A Royal Ruse

Chapter 19

Public Displays of Attention

Heat rays dripped from the mid-afternoon sun, coating temples, pits, and crooks with a sticky dampness that the tepid breeze could not fan dry. Heat shimmered over the waters of the Agrigu River and plagued the restless crowds who herded by the river banks like gaggles of agitated geese.

All eyes were glued to the two long, narrow boats waiting near the shore. Twelve brawny youths sat in each. Their hands wringing paddles, their shoulders hunkering down, waiting for the blare of the trumpet to set them into motion. Hunger rippled through every tensed muscle and bowed head. Every boy in the race itched for the chance to hold the victor's cup on the other side of the finish line.

A wave of intense focus momentarily chilled the air as everyone watched the trumpeter raise his shrill instrument to his lips.

Then...

A feverish outbreak of cheers as the boats splintered from the starting mark and sliced through the waters like arrows.

"Don't forget to breathe, Nara," Harita gently nudged her friend's arm. "You're already in a sling, the last thing we need is for you to faint."

Seated in the Royal Enclosure, Zita and all her friends observed the race from the shady tent near the finish line. Zita briefly ripped her focus from the progress of the race only to meet Harita's eyes, stirring with mischief. A feathery smile brushed across the princess's lips. She hated how transparent her face seemed to be at the worst of times.

"Is boating a passion of yours?" Harita arched her angular brow. "Or is something else causing you to be all out of sorts."

"Out of sorts?" Zita feigned confusion.

She knew exactly what her friend was talking about. Zita had been observing the Annual Haddonite Boating Race radiating tension. She was strung about as taut as a drawn bow.

Harita's shrewd eyes narrowed at their target. "You've been... jittery."

Zita tried to shrug her friend's observations off but eventually, Harita's iron will wore her defenses down.

"Gadrian is competing in this round. He said I must cheer especially hard for the ochre boat." They both turned their attention back onto the water to see the boats sprinting toward the finish line with an ochre-colored nose pulling forward by a small margin.

"I had a suspicion your behavior had something to do with 'Mr. Dreamy Eyes' Harita purred. "Don't worry. He'll make it to the final round." Harita tutted chidingly at Zita. "You should have told me sooner, I could have saved you all this needless worrying."

"How can you be so certain?"

"This is his arena. It doesn't matter if he's in a team or solo — put something in his hand and whether he's hitting a ball with it, paddling it through water, or sending it flying towards a target, he'll always excel. It's almost a guarantee. He's amongst Haddon's finest. When it comes to athletic ability, that is."

Zita couldn't help but feel a proud glow ignite in her chest, even though her friend's finishing comment felt like a shin kick. She watched as the margin between the two boats widened, the ochre nose kissing the finish line first.

"See? I told you. A golden boy in a golden boat." Harita chased down the last of her cider. "What exactly is going on between the two of you?" she pressed.

Zita wasn't sure how to answer the question. She hadn't seen Gadrian since The Royal Procession yet the pool of affection growing between them had deepened exponentially despite the distance. This could, in large part, be attributed to the letters he wrote to her during their time apart.