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  She chose a fresh green gown, similar in color but of a different style as this one, cut across the shoulder with only one strap. Aria carried the dress to the bathroom and shut the door. It was the only hint of privacy she had in this place.

  It took her a few minutes to get dressed. Once the gown was on, she ran a comb through her hair and stepped out into her bedroom. James leaned against the wall, staring out the window. His attention turned to Aria when she sauntered back into the room. "You look lovely."

  "Can I get a pair of shoes to wear out?"

  "They're by the foyer for you to borrow a pair," he said. James took her arm and led her out of the room and down the hall. The palace was like a maze, stretching on for miles, but it should be no surprise, given there were forty-eight rooms for courtesans.

  James guided Aria to the stairwell, and she held the railing of the banister as she glided down the stairs. Careful, she raised the hem of her dress just enough to not trip on her descent.

  Approaching the foyer, Aria tried on a few different pairs of sandals until she found ones with a wedge that fit. It kept her gown from dragging on the floor. She secured the straps, and he led her outside, where a large vehicle waited for them. The driver opened the back door, and she slid in, with James joining inside the car a moment later. The driver shut the door and walked around to the front. The vehicle held five comfortably. The windows were tinted in the back. No one from the outside could see them. Was it to keep James safe?

  He reached across the backseat, taking her hand. "Thank you for trusting me enough to come with me today."

  "Of course," Aria said. Trust didn't feel like the appropriate word. She didn't trust James any more than she trusted Prince Aaron whom she knew nothing about. At least he'd kept to himself, hadn't bothered her like Prince August.

  Aria shifted closer to James. Although she didn't wish to be intimate with him, she wanted even less for the driver to hear their conversation. "What will we do at the market?" she asked in a whisper.

  "It's up to you." James smiled and patted her arm. Aria didn't think he understood why she'd scooted closer. He seemed more relieved, like she trusted him or liked him. "My favorite is the relic search."

  She frowned, not having heard of anything even similar. "What's that?"

  "There are vendors at the market who bring old items from before the war. Some items are in good condition; others are beaten up so badly, you can hardly tell what they are. It's fun to guess what it was used for back before we were born. You'll enjoy it."

  "Is this what you do with all your ladies?" Aria asked. "Take them to the market to play guess the item?" she teased. It felt good to forget her troubles, even for one fleeting moment.

  James paused and stroked his smooth jaw. "No, just you. They've all seen the market. Growing up, they visited there to purchase food, clothes, supplies for their shelter, whatever they needed. I like that I can show you the world."

  She felt a strange tingle in her stomach and smiled. Though far from happy, she tried to make something good out of a bad situation. Besides, if she could get away from James, slip past him at the market, maybe she could escape for good. It wasn't as though he was going to want her in a month. She'd be doing them both a favor.

  The driver pulled the vehicle around to the front entrance and unlocked the doors. "I have orders for you to put this on the girl." He handed James a black electronic bracelet.

  Aria's cheeks burned red. How would she escape if she was connected to a tracking device?

  "No, Matthew," James said and stepped out from the vehicle. He didn't wait around to hear the driver's response. "She's with me and my responsibility. You won't run, will you?"

  "Of course not," Aria said, following the prince out of his car.

  He took her hand, and Aria knew if he didn't let go, leaving would be just as difficult gripped to him as it would be tracked.

  "Good," James said and led them through a jungle-filled maze of antiques, trinkets, food, and clothes. The market smelled warm like cinnamon as he dragged them through the aisles in a specific direction. Relieved James knew where they were going, the market was enormous. All the villages congregated here to sell their goods. This had been where Aria's father had ventured when she was a little girl. It was likely where he bought enough seed to bring home to help them cultivate the land. Aria swallowed back a silent sob, telling herself that she would not cry.

  James didn't notice her discomfort, or he chose to ignore it. He dragged her from one stall to the next, until he found what he'd been looking for. The market was outside, and the warm sun baked her cheeks. Some of the tents were covered, but many were just tables with trinkets for sale.

  "Here we go!" He looked excited and the smile seemed to be infectious. Aria smiled in response and let go of his hand, her fingers grazing the old relics of a past generation. "What do you think this was used for?" James asked. He took a metal disc and pretended as if he were going to use it as a Frisbee.

  "Wouldn't that hurt, catching it?" Aria asked.

  "Only if it was used for sports. The shop keep was telling me how it holds movies on it."

  "Movies?" Aria repeated, confused.

  James grinned. "I'll show you sometime back at the palace." He put the metal disc down and grabbed her hand again, leading her farther into the stall.

  A minute later, he released his grip to grab an object to put onto his head. "What about this? How do I look?"

  "Ridiculous." Aria granted him an honest smile.

  James removed the hat and glanced it over. "It's a fedora. At least, according to the price tag. It's also super cheap. I should get this and wear it around the palace."

  It should be no surprise that it was practically free. "People didn't wear silly hats like that then, and they definitely don't today." The heat scorched the earth; wearing a hat would just keep body heat in and make a person sweat faster.

  "How do you know?" James asked. "You weren't alive back then. Find me something better, or I'm buying it."

  Aria didn't understand why she cared what he bought with his money. It must be nice to live as a prince and be able to afford anything you desired. She groaned and rummaged through the antiques. There were ceramic mugs with states that no longer existed. A globe sat on the shelf, and she spun it slowly, examining the shape of the continents and the world that had once existed.

  "I'm not buying an outdated globe," James said. "My father would kill me. Who needs a reminder of the world before we came into power? What else have you got?"

  Aria snorted under her breath and walked deeper into the stall. There were dolls covered in dirt and racecars with chipped paint. Nothing overly appealing to take home.

  On the opposite side of the tent, a bin sat nestled, filled with questionable relics. Aria lifted one and stared at the item with curiosity. "Is it a missile?" she asked, showing it to James. "Do you think kids played with these when they sent a man to the moon?" The toy she held was pale blue, thick, and its length about eight inches. The material squished slightly in her grasp, like jelly. A vein ran from the center down to the tip.

  James' eyes widened, and he rushed to Aria's side, removing the missile from her grasp. He looked horrified. What had she done wrong? Wasn't this how they played the game? "Oh my, you don't know?"

  "Know what? Was it used to blow people up?" Aria asked, embarrassed. Had she just used an item wrongly and it was created for evil and to destroy people?

  The laughter bubbled from James' stomach and slipped past his lips. He bent forward, trying to stop himself from making a scene. At least Aria hoped he wasn't intending to humiliate her.

  "What is it? What's funny?" she asked. His face was red, and she knew it had nothing to do with the heat that was causing the blush on his face. "James?"

  "It's a dildo, Aria."

  "A what?" she asked. That word sounded familiar in a weird way, like she may have read about such a thing once, in a book.

  James took a step closer to her and bru
shed her dark brunette locks away from her ear. "It's used to satisfy a woman, like a cock."

  Her eyes widened in embarrassment, and she dropped the dildo back into the bin and covered her face, mortified.

  James laughed and dragged her out of the tent and into the summer air. The wind whipped against her cheeks, and the blush only spread further. She dropped her hands to her sides. Aria would be laughing if she hadn't humiliated herself. "How did you know that?" Afraid to know the answer, she shook her head. "Never mind." What he did with his other ladies, she didn't need the details or the description.

  "You are the most fun I've ever had with that game," James said.

  She liked that he could confess how he felt. Aria chewed her bottom lip raw.

  "What's on your mind?" James asked.

  "I'm beginning to like you. Just a little," she said, clarifying her feelings. She began to feel as though she could trust him, and the awkwardness she'd once felt had begun to vanish.

  James smiled and wrapped an arm around her waist. "I'll take a little."

  Late morning faded into afternoon. James bought them breakfast at the market, a late breakfast at that, but Aria didn't mind.

  When she finished eating, she cleared her throat. "Is there a bathroom around here?" Her head darted around, searching for any type of restroom accommodations.

  "It's not as clean as the palace, but there's running water," he said, leading her toward the facilities. "I'll be over there." James pointed at a nearby stand. "Come get me when you're done."

  "Okay."

  Aria headed for the bathroom and stepped inside. She didn't really need to use it. She had been trying to grasp her one chance at freedom, now or never. She slipped out from the bathroom and ran headfirst into Ethan, slamming her face into his chest. Rubbing at her forehead, Aria took a step back. "I'm sorry," she said, quick to apologize, not recognizing him until she pulled back and met his stare.

  "What are you doing here?" he asked, looking Aria over and grabbing her arm. She had no brand, no mark. His eyes took in the sight of her gown. "The palace guards took you away. I don't understand, Aria."

  "Prince James chose me as his courtesan."

  Ethan grabbed her arm and pulled her behind the bathroom toward the metal chained fence. The chain-link fence had been broken in multiple places. It did little good to provide any level of protection except to deter thieves. The market cost nothing to enter, why else bother with the expense of a fence? "I can protect you, but we need to go, now."

  Aria slipped under the fence and darted through the parking lot sprinkled with vehicles. The rich had solar powered cars. The poor, the majority of the people, traveled on foot or by horse. "Where are we going?" Aria asked. "How did you get here today?" It took weeks on foot, and Aria had just seen Ethan yesterday morning from the window, planting outside along the riverbank.

  "I stole a motorcycle," Ethan said.

  He was the last person Aria would have expected to steal a cent.

  "Don't judge me," Ethan said and pointed to the vehicle. "Over there."

  Aria jogged with him to the motorcycle, and he climbed on, handing her a helmet. She secured hers as he did the same with his. Aria's hands encircled his waist. "Do you know how to ride it?" she asked.

  "After I fell off a half-dozen times, yeah, I've got it covered."

  Aria clung to Ethan as they headed east, far from the palace, but still within the kingdom of Brayleigh. She couldn't easily escape the kingdom. She would need to hide, forever.

  Aria couldn't stop herself from constantly glancing over her shoulder. This was her life, afraid Prince James would find her, or worse, King Gideon. Where would they live? There were communities, small dwellings, and cities. Would they question why Aria didn't wear the brand on her arm?

  They may not have been able to create a brand so realistic and convincing, but surely Aria was not the only gem to exist within Brayleigh. Others must have tried to slip past the four princes. It wasn't something talked about, and finding someone knowledgeable and well-skilled who was trustworthy would take time. Did they have it?

  In the distance, Aria could make out a speck along the horizon. Her stomach sunk. Had James known she'd gone missing by now?

  "Get off this road," Aria said, urging Ethan to another road, a different path. She couldn't get caught again.

  The vehicle, though still in the distance, grew closer.

  Ethan slowed and steered to the right, toward a dirt road, but the turn was still much too sharp, and the motorcycle couldn't take the pull as gravity beat it down to the ground. Aria's skin burned as the dress tore along her arms and hips. Her body rolled from the vehicle against the grass and dirt.

  Aria blinked several times over. Her heart beat erratically in her chest. Still alive, she stumbled to her feet and removed her helmet. Ethan lay pinned beneath the motorcycle.

  Aria lifted the bike off his form, groaning with the struggle. His leg was crooked. "Your leg is broken. Does anything else hurt?" Aria asked.

  "I'll be fine," Ethan said with a grimace. She tried to help him stand. They couldn't stay here forever, but holding Ethan proved too much. Aria eased him back down onto the ground. They needed to get off the road and away from the main path before James found her. Aria removed his helmet, her fingers tangled in his thick chestnut hair.

  The vehicle that had been approaching from the distance slowed to a stop. The back door opened, and James stepped out. He didn't look happy. Not that Aria would have expected anything less.

  Aria exhaled a heavy sigh. She'd screwed up her one chance at escape. Why had they stuck to the main road east? Aria stepped closer to James; she needed him to see this from her perspective.

  "Care to explain what's going on?" He glanced Aria over. "Please tell me this vagrant kidnapped you against your will."

  The driver stepped out from the vehicle, pistol in hand.

  Aria's eyes widened. Why did the driver have a gun? "What are you doing?" Aria's voice hitched, and her hands trembled. "James? What's he doing?" Her breathing matched her heart as it accelerated at an unpredicted pace.

  "Cleaning up your mess," the gentleman said.

  Aria attempted to run toward Ethan, to protect him, but it was no use. James gripped Aria's arm, and although she attempted to break free, she couldn't. He was stronger than Aria and his hold proved it.

  The driver fired his pistol at Ethan.

  Aria screamed. Tears trickled down her eyes and past her cheeks.

  "No!" Aria's voice carried in the wind and her legs trembled, giving way to her weight. Aria would have fallen if James hadn't grabbed her waist. He pushed her into the dark vehicle. The tears refused to slow or weaken.

  "Shut up!" James yelled and slammed the door shut behind them. "Matthew, our driver, could just as easily have killed you for disobeying me. Behave, before he considers what to do with his next bullet."

  Sniffling, Aria shut her mouth and stared out the window on the ride back to the palace. At this rate, Aria would never escape.

  Chapter 3

  As they approached the castle, James grabbed her ankle and slapped on the electronic cuff. Aria was his prisoner.

  The driver exited the vehicle and came around to open James' door. The prince stepped out first. Aria hesitated, afraid of what her disobedience would bring. Her cheeks were red, her eyes burned with tears, and the sunlight, she found unbearable. It in no way matched her mood. The world should have been gray and the sky filled with an abundance of clouds, because the driver had murdered her best and only friend, Ethan.

  "Out!" James commanded.

  Aria had no choice but to slide across the leather interior and step out of the vehicle.

  "Give me the shoes," he said.

  Aria didn't expect another day out of the palace ever again. She would be lucky if they let her leave the royal harem, the enclave of rooms for the courtesans.

  She slipped off the sandals and handed both shoes to James. He ripped them from her grasp and point
ed for the door. "Inside. Now!" His tone that had once held affection and kindness had vanished. She had angered and disappointed him.

  He pushed her inside the palace, and she heard the clank of the shoes being tossed in the foyer as he pressed forward. "To your room!" His grip on her arm tightened and Aria was sure he'd leave an impression. Though she wondered if his intent was for all the courtesans to know he was pissed at her or for Aria just to remember what she'd done. She didn't need a reminder. Aria would never need a reminder.

  "You could have stopped him from killing Ethan." Aria's eyes watered at the mere mention of her friend's name. The murder would haunt her daydreams and plague her with nightmares.

  "I stopped him from taking your life," James said. "It's more than any other royal in this kingdom would have done. You deceived me."

  It hadn't been meant as a betrayal. Aria had only wanted to leave, return to her humble lifestyle, and live in peace. James was no idiot. He must have known she'd have attempted an escape, though she couldn't ask him about it now. His temper would get them nowhere.

  Aria had nothing to say to James. The walk was long and filled with a heated silence. As they approached the door, he turned the handle and pushed her inside her room.

  Aria stumbled forward, her hands reaching out to catch herself from falling and losing her balance. From behind, she heard the click and the distinctive sound of a key sliding into the lock.

  Was he done with her? What now? She knew she had disappointed James, but he was probably the least of her worries at court. Now that he was angry, would he let Prince August have his turn with her?

  Aria's legs gave way, and she crumpled to the floor in a heap. Tears fell fast and quick as she pulled her legs up to her chest. The mirror showed her such a distasteful reflection of her filthy dress, only intensifying the tears.

  The door between her room and the sitting room for the courtesans opened.

  "What's wrong, Aria?" Clara asked.