I bustled out of the room, the crumpled paper still in my hand. I pushed open the door to my room and sank onto the bed.

Unlike my father’s room, mine was crammed on every shelf with books and loose papers. The desk was littered with parchment and quills, and on the floor lay an open book with a page or two torn out. I remember ripping them away. The book was one my father gave me. I never finished it. Because he gave it to me when Mother was dying. It was about… the purpose behind each thing that happens, and how even death has a reason.

It was stupid anyway.

Kai knocked gently on the doorframe. “Hey, you okay? What happened?”

I didn’t look up. “I just hate the matchmakers.”

“You haven’t before.”

I rolled my eyes and sat up. “Because they didn’t do this before. They didn’t put me in a situation where I have to leave everyone and deal with stupid Marcus!”

“I take it you’re not happy with him.” Kai laughed as he sat down next to me. I shook my head. My eyes stung.

“Whoa, are you… you’re not crying, are you?”

I shook my head again, a bit too vigorously. “NO! I-“ I cried, even as I could feel the tears running. “No, I’m…. I’m fine-“

Kai wrapped his arms over my shoulder. “No, you’re not. I can tell.” I didn’t want to break down. I knew I couldn’t. He already had so much pressure on him, with the library and my father and worrying about me…

“I’m sorry.” I murmured, burying my face in his shoulder. “I just… I don’t know what the hell I'm supposed to do.”

Kai pulled me in closer. “Make friends. And make up with his Highness. You’ll feel better than if you stay locked up in your room the whole time.”

“I haven’t even been in my room, I sleep in the library.”

“Well geez, Liliad. You should at least see it!”

“ I have seen it, and I’m not sleeping in it or anything like it. It’s too big and too clean. The library is always out of order, and it smells like flowers.”

“so bring some flowers into your room. Make it more homey” Kai insisted. He squeezed my shoulder. “You can’t keep sleeping in armchairs, Princess. Not if you plan to be queen.”

I laughed and wiped my eyes. “Princess, huh? That’s a new one.” Kai shrugged. “It suits you. And anyways, it has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? Her Majesty, Princess Liliad Stoneheart.”

I grinned. “Yeah. I guess it does.”

***

Marcus was waiting by the carriages in the evening. The six of us walked in a clump- as a sort of silent protest when the messenger (who I had now learned to address as Sir Abdullah) told us to walk single file. We were paired up for each- Kayla and Undine, Agatha and Edda, Gwen and Sir Abdullah, and myself and Marcus.

“Shouldn’t I sit with Guinevere?” I asked. “Isn’t his Highness supposed to be supervised at all times?”

Sir Abdullah snorted. “True as that is, I do not trust your friend here enough to leave her unsupervised. I trust if anything important occurs, you will report back to me.”

I rolled my eyes and stormed over to the front carriage. The horses snorted as I approached. I stuck out my tongue at them.

I hitched up my blue skirt and stepped into the confined space. Marcus was already inside, covering something with his cape. I slid over to the window. “I’m supposed to report back on you, so you probably shouldn’t be hiding anything.” I snapped. Marcus blushed. “I got something for y-“ “okay, that’s enough, we don’t have to talk.”

I glared out the window. “Kai thinks I should be respectful, but-“ “but that’s not who you are.” He interrupted. I glanced at him, and his cape had fallen away to reveal a bouquet of flowers.

Not just any flowers.

“you… you went down to get-“ “Guinevere told me you’re named after them.”

I narrowed my eyes. “You walked four miles down to the cliffs, climbed halfway down a mountain, so you could get a bunch of flowers.”

He shrugged. “I heard you do it every day. Or did, anyways.”

My eyes widened. Slowly I slid over to his side of the carriage. “I’m sorry I got mad at you.” Marcus looked down, making his crown slide down his head.

I giggled a little- I couldn’t help it. “I said I was sorry, Thorne.”

He smiled a bit then. “Guess we’re using nicknames now, huh?” I laughed. “Isn’t that what friends do?”

He broke into a big, dopey grin. “So we’re friends again?”

I smiled. “Yeah. Yeah, we are.”