Chapter 67

I stand back, looking confusedly between Rafe and Jesse. “What?” I ask my brother and my cousin, “what’s so funny?”

“Ari,” Rafe says, shaking his head at me as he puts a hand around my elbow and tugs met towards the door. “Not hitting on your friends? That has never been a rule.”

“That has always been a rule!” I gasp, staring up at my brother. noveldrama

“Well,” he says, grimacing at me a little. “Then that is a rule which Jesse has never followed.”

“What!?” I snap, trying to spin and stare at Jesse but hauled along by Rafe. “Who – who have you hit on?!”

“Who haven’t I hit on?” Jesse replies, still grinning at me, wicked.

“Jesse!” I shout, truly scandalized and betrayed. “Annie? Rebecca? Padme!?” Jesse just grins. and I gape, looking up at Rafe for confirmation.

“He hooked up with them all too,” Rafe informs me, dry.

I let out a loud screech of protest, spinning to stare at my cousin, who just shrugs at me like he couldn’t help it.

“You bring around these nice girls, Ariel, who fall for all my lines!” Jesse exclaims, holding out his hands and shaking his head like he couldn’t help it. “Pretty ones too it is like a buffet. And you expect me to do nothing!?

“Stop making out with my friends, Jesse!”

“No, don’t make me promise that it’s my favorite hobby –

–

“Jesse!” I lash out, trying to smack him, but I’m too far away. Rafe sighs, hauling me further

towards the door.

“Did you seriously make out with Annie and Rebecca?” I call over my shoulder, desperate.

Chapter 0/

Jesse just shrugs, innocent. “Someone had to do it, Shrimp.” He clasps an honorable hand to his chest. “I was happy to fall on that sword.”

I just growl and turn away. Rafe sighs and grabs the door handle.

“Wait, what about Theresa!?” I shout, spinning to look back at Jesse.

“Oh my god, Theresa!” Jesse groans, throwing himself on the couch. My jaw drops as he covers his face with his hands, moaning like he’s mourning the loss of something beautiful he’ll never have again. “Theresa is a freak

I let out a scandalized gasp, but Rafe just tugs me along.

“A freak in the best possible way, cousin!” Jesse shouts after me just before the door snicks. shut. “The best possible way! Rafe can tell you, too!”

“Oh my goddd,” I moan, glaring at my brother, whose cheeks blush a guilty pink. For the next ten minutes as we wend our way through the halls I pepper him with questions. He answers everything I want to know about Jesse, but doesn’t confess any of his own sins.

“Fine,” I growl when we finally get to Daphne’s door, crossing my arms and glaring up into. his face. “But this one is off limits, okay?”

“Okay, Ari,” Rafe says, nodding to me with a smile. “I can make that promise for myself, but Jesse? Don’t hold your breath waiting for him to agree to it.”

“So rude,” I mutter, reaching out to knock on the door.

Rafe and I stand quietly while wait, and I hear a set of footsteps inside. Then, the door swings open.

“Hi!” Daphne says, beaming at me. “Welcome, I –”

But her face falls when she looks up at my brother standing next to me. Her mouth makes a little “o” as she stares at him.

“Hi,” Rafe says, giving her his best Prince

his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Daphne “fe, Heir to the Throne smile and holding

out

“It’s…um, hi,” she says, reaching out to shake his hand and smiling up at him nervously. raise my eyebrows in surprise she handled herself beautifully with Jesse. Honestly, I’m at little shocked by this reaction to Rafe. “I mean,” she says, blushing as she takes her hand away, “it’s a pleasure to meet you….your highness.”

“Please, call me Rafe,” he says, smiling at her warmly, a little used to people reacting this way it’s been the same since we were kids. He moves on with the conversation so that she has a chance to find her

feet again. “Will you send word up when you and Ari are finished with your visit? I can come back down and –”

“Oh, no need,” she says, and I’m glad to see her relaxing a bit. “I can walk Ari back up to vour

room.”

Rafe just quirks an eyebrow like he doesn’t believe either of us can protect the other for a second. Daphne, coming back to herself as the moments pass, just smirks at my brother.

“I’ve been walking through this castle alone for years, sire,” she says, putting her hands on her hips. “And not once have I been accosted.”

“Oh yeah?” Rafe asks. “What’s your secret?”

“Pepper spray,” she says with a shrug, making both of us laugh. “No, but really,” she continues with a grin, “servants‘ corridors. Honestly, we’ll be fine.”

“All right,” my brother says with a nod, surprising me. I didn’t expect him to agree to that so easily I guess our little two–second chat earlier really hit its mark. He turns to me then. “How long do you think?”

–

I shrug, looking over at Daphne. “An hour? Maybe two?”

“Let’s make it two,” she says, wrinkling her nose at me. I grin and nod to Rafe, who sketches a little bow and turns away, waving over his shoulder.

Daphne gives a little squeak of excitement, pulling me into the room. “Oh my god,” she says, pressing the door shut behind us and leaning back against it for support, “that was Rafe Sinclair! At my door!”

I laugh, shaking my head at her. “Don’t be so impressed – it’s just Rafe,” I say with a shrug. “Plus,” I gesture to myself, “Nation’s princess! Right here!”

“Oh, I know,” she says, laughing and grabbing my arm, tugging me over to the bed and gesturing for me to sit down. “But you’re not nearly as hot as he is.”

1 squeak in dismay, standing up straight at the offense.

Daphne just rolls her eyes at me as she crosses the little room. “You’re very pretty, Ariel, but you just don’t do it for me.” She reaches up to a shelf and grabs a bottle of wine as well as two small glasses. “Can I persuade you?” she asks. “I know it’s technically illegal but,” she shrugs and gives me a hopeful look.

“As long as you promise not to tell my brother,” I say, eyeing the bottle – because honestly, a glass of wine sounds fantastic right now.

“As long as you promise to dish,” she counters, laughing as we both sit down on the bed. Daphne pulls her bedside table close and pours us each a glass of red wine.

“Dish about what?” I ask, taking the glass she offers me and leaning back against the pillows. I grin, pleased that it’s so instantly easy between us. Daphne – I feel like I’ve already known her for years. But, I guess that makes sense, when someone’s carrying your deepest darkest

secret.

“About everything,” she sighs, smiling warmly at me. “I want to hear all about your week, and about how no one else has figured out you’re a girl –

–”

“Because boys are idiots –” I say, taking a sip of my drink and humming lightly with pleasure at the velvety taste.

She laughs, and nods. “Yes, tell me all about the boys.”

“Daphne,” I say, sighing, “as the only acknowledged girl in this

Castle, you could have your pick of the boys. You know that. So why do you need me to tell you all about them when you could just go knock on any door you want and have him kneel at your feet, spilling hist guts?”

“Because,” she sighs, a low and devastated sound, “I’m abstaining.”

“Why?” I ask, grinning.

“Because I have dreams,” she groans, shaking her head like its’s a great sacrifice to give up

boys for the sake of your ambitions. I smile then, recognizing the feeling, especially

considering that all I want to do is hurl myself at my mates. But I, too, am abstaining. Or, at least I’m trying to.

“What dreams?” I ask, wanting to know more wanting to know all about her, frankly.

“All of them.” she sighs, smiling at me and leaning forward. “I want a big life, you know? I want to do everything – feel everything, see everything, touch everything, taste it. I want to do it all.”

My smile deepens as I consider my friend, swept up a little in her verve for life. “What’s stopping you?” I ask quietly, sipping more of my wine.

“Money,” she says, giving a chagrined little shrug. “We…didn’t grow up with much.”

I nod, listening, my mind going back to Jackson who I’m starting to think might come from a similar world. “Well, what does that have to do with boys?” I ask. “Why does that make you ‘abstain, as you say?”

Daphne just gives me a long, slow grin.