Myles glanced at the red stain on his left pant leg. “Oh, right. That.”

“How can you be so nonchalant about a gash in your leg?” Alice demanded.

“Because it’s not a gash, it’s a cut, and a shallow one at that.”

“Judging by the amount of blood you’ve lost, it can’t be that shallow.”

“Trust me, it’s nothing to worry about.”

She came to a halt. “A bruise or a sprain is nothing to worry about. A laceration, however, should be taken very seriously.”

Myles huffed. “This isn’t the first time I’ve been on the wrong end of someone’s blade. I think it’s safe to say I know a bit more about this sort of thing than you.”

Alice placed both hands on her hips, standing her ground. “I’m not taking one more step until we bandage your leg.”

“Alice, we don’t have time for this.”

“Then stop arguing with me and sit down!” she snapped.

Myles stared at her for nearly half a minute before throwing his hands up in defeat. He opened the door to a nearby unoccupied room. They took a seat on a set of stools and Myles rolled up his bloody pant leg.

Alice tore a piece of fabric from her dress. Myles seemed nervous, yet he did not utter a single word as she dabbed the area around his tender flesh. He tried to hide his pain, but Alice could see his discomfort clearly in his blue eyes. As she suspected, the gash was worse than he wished to admit.

“It would have been wiser to leave me untreated,” Myles noted. “Your chances of escape are higher if I remain injured.”

Alice was stunned. “You don’t seriously think I would use you to slow down my pursuers?”

“I don’t see why not.”

“Because it would be wrong!” she shouted. “Can you at least pretend to give me some credit?”

“Believe it or not, I am!” Myles hissed. “You’re not a fighter, so you’ll have to ensure your survival by other means. Abandoning me would probably be your last resort, but if it did come to that I’m confident the choice would be logical rather than personal.”

Alice was perturbed by Myles’ overly casual view of life and death, but more than that, she was upset by his lack of faith in her. Having nothing left to say, she turned her attention back to his leg. After cleaning the wound, she wrapped it in fabric before unrolling his pant leg back into place.

“There,” she said quietly. “All done.”

“Thanks,” Myles mumbled as his eyes peered deep into hers.

Alice looked away. “It’s the least I can do, considering it’s my fault you got hurt.”

“The only one responsible for my injury is the man who dealt the blow.”

“But if not for me, you wouldn’t have been in that fight to begin with.”

He shrugged. “How do you know? I might enjoy getting into random fights with masked men lurking in the shadows.”

She rolled her eyes. “That seems unlikely, considering how paranoid you are about everything and everyone.”

“I prefer the term precautionary,” Myles chuckled. “Although it does not excuse my rude behavior, does it?”

He hesitated briefly, his expression becoming unusually vulnerable. “You have every right to be offended, but I am wary for good reason. Those who appear kind are often cruel, and those who boast about honesty generally turn out to be the most dishonest.”

There was anguish in his next words. “I am not accustomed to being in the presence of someone like you. And yet, I cannot help but wonder if you are truly as sincere as you seem.”

“My aunt taught me that a person should learn from the past, and plan for the future, but live only in the present. Therefore, I’d appreciate it if you treat me according to my deeds instead of your suspicions. That way, I can earn your respect or your contempt on my own.”

Myles gazed at her thoughtfully for a long moment. His eyes were piercing, like daggers made of sapphire that could see right through Alice’s soul and mind.

“As you command, princess,” he whispered with a grin. His soothing voice made her heart skip a beat.

Alice’s cheeks flushed. “This hardly feels like the time to jest!”

“Very well,” he said, hopping to his feet with a laugh. “All teasing aside, we really should get going.”

“Yes, of course. But…to where exactly?”

“The walls outside are heavily guarded, so we’ll have to find a way to keep you safe within the castle. Where were you headed before those men attacked you?”

“The queen’s party.”

“You were on your way to a royal banquet, alone?”

“I had a lady-in-waiting as my escort, but she left to take care of something.”

Myles’s brow furrowed with concern. “Something more important than accompanying the princess to her destination?”

Alice hadn’t thought about it like that.

“I should have known this was an inside job. No wonder the halls are empty and there was no one around when you were almost kidnapped!”

“Couldn’t it just be a coincidence?”

“Considering the evidence, which seems more likely?”

“I suppose you have a point…”

Myles hissed with frustration. “One way or another, you won’t be safe until you’re where the queen’s guards are stationed, which is no doubt with her.”

“So, we head north to the Hall of Immense Merriment?”

“The fastest way there would be through the garden, which lies to the east.”

“Won’t it be more dangerous to travel in the open?”

Myles flashed her a playful smirk. “Yes, which is why your assailants won’t be expecting us to go that way, technically making it the safer option.”

Alice’s jaw dropped. “That sounds like quite the gamble!”

“Everything we do in life involves a level of risk,” he retorted. “All we can do is minimize the dangers along the way. And I say that as someone who’s, as you put it, paranoid about everything and everyone.”

She nodded. “Then I’m counting on you to get us there in one piece.”

“I’ll try not to disappoint,” he said, taking her by the hand.

Alice made no complaints as they walked down the corridor, the warmth of his touch sending shivers down her spine.