Page 86 of Twin Crowns

He smirked as he took a long sip.

Guilt twisted Rose’s stomach as she watched him drink. She didn’t tell him to slow down.

“You’re nothing like what I was expecting, you know,” said Shen when he passed the bottle back. “I thought you would be cold.”

“You must be confusing me with a Gevran princess.” As soon as the words left her mouth, Rose regretted them. She didn’t want to think about Gevra tonight. She took another minuscule sip of rum before returning it to Shen.

She watched the apple of his throat bob as he drank, deeper this time.

“Wren and I have been friends for years. I’ve only known you a matter of weeks and yet...” Shen looked out to sea, as if he were searching for words in the waves. “And yet, I already feel as if I know you almost as well as I know her.” He turned back to Rose, his brow furrowing. “Is that strange?”

“Maybe it’s because you know her so well that you feel as if you know me.”

A laugh sprang from Shen. “Trust me, you two areverydifferent. I think you would get along, though. I mean, youwillget along. You’ll have to meet eventually, right?”

“Eventually.” Rose pushed the rum back to him. Then she tilted her head to the sky. “I never used to look at the stars back in Anadawn. I didn’t know there were so many.”

“Do you miss the palace?”

“Yes and no.” Rose was surprised by her honesty. Perhaps the rum was working on her, too. Or perhaps the nearness of her retreat was making her bolder. “I miss my best friend, Celeste. And the food, of course.” She laughed a little. “And baths. Proper baths. With mountains of bubbles and scented soaps...” She let her voice trail off and then bit her lip as she met Shen’s gaze. He coughed and then tried to cover it with a generous swig of rum.

“But in some ways, I feel as if my life before all of this was just a dream,” Rose went on. “And now that I’m awake, I see things more clearly than I ever have. Including myself. It’s as if... everything is sharper. I’ll never be able to go back to how I was. And I think that’s a good thing.” She took another sip, just enough to burn her lips. “Of course, I would have rathernotbeen kidnapped in the middle of the night.”

Shen wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “Did I ever properly apologize for that?”

“It seems you are always apologizing for the past or making promises for the future,” teased Rose. “Now that I’ve met Banba, I understandthe pressure you were under.”

Shen chuckled softly. “I don’t have many fears. But your grandmother is certainly one of them.”

“That is one thing that we have in common.” Rose found herself laughing, too. She set the bottle in the sand. “Is it strange if I say I’m glad it turned out the way it did? That I got to see the wonders of the desert. That I gazed upon the Mother Tree and learned the stories of the witches. That you brought me here to Ortha. That...” Shen was leaning toward her now, a strand of black hair dipping into his eye. Rose couldn’t tell if it was because of her words or the rum, but they were so close now, their noses were almost touching. He smelled like the sea air, something fresh and wild and untamable. She swallowed. “I’m glad that I’m here right now with you.”

Shen watched her from beneath thick, dark lashes, and Rose felt certain he was listening to the riotous beating of her heart. “I’m glad you are, too, Princess.”

Her cheeks began to prickle. “I prefer when you call me Rose.”

“Rose.” Shen’s voice was low, and Rose felt it within her bones.

His gaze dropped to her lips.

“Rose,” he whispered again.

Rose’s breathing hitched as he moved closer.

Remember what you came to do.

Remember what’s at stake.

She grabbed the bottle and held it up between them. “More rum?”

Shen blinked. His shoulders sagged as he took the bottle. “Thanks.”

Rose sat up straight. “You know what I’ve missed, or I should say,whoI’ve missed, more than I thought I would?” She tried to keep her voice light. “Storm. I thought I’d see more of her here in Ortha.”

“Don’t you worry about Storm—she’s happy as can be grazing on top of the cliffs,” said Shen between swigs. “And I go and visit her in the mornings.”

“I truly think that horse is your one true love.”

“The Ganyeve gave her to me when she was just a foal. One day, she climbed out of the shifting sands like a shadow and galloped straight for me. I thought it was a trick of the light at first, but Storm was a gift from the desert. I’m sure of it.” Shen smiled at the memory. “She’s been a loyal friend to me ever since.”

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