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Rowan
I dragmyself up to my own bed, head reeling from my conversation with the Prince. He’s been doing research about me—he knew I had a boyfriend. Did he seem relieved when I said we broke up, or is that just my twisted imagination?
Distrust and dislike come off him in waves, yet he still ends up seeking me out. He was right about one thing, though. My design was all wrong. After just one day reading through old stories of Nord and seeing the way the storm battered the palace, I know my original ideas don’t work.
Now that I’m here, I understand the importance of this redesign. Not only for my career. Not for the royal family. For the whole kingdom. Updating this palace needs to represent the kingdom as a whole.
So how did I get the job?
I let out a breath, wishing Grandma were here. She’d make me feel at home. She’d remind me I have Nordish blood in my veins, and I belong to this place as much as anyone else. She’d tell me about my mother’s childhood, and how she came to work at the palace.
But she’s up in a hospital bed, and I’m here, alone. Needing to navigate my complicated relationship with the Prince and figure out where I went wrong with my design.
Tomorrow. I’ll deal with it tomorrow.
But I hear the creak of my hinges and sit up in bed to see a big, furry creature padding toward the bed. Letting out a sigh, I smile. “Hey, Chief.”
The dog hops up on the bed and curls up next to me. Finally, I can sleep.
I don’t seethe Prince for over a week. The storm rages around us, but I stay warm and fed inside. I spend a lot of time in the archives, inhaling every scrap of information about the palace and the royal family. In the evenings, I return to the library, half-hoping the Prince will be there waiting for me.
He isn’t.
Disappointment tastes bitter, but I try to push it down. Vikki keeps me company, finding me when her day of work is done and telling me about all the gossip about the castle.
One evening, we sit curled in one of the smaller living rooms, watching a big fire burn in the hearth. “I haven’t seen the Prince in days,” I say.
Vikki glances at me, sipping a warm mug of tea. “He keeps to himself.”
“Will he stay here all winter?”
“I doubt it,” Vikki says. “He’ll probably to go back to Stirling before the weather gets really bad.”
“Oh,” I answer, hope flaming in my gut. Why does that excite me? Is it because I’ve been thinking of staying in Stirling with Grandma until she’s healed?
“It makes me sad when he’s here,” Vikki says, glancing at me. “He’s so different now.”
“How so?”
“Colder. Doesn’t laugh anymore.”
“I can’t imagine him being very jolly before.”
Vikki chuckles, throwing me a glance. “You’d be surprised. When”—she drops her voice, glancing over her shoulder—“when his fiancée was alive, he was really happy. Always had a smile on his face. Wouldn’t leave her side.”
My shoulders drop as my chest squeezes. I’ve judged the Prince so harshly. Thought of him as a spoiled, arrogant ass—but what if he’s just hurting?
Pinching my lips together, I push my sympathy down. We’ve all been through shit. We’ve all lost people we loved and had our lives change as a result. I know I have. Just because the Prince has been through something similar doesn’t give him the right to be rude.
But I think of those moments I had alone with him, and I wonder who the Prince really is. Why doesn’t he trust me? Why did he seek me out, then leave me alone for over a week? He’s hot and cold. Trusting and suspicious. Rude and kind. He’s one big contradiction, and I just want to figure him out.
Vikki sits up. “I have an early start tomorrow. They say the storm should clear overnight, so we might get out of this place come morning. Maybe we can go see the visitor’s cottage in the afternoon.”
“Sounds nice.” I smile. “Good night.”
Vikki takes my empty mug as well as her own down to the kitchens, and I stay by the fire until the embers glow red and the night is black outside. Then, I peel myself off the couch and make my way upstairs.
If the storm clears, that means I can leave. I can go see Grandma. I have enough information to put together an updated design.
