Larzen smiled. “I know what’s going to be in the first challenge. And you’re right. Griffin really wants you out.”
These fields were so far from the castle that nobody should see them—hopefully. Griffin still wondered what he was doing, still regretted some of his decisions. Yet here he was galloping side by side with Alegra, her loose dress flowing about her. Sometimes he thought she enjoyed the thrill of maybe getting caught. For Griffin, it gave him headaches. And yet he wasn’t strong enough to say no. The right thing would be for them to wait until it was clear that there was nothing between her and Kiran. And yet he wasn’t waiting.
There was something else. He wasn’t being completely honest with the princess. He’d come today to tell her. Tell her the secret almost nobody knew, the secret that could cost him his life. The issue was that he’d have to trust her, and a small part of him wasn’t ready to do that. On the other hand, how could he demand her to make a choice, to give up on what would be a beneficial marriage, if she didn’t yet know what Griffin was? He needed her full commitment in order to trust her, and yet, it was unfair to demand it without telling her everything. It was a dilemma to which he had no answer. Perhaps the fields and the fresh air would help him find a solution.
“Griffin!” Alegra had her horse right beside his. “Why do you ask me to spend time with you, when your mind is miles and miles away?” Her tone was playful.
She was right. “I’m sorry.”
Her gaze then became piercing and serious. “You’re troubled.”
If anything, Alegra was always insightful, as if she could look at his soul. And it seemed that, despite everything, she liked it. And maybe that was the answer. If she loved him, she’d want him regardless. She wasn’t losing anything by not marrying his brother.
Griffin smiled. “Never any trouble when I’m with you.”
She laughed. “Liar. Is it the cup?”
That, too. Maybe. A little. It was his one chance to find his way out. It was perhaps the reason he hadn’t yet told Alegra anything. Perhaps he wouldn’t have to. He knew he could win. “No, it’s fine. I’m confident about it.”
“Wouldn’t it be nicer to let one of your subjects win?”
He didn’t want to tell her how badly he wanted the cup, so he said, “There’s value in competing against them. It elevates the competition for all the participants.”
“But if you win, it proves that you’re better than them. Is that what you’re after?”
“Monarchy is old and entrenched in our way of thinking. I don’t think I need to do anything to establish my superiority. I’m not even sure of that.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Quite humble, for someone who believes he’ll win.”
“Everything starts with belief, right? And it’s just a competition to entertain visitors. Doesn’t prove anything.”
“And…” She paused. “Is it true you’re worried about the Dark Valley girl?”
Strange that she was bringing this up. “Not really. She’ll be out in this challenge. Then we can move to more dangerous stuff.”
“Why do you want her out? Is it because of what happened in the Oak Tavern?” She laughed.
“Strangely, no. I forgot about that, and maybe I’m not that upset. It led me to a cold bath that ended up not being so terrible.” He gave her a pointed look.
Her cheeks turned pink and she said, “We could swim in a lake today.”
“I’d rather be careful.”
Alegra scrunched her face. “Sometimes you’re so boring.”
“Maybe you like boring.”
She laughed, then got serious. “You still haven’t answered, though.”
“What?”
“What’s your issue with the girl?”
His mind had been somewhere else, perhaps pondering the risks of going for a swim. Griffin shrugged. “She’s too pretty.”
Alegra froze. Her eyes flashed something like fury for a second.
“What?” Griffin shuddered. “Don’t tell me you’re jealous. There are dozens of pretty girls in the world. None of them half as lovely as you. And I’m thinking about my subjects. They wouldn’t want to see her getting hurt.”
She glared at him. “I’m not jealous. She’s a poor peasant from the worst place in the kingdom. Nobody would even look at her.”
“I don’t think so. She could find a good husband. You know I want to have better relations with the Dark Valley.”
Alegra sighed. “You mean well, Griffin. Your heart is good, and that’s what I like about you. But I hope you didn’t tell her she had any odds of getting married. She’s got nothing to offer. She’s neither rich nor a noble.”
Griffin shrugged. “I don’t know. Some younger brothers don’t have pressure for marriage. Sometimes all they want is someone to embrace after their day is done.”
Alegra rolled her eyes. “You mean someone to bang. You might have a point.”
“What? No. Someone to love. A companion, a friend, and yes, sure, a lover, too. You say it as if there was something wrong with it. Are you going to say it means a woman is serving a man?” He shuddered remembering it.
She laughed. “Absolutely not. If anything, I think you’re serving me.”
Griffin shook his head.
Alegra continued laughing. “Nothing to be ashamed of. You do it pretty well.”
Griffin just sighed.
She then got serious and continued, “But you’re forgetting a key point. Younger brothers are the ones who most need to find good matches, Griffin.”
He stopped. “Is that what you think I’m doing with you? Because I would still marry you, and serve you, if that’s how you like to put it, if you were not a princess, if you were poor. I hope you know that.”
She shrugged. “No doubt you believe that. But we wouldn’t even have met if I hadn’t come here representing my kingdom, so maybe you need to get some reality check in that empty head of yours.”
Sometimes Alegra’s teasing went overboard. And she was wrong. “Well, the Dark Valley girl will meet people, so I don’t see why not. She’ll be happy, I’ll be happy, and I won’t offend the Dark Valley.”
Alegra narrowed her eyes, as if trying to find out something. “Why do you care about that valley?”
Dark magic. He had to learn everything he could about dark magic. And maybe they had the answer to his problem. But Griffin just shrugged. “They’re part of the kingdom, too. And if it weren’t for them, shadow creatures would overrun us. It’s time we acknowledge that.”
“Wasn’t it their own ancestor’s fault that those creatures were let loose in the first place?”
“That’s what the books say. Who knows? It’s been so long. Either way, they’re paying their dues and they’re part of the kingdom, too.”
She approached her horse and pinched his cheek. “So fair and idealistic.”
He closed his eyes. “You’re making fun of me?”
“On the contrary. I think it’s quite hot.” She looked ahead. “Is that a lake?”