Page 33 of Tangled Sails

“We’re going now,” Tavric said and towed me from the room.

I hurried at his side, wildly curious, but I waited until we’d rounded the corner into another corridor before I spoke. “That was very strange.”

“I’m sorry he was so rude.”

I looked down at our still-linked hands and then slowed my step. Instead of letting my hand drop or dragging me along, he slowed and came to a stop with a resigned sigh.

Once he looked at me, I asked, “Are you going to tell me why it was strange?”

His jaw tensed.

“Why is your mother interested in my necklace? I didn’t even know she’d seen it.”

He groaned and dragged a hand down his face. “Because family crests with crowns in the design always mean royalty.”

The idea was so startling that I stepped back and pulled my hand away. “I beg your pardon?”

He gave a little shrug. “My mother has come up with some fanciful ideas about you being some sort of lost princess.” One corner of his mouth tugged up just a bit.

I rubbed at my forehead with one hand and clutched at my pendant with the other. “It’s supposed to mean royalty?” That didn’t make sense.

He nodded. “Here, I’ll show you.” He gestured for me to follow him and I did, unsurprised when we ended up outside the library.

I’d passed it on a number of occasions but had never wanted to go inside. The shelves and shelves of books reminded me too much of my tower home. But I ignored that apprehension and followed him through the rows until we reached a back corner near a fireplace with a long desk strewn with maps and books, some stacked and some lying open.

He pulled one forward and pointed to a spread of pages covered with illustrations of family crests.

“I started searching through these right after I first saw your necklace. But look.” He gestured to the crests that all included crowns in their designs, then flipped to another page of the same. “There is nothing like the crest you wear.” He flipped page after page. “I’ve studied all of them, and the one from your necklace isn’t here.” He flicked one last page over and then stepped back, his hands on his hips, his brow tugging down with the corners of his mouth.

I moved forward, my eyes taking in the wide variety of crests illustrated in the book.

“I even studied all the noble houses,” he said, turning to another page that illustrated crests without crowns. “Just to be sure yours wasn’t some sort of variation.”

I fingered the page of the book, wondering if I should be bothered that he hadn’t mentioned this before now. Then again, what would I have said? Even now, I wasn’t sure if I was disappointed or relieved that he hadn’t found the crest. I turned and leaned back against the edge of the desk, looking up at him. “Tavric—”

His brow shot up.

My face heated. “I mean, Your Highness.”

His chin tilted down a bit, but his eyes remained fixed on my own. “You can call me Tavric, or even Tav.”

My cheeks warmed further, but I ignored them. “I was just going to say…there is no royalty in my land.”

His chin pulled back. “What do you mean?”

“Branfrie is not ruled by a king. Not anymore. And even if it were, I do not think you’d find evidence of it in one of your books.”

“Why not?”

“Because the royal family was ousted more than seventy-five years ago. It’s ruled by a High Court now, and any evidence of royalty has been destroyed or fallen to ruin.” I bit my lip, but then plowed on. “My tower—the tower I was kept in—was just one corner of a crumbling castle where the royal family resided more than three generations ago.”

Tavric stepped back and laced his hands behind his head as he paced, his eyes darting about, no doubt trying to make sense of this information. Then he abruptly came forward again. “Fine.” He flicked the book closed and leaned one hand on the table so we were eye level with one another. “Why were you kept in that tower?” His mouth was stern as he asked it. “I don’t care about the crest, or even your land’s form of government. What I want to know is what happened to you.” His eyes delved into mine, begging for answers. “Was it punishment? Did they fear you? Was your aunt just a terrible person who wanted your misery?”

“She was protecting me.”

His brow furrowed even more, like he sensed the partial truth. “I know that’s what she said, but…you also told me that people visited you regularly and were not concerned by the fact that you were locked away. Tell me why.”

I shook my head, not ready to admit to my magic and expose myself to his suspicion or censure.