Chapter 204: Storytelling (5)
Cilv remained silent for a moment. Ronan could almost see how her mind weighed out the options of how much she would share with this prince. It was unusual that he could read such emotions from her. But it was probably because she had turned her back to the prince, positioning herself so he could not see her cunning thoughts flicking across her features. From Conrad’s stance, Cilv appeared calm, collected and nonchalant as she draped her hand over the old brown leather settee.
"I don’t look like much. I know, and that is exactly why Evanna employed me-"
"Watch your tongue, girl. She is your princess," Conrad snapped, lowering his teacup. "If this were Hatherland, you would be punished for that slip-up."
Cilv spun around, her lips tugging up as she faced the prince, her eyes gleaming in delight from the tone of his voice. Oh, she really did like challenges, that woman. A small smile pulled at his own lips with the fondness he had once felt for her. Ronan swiftly sealed his treacherous lips together, aggravated by his wayward thoughts.
"Ah, but this is not Hatherland, dear prince. We are far from the north." She stepped towards the window again, her hand gliding atop the latch almost instinctively, like she was ready to bolt. Yet she held the prince’s glare. "Besides, that was no slip of my tongue. The princess asked for me to drop her titles, and so I did.."
Conrad lowered his cup to the cabinet he leaned against whilst watching Cilv warily. Had he now noticed that she was not as she appeared? Were her movements a little too nimble, even in the way she walked? Ronan was accustomed to it, but not many moved the way she did unless they were something more than they appeared.
"Suppose this was all true.. What did she employ you as? What need would she have for someone of your talents?" The prince stared her down, and Ronan noted how Cilv shivered, then gulped, hands fisting by her sides before relaxing them.
The prince was certainly powerful in his status, and he did have quite an infamous reputation. But what about him made even Cilv nervous? Cilv, who could gut you in a split second and probably laugh about it to your face. Though her features remained stoic, eyes seemingly empty, her body language told another story.
"I do little jobs here and there," she replied nonchalantly with a shrug like she didn’t just shiver in fear at the Prince. "Many where I can slip by unnoticed.. I am useful for someone like Evanna, who is constantly watched by her enemies.." Her gaze lowered to her hand as she inspected some dust on her gloves from the window and rubbed it off.
"And I am to believe that?" Conrad asked as he observed her through a hardened gaze. "Tell me something that no commoner would know.. tell me something of use. Then maybe I will not doubt what information you will provide about the second Princess of Dunhurst. If I find the information useful, you will be rewarded handsomely."
Cilv dropped her hand and flicked her eyes back to the prince. "Princess Isabel makes life in the palace harder for Evanna. So hard, in fact, she asked me to.. frighten her sister a little."