Page 16 of Falling Princess

“I’ll be close,” Cata admitted. “I’ll see what we can do about getting you a larger bed.” Raina giggled. I smiled but didn’t laugh. “All this to say, you will each be responsible for doing chores. No maids, no one to dress you or wash your hair—”

“Sounds heavenly,” I murmured to Raina. She shot me an are-you-crazy look.

“—no one to clean up after you, no one to cook. You’re allowed to use the cafeteria on campus, though we discourage it. RU screens its personnel carefully. There’s still a risk of poisoning, but Zosia and Raina won’t be the only royals attending. Anyone could be a target, so the school is very careful about its employees.”

I sat forward attentively. I knew there would be other royalty, but Cata’s mention of them had me intrigued anew by the prospect of meeting people like me. Maybe I can have my first kiss—even sex!—with the unsuitable man of my choosing, without worrying about tongues wagging back home, if I can ditch my guard for an evening or two. I might get to make a choice, for once, and I’m eager to exercise it.

Virginity isn’t prized in Auralia the way it is in the outside world. Culturally, we’re pragmatic about sex and procreation. Unplanned pregnancies are almost unheard of, thanks to the prevalence of contraceptive and abortifacient plants, and widespread knowledge of how to use them. Ours work on both men and women. It’s considered wise to let young adults figure themselves out before marrying, and divorce is uncommon. Infidelity from either party is highly frowned upon once a couple is legally and religiously established.

However, me being the last of my line has a lot of people unsettled. There’s enormous pressure to see me married and producing children, regardless of what I want. My father is taking a risk in allowing me to attend school abroad. I mean to make the most of it.

I sneaked a glance at Lorcan. My own personal knight. I’ve heard the cringe-inducing rumors—that my father was so impressed with his protectiveness of me that he’s encouraging a match. Ridiculous. I’m certain my father made him swear up and down never to lay a finger on my person.

As if I’d let him. The gossips will say anything, no matter how absurd. He’s a boy from a remote village, and the son of a disgraced knight, even if his father’s death, and my mother’s, are tragically intertwined.

I have better taste than that. Raina should, too.

Cata handed each of us a thick folder.

“To help you five divide the labor, I’ve made a chart for you to start signing up for chores. I don’t want to see one person’s name on every line. If someone isn’t doing their part, you’ll be hearing from me. Got it?”

A chorus of, “Yes, Lady Cata.”

“Great. Next item. You will be selecting classes. You’ll find a course catalog in your packet. Zosia and Lorcan, you have some coordination to do.”

I clutched my course packet. So many choices. I greedily flipped to the sciences section and scanned the offerings.

“Zosia.”

“Yes?”

“Did you hear me? You have to coordinate with Lorcan. If he’s unavailable, you cannot register for a class. The king has ordered the two of you to focus on—”

“Political science and religion,” I grumbled.

Cata chuckled. I circled three listings with a purple gel pen I bought on my last trip abroad. I love the sparkly ink even though it’s a bit juvenile.

“Princess.”

I ignored Cata’s warning and added yet another science class.

Raina’s elbow dug into my ribs. “Can’t you at least give him a chance?” she hissed. “I promise you, he’s very sweet once you get to know him.”

I thought of Lorcan sitting on my castle’s rooftop, eating an apple. “I know he is. To you. He traded my freedom for his advancement. To me, he’s a jailer.”

“You lost your freedom fair and square.”

“Thanks to you,” I muttered.

Raina sighed, exasperated. I seem to have that effect on a lot of people. Maybe if everyone would back off and let me live my life, I’d be less exhausting. Besides, I took all the blame for our joint excursion, and still, she takes his side.

“You could try talking to him. Tell him that it bothers you when he follows you around.”

I flipped the page without looking at her. “Are you under the delusion that it would stop him? Because that is precisely my father’s purpose in assigning me a guard.”

“I’m sure Lorcan would try to find a way to make it feel less intrusive, if you asked.”

“Raina. Please. I know you love him—”

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