t laugh. “Not at all,” he said contemplatively. “I imagine the battles a princess must fight don’t often call for knives and swords.”

“No,” said Rose, feeling glad to be understood. She gestured at the tunic she was wearing. “And even though this is quite drab and shapeless, I suppose it is an improvement on my nightgown. I don’t think my maids would even recognize it now. It was absolutely filthy and it reeked.”

Shen laughed. “In Ortha, we wash our clothes in the sea, so we can never escape the smell of it.”

Rose glanced back at him. “But you love the sea, don’t you?”

Shen shrugged. “I like it well enough. But not like I love the desert. The sands will always be my first home.” His voice turned wistful, and Rose glimpsed something in him that she had not noticed before—it was sadness. It moved like a shadow behind his eyes.

“The desert is very beautiful,” she conceded, and something in Shen’s face softened.

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