After last night Bronwen the cook had probably burned them all but she didn’t know about the little bag I’d stashed under the planking Clutching the bowl of leeks I wove past rows of tables covered with baskets of vegetables poultry being plucked and right into the path of a white-swathed under cook and her pot of steaming broth The undercook screeched and sloshed scalding broth over the floor I leaped back just in time And Bronwen where had she come from laid her wooden spoon across my shoulders with a sound like thunder I dropped my bowl with a yelp and darted away But I stepped in the leeks I’d just spilled and my feet flew out from under me I jolted upright like a puppet whose strings have been yanked Bronwen wrenched me back to face her I scrabbled to free myself but couldn’t gain purchase in the mess I’d made I saw her raise the spoon to deliver another blow raised my arm to shield my face and Ahhh Princess Andaryn Bronwen hid the spoon behind her back and released me so quickly I fell at her feet Two maids dashed forward One helped me up the other began to clean the mess I’d made Your Highness said Bron I didn’t know it was you We’re all on edge since the Queen She stopped 2
panicked Not that we don’t think she’s a lovely woman and wish every blessing on her for bringing your father out of that accursed forest I don’t wish any blessing on her It was out before I could catch myself Bron’s ruddy cheeks paled and she peered over her shoulder as if Father’s witch-wife herself might appear She turned back to me with a horribly cheerful expression expression What do you want Princess I’ll fetch it for you myself I’d have preferred the beating with that awful spoon of hers I hadn’t been protecting myself earlier I didn’t want her to recognize me Just as I feared the kitchen fell silent as everyone stared at me I could’ve cried and not because my shoulders ached like fire There’d be no sneaking to the spice pantry now And then bless him the second of my six older brothers brothers the one who made every girl in the castle blush walked into the kitchen Mael scowled at me as he put a hand on Bron’s shoulder shoulder I’ll take her off your hands dear woman When Bron saw Mael and his dark curling hair and blue eyes she dropped her spoon She had a husband who worked in the forge and four children last count yet she giggled like a girl when she saw Mael Mael might be handsome but he was my brother which mostly meant that he was annoying Except for this one shining moment when every woman’s eye was on him This was my chance 3
I slipped into the spice pantry and pulled up the loose plank in the corner sighing in relief when I found the bag of cloves I’d hidden it only because Father and I liked to chew them when we read and I’d wanted to be sure we never ran out Cloves were a valuable spice of course but they were still just dried bits of brown twig and bud Why would Father’s new wife have banned them from the castle The poor stable boy who’d been discovered with cloves yesterday had been dragged to the throne room Rees the stable master who’d always gentled horses for the House of Cynwrig arrived minutes later He explained that the boy hadn’t heard the Queen’s edict that he’d merely gathered the cloves to make a poultice for an ailing horse The Queen had listened gravely then had them both thrashed with a horse whip Father my kind brave father hadn’t even blinked I dropped the plank back into place then slipped the bag of cloves into a pocket in my under-tunic I smoothed my skirts as I stood hands sliding over the dark fabric My outer gown was loose enough that no one would notice I’d hidden anything under it A moment later I joined Mael and Bron Bron was trying to arrange her headscarf but Mael glared at me Where did you go Every eye was on me once again I looked around the kitchen searching for an excuse among the vegetables and plucked birds and bowls He raised an eyebrow Well 4
I didn’t speak just sheepishly pointed at the table of pastries beside the spice pantry Bron shook her head and fetched an apple tart for me my favorite Just for you Princess You’re far too kind said Mael We need her to help us present a gift to Father’s new bride And what does she do Tries to steal a tart Bron chuckled She shook a finger at me You’re growing too old for such antics Princess I wanted to tell her that I’d spent twelve full summers summers on this earth and was old enough to know that many things were more important than apple tarts Instead I ducked my head Let’s go Ryn Mael took me by the arm and marched me out of the kitchen and into the cobbled courtyard I scurried to keep up with him but kept a hand over the cloves even though my gown covered them I couldn’t let him guess what I’d done what I planned to do I flinched when Mael reached toward me worried he knew Instead he plucked the apple tart from my hand and took a bite That’s for making me scour the castle to find you he said around the tart I sagged with relief He wasn’t suspicious Just annoying As always He took another bite and pointed out my other five brothers standing impatiently in the center of the court yard I can’t believe you sneaked a tart If I didn’t know better I’d 5
