The two of them didn't really talk as they wound their way through the palace. Lucas led the way but kept a respectful distance from her.
Celia wished he could just walk next to her like a friend.
It was impossible, of course. A nobleman walking alongside a crown princess as if they were equals, would be seen as the height of impropriety. The court gossips would lose their senses.
As it was, Celia should've been walking ahead with Lucas several steps behind her. Except that he was supposed to be leading her to a part of the palace she was allegedly unfamiliar with.
Celia watched his back as he strode ahead of her. She found herself wishing - yet again - he wasn't so fair to look at. It was partly the reason she buried her head in books every time they were in the library together. She feared if she stared into his almost flawless face, she'd never be able to stop.
