Beach time

Lunch was served in the grand dining hall, its long table laden with dishes that would make any chef weep with envy. Roasted meats, glistening vegetables, delicate pastries—it was a feast fit for royalty. Normally, I'd be the first to dig in, but today, my appetite was absent.

Seated next to Levan, who was rattling on about some inane topic involving trade agreements, I found my attention drifting elsewhere. Specifically, to Ren.

She sat a few seats down, looking distinctly uncomfortable. Not that she showed it on her face, but I could tell. She was slouching slightly, her fork poking absently at her food. Most notably, her neck was red—right where her tattoo traced up from her collarbone.

My eyes narrowed. Was that a bruise?

I resisted the urge to ask her outright. It wasn't any of my business, technically, and knowing Ren, she'd just brush it off with one of her insufferably vague answers. But the way Calira was glaring daggers at her from across the table made the culprit obvious.

What had Ren done this time?

"Xyra, are you even listening?"

Levan's voice pulled me back to reality, and I blinked at him, realizing I had no idea what he'd been talking about.

"Of course," I lied, picking up my fork to appear engaged.

He gave me a suspicious look but thankfully didn't press further.

"So," Calira's voice cut through the dining room, deceptively calm. "What are your plans for the rest of the vacation?"

I immediately stiffened, trying to suppress a groan. The last thing I wanted was to outline some itinerary.

Levan, ever the eager conversationalist, jumped in before I could respond. "Well, I thought we might explore the estate grounds tomorrow, and perhaps visit the local market afterward. There's also that famous vineyard nearby, isn't there? We could take a tour."

I barely suppressed an eye-roll. Did he seriously think I wanted to traipse around vineyards and markets?

Calira nodded politely, though her gaze kept flickering toward Ren, who was still studiously avoiding eye contact with her former mentor.

"And you, Princess?" Calira asked, her tone neutral but her eyes sharp. "What do you wish to do?"

I hesitated, glancing at Levan, who was clearly expecting me to agree with his plans. "I… uh…"

"Xyra loves vineyards," Levan chimed in, saving me from having to answer. "She's always been fascinated by the wine-making process."

Since when? I thought, biting back a snarky retort.

Calira gave me a knowing look, but mercifully didn't press the issue.

Ren, however, glanced my way for the first time since we'd sat down. Her expression was unreadable, but something in her eyes made my stomach twist.

Was she laughing at me?

"Fascinating," Calira said, her tone dripping with amusement. "I'm sure you'll enjoy yourselves."

The rest of lunch passed in a blur of polite conversation that I had no interest in. My focus kept drifting back to Ren, to that red mark on her neck, to the way her jaw clenched every time Levan spoke.

Finally, as the last plates were cleared away, Lucindra leaned back in her chair, a sly smile on her lips.

"Well," she said, "why don't we all head to the private beach?"

I froze, glancing at Ren, who seemed to stiffen slightly.

"Oh, great," I muttered under my breath. This was going to be fun.

As soon as the idea of the private beach was proposed, I regretted my life choices. There are moments when one can predict chaos, like seeing storm clouds gather on the horizon, and this was precisely one of those moments.

Changing into swimsuits? Terrible idea.

I emerged from my changing room in a sleek, dark swimsuit adorned with gold accents.

It screamed royalty, as it should. Levan, however, appeared wearing trunks so uninspired that they looked like they'd been picked from the bargain bin of a commoner's market.

My eyes flicked over his unimpressive form, and I tried not to cringe. A flat belly was fine, I supposed, but it hardly screamed "heroic fiancé."

Then there was Ren.

Oh, Ren.

She walked onto the sand, her dark swimsuit hugging every line of her muscular frame. Her tattoo the one that snaked up her neck was now fully visible, curling like a secret whisper against her sun-kissed skin.

The way the light hit her made her look like some sort of goddess rising from the depths of the sea. I hated it.

Not because she was breathtaking, no. That would be absurd. I hated it because I could practically feel everyone else gawking at her, including Lucindra, who had sauntered in wearing something so revealing it bordered on scandalous. Her eyes were locked on Ren like a predator eyeing prey.

If daggers could shoot from my eyes, Lucindra would have been a pincushion.

"Well," Levan said, beaming like an oblivious idiot, "shall we take a dip?"

"By all means," I replied, pasting on a smile sharp enough to cut glass.

We all made our way to the water, and that's when things started to unravel.

Levan, in his infinite wisdom, decided to show off by diving headfirst into a wave. It would've been impressive, except he miscalculated and ended up swallowing half the ocean. He emerged spluttering and coughing, his dignity drowning somewhere in the surf.

Ren, of course, waded into the water with effortless grace, as if she were some kind of sea nymph.

Lucindra followed her like a shadow, striking up a conversation that I couldn't hear but desperately wanted to eavesdrop on. The way Lucindra's laughter rang out made my blood boil.

"Something funny, Lucindra?" I called out, my tone sweetly venomous.

Lucindra turned to me, her smile far too smug. "Just reminiscing about old times with Ren. You wouldn't understand, Princess."

The nerve.

I took a step forward, intending to put her in her place, but Levan, now recovered from his aquatic disaster, grabbed my arm. "Xyra, let it go," he said, trying to sound authoritative but failing miserably.

"Let it go?" I hissed. "I'll let it go when she lets go of that pathetic attempt at seduction."

The tension was broken by a sudden splash Ren had dunked Lucindra under the water.

For a brief moment, I considered applauding. Lucindra emerged sputtering, but instead of being angry, she laughed, brushing her wet hair back in what I could only assume was an attempt to look alluring.

"Oh, Ren," she cooed, "you've always been such a tease."

Ren said nothing, but the faintest smirk played at the corner of her lips.

I was going to explode.

"Levan," I said through gritted teeth, "why don't you go build a sandcastle or something?"

He looked at me, baffled. "A sandcastle? Why would I—"

"Just go," I snapped.

With him temporarily out of the way, I marched towards Ren and Lucindra, the water splashing dramatically around me like I was some avenging sea witch.

"Ren," I said, my voice laced with icy authority, "a word."

She turned to me, her expression infuriatingly neutral. "Yes, Princess?"

"I need your assistance with… something," I said vaguely, grabbing her arm and dragging her away before Lucindra could object.

We stopped a few paces away, and I rounded on her. "What are you doing?"

Ren tilted her head, feigning innocence. "Swimming."

"You know what I mean," I snapped. "You and Lucindra."

"What about us?"

Her calm demeanour only made me angrier. "She's practically throwing herself at you, and you're just—just standing there!"

"Should I be lying down instead?" she asked, her voice maddeningly deadpan.

I gaped at her, momentarily speechless. "Are you—did you just—"

Before I could finish, a massive wave crashed into us, knocking me off balance. I stumbled, flailing like an idiot, and Ren caught me by the waist, steadying me with ease.

"Careful, Princess," she murmured, her breath warm against my ear.

My heart did a stupid little flip, and I immediately hated myself for it.

I shoved her away, trying to regain my composure. "Don't touch me!"

"As you wish," she said, stepping back with an infuriatingly smug look on her face.

I was about to unleash a tirade when a loud scream interrupted us.

We turned to see Levan running from the water, arms flailing as a jellyfish clung to his leg.

"Get it off! Get it off!" he yelled, hopping around like a madman.

Ren sighed and started towards him, but I grabbed her arm. "No," I said, a wicked smile spreading across my face. "Let him suffer for a bit."

Ren raised an eyebrow at me but didn't argue.

Meanwhile, Lucindra was doubled over with laughter, clearly enjoying the spectacle. Levan eventually managed to dislodge the jellyfish, but not without losing what little dignity he had left.

"Perhaps the beach wasn't the best idea," Ren said dryly.

I shot her a glare. "Don't act like you're above this. You're part of the chaos, whether you like it or not."

Her lips twitched, and for a moment, I thought she might actually smile.

"Fine," she said, her tone amused. "What's the next disastrous activity on the agenda?"

I looked around at the mess we'd created—Levan sulking on the sand, Lucindra still flirting shamelessly, and Ren standing there like the unbothered centre of a hurricane—and smirked.

"Let's see who can build the most ridiculous sand sculpture," I declared.

If we were going to descend into chaos, we might as well do it in style.