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Kayden looked right and left as she made her way down to the stables for what was quickly becoming a habit. She enjoyed her rides with Catarine, but she needed time to herself as well – time to think, time to lose herself in the ride, time to plan her next move.
She had not seen the Prince in the stables since that first early-morning ride – though she had purposely come out at the same time, several mornings before and after her untimely sojourn from the palace.
In the days following their incident, she'd simply found it amusing. Now that she had returned – and received a very cold welcome – she was beginning to wonder if there was something else going on.
She could not shake the feeling that something was amiss. She'd been back in the palace for days and the Prince was obviously avoiding her.
Something must have happened while I was gone. He was friendly enough at the ball . . . and in the hallway before the ball . . . and out on the balcony when we were dancing – all alone.
The steady staccato of heels against the marble had her brushing away the memories and picking up her pace.
I had better get a move on. If that woman caught her again today, it would be hours of looking at fabric designs . . . and place settings . . . and listening to music. Kayden knew she was not up to another several hours of that.
Not today.
Kayden turned the corner with her head turned, watching behind her, so she did not notice someone who was walking down the hall toward her. She did, however, hear his footsteps. She whipped her head back around just as the Prince walked right into her.
Papers flew everywhere as Dvarius reached out to steady her.
The moment his hands touched her, even through her sleeves, Kayden felt the warmth rush up her arms and spread across her chest, flowing along her neck and filling her cheeks. She wanted to stay right where she was . . . forever.
She wanted to knock the rest of the papers out of his hands and claim her rightful place in them. She wanted to twine her arms around his back and lean into his strong chest. She wanted to slap his face – for the way he had treated her over the last few days.
Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to step away from him, placing a hand against the wall to steady herself.
“We have to stop meeting like this, Your Highness.”
And instead of the laugh she'd expected, all she heard from the Prince was a deep growl.
“You should be more cautious, Lady Kayden. You could have been injured.”
She could not have been more surprised if he had slapped her. Lady Kayden . . . Since when does he call me Lady Kayden?
A sharp pain pierced her heart and she struggled against the desire to cry out. No. I am stronger than this. I will not give him the satisfaction of showing weakness – not of any kind, not for any reason.
When she spoke, she purposely laced her voice with enough sarcasm that he could not possibly miss it. “So . . . another ball?”
“Hmm . . .” he let the syllables stretch out a bit and she wasn't certain whether he was agreeing or asking her to repeat herself.
Going with the assumption that he was answering, she pressed on. “Sounds like it will be quite the event.”
“Yes.”
Suppressing the desire to shake her head at his monosyllabic answers, she tried again. “What's the occasion?”
“Nothing special.”
“Oh. I thought perhaps an announcement was about to be made . . .”
She let her words trail off there, leaving him plenty of opportunity to answer the entire question, but he only nodded again and looked down at the papers he had gathered – putting them to rights slowly . . . very slowly.
“So, nothing special then . . . no good reason to throw a big party . . . you just felt like it, I suppose.” She knew her voice was full of acid, but she could not help but think of how Catarine had only just referred to his treatment of them.
“Something like that.”
“I do hope you enjoy yourself, Your Highness.”
“You as well, Lady Kayden.”
She very nearly had to bite her tongue to keep from voicing the actual comment that came to mind.
Especially given his present state of mind . . .
“Thank you, Your Highness, but I do not intend to go.”
Dvarius opened his mouth, but closed it only a moment later and then, with a nod of his head, he moved quickly in the other direction.
Watching him go, Kayden rubbed a hand over the pain that had spread out from her heart with each harsh word. Catarine might be convinced, but if that is a man in love – it is not with me.