Page 41 of A Thieving Curse

She raised her gaze. He hunched in his seat, staring down at the fork clenched in his fist. “I don’t think this is a good—”

“I want to know.” He lifted his head and locked eyes with her.

Raelyn set down her fork and leaned back in her chair. “I wasn’t supposed to find out.”

He frowned.

She paused and took a drink of the ale, but the conversation seemed to make it more bitter. “I’d heard the story…” She hesitated, not wanting to tell him the version she’d heard her whole life. The same story Gareth had repeated to her while hiding from their nurse, where Henry was the great hero. “They said Crown Prince Alexander Tallon became a monster and King Henry killed him.” She took a deep breath, waiting for the prince to get angry.

When he didn’t say anything, she continued.

“Frederick—my eldest brother—told me about the original treaty. To be cruel during a fight.” Raelyn’s cheeks burned, both from the memory of how much Frederick’s words had hurt, and from wishing the dragon prince hadn’t asked about it. “He apologized,” she added.

She picked up her fork and tried to eat, even though her stomach was in knots. The prince sat quietly for several minutes.

“What do they say about me?” he asked at last. “In Eynlae? What’s the story of the monster prince?”

She shook her head. “Please don’t make me tell you that.”

“That bad?”

“Worse.”

The prince leaned forward, rested his elbows on the table, and buried his face in his hands. “I shouldn’t have told you my identity the way I did.” The softness of his voice vibrated through her. “No wonder you were terrified. And then…a lot of what I did probably confirmed whatever you’ve been told about me.”

Raelyn shifted uncomfortably.Kind of.His shoulders curved inward. He looked like a despondent child. So…human. Something inside her snapped. “The prince from those stories wouldn’t have saved my life,” she said. “Definitely not twice. He wouldn’t be kind. A lot of what you’ve done shows those stories aren’t true.”

He let his hands fall from his face and looked up. She was surprised to see tears pooling in the corners of his eyes. “You were right. I shouldn’t have asked about this.” He picked up his fork. “How many siblings do you have?”

She breathed a sigh of relief and followed suit, returning to her food. “Three. Frederick, Gareth…” Her heart twisted at the thought of Gareth. “Nathaniel.” She groped for a change of subject, and one presented itself to her as she lifted her goblet. “So… Ale?”

He blushed. “You’re probably used to wine. Sorry. It’s the best I have. Jasper thought I should get used to alcohol, in case…” He shifted. “The woman in the village only makes ale.”

They ate for a few minutes in silence. Raelyn kept trying to work up the courage to ask a question, but she didn’t know how he would react. She opened and closed her mouth a few times, but she couldn’t find the words.

Finally, when her food was gone, and she had nothing else to do, she looked up. The prince was leaning back in his chair, his food also gone, watching her. Her cheeks heated.Just ask. If he hasn’t hurt you yet, this won’t make him.

“Can…” That wasn’t right. “If… That is, I…” She looked away.Pull yourself together. It’s a reasonable request.

“Spit it out, Princess. I promise not to turn into a dragon.” He spoke lightly, his tone jocular. It eased some of her fear. The worst he would do was refuse.

Raelyn ran her fingertip along the goblet’s rim. “I need to know if my family is all right.” She looked at him, trying to be as polite as possible. “Can you look for them? We were near the top of the Thet…”He’s Rethali,she reminded herself. “The Gonah Way when the manticore attacked. I need to know if they survived. If my parents and brother are…” She gulped. “Alive. They’re probably fine and long gone, but I need to know for certain. If…if there are bodies on the pass.”

The cursed prince’s chair skidded against the stone as he stood. She looked down at her lap and blinked against tears. “I had to ask,” she whispered.

“You shouldn’t have needed to ask.”

Startled, she looked up, but the prince was already walking away. He nodded at Meredith as he passed her.

Raelyn wiped the tears from her eyes and left the table, hope rising. Meredith joined her at the cave entrance.

“Where’d Alex go?”

“To see if my family is alive.” Raelyn folded her arms over her stomach. “I think.”

Meredith frowned. She was quiet as she led Raelyn back to her room. Unsure of what else to do, Raelyn sat on the bed for a while, staring at the fire, waiting for the prince to come tell her something, anything. But he never did.Maybe I was wrong. He didn’t go.

She laid down and eventually fell asleep.

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