Page 40 of If The Crown Fits
“Your head too?” Cai asked, and I nodded.
“I don’t know what exactly is in your Evernean wine, but I haven’t been that drunk since I was a young lad.”
“You’re still a young lad.” I started rubbing my temples with my fingers again.
“No, but this was quite a few years ago. My best friend Thatcher and I snuck into one of my parents’ parties and stole a bottle of wine because we’d never had any before, and for some reason thought it was a good idea. My father found us the next morning, passed out on the garden steps. Needless to say we were in big trouble.”
“Sounds like your family had their hands full.” The carriage pulled away and we were on the move.
“Most certainly. Thatcher and I got ourselves into all kinds of trouble as children and teenagers, but I suppose we grew up eventually.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever had as much to drink as I did last night,” I admitted.
“I don’t even remember anything,” he said.
I opened my eyes, looking at him for the first time. The knot in my stomach unclenched a little.
“Tell me more about Norrandale and your childhood?” Rhen said I needed him to trust me. After all the havoc of our initialintroduction, perhaps that was a good place to start. A simple question, a safe one.
Cai proceeded with stories about the beautiful landscape and how they would go hunting or simply spend days in the forest so they could sleep under the stars. He told me about the people and the dances and stories about how he and Thatcher often got themselves into interesting situations.
“What about your men here?”
“What do you mean?”
“You seem very close to them. I have never seen a prince address his guards so personally.”
“Well, I’ve known them for so long I suppose you could say they feel like family. Except for Conner, but he’s a good kid. Brutus has been working in the kitchens since I was a little boy. I would always steal some of the mince pies, but he would only give me a disapproving look.”
“He doesn’t say much, does he?”
“Argonian rebels cut out his tongue a long time ago.”
I met his gaze in surprise. “That’s terrible.”
Cai just nodded.
“What about Jack and Alastor?”
“They fought with me in the war.”
He looked out of the carriage window as if reminiscing, a dark expression crossing his face. “I owe them so much more than my life.” The expression faded as quickly as it had appeared and he looked back at me.
“What about your family? What about Everness?”
“Well, I’ve already shown you my favourite place in Everness. But I suppose that is where the good things end. The people are poor and unhappy, and I’m not very close to my family.”
“I’m sorry.” His apology looked sincere.
“It’s not your doing.”
“Not yours either. You should be able to trust your father and brother to run the kingdom. It isn’t your duty to worry about it.”
“No, my duty is to be married off to the highest bidder,” I spat out, suddenly angry on behalf of a person I had never even met. It was King Magnus and Prince Lance’s responsibility to run the kingdom, to look after the people.And instead they spend and party while Eloisa is to be married to a stranger so Everness can benefit.
Cai’s expression looked almost sad. “I know neither of us really have much of a choice in this matter, but I’m not going to force you to...”
I cut him off — his expression alone made me feel guilty. “No, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. I just... I wish that...” I didn’t quite know what to say.
