Page 13 of Nightingale

A kernel of respect followed for him as he’d also sent a pair of shears alongside the outfit. One’s that the servants didn’t dare let her touch, instead asking her where she’d prefer the new length to fall. Vrea had happily mimicked where she’d like the cut to occur with her hands, showing them from a couple of different angles to have them accurately snip off the proper amount. They followed through with her wishes and her hairnow fell just an inch above her shoulders. Without all of the weight to hold it down, her natural waves returned.

The blond Prince didn’t dare to suggest that she wear any crown atop her head, which the others had only done to mock her title. He didn’t offer her any jewellery either. So her wrists and ankles were bare, her neck didn’t hold any glittering gems, and her ears bore nothing at all.

When the second hour passed and the great clock in her room chimed, Vrea wondered if this was some sort of game. He still hadn’t come for her, and she’d been sitting on the couch, awaiting his arrival.

The third passed and finally her door opened.

She bolted upright, a reprimand already flying off of her tongue. “You’re la-”

Vrea stopped as the royal entered her room. It wasn’t Castil that appeared, but Rian instead.

Her heart skipped a beat.

He looked surprised to still see her here of all places, instead of with the party that rambled on. “I was pondering over if you’d join us or not. My father sent me to retrieve you, which was my brother’s job. But as he doesn’t seem to be here, I’m not entirely sure where he is, or why he didn’t escort you down.” He said by way of greeting. “Either way, let’s get you downstairs before my father throws a conniption that his favourite toy is missing out.”

“Is that what I am to him?” Vrea slowly rose from the cushions, fixed her stiff skirts and ambled over to him. She’d known it all along but didn’t let it show on her face. “A toy?”

“Toys get taken out and played with,” Rian stated, as if that would soothe the wounds of his words over any better. “At least he doesn’t have you rotting away in the dungeon, in rags and without the sunlight. You eat as well as any of us and drink more water and juice than any other prisoners. I would consider that to be far more enticing than anything else. I wouldn’t take thatfor granted if I were you, Vrea.”

Her temper flared and she letthatshow. “Just because my cage does not have bars on the window or rats scurrying along the floor, does not make it any less of a cage.”

“I could add rats, if it would help you feel more grateful for your surroundings.” He suggested with a playful youth and her lip popped open, flabbergasted that he would even say such a thing.

“Don’t you dare.” She hissed, trying to look as menacing as possible without any sort of blade in her hand to wave in his attractive face. “If I so much as find a single rodent in my area, I will shove it under your pillow for you to find the next day.”

“You failed to access my chambers the first time, what makes you so sure that you’d be able to this time?” The Prince taunted and she wanted to wipe the stupid tease out of his mouth with a dirty dishrag. Preferably one that had been soaking in a disgusting mix of mold, leftovers and cat piss.

A better threat came to mind.

“Actually,do it.”

Rian had the good sense to look startled at her instant change of mind. “Why do I have the unnerving feeling that it wouldn’t end well for me if I did?”

She acted as if nothing were amiss. “Let’s just say that a certain smell might start driving you insane, and you won’t know where to find it in order to clear it out.”

Because Eamin had loved that particular idea when she’d been young. He’d cut a hole in her mattress and shove shit into it, sewing the patch back up with expert precision and leaving it to rot and fester as she slowly began to pull her hair out. Sometimes, he’d even flipped the mattress back around so she wouldn’t be able to find the entry at all, leaving her to toss the damned thing out of her room and order a new one made.

It could be fun to return the favour to someone she actuallyhated.

Though she despised most of her siblings.

Most of them were dead.

“Now I’m tempted to try it, for the sheer sake of seeing what silly punishment you come up with.” Rian shoved his hands into his pockets and she noticed that he was wearing less than she was, for once. Perhaps he’d been mid-tangle with the girl from the previous night, only to be called out of his bed and sent to see what held her up instead.

His silk shirt was a ruby red and there were no buttons or laces that kept it closed. It fluttered with each brush of his legs that he took, shoved into a high waisted pair of black trousers that barely covered anything thanks to the wide slats along the sides that showed off his muscled legs. They were sewn with small X’s along the top portion, to make sure that certain parts didn’t accidentally appear.

Vrea stopped dead in her mental tracks.

She was thinking about parts,hisparts.

Seven hells, it’d been far too long since she’d taken a lover if that was any indication. He’d been in her mind the previous two nights as well, flaunting his conquests directly in front of her as he sat them on his lap and let his hands wander all over them as the night passed along.

She pondered if he’d do the same tonight.

But with no sign of her actual escort, it was unlikely that he’d find himself elsewhere.

Rian guided her to her seat for the night, next to him as he pulled her chair out and allowed her to sit down before he gently pushed it back in. He took up his place beside her and began to serve her food, piling it up on her plate high as conversation flowed naturally.

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