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merchant?”
    “Yes.” She scanned the streets,
trying to get a bearing on their location. They weren’t far from
the fountain in the middle of the square. This area of Renaul was
mostly cobblestone paths and small shops and houses, and today it
was full of celebrators and visitors from the rest of the country.
“Usually, he’s near the fountain.”
    The crowds parted for the prince as
they went to a fountain with sculptures of dolphins, water spraying
from their mouths into the bowl of water below. An old man stood
nearby, only a few teeth left in his wrinkled mouth. He had an
array of birds on display, some plain, some exotic. Their wooden
cages hung from every available spot of his booth. Their chirps and
calls blended in with the noise of the surrounding
people.
    “They’re amazing, your Highness,”
Grace said. She approached the cage of a small bird that was both
bright yellow and dark blue. The lady’s legend about shape changers
echoed in her mind. Could they change into birds? She shook her
head; they weren’t even real.
    “They are beautiful,” Prince
William said, his eyes on a bright red parrot. “You’ve never wanted
to buy one?”
    “Oh, of course I have.” Grace
watched as the blue and yellow bird climbed on the bars. “My father
bought me one when I was ten, but I let him out in my room to let
him fly around, and he started…” She laughed. “Well, you know what
birds do.”
    The prince smiled, nodding for her
to go on.
    “All over my clothes. I couldn’t
catch him, and I was too scared to ask my dad for help. I asked
Kyler, but he couldn’t catch him, either. We had to tell my parents
eventually, and my dad just opened the window so he could fly out.
He told me I could never have a bird again.” Grace grinned, shaking
her head, and her face flushed when she saw Prince William’s eyes
on her. “It’s an embarrassing story, I know.”
    Prince William shook his head.
“It’s endearing.”
    She laughed. “If you say so.” She
tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. She only thought of how
flirtatious the gesture seemed after Prince William smiled and took
a step closer. She couldn’t believe this was happening; she was
actually flirting with the prince.
    “Your Highness.” One of the guards
motioned to the sun. “It’s nearly time.”
    Prince William sighed. “Lady Grace,
I must leave to help my father with the royal speech. You’ll be
attending the banquet tonight, correct?”
    With a nod, Grace said, “Yes, your
Highness.”
    Prince William glanced at his
guards and hesitated. “I know your father wouldn’t prefer me to ask
you first, but the ways are changing, yes? Would you accompany me
on a political trip to Nyad?”
    Her eyes widened. The prince of
Haltar was asking her on a trip. It felt all wrong, as if she was
in someone else’s body for a day. Thoughts of Dar ran through her
mind. Again she felt like she should decline because of Dar, but of
course she wouldn’t. Even if Dar was still here, still with her,
she wouldn’t turn down the prince and risk offending him. And a
small a part of her did want to go with him, just to see what might
happen between the two of them.
    She smiled at Prince William,
keeping her expression shy. She didn’t want to seem too eager. “Oh,
your Highness, of course. I’d be honored to accompany
you.”
    He smiled, and his face seemed
younger, like he was a teenager again. He was only a year older
than Dar.
    She really needed to stop thinking
about Dar.
    “Wonderful,” he said. “We’ll speak
more of it tonight. And perhaps you shouldn’t mention it to your
father just yet.” He gave her a wink.
    She laughed. “Yes, that sounds like
a good idea.”
    The prince motioned to one of his
guards. “Jacob will escort you wherever you like.”
    “Oh, thank you, your
Highness.”
    “I had a very pleasant time with
you today,” Prince William said.
    She extended her hand, and he
kissed her knuckles, his blue eyes meeting hers. Her