Chapter 16
Karina propped herself up on her elbow and looked over at Jayce. He was lying on his back, eyes closed and his breathing slow and steady. To all appearances he was nearly asleep, and Karina smiled. This was the best time to get information.
"Is the Academy empty?" she asked.
"Hmm?" Jayce didn't open his eyes.
"I asked if the Academy is empty."
"Why would you think that?" Now the prince rolled over and met her gaze.
Karina shrugged. "I've been to the palace a few times now, and I never see anybody entering or leaving the Academy. The School is always busy, and the palace proper even more so, and I was just curious, that's all."
"No, the Academy isn't empty," Jayce answered. "It's full of very unpleasant people."
"I'm sure that's not true," Karina argued with a laugh. "You should show me around some time."
"That's not going to happen," was Jayce's immediate reply. Reaching out, he grabbed Karina's supporting arm and tugged her toward him. She squealed as she fell over and Jayce was quick to pull to her close, kissing her neck and making her laugh.
"Stay away from the Academy," he said softly into her ear before kissing her neck again. "It's no place for you."
~ § ~ § ~ § ~
After a good night's sleep, Karina woke to the feeling of a warm spot beside her, but no Jayce. Sighing, she wondered if he'd been called away once more or if he was preparing a small surprise for her. Both were equally likely, given her experiences over the past weeks.
Rising from her bed and heading downstairs, Karina was happy to hear the sounds of breakfast being prepared in the kitchen. On one hand, she was hungry, and on the other, it was too early for her maid to be here and so it meant that Jayce hadn't left her...yet.
"Good morning, my Lady," the prince greeted her. Putting a pair of plates on the small table between two glasses of juice, he pulled out a chair. "Breakfast is served."
Sitting down, Karina pulled her plate a little closer and looked over at Jayce as he sat opposite her. "How did the crown prince ever learn to cook?" she asked, taking a bite of the fried egg in front of her.
Jayce laughed. "On occasion, when I'm travelling, we end up between inns when night falls. Learning to cook saved me from many days of indigestion at the hands of my guards. Consider it a survival skill, just as important as learning to wield a sword."
"So how long will you be gone this time?" she wanted to know.
"What do you mean?" Jayce asked, blinking his eyes at her in a mock attempt to look innocent. Karina threw a small piece of bread at him.
"You only do the extra nice stuff when you're leaving or when you get back after abandoning me without warning," she replied.
Jayce winced. "Well that is unacceptable," he stated. "I should do nice things all the time."
"I agree, and you haven't answered my question."
"I'll only be gone a few days," he assured her. "There have been some problems with our trade caravans at Cembrance's border recently, and my father wants me to accompany the traders leaving today and see if I can sort it all out."
"Well doesn't that sound like fun?"
"This is the sort of thing that my father has me doing when I disappear. He seems to think that the less warning I have before these little 'missions' the better. Apparently it helps me to learn to think on my feet." Jayce shrugged.
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