I was still shaking my head when I climbed into the back of the car. No one could push my buttons like my mother. No one.
“What’s the matter?” Dallas asked.
I sighed. “It’s just my mother. I love her, but she drives me crazy.”
He laughed. “I know the feeling.”
I smiled politely. My mother was overbearing, but his mother was positively petrifying. I quickly changed the subject. “Why are all these people out here?”
I was surprised to see my neighbors out on their steps, curiously watching our car. More civilians lined the sidewalks. There was no cheering, like in the propaganda videos; it was more the curious stares of strangers.
“Word’s gotten out that we’re here.” Dallas watched the civilians from behind the dark-tinted windows.
“If they know it’s us…shouldn’t we wave or something?”
“Yes. We should.” He sat forward immediately. “I never get out here, so I didn’t even think about it.” He instructed the driver to slow the vehicle, and we both rolled down our windows, waving to the people lining the streets. Now, they began to clap and smile.
“Gwyneth!” I saw my friend Lyra standing near the corner, waving and grinning. “Go, you!”
“I’ll write you soon!” I leaned out of the window and blew her a kiss.
Dallas chuckled as a little girl, probably all of three, sitting on her father’s shoulders waved at him madly. He waved back, and she shrieked in delight.
“Adorable,” he said, but then he did a double take as he looked out the window. “The camera crew’s following us.”
I looked and saw another large vehicle following us, making its way slowly down the street. A cameraman stuck his head out the back window, filming the crowds.
We drove further out of town, and the audience thinned. I gave the vehicle behind us another look. “Did you tell them where we were going?”
He scrubbed a hand across his face. “I told several of my advisors and left a note for my father. I guess they must have alerted the crew.”
“Hmm.” I twisted the hem of my dress. “I guess we veered a little off the script.” I had a feeling I’d be hearing about it from Tariq.
“You don’t need to look worried. I’ll deal with it. Besides, I expect that showing us under the circumstances—helping your sick sister—will be considered a PR coup by the team.” He frowned.
“And that’s bad because…”
He shrugged. “It’s not bad. But that’s not what this was about, and I get tired of the non-stop posturing.”
“I bet.”
He hit a button, and a screen rose up, separating us from the guards. “Privacy screen.” Dallas smiled, and my heart skipped a beat.
He grabbed my hand. “I liked your family very much. Thank you for letting me meet them.”
“Thank you for having Dr. Cameron save my sister’s life and for bringing me to see her. That meant everything to me.”
“See? I keep telling you—I’m not so bad.” His eyes twinkled.
“My siblings are both obsessed with you, and my mother is obviously beside herself that you came to the house, which is my way of saying no, you’re not so bad at all.”
Dallas’s face darkened. “Your mother seemed a bit embarrassed, actually, when she made us tea. She kept apologizing for her ‘lacking’ service. I felt terrible.”
“I’m sure she was just being polite.” Actually, she was probably mortified by our meager offerings.
“No, it’s one of the reasons I mentioned the extra provisions. I saw inside your cupboards—they were bare.”
He looked out the window, cursing under his breath. Then he was quiet for so long I didn’t think he’d say more until he continued. “I’m so sorry, Gwyneth. Your family was not in good shape. They lacked food and heat. Your poor sister probably got sick because your house was freezing.”
“It’s my fault.” I sighed. “I used to take care of the firewood, of everything. I babied them too much, and now they’re having a hard time getting on because I’m not there.”
He turned to me, face stormy. “They are children. You treated them as you should, by protecting them. But I, as their prince? I’m the one who’s failed them. I’ve believed the lies my advisors have told me for far too long. The settlements are in much worse shape than I knew.”
“But why would they keep it from you?”
It was beginning to dawn on me that we had several hours together in the car, and I could finally ask him all the questions that had been burning me up for the past few weeks.
Dallas frowned. “Before we conquered the settlements, my father promised me that we were doing it to bring a better life to the people who lived here. He assured me at every step that we would be lifting the people up and saving them from the rebels threatening their society from within.”
“When you say rebels, do you mean the same rebels my father and brother left to fight for?”
Dallas winced. “It’s complicated, Gwyneth. And there’s much I can’t tell you.”
I filed this away to pester him about later and returned to his comments about the state of the settlements. “Why would your father want to hide the truth from you?”
“He does not want me to see how the people are really living. You told me before that the people suffered, but now I’ve seen it for myself.”
I rubbed his hand. “You can’t blame yourself. Now that you know, you will make changes. That’s all anyone can ask.”
He shook his head. “I’ve let myself be deceived for too long. I do not see things the way my father does…” He bit off the sentence, looking pained.
“Nor must you,” I encouraged. “You will be king someday, and you will govern as you see fit.”
Dallas’s eyes blazed. “Sometimes, that day seems too far away.”
“I think the idea about the clinics was great. You can still make important improvements as the prince. You can help the people in the settlements.”
“It’s long overdue, I’m afraid.” Dallas would not be comforted.
“Then there’s no time like the present. Think of all the people you can help going forward.”
He gave me a funny look. “My dearest Gwyneth, I do believe you’re trying to make me feel better.”
“Of course I am. You just saved my sister’s life. As far as I’m concerned, you’re my knight in shining armor. I want you to see yourself the way I see you right now.”
“You’ve quite taken me off guard. I’m not used to this side of you.” The corners of his lips tugged up. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Thank you?” I giggled.
He reached for my hands, gaze burning into mine. “Thank you.”
“Since I have your favor, and we have an awfully long car ride, can we do something?”
He brushed the hair back from my face, looking quite, quite interested. He leaned closer, eyes glittering. “Anything.”
His cool breath wafted over my face, practically making me pant. I willed my hormones to calm themselves, but I still shivered—from his closeness, from his scent, from his big hands surrounding mine.
“I want to ask you questions. About a million of them.”
He dropped back against the seat, laughing. “I should’ve known.”
“Since coming to the palace,” I earnestly continued, “I’ve learned a lot of new things. For instance, that vampires are real. And then there’s the bit about gnomes. Any way, I have a lot of questions. So may I ask them? And will you answer?”
He chuckled. “To the best of my ability.”
I mentally rubbed my hands together. So many subjects!
“Excellent. Now, let me see…”