Chapter 17

Lia wanted to run. She wanted to escape. She was not afraid of diving, but she wanted to be out of the water and away from Claude. However, that wishful thinking met with an abrupt end as Claude dragged her into the water. She met Claude’s eyes underwater. She had never seen such an innocent smile as he wove his hand through her hair. His large hand was on the back of Lia’s hair and his lips moved as though he was saying something.

She blinked and the smile was gone. She felt she was running out of air and swam up to the surface. Claude laughed beside her.

“You can’t last thirty seconds?” he chuckled.

“That is indeed a very long time for me,” she said.

“Promise to last longer this time?” he asked.

“No, I am getting out of the water,” said Lia.

Lia tried to hide her flushed face and ignored him as he offered his hand. She got out of the water and accepted a towel from Betty. Claude climbed out of the water and accepted a towel too. He sat on the mat that was laid out.

“Sit,” he said. He had a berry in his mouth, and he was leaning back. Lia glared at him and covered herself with the towel as much as she could.

“Why are you all covered up?” he asked, “It’s summer. You won’t catch a cold.” The sun over them was already too hot and their hairs were already drying.

“It’s alright,” she said, “I prefer this.”

“Aren’t you hot?” he asked.

“I get cold very easily,” she retorted.

“If you say so,” he replied. He closed his eyes and leaned back as though he was going to take a nap. Lia felt frantic. She could not get up and leave but she didn’t want to sit too close to him, either. She thought she could leave before he fell asleep.

“Your Highness, I will take my leave, then,” she said.

“Stay,” he said, his voice soft. It didn’t sound like an order but more like a casual request.

“Aren’t you going to sleep?” she asked.

“Why?” he shot back, “Do you want me to play with you?” He looked at her and smirked.

“Stop with the teasing,” she complained, “I am not a child.”

“You are,” he said.

“I am sixteen!”

“I know.”

Lia avoided his gaze and said nothing at all. Claude folded his hand beneath his head and looked up at the sky. “What are you going to do when Kieran comes back?” he asked.

Lia tried to maintain her calm composure. “I do not know what you mean by that,” she said.

“You do realize that second sons aren’t worth much in the family,” he said, “According to the law, you will be given nothing. And a job after graduating from the academy is not guaranteed.”

“I will figure something—”

“Come work as a steward at the Ihars,” he interrupted, “I will take you in.”

Lia’s eyes widened. The position of a steward held power and authority. It meant that she would have a title of her own with her own estate. She would act as an advisor to Claude and would be respected as highly as him. Many people would have gone down to their knees for such a position, but Lia shook her head.

“I have something else I need to do,” she said.

“And what ‘something else’ is that?” he scoffed at her refusal.

Lia sighed and looked up at the clouds. “It’s not a steward to begin with,” she said.

“You won’t earn much with whatever it is,” he said.

“I know but sometimes people have things that mean to them more than money.”

Lia wasn’t sure what it was she wanted to do. She knew she wanted to help poverty-stricken children. She knew how difficult that life was. She wanted to help them escape poverty and have a shot at real education. But she didn’t know how she would be able to accomplish something like that.

“Canillian,” called Claude.

“Yes?” said Lia.

“Those are just non