“I heard another rumor,” she said, lifting her fan to cover her entire face except for her eyes, which sparkled with what could either be mirth or mischief. It was hard to read her expression with her mouth covered.

When I didn’t respond, she went on, undeterred. “I heard you rode on the same horse as Prince Talin, in nothing but your undergarments.”

I rolled my eyes. Who started these rumors, I wondered. One of the guards? “Your crown prince almost died. He needed a guard in the carriage with him, and there was only room for two people. So yes, I rode on Talin’s horse. I was also soaking wet and smelling of lake water. And I was clothed, for what it’s worth.”

She laughed lightly. “You’re very brave, you know. It must have been so frightening for everyone.”

“It was.” I knew no one else would understand how close Ilara had come to losing Prince Ceren today. Had I done the right thing by saving him? Not just for me, but for the kingdom? Would he rule fairly and wisely, or had I done nothing but spare a tyrant’s life to the peril of many others?

When Talin entered the room, the murmurs started again. He strode toward me, ignoring the looks of the lords and ladies, and I felt Hyacinth straighten up beside me.

Talin’s bow was short and perfunctory as he quietly asked, “Can I see you for a moment?”

He hadn’t even addressed me properly. I rose and curtsied. “Of course, Your Highness.”

He didn’t take my arm or slow his stride to wait for me, and I did my best to keep up with him down the corridors leading to Ceren’s rooms. His features were tight; I’d never seen him so agitated. Had something happened to Ceren since we returned? Would I be blamed for it?

The guards opened the door to let us in, and Talin marched over to Ceren’s bed. He was still pallid, his lips tinged blue, but he was very much alive.

“What is it?” I asked, not understanding the concern on Talin’s face. “Is everything all right?”

“He won’t talk to anyone but you,” Talin explained. “He insisted on having his ‘bride’ here.”

Talin had not yet spoken with his brother about my true identity, it seemed. Ceren stretched out his hand to me, and I felt compelled to take it.

“My dear Zadie. Thank you for coming.”

I curtsied. “I’m glad to see you’re feeling better.”

He smiled at me, then turned to Talin. “The rest of you may leave. I need to speak to her alone.”

Talin clenched his jaw but ordered the men out. He glanced at me over his shoulder once before slipping through the door, as well.

“Is everything all right?” I asked, trying not to sound nervous.

“I need to ask you what happened, without you feeling threatened by Talin and his guards.”

I cocked my head. “Why would I feel threatened?”

“I know now that you are the only one I can trust. You were the only person who tried to save me, even though you could have easily let me drown. I need to know—who was it?”

“I don’t understand. Who was what?”

He pulled so hard on my arm that I was now inches from his face. “Who was it who tried to kill me?” he hissed.

Dread washed over me. Thalos, he knew. “No one tried to kill you. It was a terrible accident, perhaps a kink in the hose that limited your air supply. The water was much colder than we could have anticipated, and you’re not used to it.”

“I was breathing perfectly well for the first seven minutes or so. This was no mistake. Who else touched the device while I was down there?”

“No one. I swear it.”

“You were watching the whole time?”

I lowered my eyes, remembering the moment I’d shared with Talin, his finger brushing against mine. “Almost the whole time. The only person near the device was your page.”

He dropped my hand and fixed his gaze on the ceiling. “I knew it.”

“But he didn’t touch it,” I said, realizing what a horrible mistake I’d made. “We all would have seen if he’d tried to tamper with it. He was several feet away from it at all times.”

“You can’t say that for sure if you were only watching ‘most’ of the time. That boy blames me for his brother’s death, so he tried to take his revenge.”

“He’s just a child. It couldn’t have been him.”

Ceren sat up, still holding me in place so that his face was just inches from mine. “Why did you save me?”

I blinked. “What?”

“Why didn’t you just let me drown? Everyone else would have been pleased, I’m sure. Talin would have been king. You could have married him if you’d wanted to. I doubt even my own father would have cared. So why did you save me?”

I could have tried to explain about the customs of my people, but I was tired and frustrated. I let out a long sigh. “Because I cared. Because I couldn’t just stand there and let you die.” I could never forgive Ceren for what he was doing to the Varenians, but his life wasn’t mine to take.

He closed his eyes, and for a moment I thought he’d gone to sleep. “I’m sorry I haven’t treated you better. What is it you wish from me?”

“I don’t understand,” I said, my brow furrowed in confusion.

“What do you want? What will it take to make you happy here?”

My heart stuttered in my chest. I had failed to get my message to Sami, but now Ceren was offering me another chance. “My freedom.”

His eyes flashed open. “I can’t let you leave Ilara.”

“I know. I don’t expect you to let me go. But I would like to be able to leave the castle. Not every day, but every now and again. I need fresh air and sunlight to survive, Ceren.”

I had forgotten to use his proper title, but he didn’t seem to notice. Instead, he reached up and brushed a strand of hair from my face. “Just like a flower,” he said. “Very well. You may leave the castle once a week. My guards will escort you.”

It was such a small thing, and I shouldn’t have had to ask, but I smiled in relief. “Thank you.”

“And where do you wish to go?”

I thought of Zadie at fourteen, pretending that she couldn’t reach an oyster she wanted but was too lazy to dive for. It had only taken a few flutters of her lashes, a single caress of his arm, to convince Sami to get it for her. I’d sat in awe of my sister that day, as she returned home with a nice fat pearl she hadn’t even dived for. Sami, however, had slid down a notch in my esteem.