Page 94 of The Gilded Cage

Gods, Kiva didn’t think she could do this.

But she had to. So she took a steadying breath and followed her siblings into the palace, listening with half an ear as Mirryn played the courteous tour guide and Tipp offered his own boisterous commentary.

“Why didn’t you tell me your brother looked likethat?” Caldon asked quietly, bringing up the rear of the group with Kiva.

“Like what?” she murmured distractedly.

“What do you mean, ‘like what’?” Caldon said, exasperated. “Likethat.” He waved a hand toward Tor’s strong back. “He’s delicious.”

That was enough to shock Kiva from her fears, and she whipped her head toward the prince. “I thought you were into girls?”

Caldon pulled a face. “Firstly,” he said, “women.I’m intowomen— notgirls.There’s a difference.”

Kiva raised her hands in apology. “All right, sorry.”

“And secondly,” Caldon said with strained patience, “I’m attracted to who I’m attracted to. And right now, there is nothing aboutthat” — he dipped his chin toward Torell — “that isn’t attractive.” Somewhat woefully, he added, “I can’t believe you kept him a secret.”

“In my defense, I didn’t see him until yesterday,” Kiva said, sticking with her lie.

Caldon had nothing to say to that, but there was something in his silence, some hidden depth to it that Kiva couldn’t identify. It vanished, however, when they approached the River Room and he leaned in to whisper, “Listen, I don’t know what’s going on with Jaren, but I can make a pretty good guess. I’ll help as much as I can, but if I’m right, this lunch is going to be uncomfortable. Whatever happens, just remember that he cares for you, and because of that, he’s angry.Veryangry.” Caldon paused. “To be honest, I’m right there with him. But one of us has to keep things civil, and given his feelings for you, I doubt he’s going to be putting on his princely airs today. So just ... be gentle with him.”

“What are you talking about?” Kiva whispered back, gripping his elbow to slow his steps.

“Think about it, Sweet Cheeks,” Caldon said, holding her gaze. “How would you feel if someone you were falling hard for was locked away for more than half their life, and then their siblings swooped in like nothing had happened, wanting to be a family again after ten years of abandonment?” Caldon shook his head. “That’s not right, Sunshine, and you know it.”

Kiva gaped at Caldon. “Jaren’s angry at my family because I was sent to Zalindov? But — But —” She flailed, before hissing, “That doesn’t make sense! It’s not liketheysent me there!”

She was walking on thin ice, but Caldon didn’t seem to notice her inflection.

“They left you in there, though,” the prince said. At her incredulous face, his voice dropped to a stunned whisper. “You have no idea what I’m talking about, do you?”

Kiva didn’t get a chance to reply before Mirryn called to them from inside the room.

“Do you two plan on joining us today?”

Caldon covered Kiva’s hand that was still gripping his elbow, her fingers now cold, and guided her into the River Room.

“Sorry, lover’s spat,” he said with a winning smile.

Kiva shot him a look and tried to tug her hand free, but he only held on tighter, walking her over to the table that was similar in style to the dinner she’d shared with the Vallentis family. Instead of a roasted meal, there were mountains of salads and cheeses and breads, along with cold meats and raw vegetables, all plated beside crystal goblets full of sparkling juice and vases bursting with snowblossoms. In the background, the Serin River glittered through the windows, the spring sunshine touching the surface like liquid gold.

At any other time, Kiva would have marveled at the display. Today she had to stop herself from running out of the room.

Everyone had already taken their seats as she and Caldon approached, with him pushing her into the space beside Jaren before taking the empty chair at her other side.

Kiva’s hands trembled at the seating arrangements. Naari and Tipp were fine, but Zuleeka was next to the princess — a disaster waiting to happen — and Torell was directly opposite Jaren, with the prince glaring between both of Kiva’s siblings, but his wrath focused most intently on her brother.

“This looks delicious,” she made herself say, barely recognizing her own voice.

“It’s much better than what we’re used to, that’s for sure,” Torell said amiably, waiting for the royals to start helping themselves before following their lead.

“Kiva tells us you live in Oakhollow,” Jaren said. He was the only person at the table not filling his plate. “How do you spend your time?”

“I’m a blacksmith,” Torell answered, layering slices of ham inside a fresh bread roll, his thick arm muscles validating his lie. “Zulee’s a seamstress.”

Kiva was glad she wasn’t eating or drinking anything, because she would have spat it all over the table.

“A seamstress?” Mirryn repeated, turning to Zuleeka with an arched eyebrow as she looked, somewhat judgingly, at her simple outfit.

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