A Royal Birthday (3 page)

A picnic awaited them, the blanket laid out on a small flat section of palace roof between two steep sections. On the blanket sat two glasses, a covered pitcher of fruit juice kept cool by the night air, and a basket filled with Nalia’s favorite desserts. Spice cakes, blackberry tarts, sugared lemon peels, stuffed apples—and quite a few of each of them, too, since he knew she wouldn’t eat enough at the feast. The sweet smell of some night-blooming flower wafted up from the gardens, and the stars shone overhead.

“Oh, Kiernan!” Nalia said in a rush. “This is—How did you—This is marvelous!”

Kiernan shrugged, affecting a casualness quite at odds with the triumphant glow in his chest. “You said you wished that we could celebrate your birthday on our own. If I could make that wish come true …” He swallowed, feeling a sudden spike of nerves. “And besides, I had to make up for that horrid statue. My parents’ idea, of course.”

She waved a hand at him, and the last of the tension in him melted away. “Don’t be silly. I knew you would never have picked that out.” She stepped forward onto the blanket, lifted a
spice cake from the basket, and ate half the small cake in three quick bites. “But how did you find this place?” she asked. “I had no idea this was even here.”

Kiernan lowered himself onto the blanket, letting his long legs stretch out in front of him. “I found it a few weeks ago,” he said. “I kept meaning to tell you, but I guess I knew I needed to save it for something special.” He looked around the small space, then shrugged. “All I can guess is that it’s here in case the roof needs attention, so that builders can reach it easily.”

Reaching under the corner of the blanket, he pulled out the book of Farvaseean tales. The moon shone brightly enough that she would be able to read the title even in the darkness. “And here’s the last of your birthday surprises.”

She had finished all but one bite of the spice cake, which she popped into her mouth at once. She gave a little sigh of satisfaction, licked her fingers, then rubbed them on the cloak to be sure, and accepted the book. He could see the flush of pleasure on her cheeks as she opened it to the title.

“Three pages fell out of my copy last week, I’ve read it so much,” she said. She looked up at him, then back at the basket and the glasses. “You always know what I want. Even before I do.”

He leaned forward and pinched her nose. “That’s what best friends are for. And it was what you said that made me think of making our own feast.”

Rubbing her nose with one hand, Nalia smiled at him. “I’m glad. I can’t think of anything I’d rather do on my birthday.” She glanced up at the sky. “Even if it isn’t
technically
my birthday anymore.”

“See how she spurns my gifts?” Kiernan said in mock indignation to an imaginary audience, making as if to get up.

“No, no!” Nalia cried, trying not to laugh. “I didn’t mean it. If you stay, you can have the extra blackberry tart.”

Kiernan looked at her sideways. “I’d rather have the extra spice cake.”

Her brown eyes narrowed as she grabbed the basket protectively. “I don’t know if I can agree to that.”

Kiernan let out a long puff of breath. “Well, it is your birthday, so I suppose I can overlook such greediness just this once.”

“Greediness?”
She lobbed a lemon peel at him, which he ducked. “Who ate so many orange cakes at dinner last week that he nearly waddled home?”

“Waddled?” He flexed his fingers at her. “Take it back, or I may remember that you’re still more ticklish than any three people ought to be.”

“Never,” she said defiantly. When he wiggled his fingers menacingly at her again, though, she added quickly, “But I might be persuaded to
split
the extra spice cake.”

“I could accept that,” he answered seriously.

Grinning, she pulled a few more of the treats out of the basket and arranged them between them. After a moment, she said softly, “I really am glad, Kiernan. There’s no one else I’d rather be with tonight.”

And there, on the roof of the palace, watching her in the moonlight, Kiernan suddenly thought that he might not be as resigned to remaining merely friends as he had thought he was. Especially since it would still be some time before Nalia would be expected to marry. After all, the future wasn’t set in stone. Who knew what might happen in the meantime?

Why, anything could happen, anything at all.