A Beast's Tale

Chapter 26

Her humming was unobscured by rain the next morning. I was enjoying the sound until it occurred to me that the storm was finally over, which meant my knight would be buried today. And I would be taking her to the Hill of Remembrance with me this afternoon. I was looking forward to it - and dreading it.

Why did I have to make this harder on myself?

"Good morning, Prince Chevalier!" she called at nine o'clock.

I groaned, pulling the blankets tighter around me. Her voice was even more cheerful than normal. She'd be smiling more, too. This was a bad idea.

"It's a beautiful day today, your highness. It would be a shame to sleep through it," she said. "The storm left quite a mess. The street sweepers and the gardeners have been busy with cleanup this morning."

If only I could resist her voice. I pushed back the covers and found that I was in for more trouble than I'd expected. She was wearing a spring uniform again, short sleeves, skirt cut off at the knees. It really wasn't that much skin exposed, but far too much for me. I let my eyes wander across her delicate frame; the sunlight reflecting off of her silky black ponytail as it fell down her back, her bare, slender arms, no longer marred by bruises, the curve of her hips, her shapely legs. And she was still talking, her soft voice completely unaware of the chaos she was causing within me.

"I suppose you'll want to run your errand today. Maybe I should be more cautious, but I'm looking forward to it. It'll be nice to go outside for a change." She turned around to put my clothes on the bench, and her green eyes met mine and widened as a faint blush colored her cheeks. "Here are your clothes," she said, quickly looking down as she set the clothes on the bench in a neat pile. "I'll be back with your breakfast in a moment."

That was foolish of me. She was so beautiful, so close, and so impossibly out of reach. I sat up and swung my legs over the edge of the bed, gripping tightly to the mattress on either side of me. What was wrong with me? And now, she'd caught me staring at her, no better than Jin or Nokto. There was no excuse, no explanation I could give her for that, nothing to disguise the way I'd been looking at her. I needed to get myself under control, stop this nonsense.

But I was still sitting there when she returned with my breakfast, no closer to a resolution than when she left.

"I'll need a bouquet made up before we leave," I said coolly, standing up and heading toward the bathroom.

"Any particular arrangement, your highness?"

"Something suitable for a grave."

"What time shall I have them ready, your highness?"

"Right away. We'll go after breakfast."

"Then I'll be back soon, your highness."

Time for another cold bath. I didn't linger, though. As much as I needed to minimize my time with her, the memorial service would take place in the morning, which meant we wouldn't be alone on the Hill of Remembrance if we went now. It would be easier to manage myself that way. Hopefully. I bathed and dressed quickly, before she returned, and I was about to take my seat at the desk when the bright sunshine beckoned me toward the window.

It really was a beautiful day. There were still some blossoms on the bushes and vines down below, survivors of the passionate storm, but they didn't catch my eye. It was Ivetta, standing on the cobblestone path with one of the gardeners, who drew my attention. She turned and looked up at me, and for a moment, I thought she'd caught me again. But the sunlight that tricked me into staring at her also saved me via a glare on the windows, making her squint and shade her eyes. I forced myself to turn away. Breakfast. I needed to eat breakfast quickly, so we could go as soon as she arrived. I couldn't handle being alone with her in my room right now.