Page 35 of The Promised Prince
And then her eyes iced over.
“What are you doing?” Her voice was loud and stern.
“Shh!” Trev couldn’t be discovered with her. He looked around to see if anyone was coming, then took her hand and dragged her back to her room. He shut the door behind them and shoved her farther into the room, causing her to stumble just a bit. Feeling bad, he released her and backed away. He hadn’t meant to be so forceful with her.
Renna whirled around to face him. “Are you insane?”
“I’m sorry.” He raised his palms, signaling he was there in peace. “I just want to explain.”
“How kind of you to squeeze me in before you have dinner with your fiancée,” she huffed.
“That’s not fair,” Trev said back to her. “YouknowI’m not that kind of guy.”
“I don’t know anything about you,” she spat. “You lied to me.”
“I did not!”
“I should have known better when you said your name wasjust Trev.”
He grimaced, hating how she made him sound like an idiot when she imitated his voice. “When I’m outside the palace walls, Iamjust Trev, the soldier. Especially when I’m in New Hope.”
Her arms folded across her chest. “Playing the part of an unattached soldier is fun for you, I’m sure.”
“I am unattached.” He said it before thinking, then stammered through a pathetic rebuttal. “I mean, I was...kind of.”
She laughed mockingly. “That’s your explanation for flirting with me? Dancing with me? Not to mention the whole grass fight.”
“Last I checked, none of that is illegal when you’re engaged to someone you haven’t met before.” He took a step forward. “And since we’re bringing everything up, you forgot to mention swimming together in our undergarments.”
She rolled her eyes. “How could I forget that?”
He scoffed. “Yes, how could you forget that?” He couldn’t seem to get it out of his mind.
She glared at him, unconvinced.
“Okay.” He shrugged. “I admit that I shouldn’t have flirted with you when we first met. But to be fair, I later believed you were my betrothed. My actions were in earnest.”
“What are you talking about?” Her brows furrowed.
“You said your mother was the queen, and the prince was expecting you. What else was I supposed to think?”
Renna went silent and looked down at the floor as if playing back the memory in her mind.
Trev continued. “I felt so comfortable around you, and we got along so well. When I thought you were the princess, I couldn’t wait to surprise you in Albion as your fiancé.”
Renna gave a shuddering sigh and ducked her head, hiding her expression.
“I should have told you who I was.” His voice softened. “I never meant for any of this to happen.”
For a few tense moments, Renna didn’t move. Then, quietly, she said, “My motheristhe queen of New Hope, and Prince Ezrawasexpecting us.” She raised her head slowly. But when her eyes met his, Trev was surprised by the hardness there. “If you ever thought about anyone other than yourself, then you would have known that the princess you expected is not thedaughterof the queen, but thestepdaughter.”
Trev flinched. She was right. He should have known that she wasn’t Seran. But he let himself believe that she was because he wanted her to be. He looked to the floor, running a hand across his face.
“Did you skip your history lessons, Prince Ezra?” Her voice was cold. “Or did you never care enough about your fiancée to actually learn anything about her?”
Trev bristled, the judgment in her tone striking a nerve. Without thinking, he snapped, “It’s not my job to know the history ofyourcountry. I have people who do that for me.”
Renna’s eyebrows flew up in shock, and Trev’s stomach clenched. Why on earth had he said that?
