Page 40 of Bride of the Midnight Prince

I make a mental note toneverlet him meet Mary if I can help it. “Thank you, my lord.”

In the bedroom, I set the chest on the vanity and open the lid. Of course, right on top are several very sharp knives. I force myself not to be afraid of them and lay them out on the vanity, one after another. After that, I find a silver medallion on a long chain. The medallion is engraved with a crest: a jagged fang with a star in its center. I place it in a small drawer in the wardrobe.

The bottom of the chest contains two items of interest. A pouch containing two vials ofollea. They snag my attention at once, with their slender size and blue tint. It would be so simple to snatch one—and endlessly stupid. I go to place it on the bedside table where he will find it the moment he wakes up each morning?only to stop. That is where I would put it if I knewolleawas for him to dull the intensity of scents to his nose. But I’m Nat. A twelve-year-old boy who wouldn’t have a clue what this is.

I set it on the vanity beside the knives instead.

The second item of interest is a flat, circular container of thin, carved wood. My heart leaps—not from fear this time, but pure excitement.Fool’s Circle. A fae game that the tailor taught me when I was a child. A game I have not played in years.

I cannot resist sliding open the lid. There, on top of the board, is a carved piece with a red, painted cap and a comically long nose. A wave of comfort rolls over me, bringing a smile to my lips. This was how Tailor calmed my tears when he discovered me, frightened out of my mind, wandering the Long Lost Wood in search of my mother.

“Everything will be alright,”he told me while we took turns moving our pieces.“See how silly the Fool’s nose is?”

“That is a fae board game.”

My throat slams shut in fright. I whirl, releasing the piece back into its container.

Prince Rahk stands just inside the doorway. I didn’t even hear him approach—I must have been too caught up in my discovery.

“I wasnottrying to snoop,” I say quickly, slamming the lid of the game shut. “I wasn’t sure where I should put it, so I opened it to see what it was. That was when I saw it was a game. I love games and this one seemed interesting, but I promise I was just about to put it away.”

His arms are crossed over his chest, his face utterly blank.

“I can put it beside your bed?” I rush over to his bedside table and set the game there. “I wasn’t sure where you wanted your knives or your blue vials. I didn’t want to put them somewhere where they’d break, as they seemed valuable.”

In a few strides, he stands in front of me. I swallow, looking up at him, trying to read his thoughts in the impenetrable set of his hard, wide-set jaw and the black depths of his pupils. Have I pushed him too far this time? Have I proved myself untrustworthy and incompetent beyond redemption?

His hand slips behind me. I brace myself, forcing myself not to squeeze my eyes shut. He withdraws his hand—and I realize he’s grabbed Fool’s Circle.

He holds it up. “Would you like to learn to play?”

My jaw unhinges and falls to the floor. “Yes! I would love to. But I thought—I thought you were angry with me!”

His lower lashes twitch, the severity of his mouth shifting just slightly. “For having excellent taste in games? Certainly not.”

He goes to the table and sits on the cushions as he opens the game. My relief sends my legs almost melting into water. I force them into motion and make them carry me to the opposite side of the table.

I fold my feet beneath me as he slides a thin disc of wood onto the table and dumps the painted pieces beside it. The board has a circular grid carved into it, with one center space reserved for—

“The Fool goes here,” says the prince, setting the biggest piece in the middle. “The goal of the game is to surround the Fool with four of your minions—the smaller pieces—and claim your win. You arrange your minions like so, one in each of the edge spots on your half of the circle, and I will do the same. On your turn, you can move three spaces between any of your pieces. They can only move to the spaces adjacent to it. You can use all three of your spaces on one piece, or you can split it between two or three pieces. If you want to capture a spot I’m currently residing in, you must surround me on three sides—and thus force me to retreat.”

I nod, already planning my moves out as I stare at the board.

“There are various strategies—”

“I prefer to learn as I play.” I shouldn’t have interrupted him. I kick myself.

He only looks up, settling his gaze on me. “Then let us begin. You may take the first move.”

I take my leftmost piece and move it three spaces inward.

A slight smirk twists his lips. He mirrors my movement on the opposite side. I immediately veer into his territory, halfway to the one of the coveted slots.

“Aggressive,” he mumbles.

“Am I doing it wrong?” I say, to cover my confidence in my moves.

“Not at all. I have a friend named Ash back in Faerieland who is good at this game, and this is his favorite strategy to use on those who are new to the game. It works well on those likely to get flustered and defensive.”

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