Len crossed her arms over her chest and walked up the sandy beach away from him. He followed her to where sand turned to rock.

She reached the base of the cliff and slid down to sit, leaning against the rock wall. Dell joined her.

Her thumbs tapped against each other as she drew her knees in. “You’re a Tenyson, Dell. I didn’t know that before. But now I see it. And you chose me over your brother.”

Dell laughed. “That’s what you’re worried about? As far as I’m concerned, Ian is nothing to me.”

“You absconded with the…” She stopped herself.

His brow furrowed. “With the what?”

She sighed. “With the prince’s mistress. That won’t be looked upon kindly. I don’t think you understand what is probably happening in the city right now. The Madran games have likely shut down early. The palace guard is probably combing the streets. They’ll venture out from the city soon. Then they’ll travel toward the nearby villages.”

None of it made sense. Why would the royal guard search for a mistress? Kings and princes had many. Estevan Rhodipus had never been linked to any before Len, but… the truth smacked him in the face as if a wave rose from the sea to drag him under.

“You’re not just a mistress, are you?” It was so obvious now. How could he not have seen it? Estevan had retrieved her from Mari’s himself. Not Edmund or some guard, the prince.

Len opened her mouth, but no words came forth as she grappled for truth.

He stood and paced in front of her, each step bringing a new pain, not all of them physical.

Why did he feel so betrayed? He had no right to anything from Len.

She stood, dusting off the butt of her trousers. “Dell, you’re right.”

He could have made a joke of that as she had, but his mind spun with the new knowledge.

“I’m—”

The words exploded from him. “In love with the prince? Yeah, I figured it out.”

“That’s…”

He put his hands on his head and breathed through the pain. Then why wasn’t she dying to run right back into his arms? No, he hadn’t been right at all. He faced her. “No, the prince is in love with you.”

A laugh broke free of her. He didn’t understand what was so funny.

He gripped her arm, meeting her gaze. “Is he forcing you to stay?” Tradition said Estevan Rhodipus had to marry someone from one of the other five kingdoms. And in Madra, tradition was law. The priests would make sure he adhered to what had always been done.

No matter what he felt, the heir would marry the Gaulean princess.

Len lowered her gaze. “I want to tell you something.”