Geneva Prentiss tried to justify the situation in her mind. Somehow she would make her situation not sound so bad.
"Betrothed," Geneva muttered softly to herself, "That's not a big deal, right? It's not like he's already married and this is an act of adultery. Betrothed just means that you're promised to marry someone from birth to better the position of -- "
Her thoughts stopped abruptly. Who was she kidding? It was impossible and wrong and she shouldn't have started the whole relationship to begin with. What was worse was the position he held. This man was destined for greatness, and now she had single-handedly thrown his future into turmoil. Prince Tyrak Kose Til Thilterin was the heir to the throne of Thiltis. One day, perhaps tomorrow for all she knew, Tyrak would become the King. He would have power and influence and would basically shape the history of the Land of Thuyin through his leadership at the helm of the Thiltis bloodline. All Geneva had to offer was a past of broken homes, deceit, and seduction. Geneva sighed in frustration and glanced at the note in her hand again. The handwriting was neat and free-flowing.
Meet me at midnight. It's important. You know where.
Yeah, she knew where all right. In about five minutes she was supposed to meet Prince Tyrak in his bedchambers. For months now Geneva and Tyrak had been having a secret affair behind everyone's back, but lately their encounters had become more frequent and less caution had been given to secrecy. For a kingdom which prided itself on family values and upstanding morals, this affair was pretty much the most insulting and ignorant act Geneva had ever been involved in. It hadn't been until very recently that she had bothered to think about the possible ramifications of this hidden relationship. It had become clear to Geneva that as deeply as she cared for Tyrak, and as perfect as their love had started to seem, this was an impossible dream that had to be dashed before it started to influence the reality at hand.
Geneva held the note in her hand, took a candle from the bedside table, and set fire to the note. After today they would never speak of this forbidden relationship again, and there could be no trace that anything had ever happened between them. Not even this simple little note. As the flames licked the parchment, Geneva dropped the flaming message into a shallow metal dish on her dresser and slipped quietly out of her room to meet with Tyrak. It was time to set things right in the kingdom and stop pretending they had a future together.
*****
The door to Tyrak's room was never used by Geneva. She always entered through a secret passage behind a towering suit of armor in the corner of the Prince's bedchamber. Whenever a secret rendezvous had been arranged, Tyrak would slide the armor out of the way so that Geneva could sneak into his room at night unnoticed. As a betrothed man, Tyrak was expressly forbidden to have relations with his fiance until the wedding, and it was assumed that he wouldn't be involved with anyone else. Those assumptions made it very easy for the two of them to meet without having the Royal Court wondering what they were up to if ever spotted together.
This time was different. The suit of armor was still in place, and there was no light coming through the crack between the bottom of the passage door and the chilly stone floor. Something was amiss, and as Geneva slid the shining armor back in front of the passage she realized Tyrak was not around. Without the usual blazing fire next to the plush bed the room felt clammy and unwelcoming. This had never happened before, but perhaps Tyrak had been detained by some important matter. Geneva rested gently on the prince's bed and ran her hand along the silky sheets. Her mind wandered and before she knew it she had sprawled herself out and was laying on her back staring up at the ceiling, her golden hair draped over the crimson sheets.
"Where could he be?" Geneva cooed softly in her sultry voice. "It's not like his majesty to keep his lady waiting." She giggled at the thought of herself as the future queen. Despite her intentions of ending the affair, she couldn't help but indulge her fantasies.
"He's not coming," a gruff voice informed her.
Geneva's eyes flashed with fear and she bolted upright in the bed, her head swiveling in the direction of the comment. She suddenly felt naked and cornered and her cheeks flushed instantly. The man who had spoken was reclining in an overstuffed chair in the corner, staring at Geneva's ashamed face. She recognized him immediately and felt even worse.
"Cameron," she snapped in embarrassment, "what in Thuyin are you doing here?!"
"I could ask you the same thing," Cameron replied, neither malicious nor taunting. His tone was even and calm, and it were as if he couldn't have been less surprised with the entire situation.
Geneva didn't dare to answer, and her gaze shifted uncomfortably from Cameron's unimpressed look to the bedroom floor. She had finally been caught, and it felt even worse than she had ever imagined it.
"I just want you to know that -- I mean it's not like I was here to --" Geneva stammered, clutching her face in her hands and feeling her flushed face growing hotter with every word.
Cameron grunted in amusement and waved her attempt at an explanation aside. "Geneva," he interrupted, "I've known Tyrak for my whole life. We've been best friends since before either of us could hold a sword. I've known for a while now."
Geneva wasn't sure if this information made her feel better or worse. On one hand, he wasn't enraged. On the other hand, if Cameron knew there was no telling who else might have suspected such a relationship by now. Geneva asked where Tyrak was, and the answer made her heart sink. Cameron informed her that Tyrak had left just about an hour before to go meet with his uncle about a diplomatic matter and he had entrusted Cameron to look after her in his absence. Geneva tried to protest, saying that she hardly needed to be watched over, but Cameron just smiled and said he was simply repaying a favor.
"Which leads me to my next point," Cameron continued. "I'm being sent out to oversee an investigation in the Ynuron Forest tomorrow. I've got to play diplomat and extend the proverbial olive branch to the Jurion Knights that will be roaming the area. Basically I need to make sure they're not feeding us some lie as a way to cross over onto our land without having them think we don't trust them."
"And this concerns me because..." Geneva quipped playfully. She was feeling considerably more relaxed about the situation now that she knew Cameron was completely uninterested in her love life.
"It concerns you because you'll be accompanying me tomorrow," he answered firmly. "I promised I'd watch over you and I can't very well do that if you're not with me at all times, now can I?"
Geneva had no choice but to agree. It seemed her worrying about the affair would have to wait until Tyrak returned from his mission. In the meantime she looked forward to spending some time outside of the castle with Cameron. In all of the time she had served as an entertainer for the Royal Court she really hadn't gotten the chance to get to know him. This mission seemed straightforward and stress-free enough that it could provide an excellent opportunity to get to know Tyrak though the eyes of his closest companion.
Cameron sent Geneva off to get some rest before they headed out together in the morning, and she couldn't help but feel a little relief that there was someone else she could confide in about what she was really feeling. She slipped under the covers and wondered what Tyrak was doing at the moment. As she drifted away to sleep, Geneva could never have imagined the events that would unfold in just the next few days.
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