Page 68 of The Promised Prince
More cheers.
“Now, let’s have more drinks and more dancing!”
Trev let go of Seran’s hand and whispered something in her ear. She smiled at him shyly.
Renna turned to leave.
What was the point in staying?
24
The Informer
The dark alley stunk of garbage but was secluded from Albana’s main streets, making it the perfect meeting place. Any minute now, the informer would hand off the letter to the Tolsten spy, knowing that once this information left his hands, there was little he could do to stop the consequences of its contents. So far, all the information he had handed over to Tolsten had been inconsequential. Where the Albion army planned to build a military fortress, what countries Albion was trading with, where the Albion army was stationed.
But this...this was different. This information would finally give Tolsten the excuse they needed to declare war against Albion.
The shadows of night hid him until the skunk appeared—the man with the white and black hair. Did he like having a thick, white stripe running through his long black hair? Did he know he looked like a skunk? These were questions he would never get answered. The man’s shifty eyes and fierce expression said there would be no words between them. A simple passing of a letter. A nod of the head.
The skunk opened the letter, reading it silently.
He watched him read, tapping his toe on the dirt road below him. He hoped the skunk would hurry so he could leave this filthy alleyway. He didn’t want the smell seeping into him.
“This was all King Carver’s idea?” he asked when he was done reading.
“Isn’t that what the letter says?” There was a tinge of satisfaction laced between his lies.
“I just want to make sure I have the facts straight when I take this information back to King Adler.”
“I haven’t given you false information yet,” he said, raising an eyebrow.
The man looked around before speaking again.
“We’ll be in contact.”
Then he disappeared in the same direction he had come from.
It was over. It would all be over soon. The thought brought a smile to his lips.
25
Renna
The front yard of the palace transformed overnight from the tournament festival into a field of games and entertainment. Activities like croquet, kickball, and tug-of-war were spread across the lawn. White chairs were placed throughout in semi-circles with tables on the edges for refreshments. Today the palace hosted children from the capital city. Renna liked this activity, a chance to run around with happy children and forget herself and her problems. It was precisely the kind of day she needed. Renna had woken up feeling depressed like there was nothing to look forward to in her life, but she refused to let that feeling take over her day. She needed to forget about herself and all her stupidboyproblems and just focus on the children.
She waited at the steps of the palace for the children to arrive. Her mother was ahead of her with Cypress and a group of noblewomen. Renna didn’t feel like joining their conversation. She looked to her left and saw Seran’s friends laughing with some soldiers and other prominent young men. Luckily, Joniss wasn’t among them. Renna didn’t know if she could stand seeing him after last night’s rejection.
“Good morning, Renna,” Seran said, walking up to her side. Her lavender dress was more casual today. The cotton fabric hung just below her knees, and she wore athletic shoes to play in.
“Good morning.” Seran’s genuine smile was a great reminder of why Renna needed to keep her distance from Trev.
The two women stood in silence until Renna couldn’t stand it any longer and said something inappropriate.
“I saw your kiss with the prince.”
Nice one.
“I think everyone did.” Seran laughed. “I guess it’s all part of the arranged marriage—part of the job.”
