I turned to see Yssac standing at the top of the stairs, his ice blue eyes already watching us with a cruel glee. He had no reason to know who we were, but our paler skin would have made it obvious we were from further south. Most people in Theralis had a tan or rosy complexion, and I let my smile fall from my face as I glared.

  But Yssac’s eyes were locked on my mother, his smile still disgusting in my eyes as he leaned against the railing, looking her over like she was a particularly interesting trinket.

  “Well, well,” Yssac drawled, his voice laced with the same insufferable arrogance I remembered all too well. “You must be new in town. Tell me, what’s your name, lovely?”

  My mother stiffened at the words, her fingers twitching at her sides before she quickly bowed her head. “My name is Linota, my lord.”

  “Linota? Didn’t your husband just die, and yet here you are, as if he never existed?”

  I clenched my fists at my sides, my nails digging into my palms as I forced myself to stay silent. I wanted to spit at him, to claw at his face, to sink my teeth into his throat like a beast and rip him apart. But I couldn’t—not yet. I was still just a child, and he was still the arrogant son of a noble who believed the world belonged to him.

  “My husband was a good man, my lord,” my mother said softly, her voice steady despite the tension in her shoulders. “I grieve him deeply, but I must do what is necessary to care for my son.”

  “Oh? And what necessary things would those be?” Yssac asked, his smirk widening as he leaned forward, placing both hands on the railing. “Throwing yourself at the mercy of the princess? Hiding behind your boy? How convenient for you.”

  I still remembered what it felt like when my eyes changed color, and I felt the warning prickle at the back of my mind. My eyes weren’t supposed to change color yet but the trigger was the same; someone putting down my mother for trying to take care of me. I closed my eyes, trying to calm myself down. Now was not the time, here was not the place.

  So I bit my tongue, forced my hands to relax at my sides, and did what I had done so many times before since coming back.

  I smiled.

  It was a child’s smile, innocent and oblivious, the kind that wouldn’t be out of place on any ten-year-old meeting a noble for the first time. I tugged on my mother’s sleeve, pressing myself against her side as if seeking comfort, even as I made sure to tilt my head in just the right way to seem intimidated.

  “My ma’s going to work for Princess Isa!” I announced, deliberately using the nickname. Nobles hated it when commoners tried to pretend at familiarity, and if there was one thing I knew, it was that men like Yssac despised being reminded of their place. “She said we get to live in the palace with her, too! Isn’t that nice?”

  Yssac’s smirk wavered, and I knew I’d struck a nerve. His fingers curled against the railing, his nails dragging against the polished wood, but his expression smoothed a moment later.

  “How fortunate for you,” he murmured, though there was a sharpness in his eyes now, a calculating glint that sent a slow coil of unease twisting in my gut. “To go from being nothing to having the princess’s favor overnight. You must be very special, little stray.”

  “Yup!” I agreed, enjoying the way his anger grew. Before he could speak again, another voice interrupted him.

  “There you are, Lady Linota.”

  We both turned as Caspian approached us, and for the first time, I saw him dressed in attire appropriate for the crown prince. His suit was deep blue, accented with silver embroidery that mimicked the patterns of dragon scales. The crest of the Naeran Empire was pinned neatly to his chest, and the way the other customers quickly stepped aside at his approach made it abundantly clear that they knew exactly who he was. His expression was unreadable, his storm-gray eyes flickering between my mother and Yssac.

  Stolen story; please report.

  “My wife was worried you may have gotten lost, but I see you were merely held up by a barking dog.” Caspian’s harsh words surprised me, and I almost let my expression slip. Yssac's smirk instantly faded, his hands tightening on the railing as he straightened. There was a flicker of something dark in his gaze, something resentful, but he masked it quickly, offering a stiff bow in Caspian's direction.

  “Your Highness,” Yssac said, voice smooth despite the tension rolling off him in waves. “I wasn’t aware the princess’s new project warranted such personal attention from the crown prince himself.”

  Caspian's lips curled into something that was almost a smirk, but his eyes remained cold. “Princess Isadora takes great care of those she chooses to help. I was simply ensuring her kindness wasn’t being… misunderstood.”

  There was clearly bad blood between the crown prince and Marquess Blackwood, and I was starting to see why he had wanted to use me to smear Caspian’s deed in killing the evil dragon. It went beyond mere rivalry; this was pure, unadulterated hatred on both sides. Yssac's fingers twitched slightly at his sides, the only visible crack in his otherwise composed demeanor.

  I took a slow breath, forcing my small hands to remain relaxed at my sides. My heartbeat pounded in my ears, but I kept my smile, tilting my head innocently as I tugged at my mother’s sleeve. “Ma, can we go now? I wanna see the palace!”

  My mother, to her credit, recovered quickly. She bowed her head slightly, her hand coming to rest on my shoulder in a steadying gesture. “Of course, Cyran. We shouldn’t keep the princess waiting.”

  Caspian nodded, stepping slightly to the side and gesturing toward the door. “Allow me to escort you. We wouldn’t want any more unnecessary delays.”

  Yssac's expression remained neutral, but the sharpness in his eyes made my skin crawl. He knew. Knew that Caspian was dismissing him. Knew that whatever power he held in this moment was nothing compared to the man standing before him. And I knew—without a doubt—that he hated it.

  As Caspian led us back to the counter so my mother could pay, I gazed around the store, considering what I had learned. At least now I understood it was mutual hatred that had driven the Marquess to use me as a weapon against Caspian and if that was the case, we had ironically ended up in the best situation. We were now under the protection of Marquess Blackwood’s hated enemy and he would be hard pressed to find a reasonable excuse to take us back.

  “Watch your expression.”

  I glanced up as Caspian spoke, his voice clearly too soft to be speaking to my mother. He was looking straight down at me, an amused expression on his face. “Your eyes are changing.”

  I blinked, startled as I realized he was right. How had it happened without me realizing? I quickly cast my gaze downward, squeezing my eyes shut as I forced my breathing to slow. My emotions had always been the trigger, but I thought I had more control this time. And on top of that, why wasn’t Caspian surprised?

  “Breathe,” Caspian murmured, his voice calm. I felt a hand on my head, warm and steady. “No one else noticed yet. Keep your head down and count to three.”

  I bristled at being ordered around, but I obeyed, more out of necessity than anything else. He was right. If Yssac saw my eyes shift to gold, he would do whatever it took to make my mother’s life miserable at the palace. I couldn’t let him know that we had slipped through his father’s fingers. It took a few more minutes of breathing, but I felt the feeling fade.

  I slowly opened my eyes, peeking up at Caspian. His gaze flickered over my face, studying me with an intensity I didn’t like, but then he gave a barely perceptible nod and turned away. My mother, thankfully oblivious to what had just happened, was busy counting out the coins for our purchases. Soon her business was done and I eagerly took her free hand as she led us back outside. More knights stood outside the store, falling in place behind us as Caspian led us back to the coach.

  ‘A statement,’ I realised, and I couldn't help but wonder whose idea it was. Was it Isadora, eager to make sure that her new little pets stayed safe? Or Caspian’s, determined to keep an eye on me and where I went? Either way, the effect was the same, if the stares and whispers that followed us were any indication. After all, it’s not everyday servants were personally escorted by the crown prince of the empire.

  “Your Highness,” I called out, grinning brightly as he glanced back at me. “Do you think the palace has food? ‘Cause I’m real hungry.”

  Caspian scoffed. “You’ll survive.”

  I grinned, as if I hadn’t just barely avoided disaster.