Page 86 of Until the Stars Fall

CHAPTER 42

Lieke

Connor didn’t come back after our awkward encounter. Whether it was because he was embarrassed or angry, it mattered little. I was fine with it either way, though his absence left me with hours of silence to pick apart each word and touch we’d shared.

Thankfully, the tailor, Julius, had shown up to distract me from my swirling thoughts, delivering an entire wardrobe for me—a variety of simple cotton dresses and elegant gowns of satin and lace. There were also several sets of casual pants and shirts and even some new nightgowns and undergarments, including a few intimate items that seemed altogether unnecessary. Although I supposed, with the staff believing our pending nuptials were real, it made sense that they would have supplied the more embarrassingly delicate pieces. I promptly shoved those to the back of the chest of drawers.

I wouldn’t need them ever, and especially not today. Thankfully, Connor had agreed that my formalpresentationcould wait until dinner tonight.

Today, I was getting to run.

Not alone, of course. He had given me a babysitter. His second. Matthias.

The male’s voice drifted in from the front room. “You almost ready, my lady?”

I peeked my head around the doorway, keeping my still undressed body out of sight, and found him sitting at the table, picking at the fruit left over from my breakfast. “Nearly. And can you not call me that?”

As I retreated, I swore I heard him laugh. “He said you were sensitive about nicknames.”

“I’m not sensitive,” I called as I slipped a short-sleeved, dark blue shirt over my brown leggings. Once I had my new running boots laced up—a much nicer pair than the ones I’d been gifted by Raven’s parents—I strode into the front room, plaiting my hair down my back as I faced him.

He rose slowly, an almost mischievous smile gracing his lips. “My lady isn’t really a nickname, by the way. It’s more a title of sorts.”

“Title or not, it feels too formal,” I said.

His eyes lit up with humor. “Youaremy future queen. Formality seems appropriate, no?”

“Do you go around calling Connor by his title then?”

“Only when he needs reminding of it,” he said, still grinning.

“Well, Matthias, I don’t need any reminding of who I am and what role our dear prince has forced me into, so you can just use my name. Please?”

At that, his smile faded a bit, and he pursed his lips as he sized me up. I wanted to squirm under his scrutiny, but I forced myself to remain still. Finally, he blinked several times, as if breaking some sort of spell.

“Okay then, Lieke. Shall we?” He gestured toward the door, and I couldn’t contain my excitement at finally getting some fresh air.

We didn’t speak again until we stepped out of the front door and into the midmorning sunshine. I drew in a deep breath, savoring every scent the air carried—the freshly cut grass of the grounds, the pine trees that framed the stables, and the flowers that still bloomed in the expansive beds beside the entryway stairs.I stretched out my back, my arms, and my legs, eager to get the blood pumping.

“Are you sure running is what you want to do?”

“Why? Is it not appropriate for the future queen?”

He shook his head. “It’s nothing like that. Just wondered if you’d be able to keep up.” Bounding down the steps, he took off, glancing over his shoulder at me just before he entered the trees.

I rolled my eyes. Of course I couldn’t keep up with him, but if he wanted to get in trouble for leaving me behind, that was his problem.

I ran after him, setting a comfortable pace for myself, not wanting to overexert my muscles or risk injury by pushing it too hard too soon. Once inside the trees, I couldn’t spot Matthias anywhere ahead of me. Why had he agreed to come if he was just going to leave me behind? Shaking my head in annoyance, I tried to focus on the rhythm of my boots against the dirt and my breathing.

The forest smelled intoxicating. I’d missed this. The fresh air. The earthy scent. The solitude.

I didn’t find Matthias again until I had looped back toward the palace and arrived at what looked like a barn. Matthias was leaning against the building, covering a yawn as I approached. “I thought you had been trained,” he said through his smirk.

Unruffled by the mild affront, I laughed quietly. “And I thought you were supposed to stay with me.”

Jutting his chin, he lowered his voice and said, “Who says I didn’t?”

My expression tightened with confusion. “I do,” I said. “I never saw you.”

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