Page 123 of The Promised Prince
“Where’s that little maid of yours?” Nellie peeked around them. “She’s a wispy little thing. Needs some more fat on her if you ask me. Let’s get her some food too.”
“Nora didn’t come with me this time. It’s just going to be Mangum and me.”
“I won’t complain about that.” Nellie grabbed a pan and lit the stove. “How long do I get you this time before you have to go back?”
“Well,” Renna sat up a little taller, “if you don’t mind, I’d like to stay. Indefinitely.”
Preetis and Nellie exchanged looks. “Child, of course we don’t mind.” She gathered Renna up into another hug. “This place is yours. You belong here.”
That’s exactly what Renna needed right now—somewhere to belong.
* * *
Renna’s hair waswet from a warm bath, and it hung around her back and shoulders, dampening her nightgown. Nellie’s soft fingers combed through the strands, just like they had when she was a child. The crackling of the fire soothed Renna’s soul. She lay on her side against the worn-out pillows of her old bed, feeling the comfort of home wash over her.
“What happened in Albion?” Nellie asked quietly. “Why did you leave before the wedding?”
Renna thought about lying. It would have been easier that way, but her heart longed to be comforted.
“I fell in love with the prince. That’s what happened in Albion.”
Nellie’s fingers paused for a moment, no doubt from the shock of Renna’s confession. “Oh, child!” She patted Renna’s head like a toddler and then continued combing through her hair. “Tell me all of it.”
Renna had held it all in until now. As soon as she started, the floodgates opened, the words pouring out of her, begging to be told. Nellie listened quietly as Renna told her about Wellenbreck pond and the fake drowning. About meeting Trev there the next day. She told her how easily her feelings for him had come, how he made her feel light and tied up in knots all at the same time. She told her how they had almost kissed at the pond and how he had promised to see her again in Albion. Nellie gasped at the part where Renna found out he was the prince and endured the horrible first dinner at the palace. She talked about all the times they had tried to convince each other they were just friends. The ways they had justified their relationship so they could be near each other. She told her about the deep sadness she felt when she saw Trev with Seran and how King Carver had threatened her in her room. Nellie laughed about the red dress and sighed deeply when Renna told her about their kiss. She explained how she had managed to avoid speaking to Trev until the day before the wedding. How she had wanted him to say the wedding was called off, even though he couldn’t. Finally, she told her how she had wished he’d been in the courtyard, stopping her from leaving, telling her he loved her.
“My, my, my,” Nellie clucked, shaking her head. “You poor dear.” Nellie hugged the back of Renna’s shoulders, her warm hands squeezing all the disappointment and sadness out of her until Renna found herself sobbing uncontrollably in Nellie’s soft arms. “Let it go, child. Let it go.” Nellie stroked the back of her hair deep into the night until there were no more tears to cry, and sleep swept Renna away.
53
Trev
Trev stood on the dais in the great hall next to the casket holding Seran’s body. A line of people from the nearby villages came to pay their respects to their almost-queen. Tomorrow, King Bryant and Queen Mariele would leave for New Hope with Seran’s body so they could have a proper funeral and bury her near her mother, Queen Isadora, at the New Hope Government Center. Most of the viewing, Trev nodded graciously at strangers and thanked them for coming. Occasionally there was someone he knew coming to give their condolences. Seran’s friends cried and cried in front of him, leaning over her casket, hugging the king and queen, and telling him how sorry they were. That was a tough one. He should be telling them how sorry he was. Not the other way around.
Joniss stepped up next. Everything inside Trev turned cold. He’d known for a few days that Joniss was the informer. Drake had done some investigating but couldn’t find anything concrete to prove it beyond the words of Commander Pryer. There wasn’t a single trace of evidence tying him to Tolsten, but Trev wasn’t worried. They would prove it eventually; it was all about timing.
“Ezra, I’m sorry for your loss,” Joniss said a bit too smugly to really be sorry.
From the corner of his eye, Trev saw Drake coming across the room to them. He must have thought Trev wouldn’t be able to control his temper. He was probably right.
Joniss looked at Seran’s casket covered in an elaborate bouquet of flowers. “Well, this all ended up very tidy for you, didn’t it?”
“How’s that?” Trev said, unable to hide his disgust.
“Just that Seran is conveniently out of the way now, opening the door for you to run after Renna.”
Trev’s fingers tightened into a fist.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if you planned the shooting yourself as an easy way to get rid of her.”
Trev’s fist went flying through the air, landing on Joniss’s jaw, knocking him to the ground. A crowd of people around them gasped.
Joniss grabbed his jaw while a few men reached to help him up. Everyone in the room watched them now.
“I know this is a hard time for you, Prince Ezra.” Joniss spoke the words loud enough for the watching people to hear. “And I don’t hold you accountable for your actions today. You’re grieving.”
Trev struggled against Drake’s grasp. He wanted to kill Joniss and his fake persona.
“Let him go,” Drake said in his ear. “He’s not worth it.”
