Eva had left the dining hall the moment the opportunity presented itself.

The atmosphere had gotten too charged for her liking and she ran away the minute it seemed like everyone was fully occupied. Myrin had left again the moment she finished eating, and, only a few minutes later, their mother had come in to join them, criticizing Nascha for wearing her pajamas around the palace—“Anyone could have seen you.”—and Nascha had to, very reluctantly, retreat upstairs to change. Eva had followed before the queen’s attention could be diverted.

She had gone immediately to the servants’ quarters, where she’d found Ethan, reading on the floor of the bedroom he shared with his brother, his knees pulled up to his chin. He didn’t seem to notice her.

“What are you doing?” she asked him with a laugh and he startled, looking up, his thick-rimmed glasses sliding precariously down his nose.

“It’s more comfortable down here.”

“If you say so.” Eva shrugged. “We could go to the library.”

“Oh… That sounds like a much better idea.”

Eva nodded and reached out a hand to pull him to his feet. She wasn’t quite strong enough to help him on her own but it was clear that he appreciated the gesture.

As they started in the direction of the library, Eva asked, “What are you reading?” She knew what he was reading. She had seen the cover when she walked in, but she felt the need to make conversation.

He glanced at the cover. He’d slipped a finger between the pages to mark his place as they went. “Dalia. Have you heard of it?”

“Vaguely.”

“I don’t think you’ll like it.”

“Why’s that?”

“Well.” He sighed as though preparing to go on a rant and then thinking better of it. “It’s a fairytale.”

“I don’t see what’s so bad about this.”

“No, but it’s the classic fairytale.” Eva gave him a blank look and he went on, “Dalia is a princess, her parents won’t let her leave the palace, and then a prince comes and fixes all her problems.”

“Oh.” Eva frowned for a moment before adding, “Well, I do love fairytales, but it’s true that—”

“Your Highness!” Footsteps were clattering along the passage behind them and Eva was slightly puzzled by how she’d managed not to hear them until now. She turned, slowly, to find a handmaid running toward her. She thought her name was Adalyn. She tried to remember everyone’s names as best she could, but there were so many of them….

Adalyn stopped a few feet in front of her, panting heavily. She paused a few seconds, then said, “Your Highness, I’m so glad I caught you.” Eva gave her a weak smile. “You should come with me.”

“Um… Why’s that?” Adalyn’s eyes were wide. She was smiling too wide and she’d brought her hand up to gesture fanatically for Eva to follow her. Eva knew Adalyn. This wasn’t her.

Adalyn’s eyebrows furrowed. “I don’t know. You have to come.”

Eva tried to soften her smile. “No, thank you.”

“But Your Highness….” Adalyn seemed to be trying to formulate an excuse. “I—someone told me that it is very important that you come with me. He—” She flinched, shaking her head. “They—they told me that they want to meet you.”

“Actually—and I am so, so sorry, Adalyn—but I’m headed… I’m going somewhere, so I can’t—”

“Where is that?” Adalyn replied, a little too quickly.

“Sorry?”

“Where are you going?”

Eva blinked at her. Her voice was far too eager. “Out.”

Adalyn urged her on. “Where is ‘out’?”

Eva knew that she was a princess. And she knew that with that came certain responsibilities, a certain amount of power, that she had never really been ready to accept. She tried lifting her chin like her mother did whenever she was preparing to tell Nascha off. “I do not believe that I have to give you this information. It doesn’t apply to you, Adalyn.”

Adalyn’s smile crumbled. She nodded. “Of course. Milady.” She bowed her head and, before anything more could be said, Eva turned on her heel, grabbed Ethan by the wrist and dragged him down the hall. Once they’d turned the corner and stood before the enormous metal doors that led to the library, she stopped.

Ethan took his arm back, rubbing his wrist where she’d squeezed it. “Why’d you do that?”

“Do what?”

“Dismiss her like that. Couldn’t the queen have sent for you?”

Eva shook her head. “If Mom had asked to see me, Adalyn would have known. She could have given me a reason. It was something different.”

Ethan shrugged, reaching to heave open the double doors. “I would’ve gone with her anyway,” he muttered. “Sounded interesting.” Eva just shook her head again. Ethan was much more curious about the world than she was. Eva had her rules and her methods and her traditions and to stray from them would be far too dangerous.