"I have not met him at all," Phari said, her upset visible through her voice. "I only heard that he had made it to Nedour when gossip started spreading through the market about a foreign prince arriving."
"And I'm guessing you pumped your husband for more information about Nikun's presence?" Atticus asked knowingly.
Phari gritted her teeth, but she was forced to reply. "Yes. I wanted to meet him, but he spent nearly all his time on your vessel. If I were to sneak on board, it would have been a death sentence. So I waited until he finally left for the market, before approaching him."
"I'm guessing he told you about how he couldn't enter the contest because he arrived too late," Daphne said, the puzzle pieces slowly forming a picture. "And you, with your incredible loyalty to your princess, decided to take matters into your own hands and create an opening for him. Is that right, Phari?"
Phari nodded jerkily.
