Page 81 of A Court Bright and Broken

“Yes. I tripped on the lawn and twisted my ankle. He’s been… helpful.” She turned to the jailer. “Thank you for getting my message to the prince.”

Stepping into the cell, I swept Raewyn into my arms. That brought her ankle into the dim light.

It was bruised and swollen.

“You’ve definitely sprained it,” I said with a low whistle.

No wonder she hadn’t attended the ball. I’d find outexactlyhow it had happened and why she’d been brought to the dungeon of all places, but not now.

Not here in front of a witness.

“Let’s go,” I grunted, and pushed past the gawking jailer, pretending to be annoyed.

“You don’t have to carry me,” she protested.

“Yes I do. I don’t have all night to wait for you to hobble along.”

Raewyn didn’t respond right away, just looked at me in what appeared to be shock. I carried her up the stairs from the dungeon and across the empty entry hall to the lift.

Once inside, she seemed to catch her breath and find her voice.

“I could have walked… with a little support.” She sounded less relieved and more apprehensive than she’d been when she’d first spotted me.

“Not based on the look of that foot,” I argued.

Then I gave her a grin, now that there was no one watching us.

“And a lot of support is sometimes even better than a little. I’m glad to see you, Firebug—in spite of the less than ideal circumstances.”

Her expression transformed. “I’m very happy to see you again—becauseof the circumstances. You look…” She swallowed. “...different.”

My gaze went to my own clothing, which I hadn’t even considered after receiving her message. After the ball, I’d changed out of my formal wear and was now clad in the kind of thing I wore only in my private quarters—a light, open-collared tunic and a comfortable pair of breeches. My feet were bare.

“Slightly more presentable than I was at the market, eh?” I asked. “Did you know all along then? Who I was?”

She’d referred to me as the prince when speaking to the jailer, and she’d instructed him to send a message to my quarters. Introductions were not needed apparently.

She shook her head. “No. I figured it out later—much later. You still haven’t explainedwhyyou were dressed like a pauper that day.”

“Let’s save that story until we’re somewhere safe. Thenyoucan tellmewhy you came to the palace dressed only inthis.”

Her face colored, and she looked away toward the lift doors. When they opened, I set her down carefully.

“Hold on to the safety bar. I need to go check the hallway. Be right back.”

I stepped out of the lift and looked up and down the third-floor hall that housed my quarters. Pharis and Mareth also resided on this floor, with hallways of their own. Our suites formed a square, centered on a courtyard.

The King, naturally, had his own wing. It was on the opposite end of the castle, which was good. There was no chance he’d see me smuggling Raewyn into my rooms.

The guest suite, however, was next door to mine, and it was currently occupied by Lady Wyn.

No one seemed to be up and about, thank the Grand Star. If at all possible, I wanted to avoid questions about Raewyn until I had some answers myself.

It certainly wouldn’t do to have Wyn see me carrying a woman into my suite. Our betrothal would end as suddenly as it had begun.

Checking once more to make sure the hall was clear and silent, I returned to the lift and picked up Raewyn again.

“Where are you taking me?” she whispered.

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