Page 71 of The Promised Prince
“Do you wish you lived here?” the boy asked.
She shook her head, glancing up at Trev. “I don’t belong here.”
Trev hated the truth in her words.
Colter scrunched his nose. “Momma says I don’t belong here either. I’m too dirty.”
Renna frowned. “You look clean to me.”
“My teacher scrubbed me clean so I could come, but Momma says it was a waste of time.”
Trev caught the concerned look in Renna’s eyes.
“Can we play now?” Colter tugged on her arm again.
“Yes.” Renna smiled back at him and let the boy’s small strength pull her away across the field to another game. Trev’s eyes followed her retreating back as he breathed out one long, deep sigh.
Tearing his gaze from Renna, Trev turned to his right and his eyes locked with Queen Mariele’s. She sat under a shade tent, methodically waving a small fan back and forth in front of her face to keep cool. But her eyes watched him.
Trev inclined his head respectfully, though his stomach twisted. How long had she been watching him? He thought back through his actions all morning: he had been with Seran,playedwith Seran, until the brief moment she had asked him to help Renna. He hadn’t done anything wrong—at least not today—but the queen’s gaze felt heavy with suspicion just the same.
He needed to find Seran.
With little searching, Trev found her kneeling under a tree, braiding a little girl’s hair who looked no more than seven or eight-years-old. Her gray school dress was too big, hanging over her thin body and crisscrossed legs like a blanket.
“It’s Prince Ezra!” The little girl squirmed excitedly as Trev approached. She tried to bow her head, but with her brown hair already in Seran’s hands, she couldn’t move much.
“Hello.” He swept into a gallant bow. “What’s your name?”
“Nalissy.”
“What a beautiful name.”
“That’s exactly what I thought.” Seran smiled at him. “I told Nalissy that I would do her hair like a princess today.”
“Aren’t I lucky?” Nalissy beamed.
“Very lucky.” Trev looked past the girl to see if Queen Mariele was still watching him. She was.
He plopped down on the grass behind Seran. “Well, if Princess Seran gets to do your hair, then I should be able to do Princess Seran’s hair.”
Seran turned her dark eyes toward him. “I don’t know if I can trust you. A princess must always look her best.”
“Oh, please let Prince Ezra do your hair,” Nalissy pleaded.
Seran leaned into the little girl. “How can I resist you? I suppose it’s all right then.”
Trev started combing his fingers through Seran’s hair, noticing how the smooth strands were like silk against his fingers. The whole scene with Seran and the little girl surprised him. He hadn’t pictured her playing with children. She seemed too refined for that.
“Am I invited to your wedding?” Nalissy asked.
Seran smiled at Trev, then answered, “I don’t think so, but I promise we’ll wave to you from the palace balcony afterward.”
Trev twisted Seran’s hair as if he knew what he was doing. “The wedding is in three weeks. Can you believe it?” He tried to ignore the sick feeling in his stomach.
“It definitely feels surreal. Everyone has been talking about it for ten years. Now it’s finally happening.”
He let out a breath, hoping it didn’t sound as heavy as he felt. “I know what you mean.”
