Page 11 of The Prince

“I would appreciate the company, actually,” Caro answered honestly. “But I don’t want to impose if breakfast is private time for your family.”

“It’s not—” Braxton cut himself off, shaking his head and grimacing. He let out a slow breath and when he looked up at Caro again, his cheeks were faintly pink. “My parents had an arranged marriage. My mother brought lucrative trade deals from Yaroi, particularly a significant reduction in shipping taxes across the Eiroi Strait. She met my father for the first time at their wedding, and she hated every second of the spectacle of an arranged political marriage. She and my father have become very good friends, and they have learned to love each other, but it is not the love of lovers, merely a form of deepest respect. She promised herself that all her children would marry for love and has fought tooth and nail to ensure that happens. Ayer and Shairon’s marriages benefited Toval because she is as crafty and wily as a queen can be, but that aspect of it came much later. Mother invited the sons and daughters of our neighboring rulerswho didn’t have royal magic—Namin excluded, of course—to the palace.”

Magic was genetic, passed down from parent to child. If a parent didn’t have magic, a child couldn’t inherit it. The last thing royal families wanted was to reveal the secrets of their particular golden magic to a potential future enemy. Which meant royal children with magic were carefully hoarded, and only children without magic were sent away as part of political marriages. Queen Trina didn’t have the royal magic from Yaroi so had been sent to marry King Aurelius; however, all four of her children must have inherited the royal magic of Toval from their father since they all remained here.

“Mother let them meet,” Braxton continued, “and when they fell in love, she brokered deals to cement them as political marriages in addition to marriages for love. Fen and I were too young at the time, and as the two younger children less necessary to pair up for political advantage. I’m sure if Fen hadn’t met his chef, Charmaine Oba-Musen, Mother would have attempted the same scheme again, but she’s quite pleased having a Musen with ties to the royal family.”

A Musen! That explained a lot, particularly if Charmaine was also an Oba-Musen. The Musen family were practically royalty themselves, their capabilities in the kitchen legendary. Those with the prefix Oba also had the ability to neutralize poison, or so Caro had heard, since no Musen had willingly come to work in the palace at the royal city of Svental, Namin’s capital, in generations. Caro didn’t doubt there were Musens working in Svental itself, but they must know the stories of the royal family and wanted to avoid getting beheaded because the soup was too hot or the ice cream too cold.

“Which leaves me as her only unmatched child,” Braxton finished, grimacing again. He paused, and when he looked atCaro, his eyes were fierce, blazing like twin suns. “You were captured as the result of a war, tortured horribly, and are still recovering.” Caro flinched, but Braxton continued, bullishly forcing the words out as if he didn’t dare stop. “What little you’ve told me about your childhood sounds like a nightmare as well. And right now, you’re taking your life into your own hands and writing your future. No one can or should tell you what to do; you’re making your own choices based on your own strengths. You are going to become Caro, in truth, rather than just in name. And the last thing I want is to interfere with that, or for my mother to force you into something you’re not ready for or you don’t want.”

“What—” Caro closed his mouth, swallowed, and tried again. “What do you think you or your mother are going to force me into?”

Braxton’s cheeks went even redder, but his eyes didn’t lose an inch of that blazing intensity. “From the first moment I saw you, I thought you were beautiful. You were stubborn and fiery, loyal, and so brave. I looked forward to every time I came to see you in the dungeon, and I admired how strong you were. I especially admire you now, knowing what you were going through and how you still refused to talk.” He swallowed hard, and his gaze turned anguished. “I realized I admired you too much, and I reduced the number of times I went to see you. Rather than daily, I started coming every other day. And then only a couple times a week. I was so afraid of what I might accidentally say or do, but that only allowed you to get sicker and gave those damned guards more opportunity to hurt you.

“If my mother didn’t notice how upset I was when you were rushed to the healing ward—when I carried you there in desperation someone might be able to save you—then she definitely noticed when I went straight there after learning youwere attacked. Reporting what I found to the king about Namin’s activities should have been forefront in my activities when I returned to Etoval, and yet I ran to find you instead. You are… I liked you as Clament. I know I’ll like you even more as Caro. But I want you to have the chance to figure out who Caro is without me even inadvertently guiding you. And definitely without my mother interfering.”

Finding words to respond was almost impossible, Caro’s thoughts spinning and churning until he couldn’t settle on what to say or ask first. And yet, over and over the same words came to the forefront. Braxtonlikedhim, and the way Braxton said that one word had been filled with so much raw emotion, an aching want that spoke of much more than merelike.

“I hated you, at first,” Caro responded, his throat dry, but his words still surprisingly clear. Braxton flinched, but Caro plowed on. “You reminded me of my older brother, always in a position of power and using that power to hurt others. Everything you said, your every gesture and facial expression, I interpreted through that lens. Iwantedto believe you were just as evil because it was easier. And then everything you said, every gesture and expression you made proved you were the exact opposite. I’ve spent the last few weeks incredibly confused, to be honest. What I do know—” Caro paused, collecting his thoughts and taking a few calming breaths as what he was about to say was the most difficult part. “What I do know is Caro wouldn’t exist without you. Without your support and encouragement, I never would have even dreamed about leaving Clament and everything Clament stood for behind. Embracing a new future for myself without you still being part of it would literally be impossible. So, please, please stay with me.” He was begging, tears glistening in his eyes, but Braxton immediately took Caro’s reaching hands and clasped them in his own warm palms, hisstrong fingers surrounding Caro’s smaller ones in an embrace as welcoming as if he had taken Caro into his arms.

“If you want me with you, I will always be with you. If you need to fly alone, I’ll let you fly and remain below to catch you if you need me to.” Braxton’s eyes were damp, although his cheeks were dry and his smile wobbled.

Caro’s cheeks were dripping with tears, and he sniffled even as he smiled. “You be my rock to ground me whenever I fly too high, and I’ll learn how to be yours, and I think we’ll both be okay.”

He didn’t know who bent forward first, but the kiss was chaste and sweet, punctuating their promise with a wonderful finality. Braxton’s lips were warm and soft, and Caro didn’t need anything more than this right now. There would be time for more later as Caro became more comfortable with his new self, and Braxton understood that completely.

Braxton drew away, smiling at Caro, his eyes now dry. “I believe Alina is supposed to be here soon. And I’m sure my secretaries are desperate for me to return to work.” He sighed. “I’ll definitely see you for breakfast tomorrow, either with my family if Alina clears you, or I’ll come here.” He stood and started heading toward the door, then paused and darted back. Their second kiss was powerful and bruising, yet still sweet: lips pressed firmly, arms tightly wrapped, and bubbling joy flowing between them. And then Braxton was gone, with one last glance back at the door as he fled, likely before reason overwhelmed him as it was threating to do with Caro.

The door slid shut and Caro flopped back onto the couch, twining his arms through his patchwork blanket. A touch of his lips confirmed he was smiling, and reignited the tingling. Caro let out a happy sigh, and for the first time in his life, he relaxed, luxuriating in knowing someone else cared about him.

Chapter Seven

THE WALK TOthe royal gardens wasn’t a long one. Alina paced at Caro’s side, letting him take his time walking down the lush carpet in the richly understated and tastefully decorated hallway. This palace was completely different to the royal wing his father and brother occupied. They had covered every inch of their royal apartments in gold and jewels to emphasize their wealth and power to themselves and to anyone who they felt might need a visual representation. The simple elegance here in Toval really emphasized the difference between being secure in one’s power versus needing to flaunt it because of insecurity.

Thankfully, before Caro could dwell too long on more of his birth family’s faults, they reached a glassed door at the end of the hall with a guard standing in front of it.

“Prince Caro, Healer Alina,” the guard said with a short bow. He brandished a key and unlocked the door, pulling it open and holding it wide for them. “Please enjoy.”

“Thank you,” Caro replied, echoed by Alina.

Caro hadn’t needed to tell anyone about his new name. Alina had known it, all the servants had addressed him correctly, and now even the guard knew him. Caro suspected all three princeshad been busy ensuring he would feel comfortable, and Caro had no idea how to express to them how much it meant to him.

“You look like the walk so far hasn’t taxed you,” Alina said, eying him critically as they went down a long, narrow hallway and then stepped out into the sunlight.

“I feel okay, actually,” Caro admitted, tilting his head back to let the heat of the afternoon sunlight bathe his face. The air was crisp with the promise of the coming winter, yet still warm enough in the sunlight that Caro was comfortable in only a light jacket. “My legs aren’t tired and my lungs don’t ache.” He still felt unsteady inside, enough to know he wasn’t completely healed, but this was the best he had felt since before joining the mercenary companies in the woods all those weeks and months ago.

“Then let’s walk for a bit longer until we find a bench.”

Alina let him lead the way down the path, which wound throughout the rooftop garden. Small dwarf trees were brilliant shades of red, yellow, and orange, flaunting what remained of their late autumn colors. No fallen leaves littered the ground, so the gardeners must come through regularly. Bare branches were taking over from those covered in leaves, but the glory of the mix of bright colors was still evident. The last vestiges of late summer and fall flowers were in bloom, the mums vibrant and as multicolored as the trees. Dahlias and other flowers Caro couldn’t name dotted the mulched beds. A narrow stream meandered through the garden, culminating in a small pond in the center. They stopped at the bench there where they could watch small, multicolored fish darting around.

“I thought the public gardens where the nobles and such gather were nice, but this is glorious,” Alina breathed out, her voice awed and happy.

“I do think it’s quite pretty,” another voice called, her tone bright with laughter.

Caro and Alina spun around to see a woman walking toward them, two small children toddling down the path ahead of her, a nursemaid serenely trailing them.

“Don’t get up!” she admonished when Alina started to jump to her feet. “I am here in an unofficial capacity. I snuck away from the office to take my children for an afternoon walk as a break from their lessons, so no need for any formalities. Besides, I’m tired of my brothers monopolizing you. I’m Shairon, second oldest after Ayer.”

---