Alyssa double-checked her packs one last time to make sure that she hadn't accidentally left anything behind. She had not packed with the intention of a long-term stay and most of her clothes and provisions were inappropriate for a duration of any length. She chewed absently on her lip as she looked at the bags scattered around her room. When she had left Anaria, she'd never expected the way that things would end up turning out.
Risa cleared her throat delicately and it pulled Alyssa back to the present. She smiled at her and said calmly, "I think that's everything. If they can take the bags to the carriage, I would really appreciate it. I'd do it myself, but I have the feeling that that would be heavily frowned upon."
Risa had learned over the past two days that the only way to deal with Alyssa was to be blunt. "Yes, it's beneath the dignity of the crown princess to be carting around bags like a pack mule."
Alyssa corrected absently, "Crown princess candidate, nothing's been decided yet."
Risa rolled her eyes and offered her a small grin, "Only in your and perhaps the prince's mind. That and maybe a few of the nobles. Everyone else has already pretty much accepted you as the princess in truth."
Lyssa frowned at that, "They barely know me, shouldn't the servants be more leery? I could be a horrible person. After all, it's not hard to fake being a nice person for a few days. I mean, look at that duchess. She appears to have the personality of a spoiled brat, yet I don't doubt that there are people who find her perfectly charming."
Risa giggled at that. "Undoubtedly. However, you seemed to recognize it right away, which is a good thing. And truthfully, most of the court and servants know what a spoiled pampered witch the duchess is, but with the prince's backing, no one can say anything against her."
Alyssa was intrigued but also slightly frustrated and scandalized, "Just because he's discovered that he's my mate doesn't mean that the prince has decided to break things off with the duchess. You need to be cautious with your words, if the wrong person overhears, they could be considered borderline treason."
She scoffed, "His Highness is not petty like that. He knows that people have different opinions and as long as we are discreet about them, then no harm done. However, it is said that there has been a large rift between the prince and the duchess."
Now, that she hadn't heard. "What do you mean?"
Risa leaned closer and lowered her voice, even though they were alone, "Now, I heard this from a maid who works in the laundry who got it from the knight who guards the prince's chambers. But apparently, the night of the ball where he recognized you as his mate, the duchess dared to enter His Highness's chambers in a very scandalous outfit. The guards couldn't stop her, because he had given permission for her to have access to his bedroom previously. But the guard said that when he returned to his chambers and discovered her presence, he was furious. According to the guard, he chewed her out before chasing her from his chambers and instructing the guards to bar her from any further access to his chambers. But that's not even the best part."
Feeling her heart ache slightly at the thought of another woman clinging to her mate on the night that their bond was recognized, Alyssa asked reluctantly, "And what's the best part?"
"Not only did he throw her out and bar her access, but he also sent a maid to get fresh sheets, even though they'd only been changed that morning. He didn't want a single trace of her presence to remain now that he was spoken for, a mated Kitala male. Both the guards and the maid witnessed his reaction. They said that they'd never seen His Highness so irritated or determined. As I'm sure you know, royals rarely explain their actions to anyone, it is their right to carry out matters as they see fit. But he wanted to make it crystal clear that whatever he had with the duchess was over and that he was loyal to you."
Alyssa nodded and Risa seemed to understand that she needed time to process everything that she had learned and moved to take the bags out to the carriage. And yes, it was true that she would need some time to process things. While it pleased her to hear that he had apparently banished the duchess from his bedroom, that didn't mean that he had banished her from his life. And why hadn't he told her about the encounter, he had to have known that word would eventually get back to her one way or the other. And just because he had declared that he was loyal to her didn't mean that he wanted anything else from her. After all, it was a smart move for a royal to be loyal to their mate, if only for political reasons. After all, the neighboring countries would probably be keeping a close eye on the situation, especially after the assassination attempt.
Shoving it aside to think about later when she was alone, she slipped on her coat and buttoned it. Rowan was undoubtedly waiting for her since he had wanted to leave before the sun had risen. She had easily agreed, wanting desperately to get back to Anaria so maybe she could make sense of things again. Satisfied that she was as ready as she could possibly be, she turned and left her room.
X
The courtyard was brightly lit with several torches, two plain yet sturdy coaches sitting there along with a baggage cart. The servants were loading her bags into the cart, but she kept a firm grip on her satchel. She had picked these items specifically to take with her and she wanted to keep them close and easily accessible. There was her newest spice book, a change of clothes in case something happened, a pouch of assorted currency, and several daggers, as well as a sewing kit and a small tinderbox. After all, anything could happen on the road and it was better to be over-prepared than under-prepared. After all, she had never regretted having something but had bitterly regretted not having things a few times.
Rowan was standing to one side of the courtyard, a sheaf of papers in his hands as he obviously went over some last-minute details with his aide. She was once again struck by his sheer size as well as the way that the torchlight sparkled off the bronze threads in his wings. He looked absolutely magnificent and she allowed herself a moment to just observe him.
However, he must have felt her gaze on him because his head swept up sharply, scanning the courtyard to see who had dared to observe him. His face brightened when he saw her and he held up his finger in the one moment gesture. She nodded and he turned back to the aide, speaking quickly as he pointed at a couple of places on the paper.
Alyssa had to bite back a chuckle, wondering if the aide was able to catch everything he was saying where he was speaking so quickly. However, after only a few moments, the aide nodded his understanding and Rowan handed him the papers, leaving him behind and making his way over to where she stood. He picked up her hand a pressed a kiss to the back of it, "You are looking lovely this morning, Lyssa."
She offered him a small smile, "It's nothing special, just my travel costume. I didn't know if it was appropriate for a princess candidate to wear a tunic and trousers but Risa reassured me that it would be all right."
He nodded, "It suits you. She was right, it's of no concern. You may wear whatever you wish, although for formal events you might be required to dress up a bit more. However, I hate formal events as well, so just know that if you are suffering, I am as well."
She laughed at that, "I will survive, but it's good to know that you don't expect me to be an ornamental peacock. I find that I tend to lean more toward practical clothes than ornate ones. However, from what I've seen, you have very excellent taste, Your Highness."
He smiled down at her, "I'm very pleased that you think so." He nodded at the satchel in her hand, "May I carry that for you?"
Her hand tightened on it unconsciously and she gave him a small smile, "Thank you but no. I prefer to carry this myself. Old habits, I'm afraid."
She held her breath as she waited to see how he would respond. However, he seemed to be unruffled by her rejection. "Very well. Are you ready to depart? Is there anything that you need before we leave?"
She allowed her grip to ease. "No, everything's packed and Risa said that there would be breakfast waiting in the carriages. Whenever you're ready, I'm good to go."
He smiled, his expression pleased. "Let's get out of here then!"
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