“So, you’ve known each other your entire lives?”

“Well, he was my older brother’s best friend,” Perdita replied.

“Key word: was.” Caspian corrected smoothly. “That friendship hit a snag a while ago. Let’s just call it… a difference in priorities.”

“Was it because of her?” the woman, Petra, asked, her tone laced with curiosity.

“Not exactly,” Caspian answered, shifting to meet Perdita’s gaze. “It was more ...