The Rogue Princess: A Retelling of Puss in Boots (Return to the Four Kingdoms Book 5) by Melanie Cellier

Author:Melanie Cellier [Cellier, Melanie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Luminant Publications
Published: 2022-12-25T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 15

The next day dawned with perfect weather for the evening’s entertainment—the bright sun and clear skies promising a warm evening. Evie and Tillie had made me promise to join them to prepare for the evening which was unsurprising given Evie’s anticipation of her new outfits’ debut.

In the late afternoon, I hurried through the corridors between my room and Evie’s suite. I was so distracted by the upcoming event that it took me a moment to register who was approaching from the other direction.

As soon as I realized it was the rude man—Xavier had called him Taylan—my steps slowed. I didn’t relish another altercation.

Sure enough, when he saw me, his eyes flashed. But instead of saying something insulting, he veered away, bypassing me on the far side of the corridor.

I watched him pass, relieved but also bemused. Something had happened to make him wary of me.

The memory of Xavier’s clenched fist flashed through my mind, and I shot Taylan another look. He had no visible injuries, though, so I shook the thought aside. Of course the prince wouldn’t have attacked him.

I reached Evie’s suite in a subdued mood, but the brighter spirits of the two women waiting for me soon lifted my own. Evie and Tillie might both be more than a decade my senior, but they never made me feel young or foolish around them.

“They came out perfectly,” Evie announced in satisfaction, as Reya arrived, carefully carrying the two new gowns.

“It does look beautiful,” Tillie murmured, fingering the filmy purple silk of her own wrap. “I’m glad I let you talk me into it after all.”

“Of course you are.” Evie gave her creations a satisfied smile. “No one ever regrets wearing one of my dresses.”

Tillie laughed. “You’re right. I should have known it from the beginning.” She grinned at me. “Or maybe it’s just Kali lending me some of her youthful courage.”

I coughed, thinking of the ledge on the cliff. “I’m not that courageous.”

“Nonsense! You left behind everyone you know and came across the desert on your own, didn’t you?”

I considered her words. “I did, yes, but I’m not sure it counts as courage. For me it was more like a necessity. I’ve always longed to travel the desert—it was more like I couldn’t help myself.”

“Well, whatever the cause, I still count it as courage,” Tillie said. “But I do know what you mean about longing for travel.” She sighed softly. “I love my life here with Cassian and the children, of course. But sometimes I miss the desert and the vast open skies.”

“It’s appealing to always be on the road, always visiting new places,” I agreed, and she nodded, her eyes picking up the spark they always held when she spoke of her research.

“Isn’t it strange to think that our shared ancestors weren’t nomads at all? Our nomadic life is one shared aspect between the western traders and the eastern tribes, despite our separation—and yet the empire we came from wasn’t nomadic at all. I wonder what it

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