would miss it, and the realization startled her. She had been too busy planning her escape to appreciate her home, because for too long the castle had simply been a prison. Under her sisters’ shadow and father’s watchful eyes, there had been little freedom here. Now, she would be totally independent, or at least subservient only to Akeela.
“What will that be like, I wonder?” she whispered. She ran her hand along the rough stone of the wall, sliding a finger into the joints between bricks. Karla, the maid who looked after the upstairs rooms, rounded the corner and spotted her.
“My lady?” the maid asked, her round face concerned. “Are you all right?”
Cassandra nodded. “I’m fine, Karla. I’m just . . . thinking.”
“Well, there’s a lot of that about, my lady.” She looked over her shoulder, then whispered, “Your young man’s been very pensive, too.”
“You mean Akeela?”
“Aye, King Akeela. I spotted him near the conservatory.” The maid smiled as if she had a great secret. “He seems lost in thought.”
The princess laughed. Was everyone spying on poor Akeela?
“Thank you, Karla,” said Cassandra, then hurried past her toward the balcony. The balcony where Akeela waited was at the front of the castle, in the southern tower. In less then a minute Cassandra was there, arriving in the vast, rounded conservatory boasting plants and birds from across the continent. One huge birdcage rose up out of the center of the room, reaching the ceiling. Cassandra stalked toward the birdcage, then peered around it to see out to the balcony. The balcony shutters were all open wide, and she noticed Akeela standing outside, sunlight striking his dark hair. He had dressed for their meeting, which pleased Cassandra, and his spotless tunic shimmered with golden trim. For the first time, she got an uninterrupted view of him. She lingered near the birdcage, watching him. A curious canary inside the cage hopped onto a branch beside her face and studied her, then let out a surprisingly loud song. Cassandra stepped back from the cage, startled, just as Akeela heard the commotion and turned around. Their eyes met. Cassandra smiled sheepishly.
“Umm, hello,” she said.
Akeela stood motionless. For a moment he seemed not to recognize her, but then he righted himself by stepping forward, and said, “Princess Cassandra, hello. I . . . uh, you startled me.”
His voice was very light, nervous but melodious. With his sweating forehead and shaking voice, Cassandra thought him sweet-looking.
“Forgive me, my lord,” she offered. “I didn’t mean to frighten you.”
“Frightened? Oh, no, I wasn’t frightened—not at all. The bird surprised me, that’s all.”
The bird continued to sing. Cassandra moved away from the cage, going to the balcony to stand before Akeela. She noticed with satisfaction the way his eyes moved along her body. She took the opportunity to study him as well. He was shorter than he’d seemed at the banquet table, about her height, and despite his fine clothes he didn’t look like a king at all. In fact, he could have easily passed for a squire. His unimposing appearance made her comfortable at once.
“My father said you wanted to speak to me,” said Cassandra. She gave him an encouraging smile. “I was happy to come.”
“Yes, thank you for that,” said Akeela. “I thought it would be best if we could talk alone, without others eavesdropping.”
Instantly Cassandra thought of Jancis, wondering if her friend was somewhere in the conservatory, listening. “No one can hear us out here, my lord.”
Akeela turned toward the city. “Yes, we are rather high up.” He looked over the stone railing, down at the people milling below. “Your father’s castle is beautiful, my lady. As is your city.”
“I’m pleased you think so, my lord.”
The young man heard the uncertainty in her voice. “Don’t you think it’s beautiful?”
“Yes,” replied Cassandra. “Yes, I
“What will that be like, I wonder?” she whispered. She ran her hand along the rough stone of the wall, sliding a finger into the joints between bricks. Karla, the maid who looked after the upstairs rooms, rounded the corner and spotted her.
“My lady?” the maid asked, her round face concerned. “Are you all right?”
Cassandra nodded. “I’m fine, Karla. I’m just . . . thinking.”
“Well, there’s a lot of that about, my lady.” She looked over her shoulder, then whispered, “Your young man’s been very pensive, too.”
“You mean Akeela?”
“Aye, King Akeela. I spotted him near the conservatory.” The maid smiled as if she had a great secret. “He seems lost in thought.”
The princess laughed. Was everyone spying on poor Akeela?
“Thank you, Karla,” said Cassandra, then hurried past her toward the balcony. The balcony where Akeela waited was at the front of the castle, in the southern tower. In less then a minute Cassandra was there, arriving in the vast, rounded conservatory boasting plants and birds from across the continent. One huge birdcage rose up out of the center of the room, reaching the ceiling. Cassandra stalked toward the birdcage, then peered around it to see out to the balcony. The balcony shutters were all open wide, and she noticed Akeela standing outside, sunlight striking his dark hair. He had dressed for their meeting, which pleased Cassandra, and his spotless tunic shimmered with golden trim. For the first time, she got an uninterrupted view of him. She lingered near the birdcage, watching him. A curious canary inside the cage hopped onto a branch beside her face and studied her, then let out a surprisingly loud song. Cassandra stepped back from the cage, startled, just as Akeela heard the commotion and turned around. Their eyes met. Cassandra smiled sheepishly.
“Umm, hello,” she said.
Akeela stood motionless. For a moment he seemed not to recognize her, but then he righted himself by stepping forward, and said, “Princess Cassandra, hello. I . . . uh, you startled me.”
His voice was very light, nervous but melodious. With his sweating forehead and shaking voice, Cassandra thought him sweet-looking.
“Forgive me, my lord,” she offered. “I didn’t mean to frighten you.”
“Frightened? Oh, no, I wasn’t frightened—not at all. The bird surprised me, that’s all.”
The bird continued to sing. Cassandra moved away from the cage, going to the balcony to stand before Akeela. She noticed with satisfaction the way his eyes moved along her body. She took the opportunity to study him as well. He was shorter than he’d seemed at the banquet table, about her height, and despite his fine clothes he didn’t look like a king at all. In fact, he could have easily passed for a squire. His unimposing appearance made her comfortable at once.
“My father said you wanted to speak to me,” said Cassandra. She gave him an encouraging smile. “I was happy to come.”
“Yes, thank you for that,” said Akeela. “I thought it would be best if we could talk alone, without others eavesdropping.”
Instantly Cassandra thought of Jancis, wondering if her friend was somewhere in the conservatory, listening. “No one can hear us out here, my lord.”
Akeela turned toward the city. “Yes, we are rather high up.” He looked over the stone railing, down at the people milling below. “Your father’s castle is beautiful, my lady. As is your city.”
“I’m pleased you think so, my lord.”
The young man heard the uncertainty in her voice. “Don’t you think it’s beautiful?”
“Yes,” replied Cassandra. “Yes, I
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