They both froze.
A guard stood at the entrance to the pavilion, looking confused. "Is everything all right? I heard... voices?"
Corvus sprang out of her lap so fast he was a blur, diving back behind the rose bushes.
"Everything's fine!" Ilyana said, probably too quickly. She smoothed down her dress, trying to look composed and not at all like she had just been cuddling a leopard cub. "Perfectly fine. Just... enjoying the garden."
The guard looked around suspiciously. "I could have sworn I heard—"
"What did you need?" Ilyana interrupted.
"Ah. Her Majesty the Queen wishes to see you, Your Highness."
"Oh. Yes. Of course." She stood, brushing imaginary dust from her skirt. "I'll come right away."
The guard bowed and left.
Ilyana looked back at the bushes, but there was no sign of Corvus. She waited a moment, then whispered, "Corvus?"
Nothing.
She sighed. He was probably embarrassed about the whole thing. Or maybe worried he would get in trouble for disrupting her lessons.
Well. She would find him later.
~
By nighttime, the entire palace was in an uproar.
"The beast prince has disappeared!"
"Search the grounds!"
"Check the stables!"
"Has anyone looked in the kitchens?"
Ilyana listened to the commotion from her chambers, fighting the urge to roll her eyes. Corvus hadn't disappeared. He was just... hiding.
But where?
She thought back to what he had said about his room. Too hot. Too many walls. No windows.
He didn't like being indoors.
Maybe... the roof?
But the palace had dozens of roofs, towers, terraces, the great hall, the guest wings. Which one would he choose?
Then she remembered: I like being able to see the sky.
The highest point. Where the view would be best.
The east tower.
~
She found him exactly where she thought he would be.
Corvus sat on the edge of the east tower's roof, legs dangling over the side, staring up at the stars. The wind played with his hair, and for a moment he looked so peaceful that she almost didn't want to interrupt.
Then he turned and saw her.
His entire face lit up with the brightest smile she had ever seen.
Badump.
Her heart did something strange in her chest.
"Why's your heart racing?" he asked, tilting his head.
"Ahhh!" Heat flooded her face. "Shut up! It's just—it's chilly out here. I ran up the stairs. That's all."
"Hmm." His smile turned mischievous. "Okay. Whatever you say."
"Don't look at me like that!"
He laughed, patting the space beside him. "Come sit. The view is incredible."
She hesitated, sitting on the edge of a roof wasn't exactly proper princess behavior, but then again, climbing trees wasn't either. She settled beside him, careful to keep a safe distance from the edge.
"They've been looking for you everywhere," she said. "The guards are searching the entire palace."
"I know."
"You know?"
"I heard them." He shrugged. "I just... wanted to get away for a while."
"From what?"
"Everything." He gestured vaguely. "The palace is so big and so full of people and so... loud. Everyone staring. Everyone watching. Wondering if I'm going to do something beastly." His voice dropped. "Wondering if I'm dangerous."
"You're not dangerous."
"You don't know that."
"I do, actually." She bumped his shoulder with hers. "A truly dangerous beast wouldn't have let me tickle his belly."
His face went red. "You promised you wouldn't bring that up!"
"I made no such promise."
"Ilyana—"
"Prince Cute-vus."
"That's not even close to my name!"
She giggled, and after a moment, he laughed too.
They sat in comfortable silence, watching the stars. The night air was cool but not cold, and from up here, the city lights twinkled below like fallen stars.
"Do you miss home?" she asked softly.
"Yes." He pulled his knees up, wrapping his arms around them. "But... it's not as bad as I thought it would be."
"Because of the gardens?"
"Because of you."
Badump.
"Oh."
"You're easy to talk to," he said, not looking at her. "And you don't treat me like a monster. Or like I'm going to break. You just... treat me like me."
"Well, you are you," she said. "Why would I treat you like anything else?"
He turned to her then, and in the moonlight, his gold eyes seemed to glow. "Most people can't see past the beast part."
"Then most people are stupid."
He laughed, surprised. "Did you just call your own court stupid?"
"If the shoe fits."
"You're not what I expected a princess to be like."
"And you're not what I expected a beast to be like." She smiled. "So I guess we're even."
"Friends?" he asked, holding out his hand. His claws caught the moonlight.
She took it without hesitation. "Friends."
His hand was warm in hers, and for a moment, neither of them let go.
Then, from somewhere below, a guard shouted, "Check the towers!"
They looked at each other and grinned.
"Race you back to your room?" Corvus asked.
"You don't even know where my room is."
"I'll follow your heartbeat."
"That's cheating!"
But he was already shifting, and the black leopard cub took off across the roof.
"Corvus!" She scrambled to her feet, laughing. "Wait for me!"