“SSH! You’re going to give us away!”
“I’m sorry! I can’t...I’m sorry…”
Jacin frowned as he watched Winter hold a hand to her mouth, but a corner of his mouth lifted up when she collapsed into giggles again. She leaned against the marble pillar they were hiding behind for support and grabbed onto Jacin’s arm.
He chuckled. “Hey...it wasn’t that funny.”
She looked at him, eyes bright with mirth. “Yes it was! Oh, it was. The way you said it… and his expression! Oh stars!” She covered her face with her hands, body shaking from laughter.
“I - wait, sssh! Be quiet!” Jacin crouched down and pressed a hand to Winter’s mouth, silencing her. He peered around the column as discreetly as he could. Winter followed his movements, peeking out from behind the pillar in a much more conspicuous manner. Jacin glared at her and she retreated.
He heard them before he could see them. The loud guffaws, the infinite chatter - the aristocrats were here. He could have spotted their long, gauzy dresses and ostentatious hair from a thousand miles away, but the hundred yards of the corridor was more than enough to see that they had arrived.
Also, that they were rather drunk.
Why, he couldn’t imagine. It was the middle of the day, and real sunlight was pouring in through the windows. But who knew what they were doing in Lunar court? No politics, that was for sure. He hadn’t even hit double digits yet, but he already knew. He had heard his father discussing it with Mr. Hayle. The lies in the court, the false promises, and talk about Winter. If she was going to take the throne. If she was even eligible. And most frequently, her astounding beauty, just at age 8.
Not that Jacin noticed anything about that.
Suddenly reminded of her, he turned to face Winter, who should have been hiding behind the column, fully concealed in the shadows.
Jacin cursed in his limited vocabulary and stood up. The nobility had reached the end of the hall and were settled on the couches. He searched the shadows in the little alcove behind the row of columns, trying to find the princess. Turning, he caught a flash of curly black hair on the opposite side of the hall.
Right next to where the aristocrats were lounging.
Jacin scanned the hall, then dashed to the other end of the hall, where Winter stood. He grabbed her arm and pinned her to the wall in a small alcove, trying to control his loud breathing.
“Hey. Hey? Who’s there?” He heard one of the aristocrats bark. He shut his eyes, dreading what might happen if they found them. If they told the queen. Levana would quite possibly murder them - like she did Selene.
But the noble lost interest and turned back to his frivolous conversation. Jacin breathed a huge sigh of relief, then faced Winter.
“What were you doing? You could have been caught eavesdropping!”
“I was being a spy, Jacin.” Winter fixed him with a look saying isn’t it obvious?
“No, you know what you were being?” She shook her head sarcastically. “Trouble. You were being trouble.”
She giggled despite his admonitions. “Big trouble. Princess-sized trouble.”
Despite himself, Jacin let out a soft chuckle. Trouble, all right. Trouble with a capital T.
