Page 48 of The Princess's Pet

In the grand hall, I spotted Harris in the crowd his tall head and well-kept curly hair visible. When I reached him I found Ana too.

“Percy, are you okay?” Ana asked.

“What happened after the Princess carried you away?” Harris asked.

Both spoke to me at once with Ana rushing forward to hug me, pulling back, she looked me over as if for injury.

“I’m okay,” I told her. “We went home. Nothing happened,” I said turning to Harris. “What happened when we left?” I asked slowly, trying not to look where Evie’s body had fallen the day before. I felt sick again.

“All hell broke loose. Justin was screaming and Leilani had to call the school administration to have Evie’s body removed. She left shortly after to make arrangements. It was a long slug to get the hall ready after. We were all shook,” Harris explained. I looked around at the hard work that decorated the hall so beautifully, but I couldn’t appreciate it.

“I don’t think I can be in here,” I said feeling panic prick the back of my neck, and like I couldn’t breathe properly, the memory of Evie falling to the ground on repeat in my head.

“Yeah, I get it, let’s skip the opening speech,” Ana said linking her arm with mine. Harris followed as we left the grand hall and Ana ushered us to a side door leading out the building.

“Where’s Dylan?” I asked as we walked around the gardens that surrounded the main building.

“He’ll be here soon. Takes him a while to get ready for anything, 30 minutes in the shower this morning. I don’t even want to think about what could have taken him that long,” Harris answered.

“Eww, Harris, seriously?” Ana replied gagging.

“I didn’t say anything, you’re the one with a dirty mind,” Harris said wagging his eyebrows suggestively and I laughed at the look on Ana’s face.

It was nice to be away from the grand hall, but Evie was still on my mind. It felt like my doing she was dead.

“Hey, smile Percy, it’s the Spring Festival and just past that grove there lies a field of entertainment, fairground games, rides, and attractions,” Harris said noticing my quick change in demeanour with my thoughts.

“What happened was horrible Percy,” Ana told me. “But it’s not entirely unheard of,” she added. “I’m guessing from your reaction yesterday it was the first time you’ve seen anything like that.” I nodded. “It’ll be tough for a bit, but eventually you won’t think about it anymore. It’s simply the way of things around nobles and Royals,” she said it as if murder was normal, and I was taken aback by her attitude.

“Yeah, I don’t know what that girl was thinking! It shouldn’t even need saying, but you don’t mess with a source that a Royal has claimed. Never mind that you’re claimed by the Princess. She was Borealis too. Should have known better,” Harris said.

“She didn’t deserve to die,” I replied stunned at what I was hearing.

“No, she didn’t.” We were interrupted by Dylan’s arrival. “Brutality is all Borealis know,” Dylan added as he walked beside us.

He was dressed nice, in light jeans and a tight top that clung to his arms, his mop of blonde hair styled neatly for a change. He smiled at me apologetically. “I’m sorry about yesterday, Percy, for my reaction when I saw those bites.” His eyes hardened as he looked at my exposed neck, bites on display for all to see. “And I’m sorry for what happened with Evie. You should never have witnessed something like that. You’re too innocent, you didn’t grow up around such viciousness. It might seem like the others don’t care, that’s not true, they’re simply used to atrocity,” he told me, yellow eyes meeting mine.

“I, thank you,” I stuttered, not knowing how to respond. Dylan for all his brashness could be very sensitive it seemed. I knew that under his loud, unruly exterior there was a boy that cared deeply for others.

“Anytime. But we shouldn’t waste a sunny afternoon, or the Spring Festival. We should enjoy the day,” he said smiling at me with his signature large grin. “Race you to the hotdog stand.” He challenged before Harris, and he were running ahead of us into a grove that I hadn’t passed through before.

“I do care, Percy,” Ana said shyly beside me.

“I know,” I replied and smiled reassuringly.

Ana spoke about how excited she was for the Ferris Wheel having never been on one and I told her I hadn’t either. I’d never been to a fair. My village was small and attractions didn’t come to us.

We chatted happily as we walked through the grove. Large paths led the way and lampposts lined the path meaning it would be lit even in the evening.

“I’ve never been along this path before,” I told Ana.

“This grove leads to the servant and other residence halls, apart from the royal residence hall. We use it every day. The fair isbeing held in the fields that surround the residence halls,” she explained as we walked.

The path was occupied by others making their way toward the fair too. I could hear music playing and shouting and laughter the closer we got. Soon I could see flashing lights of attractions and smell food.

I was stunned and silent as we approached the fair. There was so much to see, and I couldn’t wait to explore.

“There’s the guys over there.” Ana pointed. Through the throng of people I could see Harris waving a hotdog around and Dylan trying to take a bite despite holding a half-eaten hotdog in his hand.

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