“You didn’t have to read The Odyssey in school?” I shook my head. Juliana might have; Thomas had told me that she had gone to a private school in Columbia City called the Lofton Academy for Young Women, but that the king had pulled her out the year before and hired a tutor to finish out her education. Still, I felt confident Callum wouldn’t have any idea what she did or didn’t study there.
“Not that I’m an expert on what people have to read in school,” he continued.
“I guess that means you did,” I said, trying to draw the conversation back to him. I couldn’t imagine living my whole life locked up, not being able to have friends or go places without an escort or attend school. I felt ashamed for thinking my life on Earth had been boring and confined. There were far worse ways to grow up, as Callum, and even Thomas and Juliana, were teaching me.
“Well, I had a Greek tutor for nine years, so, yeah. I read it.”
“Your tutor was Greek, or he taught you Greek?” I smiled.
“He taught me Greek.” Callum laughed. A light brown curl fell over his eye. “He was Irish, actually, I think. Seamus Ryan.”
“That’s a very Irish name,” I teased.
“He was obsessed with The Odyssey, Ol’ Shay,” Callum said. “But I preferred The Iliad. More action, less time spent on boats.”
“What have you got against boats?”
“I just have this feeling I’d get seasick and end up with my head hanging over the side.” He patted his abdomen. “Delicate royal stomach, you know.”
“Have you ever even been on a boat?”
“Nope. This is my first time outside of Adastra, remember?” Callum said. “Not much ocean where I come from, sad to say.”
“You’ve never seen the ocean?” Even I’d seen the ocean, on a vacation to Florida with Granddad. I’d spent the entire time with my toes buried in the sand, the sun beating down on my pale legs, breathing in the salty air, and loving every minute of it.
“Don’t look at me like that,” he said, pressing his lips together so that they nearly disappeared.
“Like what?”
“Poor little rich boy,” he said with a small sigh.
“If you’re a poor little rich boy, then what does that make me?” I asked. He smiled almost in spite of himself. It was nice to have a conversation with someone without having to second-guess everything that came out of my mouth.
“I don’t know,” Callum said, playing along. “What does that make you?”
Analog, a small voice whispered inside my head. But of course I couldn’t say that to Callum, so I let the question slip by unanswered.
“Juli,” the king said suddenly. I closed The Odyssey and put my hand on his. “What’s wrong, Dad?”
“Touch and go!” the king shouted, startling both Callum and me. “Touch and go! Touch and go! One, one, two, three, five, eight …”
“Yes, yes, I know,” I said wearily. I picked up The Odyssey and set about locating the line I’d left off on before. The king always seemed calmer when I was reading to him.
“Why does he say that stuff?” Callum asked.
“Not sure,” I said. “They say it’s like his brain is stuck on repeat.”
“So they don’t mean anything, the things he says?” I shook my head. “Are you sure?”
I wasn’t, but if they did mean something, I couldn’t fathom what. “Who am I to argue with the doctors?”
“His daughter, for one. The princess, for another.” He shifted a little in my direction. “Did he call you ‘Juli’ just now?”
I nodded. “It’s what my friends and family call me.”
“Can I call you that?” His voice was low and deep. I was trying not to notice, but Callum had the good looks of someone who ought to be on television, with his tousled brown curls and bright blue eyes. No wonder his Earth-analog was an actor. Up close it was distracting how attractive Callum was.
“Are we friends?” I was flirting and I knew it, but it was hard to resist.
“I hope so.”
I smiled. “Then yes, you can call me Juli. Do your friends call you Cal?”
Callum laughed. “If you mean my family, then yes. But only Sonny.”
“Then that’s what I’ll call you,” I told him. He seemed pleased by this.
Callum appraised the king. “Do you even think he knows we’re here?”
“I just hope he knows he’s not alone.” I might not have been the king’s daughter, but his condition just about broke my heart.
“I’m sorry, Juli,” Callum said. He gazed at me with such tenderness that I had to avert my eyes, embarrassed by the intimacy of the look. “This must be so hard for you.”
He glanced around the room at all the blinking monitors and intravenous tubes. “Almost losing your father, and then seeing him like this, day in and day out. It’s so unfair.” He paused. “They told me it was Libertas that shot him. Is that true?” His eyes returned to me, but this time there was a slyness in his expression that took me off guard. He was fishing for information, something I hadn’t expected out of the sweet, unassuming prince. It was actually a relief, to see that he had hidden undercurrents; the chances of him getting along with the real Juliana were greatly increased by this development. Still, Thomas and Gloria had both warned me not to speak to Callum about Libertas.
“It’s okay if you don’t want to talk about it,” Callum said, when several moments had passed wherein I said nothing. “I just wanted to say I’m sorry. My father died when I was a kid, from a long illness, and I’ve never really gotten over it.”
“I can imagine,” I said quietly. I couldn’t help but think of my own parents, and how deeply I still felt their loss. Someday, Juliana’s father would also die, sooner rather than later. At least I hadn’t had to watch my parents suffer and fade away. Were Thomas and I the lucky ones, too young to remember the bad as well as the good?
“You think they’re always going to be there,” he continued, rubbing the edge of his jaw thoughtfully. His voice sounded lost and far away. “To protect you. To give you advice. And then they’re not and they never will be again.”
I dug my nails into my palm, determined not to cry. I tried to think of something else, anything else, to get my mind off my parents, but the images of their faces refused to fade.
The door to the room slid open, and I was grateful to see Thomas on the other side of it. Callum turned, and I quickly dabbed at the corners of my eyes with my fingertips.
“Is everything all right?” I asked Thomas.
“Everything’s fine,” he said. “The queen would like to see you in her study; she wants to go over the seating arrangements for the wedding and the ball.”
“You can tell her I’ll be there in a few minutes,” I said. He nodded and left the room, but not without first glancing warily over at Callum.
“The ball?” Callum shot me a questioning look. “I thought that was tonight?”
I shook my head. “That’s the concert. Your concert.” Callum rolled his eyes good-naturedly. It had been the queen’s idea to bring in the Columbia City Orchestra to perform on the Rambles, the enormous park that served as something of a backyard for the Castle. Earlier, Callum and I saw the bandshell being constructed from the king’s bedroom window. The orchestra was in honor of Callum’s arrival in the UCC; his love and appreciation of classical music had preceded him.
“The queen is throwing us a pre-wedding gala.” I’d been briefed on all this, but I was careless about wedding details and it had slipped my mind. “It’s in three days. I hope you brought your tux.”
Callum grinned. “Of course.”
“Great. Well, I’d better go. The queen hates it when I don’t come running.” I put aside The Odyssey. “Sorry to abandon you, although I’m sure you have better things to do than sit here all day listening to me stumble over the word Charybdis.”