He looked away guiltily. “I am.”
“I’m going there too,” she said, her voice eager. So much for playing it cool. She waited for him to say they could meet again or to say anything, really, but he just sat there, shock taking over his expression. Clearly, seeing each other again hadn’t been in his plans.
A pang of insecurity bounced around inside her.
“You’re going to the ruler’s palace?” He paused for a brief moment, then added, “To work?”
To work? Oh. He thinks I’m a servant.
Logically, she couldn’t blame him for thinking that. The gray dress alone was a symbol of the lower class. People in the government or ruling class wore colored clothes. Then there was the mud and the free-spirited way she had acted in front of him—swimming and dancing. None of that was becoming of a woman in her position.
Still, his words cut. Renna had spent the last four years trying to prove to everybody that she belonged in high society—something she wasn’t even sure of herself. In one second, he dismissed all the effort she had made.
Her hurt turned to anger. A quick temper had always been her weakness. She would prove to him just how wrong he had been.
“No. Sorry to disappoint you, but I’ll be staying at the Albion Ruler’s Palace with my mother.” She stood and raised her chin. “Mariele, Queen of New Hope.”
She tried to pull her blanket out from under him so she could make a dramatic exit, but the fabric wouldn’t budge.
A flood of confusion splashed across Trev’s face. “I didn’t know,” he stammered. “I just assumed by the way you were dressed and how you acted . . .”
She glared at him, daring him to finish his sentence. Meanwhile, she kept tugging on her blanket until he finally rolled off.
“Does a woman in my position have to be perfect all of the time?” She crumpled up her blanket then struggled to shove it in her bag. “I thought for once I could just be myself, but I guess I was wrong.” She turned with purpose and began heading back in the direction of Wellenbreck Farm.
Trev tried to stop her, but every time he stepped in front of her, she turned and walked in the other direction. It was actually quite immature of her, but she couldn’t help it. He had embarrassed her. Or maybe she had embarrassed herself. It was always hard to tell.
“Please.” Trev grabbed her shoulders, forcing her to look at him. “I don’t understand. Your mother is the queen?”
Renna was disgusted with him. “Of course, that’s the part you want to talk about—my mother being a queen. Maybe you should try starting with an apology!”
“I’m sorry!” He smiled a little bit, trying to charm her into forgiveness. “It’s just a misunderstanding. Honestly.” He shook her shoulders so that she would look at him. “I’m sorry! I really am.”
“Well, you should be!” Her voice turned cold and haughty. “Prince Ezra is expecting us; I’m sure he wouldn’t confuse me with the help.” With that, she wiggled out of his grasp, spun, and walked away, head held high. She meant to prove how much of a lady she was.
She had seen Seran act this way for years; surely she could manage it now.
Trev
Prince Ezra is expecting us.
Her last words played back in his mind. Trev couldn’t believe it. Renna’s mother was the queen of New Hope. That meant Renna was the princess. Drake had said that the New Hope caravan was staying nearby. She was on her way to the Albion Ruler’s Palace to meet him. But if she was on her way to meet her fiancé, why was she out here flirting with a soldier?
Probably for the same reasons he was flirting with her.
She was nothing like he’d expected. There were rumors about the New Hope princess, about her beauty and perfection, but the woman storming away from him now was a mess of a girl. He pulled himself together and ran after her.
“Renna! Wait! We’ll laugh about this someday,” he said as he caught up to her, matching her stride for stride.
“Laugh about the fact you thought I was a servant?” she snapped.
“About all of it!” But Trev was already starting to laugh. “You’ll be the most beautiful lady in Albion, dressed in mud.”
He could see that she wanted to stay mad at him as she turned her face from his laughter and bit her lip, but slowly his efforts softened her anger until she looked at him again. Still, an edge of annoyance masked her expression, and a clip of sarcasm tainted her words. “I bet you wouldn’t even want to be seen with me.”
He raised his eyebrows in jest. “Only stolen moments in dark corners. I have a reputation to uphold.” At this, Renna scoffed and tried to turn away, but Trev grabbed her shoulders again. “However, I might be able to squeeze you in for a dance. As long as you don’t embarrass me with your dance moves.”
She half-smiled and half rolled her eyes at his insult.
“I can’t believe you are going to Albion.” He shook his head, unable to hold back his smile. He wanted to tell her who he was but decided it would be more fun to surprise her at the palace.
“Is that going to be a problem?” Renna glared. “Do you have a girlfriend back in Albion I have to avoid or something?”
“A girlfriend? No.” He cocked his eyebrow. “Is there a boyfriend somewhere waiting for you?” he asked.
Or a fiancé?
He was dying to hear her answer.
“No.” She shook her head quickly as if the thought were absurd. “Most men keep their distance from me.”
Good.
“But you,” she continued, her voice overly dramatic, “I’m sure you’re very popular among the ladies.”
“Oh, that’s just because I don’t look down their dresses when they curtsy.”
Renna threw her head back with laughter. “Wow. I can’t believe you just said that.”
“It’s true. Other men need to hide it better.”
“So you’re saying you do look, but you just hide it better?”
“Absolutely not! I’m a gentleman through and through.” He winked at her.
Her smile grew bigger, and he knew she wasn’t mad anymore. “You’re annoying,” she said, eyeing him.
“And funny?” he pressed.
She bit back a smile. “No. Just annoying.”
Trev couldn’t believe it. He was relaxed for the first time in years; Renna had suddenly rearranged all the stresses inside him and created space for carefree moments like this.
Knowing who she was changed everything. It was fate—the attraction and the inexplicable pull toward her.
They were meant for each other.
Renna
Renna decided to forgive him for confusing her with the help. Especially since the intense look was back in his eyes. The look he’d had when they were lying in the grass. The look that made Renna feel like something was about to happen.
His hand swept across her hair as his fingers pushed it behind her ear. His intimate touch made her nervous in a good way. Every single nerve in her body came alive, keenly aware of his fingers on her skin. She looked up to find him already watching her, his blue eyes burning brightly. Yesterday morning, she didn’t even know he existed. Today, all she could think about was how much she didn’t want to lose him.