I sighed and my shoulders slumped. I shuffled toward Adaleiz, and Gideon followed. “I’d much rather go to the circus than attend Tereza’s dinner tomorrow night.”

“I’d rather you go to the circus, too.”

I gaped at him. “Really?”

He waved toward the tent. “Here, you’re nameless, faceless, and presumably safe, if Falak doesn’t figure out your identity based on that rather specific clue. At the dinner tomorrow night, you’ll be named and presented as a princess utterly devoid of resources. That’s an appealing delicacy, difficult for some to resist.”

I thought of Le Poing Fermé and Aelous Daeg and shuddered. “It’s tempting—to sneak away and come here, to the circus, instead. But it won’t solve anything. I said before that I’m tired of hiding, tired of being weak and defenseless. Safe or not, I won’t change my mind about revealing myself tomorrow night.”

Gideon exhaled and his nostrils flared. “I had a feeling you would say that.”

In silence, we reached the horses, untied their reins from the wagon spokes, and mounted. We took to the road at a trot, and I turned my thoughts inward. Gideon was quiet, perhaps lost in his thoughts, as well. Although, lost would be the wrong term. He never dropped his guard when we were out in the open. He kept his gaze trained on our surroundings, probably searching for signs of danger, real or imagined. I agonized about restoring kingdoms while he worried about keeping me alive long enough to do it.

I slowed Adaleiz to a walk. “I’m sorry.”

He reined Wallah and brought him closer to my side. “Sorry for what?”

“For fighting with you. For running out.”

He sniffed. “At least you had the sense to tell me where you were going.”

The horses clip-clopped for several paces, and their rhythm lulled me into a relaxed state I rarely achieved anywhere but on horseback.

“I never wanted to be your jailer, Evie.”

I studied Gideon from the corner of my eye. Honey-brown hair trailed down his back, though several loose strands escaped their bindings and swirled around his temple and ears. Dust had collected in the dark nap of his long jacket. It wasn’t a riding coat—he’d obviously left in a hurry to come after me. A muscle worked in his jaw as he clenched his teeth. Not so long ago, his taciturn nature intimidated and cowed me. I’d thought of him as a creature carved from stone, hard and unbreakable. I knew better, now.

“Believe it or not, I appreciate your concerns.” I clutched my reins tighter and studied the way my knuckles rose beneath my skin. “I understand your worry. It’s hard to protect something you can’t confine and control.”

His voice came out rough and low. “I don’t want to confine or control you. I just don’t know a better way.”

“I could make it easier on you, though.”

He grunted.

“I’ll try to do better. I’ll try not to make things so difficult.”

He turned and met my stare. “I made things difficult first. Don’t worry about me. If I can’t keep up with you, it’s my fault, not yours. Don’t change yourself for me, Evie. Don’t change yourself for anyone.”

Chapter 6

At the castle gate, I dismounted and passed Adaleiz’s reins to Gideon, who had offered to make a place for the horses in the empress’s stables. I made my way to our rooms where I found Marlis lounging before an empty fireplace with a book and a tray of tea and sandwiches. With summer on the way, we required no fires to warm the rooms, but the setting was cozy regardless of the time of year. “You almost missed lunch,” she said with her nose still buried in her book. “The tea has gone cold, too.”

I chuckled. “Palace life suits you, Marlis.”

She looked up at me and grinned. “Indeed.” She closed her book, careful to keep a finger between the pages to mark her place. Her expression hardened. “Everything’s all right with you and my brother now?”

I nodded. “He’s seeing to the horses.”

“That means he found you, I guess.”

“Yes, at the circus on the edge of town.”

She sat straighter and blinked. “There was a circus, and no one told me?”

I sank into a seat beside her, studied the selection of sandwiches arranged on the lunch tray, and chose one stuffed with thin slices of roast beef. My stomach growled. “We couldn’t have afforded it before. And now it’s dangerous to be out in the open.”

She wrinkled her nose and turned to her book. “Otokar was just here. He said the empress wants you and Gideon to join her in her private chambers this evening. He said there’ll be games and music. She wants you to meet her sister. I told him you’d be delighted.”

I arched an eyebrow at her. The meek girl I’d met at Lord Daeg’s estate was vanishing, and that young woman had grown a bit of an independent streak. Good. I may depend on her counsel, someday. She had the potential to be my perfect foil. Where Gideon and I tended toward hotheadedness and impulsivity, Marlis was a steadfast anchor—cool and composed—keeping us grounded. “You did?”

“He also said there would be torte.” She peered over the top of her book. “Chocolate torte.”

My mouth watered. “I guess we’ll have to make ourselves presentable. How are you with hair tongs?”

“I used to arrange Lady Daeg’s hair for her.” She cocked her head to the side. “Time for me to earn my keep?”

“If you don’t mind.”

She set down her book again and met my gaze. “Evie, I’d curl your hair for a thousand years if you asked me. You got me and my brother away from Lord Daeg, and I can never repay you for that.”

I pursed my lips and sniffed. “That’s not how I remember it. Seems to me that you made up your mind to leave yourself.”

“I would have never had the courage to do it if you hadn’t led the way.”

“You owe me nothing, Marlis. I don’t hold debts against people I care about.”

“Still, I’ll curl your hair, gladly. I’d do it simply because we’re friends.”

I smiled. “In my experience, friends are rare commodities. I need as many as I can get.”

***

“I’ve noticed they like to eat around here,” I muttered to Gideon as we approached the door leading to Tereza’s private chambers. Marlis had dusted his coat, and he’d combed his hair, leaving it loose to fall over his shoulders. My fingers itched to touch it, to wind a finger through the pale streak at his temple. Instead, I cleared my throat. “Everything seems to revolve around food.”

He glanced at me from the corner of his eye. “You’re complaining? After almost starving for the last few weeks?”

“Not complaining, merely stating an observation.”

“Marlis said there would be torte.”

I snickered. “You too, Gideon?”

“What?” A grin tugged at his lips. “I can’t be excited about chocolate?”

“Nothing would thrill me more than to see you excited about something other than berating me.”

He took my hand and folded it into the crook of his arm as we reached the footman who bowed before opening Tereza’s door. Gideon lowered his voice and leaned close. “But berating you is my most favorite pastime.”