Perhaps I’d started with ulterior motives, but I’d genuinely grown to like her. “I hoped you might be willing to aid me, but our interactions became more than that.”
“More?” Her voice rose a notch. “How grand of you.”
The conversation was rapidly deteriorating. I needed to redeem myself. But how? “You cannot deny you befriended me this week so you could discover the reason for my presence on the island.” As soon as the words were out, I saw them as the excuse they were. But it was too late to retract them.
“Yes, you are correct. I came down here tonight intending to find a way to get information from you.”
“Then you told me who you were with the hope I would do the same?”
She lifted her shoulders and tilted up her chin.
A knot tightened in my gut. She didn’t have to say anything more for me to know the truth. She’d been using me all week. And though I had no reason to be upset at her, since I was likewise guilty, the revelation stung nevertheless.
“Now I suppose you will run to Irontooth with everything you’ve learned about me.” I couldn’t keep the bitterness from my tone.
She grasped a rung on the ladder. “At least in doing so, I shall save your life.”
“And ingratiate yourself to your leader.”
Without another glance my way, she began climbing up.
With each step she took, I saw my chances of succeeding at the Testing slipping away. I needed to call after her, beg her to come back, apologize profusely, and attempt to speak with her more calmly.
Vilmar would have known just what to say to talk his way out of the predicament. And charming Kresten wouldn’t have gotten himself cornered to begin with. But I could only watch Pearl ascend, frustration swirling inside and making me mute.
She was as much to blame for what had happened as I was, wasn’t she? She’d curled up next to me like a kitten and coaxed me until I’d said everything she wanted to hear.
I wouldn’t apologize. Not when she’d so blatantly beguiled me into revealing more than I should have.
As she disappeared and the hatch slammed shut, Gregor released another sigh. “That went well, Your Highness.”
“Yes, very.”
With Pearl’s torch remaining in the wall holder and illuminating the cave, I could see Gregor retrieving the journal and charcoal writing stub he kept hidden within an inner pocket of his tunic.
Of course he would take advantage of the light to add to his records, as he tried to do most days. At the end of the six months, he would hand the journal to the Lagting and my father so they could read an account of everything that happened during the Testing.
I didn’t begrudge him the light and the need to write about what had just transpired between Pearl and me. He was doing his job as he should. The question was, could I still find a way to continue with my Testing even after everyone on the island learned I was a prince?
I shook my head, frustration burning in my gut. Was there anything—anything at all—I could do to salvage the situation?
Chapter
8
Pearl
“Say it again.” Irontooth’s silver brows arched high, showing his surprise.
At a movement outside, I glanced to the cave opening and gauged who might be listening to our conversation. The darkness of the coming night had settled, and most of the outcasts had gathered around the central fire pit for dinner and conversation.
Though part of me was angry enough at Mikkel that I didn’t care who heard the revelation, my guilt warred fiercely enough inside that I’d requested a private meeting with Irontooth.
Felicity ducked through the entrance. “Just me.” Her pale face reflected the same gravity she’d shown the day I revealed my identity, telling me she’d just been listening. She closed the door behind her and then crossed to stand beside Irontooth.
“Go on.” Irontooth nudged a loose log in the hearth that gave low light to the cave, which consisted of naught more than sleeping pallets and weapons.
“Mikkel is Prince Mikkel Holberg,” I said again, my voice still low, “son of King Christian of the great kingdom of Scania.”
Irontooth whistled between his iron-tipped teeth. “A prince.”
“He’s here for a Testing his country demands of him, a Testing that determines which son is worthy of becoming the next king.”
“How long does he need to stay?”
“I do not know. He did not say.” I’d been lucky to get what I had from him. And now he hated me because of the deception . . . if he’d ever liked me to begin with. Perhaps all along he’d been repelled by my veil and the blemish he believed I had.
“This means I cannot kill him,” Irontooth said.
“Not unless you want to make an enemy of Scania.”
Irontooth stared into the flames, no doubt weighing his options of what to do with this unwanted prince.
“Send him back to Scania.” Although Mikkel had revealed how much he wanted to remain and finish his Testing, I was too hurt by his betrayal to care. He’d made clear enough that his Testing was more important than anything else, including friendship.
My stomach pinched at the thought that he’d been pretending to be my friend. He’d used me all week. The fascinating conversations, the deep discussions, the hours of debating—it had all been for one purpose: to win my trust so in the end, I’d be willing to do his bidding and set him free.
“Sending him home prematurely will result in his disgrace,” I explained. “He’ll have to forfeit the kingship.”
“And if he stays?”
“Everyone already despises him. If word gets out that he is a prince, they will kill him.”
“True.”
“At the very least they will cast him off the island and ban him from coming back.”
“So.” Felicity sidled closer to Irontooth and slid her arm through his. “We now have both a princess and a prince on our island. I cannot help but think Providence has a hand in this.”
“Mikkel cannot stay.” I didn’t want to see him again. In fact, the sooner he was sent away, the better.
“You seemed to like him.” Felicity raised a pale eyebrow.
“I loathe him.”
“That is not what I observed. In fact, you seemed quite suited for each other.” From the gleam in Felicity’s eyes, I guessed she’d listened at the dungeon door to my conversations with Mikkel, perhaps spied on us for Irontooth.
“He was using me to help him escape.”
“And you were using him to gain information.”
I couldn’t deny it, but somehow his betrayal seemed worse. After all, he’d chosen me, thinking I was a vulnerable and damaged young woman he could make feel special. As handsome as he was, he’d likely felt sorry for me and believed he’d have no trouble winning my favor.
“So what should I do with our prisoner?” Irontooth asked.
“You should keep him on the island,” Felicity said.
“Send him back to Scania,” I said at the same moment.
Irontooth glanced between us and crossed his arms, his eyes narrowing.
“We have been wondering how to keep Pearl safe from the queen long term,” Felicity murmured to him. “We’ve wanted to find a good home for her. Now one has been dropped into our lap.”