Copyright

First published in the United States of America by HarperCollins Publishers in 2020

Published simultaneously in Great Britain by HarperCollins Children’s Books in 2020

Published in this ebook edition in 2020

HarperCollins Children’s Books is a division of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd,

HarperCollins Publishers

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London SE1 9GF

The HarperCollins website address is:

www.harpercollins.co.uk

Text copyright © Kiera Cass 2020

Map by Virginia Allyn

Typography by Sarah Hoy and Erin Fitzsimmons

All rights reserved.

Kiera Cass asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of the work.

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this ebook onscreen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.

Source ISBN: 9780008158828

Ebook Edition © May 2020 ISBN: 9780008158835

Version: 2020-03-14

Dedication

For my punk brother, Gerad.

Who would carry me across the Serengeti.

Allegedly.

Map

From the

CHRONICLES OF COROAN HISTORY, BOOK I

And so, Coroans, preserve the law,

For if we undo one, we undo them all.

Contents

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Map

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

Ten

Eleven

Twelve

Thirteen

Fourteen

Fifteen

Sixteen

Seventeen

Eighteen

Nineteen

Twenty

Twenty-One

Twenty-Two

Twenty-Three

Twenty-Four

Twenty-Five

Twenty-Six

Twenty-Seven

Twenty-Eight

Twenty-Nine

Thirty

Thirty-One

Thirty-Two

Thirty-Three

Thirty-Four

Thirty-Five

Thirty-Six

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Books by Kiera Cass

About the Publisher

One

IT WAS THE TIME OF year when the sunrise still had frost on it. But winter was fading, and the flowers were starting to bloom, and the promise of a new season filled me with anticipation.

“I’ve been dreaming of spring,” I sighed, staring out the window at the birds sailing boldly across a backdrop of blue sky. Delia Grace tied the last of the laces of my gown into place and moved me over to the vanity.

“Me, too,” she replied. “Tournaments. Bonfires. Crowning Day is on the horizon.”

Her tone implied I should be more excited than the average girl, but I still had my reservations. “I suppose.”

I could feel her exasperation in the movement of her hands. “Hollis, you will undoubtedly be His Majesty’s partner and escort for the festivities! I don’t know how you can be so calm.”

“Thank the stars we have the king’s attention this year,” I said, keeping my tone light as she braided back the front pieces of my hair, “or it would be as dull as a tomb here.”

“You say that as if your courtship were a game,” she commented, sounding surprised.

“It is a game,” I insisted. “He’ll move along soon enough, so we need to enjoy this while we can.”

I watched Delia Grace chewing her lips in the mirror, not looking up from her task.

“Is something wrong?” I asked.

She quickly perked up, lifting her lips into a smile. “Not a thing. Just perplexed by your cavalier attitude toward the king. I think there’s more to his attentions than you’re seeing.”

I looked down, thrumming my fingers across the table of the vanity. I liked Jameson. I’d be mad not to. He was handsome and wealthy and, for goodness’ sake, the king. He was also a fair dancer and most entertaining to be around, as long as he was in good spirits. But I was no fool. I’d watched him flit from girl to girl over the last several months. There had been at least seven, including me—and that was just counting the ones everyone at court knew about. I’d enjoy this for as long as I could and then accept whatever lump of a person my parents chose for me. At least I’d have these days to look back upon when I was a bored old lady.

“He’s still young,” I finally replied. “I don’t see him settling down with anyone until he gets through a few more years on the throne. Besides, I’m sure he’s expected to marry for political advantage. I can’t offer much there.”

There was a knock at the door, and Delia Grace went to answer it, disappointment on her face. I could tell she really thought I stood a chance, and I instantly felt guilty for being so difficult. In our decade of friendship, we’d always supported one another, but it was different these days.

As we were ladies at court, our families had maids. But the highest-ranking noblewomen and royalty? They had ladies-in-waiting. More than servants, your ladies were your confidantes, your attendants, your escorts . . . they were everything. Delia Grace was stepping into a role that didn’t exist for me yet, convinced that, at any moment, it would.

It meant more than I knew how to say, more than I knew how to handle. What is a friend but someone who thinks you’re capable of more than you do?

She returned with a letter in her hand and a glint in her eye. “There’s a royal seal on this,” she teased, flipping the paper over in her hand. “But, since we don’t care how the king feels about you, I suppose there’s no urgency to open it.”

“Let me see.” I stood and held a hand out, but she quickly retracted the letter, a smirk on her face. “Delia Grace, you wicked girl, give it to me!” She took a step back, and in a split second I was in pursuit, chasing her around my apartments, squealing with laughter. I managed to corner her twice, but she was always faster than I was, and wriggled out of the spaces before I could get ahold of her. I was nearly breathless from running and laughing when I finally caught her around the waist. She held the letter out as far as she could. I might have managed to wrestle it back from her, but as I was stretching upward, my mother burst in through the doors that attached my rooms to hers.

“Hollis Brite, have you lost your senses?!” she scolded.

Delia Grace and I pulled apart, placing our hands behind our backs and curtsying quickly.

“I could hear you girls shouting like animals through the walls. How can we hope to have a suitor matched with you if you insist on behaving like this?”

“Sorry, Mother,” I murmured contritely.

I dared to peek up at her. She was standing there with the same exasperated expression plastered to her face she usually wore when speaking with me.

“The Copeland girl got engaged only last week, and the Devauxes are in talks now as well. Yet you’re still acting like a child.”

I swallowed, but Delia Grace had never been one to stay silent. “Don’t you think it’s a little premature to pair Hollis with someone else? She has as good a chance as anyone at winning the king’s heart.”

My mother did her best to suppress her condescending smile. “We all know that the king’s eye is prone to wander. And Hollis isn’t quite queen material, wouldn’t you agree?” she asked with a sharply raised eyebrow, daring us to think otherwise. “Besides,” she added, “are you really in a position to talk about anyone’s potential?”

Delia Grace swallowed hard, her expression stone-like. I’d seen her don that mask a million times.

“And there you have it,” Mother concluded. Having made her disappointment with us clear, she turned on her heel and left.

I sighed, turning to Delia Grace. “Sorry about her.”

“It’s nothing I haven’t heard before,” she admitted, finally handing over the letter. “And I’m sorry, too. I didn’t mean to get you into trouble.”

I took it from her and cracked the seal. “No matter. If it wasn’t this, it’d be something else.” She made a face that said I was right, and I went to reading the note. “Oh dear,” I said, patting at my loose hair. “I might need your help pulling this back again.”

“Why?”

I smiled over at her, waving the letter like a flag in the breeze. “Because His Majesty requires our presence on the river today.”

“How many people do you think will be there?” I asked.

“Who knows? He does enjoy having a crowd around him.”

I pursed my lips. “True. I’d like to have him to myself just once.”

“Says the girl who insists this is all just a game.”

I looked over at her, sharing a smile. That Delia Grace, she always seemed to know more than I ever wanted to admit to.

We rounded the hallway and saw that the doors were already open, welcoming the new spring sun. My heartbeat picked up when I saw the red robe trimmed in ermine draped across the back of a slim but sturdy figure at the end of the walkway. Though he wasn’t facing me, his mere presence was enough to fill the air with a warm tickling feeling.

I fell into a deep curtsy. “Your Majesty.”

And I watched as a pair of glossy black shoes turned to face me.

Two

“MY LADY HOLLIS,” THE KING said, holding out his ring-bedecked hand. I took it and rose, looking into a beautiful set of honey-brown eyes. Something about the deep and purposeful attention he bestowed upon me whenever we were together made me feel a little like I did when Delia Grace and I were dancing and I’d spun around too quickly: slightly warm and dizzy.

“Your Majesty. I was so pleased to receive your invitation. I love the Colvard River.”

“So you’ve mentioned. I remember, you see,” he said, wrapping his hand around mine. He then dropped his voice. “I also remember you mentioning that your parents have been a little . . . overbearing recently. But I had to invite them for the sake of propriety.”

I peered behind him and saw a larger party than I’d been expecting for our excursion. My parents were present, as were some of the lords on the privy council, and plenty of the ladies who I knew were waiting impatiently for Jameson to finish with me so they could have their turn. In fact, I spotted Nora looking down her nose at me with Anna Sophia and Cecily right behind her, smug in their certainty that my time was soon to end.

“Don’t worry. Your parents won’t be on our barge,” he assured me. I smiled, thankful for a small reprieve, but unfortunately my luck didn’t extend to the winding ride in the coach down to the river.

Keresken Castle was set atop the Plateau of Borady, a marvelous and unmistakable sight. To get down to the river, our carriages had to weave slowly through the streets of the capital city of Tobbar . . . and that took some time.

I saw the gleam in my father’s eye as he realized this carriage ride was his chance to have an extended audience with the king. “So, Your Majesty, how go things along the border?” he began. “I hear our men were forced into a retreat last month.”

I had to avoid rolling my eyes. Why would my father think that reminding the king of our recent failures was the way to strike up a conversation? Jameson, though, took the question in stride.

“It’s true. We only have soldiers along the border to keep the peace, but what are they expected to do when attacked? Reports are that King Quinten insists Isolten land goes all the way to the Tiberan Plains.”

My father scoffed, though I could see he wasn’t truly as calm as he appeared. He always twisted the silver ring on his pointer finger when he was nervous, and he was doing just so now. “That has been Coroan land for generations.”

“Precisely. But I have no fear. We are safe from attacks here, and Coroans make for excellent soldiers.”

I stared out the windows, bored by the talk of inconsequential squabbles along the border. Jameson was usually the best company, but my parents killed any joy in the coach.

I couldn’t help sighing in relief when we pulled up to the dock and I could exit the stifling carriage. “You weren’t joking about your parents,” Jameson said when we were finally alone.

“The last two people I’d invite to a party, that’s for sure.”

“And yet they made the most charming girl in the world,” he said, kissing my hand.

I blushed and looked away, my eyes finding Delia Grace as she climbed out of her carriage, followed by Nora, Cecily, and Anna Sophia. If I thought my ride had been unbearable, her clenched fists as she walked over to me told me hers had been much worse.

“What happened?” I whispered.

“Nothing that hasn’t happened a thousand times before.” She rolled her shoulders back, pulling herself up taller.

“At least we’ll be together on the boat,” I assured her. “Come. Won’t it be fun to watch their faces as you climb onto the king’s ship?”

We walked down to the landing, and I felt a thrill of heat run up my arm when King Jameson took my hand to help me onto our boat. As promised, Delia Grace joined us, along with two of the king’s advisers, while my parents and the remaining guests were escorted to various other boats at His Majesty’s disposal. The royal standard was sitting proudly atop its pole, the bold Coroan red flicking back and forth so quickly in the breeze off the river that it looked like fire. I happily took my seat to Jameson’s right, his fingers still laced through mine as he helped me settle in.

There was food to enjoy, and furs to cover us if the winds were too chilly. It seemed anything I could desire was right there before me, which was something I was still surprised by: the lack of want when I sat beside a king.

As we made our way down the river, people standing on the banks stopped and bowed when they saw the standard, or called out blessings for the king. He was so poised as he nodded his head in acknowledgment, sitting as upright as a tree.

I knew not every sovereign was handsome, but Jameson was. He took great pains with his appearance, keeping his dark hair short and his bronze skin soft. He was fashionable without being frivolous, but he liked to show off the best of his possessions. Taking the boats out this early in the spring could prove that point quickly enough.

And I liked that about him, if only because I got to sit here beside him, feeling unmistakably regal.

Along the side of the river, near where a new bridge had been built, a weatherworn statue stood, casting her shadow down the slope toward the blue-green waters. As tradition dictated, the gentlemen on the boats rose to stand while the ladies dropped our heads in respect. There were books filled with the tales of Queen Albrade riding along the countryside and fending off the Isoltens while her husband, King Shane, was off in Mooreland for matters of state. Upon his return, the king had seven statues of his wife placed across Coroa, and every August, all the ladies at court did dances holding wooden swords to remember her victory.

Indeed, the queens throughout Coroan history were often remembered more vividly than the kings, and Queen Albrade wasn’t even the most revered. There was Queen Honovi, who walked the far line of the country, setting the boundaries and blessing with a kiss the trees and rocks she used as markers. To this day, people would look for the stones in particular—as they were placed by the queen herself—and kiss them, too, for luck. Queen Lahja was famous for taking care of Coroan children at the height of the Isolten Plague, so named because when people contracted it and died, their skin turned as blue as the Isolten flag. She walked bravely into the city herself to find the little ones who survived and placed them with new families.

Even Queen Ramira, Jameson’s mother, was known across the country for her kindness. She was, perhaps, the opposite of her husband, King Marcellus. Where he tended to strike first without question, she was known to seek peace. I’d heard at least three potential wars were stopped by her gentle reasoning. The young men of Coroa owed a debt of gratitude to her. As did their mothers.

The legacies of Coroan queens left a mark on the entire continent, which was probably part of Jameson’s draw. Not only was he handsome and rich, not only would he make you a queen . . . he would make you a legend.

“I love being on the water,” Jameson commented, drawing me back to the beauty of the moment. “Probably one of my favorite things as a boy was sailing to Sabino with my father.”

“I remember your father was an excellent sailor,” Delia Grace remarked, inserting herself in the conversation.

Jameson nodded enthusiastically. “One of his many talents. I sometimes think I inherited more of my mother’s traits than his, but sailing stayed with me. His love of traveling, too. What of you, Lady Hollis? Do you like to travel?”

I shrugged. “I’ve never really had the chance. I’ve lived the entirety of my life between Keresken Castle and Varinger Hall. But I’ve always wanted to go to Eradore,” I breathed. “I do love the sea, and I’ve been told the beaches there are a thing of beauty.”

“They are.” He smiled and looked away. “I’ve heard it’s the fashion now for couples to take a trip together when they get married.” He met my eyes once more. “You should make sure your husband takes you to Eradore. You’d look radiant on the white beaches.”

He looked away again, popping berries into his mouth as if it was nothing to speak of husbands and trips and being alone. I looked at Delia Grace, who stared back at me with astonished eyes. I knew once we were in private, we would pull apart every piece of that moment to figure out just what it meant.

Was he trying to say he thought I should marry? Or was he hinting that I should marry . . . him?

These were the questions on my mind as I sat up, looking across the water. Nora was there with her sour expression, watching with the other wretched girls from court. As I peeked around, I noted several pairs of eyes settled, not upon the beauty of the day, but on me. The only set that seemed angry, though, was Nora’s.

I picked up a berry and hurled it over at her, hitting her square in the chest. Cecily and Anna Sophia laughed, and Nora’s jaw dropped in shock. But she quickly picked up some fruit of her own and threw it back at me, her expression shifting to something resembling happiness. Giggling, I picked up more, and began a war of sorts.

“Hollis, what in the world are you doing?” Mother called from her boat, just loud enough to be heard above the slaps of paddles on the water.

I looked at her and replied in all seriousness, “Defending my honor, of course.” I caught Jameson’s chuckle as I turned back to Nora.

There was a stream of laughter and berries going in both directions. It was the best fun I’d had in a while until I leaned a little too far over for a rather determined throw and ended up toppling into the water.

I heard the gasps and cries of those around me, but I managed to get in a good breath and came up without choking.

“Hollis!” Jameson exclaimed, reaching an arm out for me. I grabbed on and he pulled me safely back into the boat in a matter of seconds. “Sweet Hollis, are you all right? Are you hurt?”

“No,” I sputtered out, already shivering from the chill of the water, “but I seem to have lost my shoes.”

Jameson looked down at my stockinged feet and burst out laughing. “We shall have to fix that, won’t we?”

There was laughter all around now that I was fine, and Jameson took off his coat to wrap it around me, keeping me warm.

“Back to shore, then,” he ordered, still smiling. He held me close, looking deep into my eyes. I sensed that in this moment—shoes gone, hair a mess, soaking wet—he found me irresistible. And yet, with my parents just behind him, with a dozen demanding lords hovering nearby, he was forced to settle for placing a warm kiss on my cool forehead.

It was enough to send new waves through my stomach, and I wondered if every moment with him would feel like this. I’d been dying for him to kiss me, hoping every time we got a brief second to ourselves he’d pull me close. So far, though, it hadn’t happened. I knew he’d kissed Hannah and Myra, but if he’d kissed any of the others, they weren’t telling. I wondered if his not kissing me yet was a good sign or a bad one.

“Can you stand?” Delia Grace asked, bringing me back to the moment as she helped me onto the dock.

“The dress is much heavier when drenched,” I admitted.

“Oh, Hollis. I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to make you fall!” Nora exclaimed once she climbed off her own boat.

“Nonsense! It was my fault, and I learned a very valuable lesson. I shall only enjoy the river from my window from now on,” I replied with a wink.

She laughed, almost looking as if she did so in spite of her better judgment. “Are you sure you’re all right?”

“Yes. I may have a runny nose tomorrow, but I’m right as rain, and twice as wet. No hard feelings. I promise.”

She smiled and it felt genuine.

“Here, let me help you,” she offered.

“I’ve got her,” Delia Grace snapped.

Nora’s smile instantly faded, and she went from looking quite pleased to unimaginably irritated. “Yes, I’m sure you do. Seeing as you never had a chance of getting Jameson’s attention on your own, holding on to Hollis’s skirts is the best a girl like you could do.” She raised an eyebrow and turned. “I’d keep my grip tight if I were you.”

I opened my mouth to tell Nora that Delia Grace’s situation had never been her fault. But I found a hand on my chest, stopping me.

“Jameson will hear,” Delia Grace said through gritted teeth. “Let’s just go.” The heartbreak in her voice was unmistakable, but she was right. Men battled on open fields; women battled behind fans. I held on to her with a firm grip as we made our way back to the castle. After so much abuse in one afternoon, I wondered if she might retreat into solitude the next day. She’d done that often when we were young and her heart couldn’t bear to hear another word.

But the following morning, she was in my room, wordlessly pulling my hair into another intricate design. It was in the middle of this that a knock came at the door, and she opened it to an army of maids bringing in bouquet after bouquet of the first blooms of spring.

“What exactly is this all about?” Delia Grace asked, directing them to set the flowers on any open surface they could find.

A maid curtsied before me and handed me a folded note. I smiled to myself as I went to read it aloud. “‘In the event you have caught cold and were unable to venture out into nature today, I thought that nature ought to come to its queen.’”

Delia Grace’s eyes widened. “Its queen?”

I nodded, my heart racing.

“Find my golden dress, please. I think the king deserves a thank-you.”

Three

I WALKED DOWN THE HALLWAY with my head high, Delia Grace just behind my right shoulder. I met the eyes of older attendees at court, smiling and nodding at them in acknowledgment. Most paid me no mind, which wasn’t surprising. I knew they felt there wasn’t much point in them getting attached to the king’s latest fling.

It wasn’t until we approached the main hallway to the Great Room that I heard something that set me on edge.

“That’s the one I was telling you about,” a woman whispered loudly to her friend, in a tone that made it impossible to mistake the words for praise.

I froze, looking at Delia Grace. The squint of her eyes told me she’d heard it, too, and didn’t know what to make of it. There was a chance they were talking about her. About her parents, about her father. But gossip surrounding Delia Grace was old news, and the teasing surrounding it was usually reserved for young ladies looking for someone to take a dig at; everyone else looked for new stories, exciting ones.

The kind that might surround King Jameson’s latest love interest.

“Take a breath,” Delia Grace commanded. “The king will want to see you’re well.”

I touched the flower I’d tucked behind my ear, making sure it was still in place. I straightened my gown and kept moving. She was right, of course. It was the same strategy that she’d used for years now.

But by the time we walked into the Great Room, the stares were unmistakably disapproving. I tried to keep my expression unreadable, but underneath it all, I was a trembling mess.

Against the wall, a man was standing, arms crossed, shaking his head.

“It would shame the whole country,” someone muttered as they passed me.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Nora. Going against every instinct I’d had up until yesterday, I walked over to her, Delia Grace trailing like a shadow.

“Good morning, Lady Nora. I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but some of those at court today are . . .” I couldn’t find a word for it.

“Yes,” she answered quietly. “It seems someone on our outing yesterday shared the story of our little battle. No one appears to be upset with me, but of course, I am not the king’s favorite.”

I swallowed. “But His Majesty has been moving from lady to lady this last year as if it were nothing. He can’t be planning to keep my company much longer, so what’s the problem?”

She made a face. “He took you out of the palace. He let you sit under the flag. As casual as you might think yesterday was, it was unique to all of his interactions with women to date.”

Oh.

“It’s the lords, isn’t it?” Delia Grace asked Nora. “The ones on the council?”

In their first civil interaction in all the years I’d known them both, Nora gave a quick and sympathetic nod.

“What does that mean?” I asked. “Why would the king even care what anyone thought?”

Delia Grace, who’d always been a quicker study at government and protocol, only half rolled her eyes at me. “The lords run their counties for the king. He is dependent upon them.”

“If the king wants peace in the outreaches of the land and expects taxes to be collected properly, he needs the lords on the council to handle it,” Nora added. “If the lords are unhappy with the way things are done, well, let’s just say they can become lazy at their jobs.”

Ah. So the king could lose both income and security if he made the foolish mistake of aligning himself with someone the lords didn’t like. Someone like a girl who fell into a river while flinging fruit at another girl, all while still in sight of the statue honoring one of the greatest queens the country had ever known.

For a split second, I was completely overcome by humiliation. I’d read far too much into Jameson’s words, into his attentions. I’d really thought that becoming queen might be a possibility.

But then I remembered: I’d always known I wouldn’t be queen.

Yes, it would be fun to be the wealthiest lady in all of Coroa, to have statues erected in my honor . . . but that wasn’t realistic, and surely Jameson was only moments away from being swept off his feet by another pretty smile. The best I could do was enjoy Jameson’s elaborate flirtations while they lasted.

Taking Nora’s hand, I faced her. “Thank you. Both for the bit of fun yesterday and your honesty today. I owe you.”

She smiled. “Crowning Day is in a few weeks. If you and the king are still attached, I assume you’ll choreograph a dance for him. If you do, let me be a part of it.”

Plenty of girls performed new dances for Crowning Day, hoping to gain favor by honoring the king. I supposed, if Jameson was still entertaining the idea of me then, I would be expected to have one ready. From what I remembered, Nora was pretty graceful. “I’ll want all the help I can get. You absolutely have a place.”

I motioned for Delia Grace to follow me once more. “Come. I need to thank the king.”

“Are you mad?” she whispered, aghast. “You’re not really going to let her dance with us, are you?”

I looked back at her, incredulous. “She just showed me great kindness. And she was more than polite to you. It’s just a dance, and she’s very light on her feet. It will make us all look better.”

“Her actions today can hardly make up for past wrongs,” Delia Grace insisted.

“We’re growing up,” I told her. “Things change.”

Her face said she wasn’t at all pacified by that answer, but she stayed silent as we made our way through the sea of people.

King Jameson was on the raised stone dais at the head of the Great Room. It was wide, built with room for a large royal family to occupy it, but it currently held only a single throne with two small seats on either side for whoever his most important guests were at the moment.

The Great Room was used for everything: receiving guests, balls, and even dinner each night. Along the eastern wall, the steps up to the gallery for the musicians were lined with tall windows that let in ample amounts of sunlight. But it was the western wall that drew my gaze each time I entered the room. Six stained-glass windows spanned the length, stretching from the height of my waist all the way to the ceiling. The windows depicted scenes from Coroan history in glorious illustration, cascading color and light throughout the room.

There was one window depicting Estus being crowned, and another of women dancing in a field. One of the original panes had been destroyed in a war, and it was replaced seamlessly with a scene of King Telau bending his knee to Queen Thenelope. It might have been my favorite of the six. I wasn’t entirely sure of her role in our history, but she was deserving enough to be immortalized in the room where all the important day-to-day living of the palace was done, and that alone was impressive.

While large tables were brought in and out for dinners, and people would come and go with seasons, the windows and the dais were always the same. I moved my eyes from the depictions of kings past to the one upon the throne now. I watched as he engaged in a deep discussion with one of his lords, but when the gold of my dress caught his eye, he turned for a second. Then, realizing it was me, he summarily dismissed the lord. I curtsied and approached the throne, welcomed by a set of warm and gracious hands.

“My Lady Hollis.” He shook his head. “You are the rising sun. Gorgeous.”

At those words all my resolve was undone. How could I be sure I meant nothing when he looked at me like that? I hadn’t watched him closely with the others; I didn’t think it was important at the time. But it felt completely unique, the way he moved his thumb back and forth on my hand, as if a single patch of skin wasn’t enough for him.

“Your Majesty is too generous,” I finally answered, ducking my head. “Not just with your words, but with your gifts. I wanted to thank you for the entire garden you sent to my room,” I said pointedly, to which he chuckled. “And I wanted you to know I was well.”

“Excellent. Then you must sit with me at dinner tonight.”

My stomach flipped. “Majesty?”

“As well as your parents, of course. I could use a change of company.”

I curtsied again. “As you wish.” I could see there were others waiting for his attention, so I quickly backed away, positively giddy. I reached out for Delia Grace’s hand, clutching her for support.

“You’re going to be set beside the king, Hollis,” she murmured.

“Yes.” The thought left me as breathless as if I’d run across the garden.

“And your parents as well. He hasn’t done that before.”

I gripped her hand even tighter. “I know. Shall . . . shall we go tell them?” I looked into Delia Grace’s all-seeing eyes, the ones that could read my simultaneous excitement and fear, the ones that saw I didn’t understand what was happening.

Those very eyes brightened as she smirked. “I think a lady of your importance should simply have a letter sent.”

We laughed as we left the room, not caring if anyone looked or made comments. I still wasn’t completely convinced of Jameson’s intentions, and I knew that the people at court weren’t thrilled by my presence, but none of that mattered right now. Tonight, I would dine beside a king. And that was something to celebrate.

Delia Grace and I sat in my room, completing the reading time she insisted we have daily. She had a variety of interests: history, mythology, and the great philosophers of the day. I preferred novels. Usually, I’d be transported to places dreamed up in the pages of a book, but today, my ears were on edge. I was listening, glancing over at the door every few minutes, waiting for them to storm in.

At the one moment I finally stumbled upon an interesting section, the doors flew open.

“Is this a joke?” my father asked, his tone not angered but shockingly hopeful.

I shook my head. “No, sir. The king extended the invitation just this morning. You seemed so busy, I thought a letter would be more appropriate.”

I shot a conspiratorial look at Delia Grace, who pretended to still be immersed in her book.

My mother swallowed, her body never fully settling in one spot as she spoke. “We are all to sit with the king tonight?”

I nodded. “Indeed, madam. You, Father, and myself. I’ll need Delia Grace with me, so I thought her mother might join us as well.”

At that, Mother’s excited fidgeting stopped. My father closed his eyes, and I recognized the action from many a time when he wanted to think over his words before he spoke them.

“Certainly you would prefer to be solely in the company of your family for such a momentous occasion.”

I smiled. “There is room for all of us and more at the king’s table. I hardly think it will matter.”

My mother looked down her nose at me. “Delia Grace, would you please leave us to speak with our daughter?”

We shared a tired look, and Delia Grace closed her book, setting it on the table before she left.

“Mother, honestly!”

She moved quickly, coming to tower over me where I sat. “This is not a game, Hollis. That girl is tainted, and she shouldn’t be in your company. At first it seemed sweet, like charity. But now . . . you have to sever ties.”

My mouth fell open. “I most certainly will not! She has been my closest friend at court.”

“She’s a bastard!” my mother hissed.

I swallowed. “That is a rumor. Her mother has sworn she was faithful. Lord Domnall only threw that accusation at Delia Grace’s mother—eight years after the fact, mind you—so he could arrange a divorce.”

“Either way, a divorce is enough of a reason to stay away from her!” Mother argued.

“It’s not her fault!”

“Too right you are, dear,” Father added, ignoring me. “If her mother’s blood isn’t bad enough, her father’s is. Divorced.” He shook his head. “And to have eloped at all, let alone so quickly after.”

I sighed. Coroa was a land of laws. Many of them centered around family and marriage. Being unfaithful to your spouse meant you were, at best, an outcast. At worst, there would be a trip to the tower. Divorce was something so rare, I’d never actually seen it happen with my own eyes. But Delia Grace had.

Her father claimed that his wife, the former Lady Clara Domnall, had an affair that resulted in the birth of their only child, Delia Grace. On those grounds, he demanded and was granted a divorce. But within three months he’d run off with another lady, handing off the titles Delia Grace was set to inherit to this woman and any offspring they might produce. Of course, what were titles with such a reputation? Eloping meant an awareness of widespread disapproval and was seen as a last resort, with some couples choosing to separate rather than take such desperate action.

Still a lady in her own right, Lady Clara reclaimed her maiden name, and brought her daughter to court so that she might be able to grow up with the influence of the gentry. What she got instead was endless torment.

I’d always found the whole story questionable. If Lord Domnall had suspected his wife had been unfaithful and that Delia Grace wasn’t his, why did he wait eight years to bring it up? There had never been any proof to back up the claims, but he was granted his divorce all the same. Delia Grace said he must have fallen hard for the woman he eloped with. I tried to tell her it was nonsense, but she shook her head at me.

“No. He must have loved her more than my mother and me combined. Why would you leave for something you cared for less?” The look in her eyes was so resolute that I couldn’t argue with her, and I never brought up the topic again.

I didn’t need to. Half the palace did on our behalf. And if they weren’t judging her to her face, they were at least thinking it. My parents were proof enough of that.

“You are being too hasty,” I insisted. “It was very generous of the king to invite us to dinner, but it doesn’t mean anything more will come of it. And even if it does, after all this time, doesn’t Delia Grace—who has always been a model of perfection at court—deserve to stay at my side?”

My father huffed. “People have already passed judgment about your escapades on the river. Do you want to give them more ammunition?”

I thrust my hands into my lap, thinking it was pointless to argue with my parents. When had I ever won? The closest I ever came was when Delia Grace was beside me.

That was it!

I sighed, looking up at my parents, their faces still determined.

“I understand your concerns, but perhaps our wishes aren’t the only ones to be considered here,” I offered.

“I owe nothing to that scandal of a girl,” Mother spat.

“No. I mean the king.”

At that they silenced themselves. Finally, my father ventured to speak.

“Explain.”

“I only mean that His Majesty has become quite enamored of me, and part of what makes my days so easy is Delia Grace’s companionship. Furthermore, Jameson is much more compassionate than his father and might understand taking her under my wing. With your permission, I’d like to pose the question to him.”

I’d chosen my words carefully, measured my tone. There was no way they could call me sulky or whiny, and there was no way they could pretend to have a higher authority than a king.

“Very well,” Father said. “Why not ask him tonight? But she is not invited to sit with us. Not this time.”

I nodded. “I’ll write her now so she understands. Do excuse me.” I kept my serene air about me as I fetched some parchment from my desk, and they left, looking puzzled.

When the door closed, I giggled to myself.

Delia Grace,

I’m very sorry, but my parents have made a stand about the dinner tonight. Don’t fret! I have a plan to keep you by my side always. Come and find me later tonight, and I will explain everything. Have courage, dear friend!

Hollis

There were still judgmental glances being cast at me as I made my way to dinner, and I realized I didn’t much care for it. How had Delia Grace survived this kind of scrutiny? And from such a young age?

As it was, my parents didn’t care about the glares, but instead walked in as if they were showing off a purebred mare they’d just inherited, and that only garnered more attention.

Mother turned around to look at me, assessing even as we approached the head table. I’d kept my golden gown on, and she’d let me borrow one of her headpieces, so I had a string of jewels across my golden hair.

“It’s not really showing up,” she said, looking at the headpiece. “I don’t know how your hair came out so blond, but it just ruins the look of jewels across your head.”

“Nothing I can do to help it,” I replied. As if I didn’t know already. My hair was a shade or two lighter than that of most of the crowd, and more than one person had noted it across my lifetime.

“I blame your father.”

“I wouldn’t,” he snapped.

I swallowed, seeing the tension of the moment was truly getting to them. It was a well-observed rule of the family that all bickering was reserved for the privacy of our apartments. Suddenly remembering this, they bit back their bitterness as we approached the head table.

“Your Majesty,” Father greeted him, a false wide smile on his face. But Jameson hardly noticed they were there. His eyes rested solely on me.

I curtsied low, unable to look away. “Your Majesty.”

“Lady Hollis. Lord and Lady Brite. You look in good spirits. Please, come and sit.” He held his hand out, gesturing for us to come behind the table. My breath sped up as I settled beside the king, ready to weep with joy when he kissed my hand. Turning around, I saw the Great Room as I’d never seen it before.

Elevated on the dais, it was easy to see everyone’s faces, to watch as rank dictated who took which seat. Surprisingly, where all the attention as I walked in left me uneasy, taking in those same stares when I was beside Jameson gave me a thrill. From his side, I could see the same thought lingering in every gaze: I wish it were me.

After a few quiet moments of staring into my eyes, Jameson took a deep breath and turned to my father.

“Lord Brite, I hear your estates are some of the prettiest in all of Coroa.”

My father’s chest lifted. “I would say so. We have a magnificent garden and good, comfortable lands. There is even a tree with a wooden swing that I used as a child. Hollis climbed up the ropes once herself,” he said, then made a face like he wished he hadn’t. “But it’s hard to make time to travel back when Keresken is so beautiful. Especially for the holidays. Crowning Day in the country just doesn’t compare.”

“I imagine not. All the same, I’d like to see it sometime.”

“Your Majesty is always welcome.” My mother reached over and touched Father’s arm. A visit from a royal meant lots of preparation and money spent, but it was quite a win for any family to earn a visit to their estates.

Jameson turned back to me. “So you climbed up the ropes of your swing, did you?”

I smiled, thinking back to the moment fondly. “I saw a nest and very much wished to be a bird myself. Wouldn’t it be lovely to fly? So I decided I would go live there, with the mother bird, and see if she took me into her family.”

“And?”

“I was scolded for ripping my dress instead.”

The king roared with laughter, drawing the attention of most of the room. I could feel the heat of a thousand eyes on me, but all I could think about were his. Delicate crinkles lined the corners of his eyes as they lit with joy; it was beautiful.

I could make Jameson laugh, and very few people possessed such a talent. It amazed me that such a silly little story entertained him so.

I’d actually climbed up the ropes of the swing many times, never getting too far, partly because I feared the height and partly because I feared my parents’ reproach. But I remembered that day in particular, the mother bird with her little ones, flying off to get food for them. She seemed so worried for her babies, so ready to meet their needs. I had to ask myself later how desperate I must have been to want a bird for a mother.

“Do you know what I want, Hollis? I want to hire someone to walk behind us and ink down every single word you say. Every compliment, every story. You are endlessly entertaining, and I don’t want to forget a second of it. I’m already looking forward to what tales I’ll hear at dinner tomorrow.”

My smile came back to me. Tomorrow. It seemed Jameson intended to keep me at his side for a while. “Then you must tell me all of your stories, too. I want to know everything,” I said, resting my chin on my palm, waiting.

Jameson’s lips lifted into a devilish smirk. “Don’t worry, Hollis. You will know everything soon enough.”

Four

“WHY DIDN’T YOU COME TO dinner? You could have attended still,” I said, wrapping my arms around Delia Grace. The palace halls were empty, and that made our voices echo even more than they usually did.

“I thought it would be easier to just not be there rather than go with my mother and explain why I wasn’t sitting beside you for the first time in ten years.”

I made a face. “My parents . . . sometimes I think they’re too stuck-up to even be seen with me.”

She giggled a little. “Have they ordered that I stay away, then?”

I crossed my arms. “If they did, it wouldn’t matter. Seeing as Jameson said you should be with me always.”

Her face lit up. “Really?”

I nodded. “After you left, my parents made their case for setting you aside—as if I could ever find a better friend! But I calmly reminded them that you help get me through my days now, and if that pleases the king, then it ought to be good enough for them. So, of course, my mother brought the issue up at dinner, citing your reputation, as if you had anything to do with it.”

Delia Grace rolled her eyes. “Of course she did.”

“But listen, listen! Jameson asked, ‘Is she truly such a good friend?’ And I said, ‘Second only to you, Your Majesty.’ And then I batted my lashes at him.”

“That man loves to be flattered.” She crossed her arms, waiting for more.

“I know. So he asked, ‘Do you really consider me your friend, dear Hollis?’ And—I still can’t believe I dared to do this in front of so many people—I lifted his hand in mine and kissed it.”

“No!” she whispered excitedly.

“Yes! And I said, ‘There is no one in this world who shows me such respect and care as you . . . but Delia Grace is close.’ He stared at me for a second, and, oh, Delia Grace, I think he would have kissed me had we been alone. Then he said, ‘If it makes Lady Hollis happy, then Delia Grace must stay on.’ And that was the end of it.”

“Oh, Hollis!” She threw her arms around me.

“So there. I’d like to see my parents try to wriggle their way around that.”

“I’m sure they’ll try.” She shook her head. “It sounds like he’s willing to give you anything you want.”

I looked down. “I wish I could just be sure of what he wanted.” I sighed. “But even if I was, I don’t know how to win people over, and I’d have to do just that to make the lords happy with his choice.”

Her eyebrows knit together in thought. “Go get some sleep. I’ll be in your room in the morning. We will figure this out.”

She’d have a plan. When had Delia Grace ever not had a plan? I hugged her and kissed her cheek. “Good night.”

The next morning, I awoke feeling anything but refreshed. My mind had been racing through the night, and all I wanted to do was talk through each of my thoughts and pull at the threads until I found the answers tied up at the end of one.

I still couldn’t believe that Jameson might truly want to make me his queen. But the more I considered whether it was a real possibility, the more exciting the thought became. If I could just do something to make the people comfortable with me as a choice, I, too, could be adored. People could kiss the places I’d visited, like Queen Honovi, or have festivals for me, like Queen Albrade. Save for Queen Thenelope, who’d been royal in her own right, every other queen had been a Coroan girl, like me. They’d all come from good families, all been embraced, all left a mark on history. . . . Maybe that could be me, too.

Delia Grace walked in carrying a handful of books while I was still hugging my knees to my chest in bed.

“Do you think becoming queen means you get to sleep in all the time now?” she joked. I could hear the hint of a bite to her words but decided not to address it.

“I didn’t sleep well.”

“Well, I hope you’re ready to work regardless. We have a lot to cover.” She went to the vanity and nodded at it, her way of instructing me to come and sit.

“Like what?” I walked over, letting her pull my hair off my face.

“When it comes to dancing and entertaining, I believe you can top any lady at court. But your understanding of international relations is weak, and if you want to convince the lords of the council that you are a serious choice, you need to be able to speak to them about politics of the court.”

I gulped. “Agreed. So, what do we do? I feel like if I have to sit through a lesson with a stuffy old tutor, I might just die.”

Delia Grace placed her pins quickly, pulling the top section of my hair into a simple bun while leaving the rest of it down. “I can help you. I have some books, and anything I don’t have, the king would certainly provide.”

I nodded. If Jameson really intended to take me as a bride, he’d want me as educated as possible.

“And languages,” Delia Grace added. “You need to learn at least one more.”

“I’m rotten with languages! How am I . . .” I sighed. “You’re probably right. If we ever visit Catal, I don’t want to be completely lost.”

“How solid is your geography?” she asked.

“Solid enough. Let me get dressed.” I hopped up to go to my armoire.

“Might I suggest Coroan red?”

I wiggled a finger at her. “Good thinking.”

I tried to consider other small, strategic things we could do to curry favor, but, as Delia Grace had so astutely pointed out, I was much more gifted at entertaining than planning. As she cinched up the last string of my kirtle, a knock came at the door.

She tied off the knot and went to answer it as I looked at myself in the mirror, making sure everything was straight before my company came in.

Lord Seema was standing there, his expression looking as if he’d recently been eating a lemon.

I sank into a curtsy, hoping my shock didn’t show on my face. “My lord. To what do I owe this honor?”

He wrung his fingers back and forth over the paper in his hands. “My Lady Hollis. It has not escaped my notice that you have gained the king’s special attention in recent weeks.”

“I’m not sure about that,” I hedged. “His Majesty has been very kind to me, but that’s all I can really say.”

He glanced around the room, looking like he wished he had another gentleman to share the moment with. Finding no one worthy, he sighed and went on. “I can’t tell if you are playing ignorant or if you truly can’t tell. Either way, you do have his attention, and I was hoping you might do me a favor.”

My eyes darted to Delia Grace, who raised her eyebrows as if to say, “Go on!” I clasped my hands in front of me, hoping to look modest and attentive. If I needed to learn about the politics of court, I supposed this was as firsthand a lesson as I was going to get.

“I can’t make any promises, sir, but please, tell me why you’ve come.”

Lord Seema unfolded his papers and handed them over to me. “As you know, Upchurch County is at the farthest edge of Coroa. To get there or to Royston or Bern, you have to take some of the oldest roads in the country, the ones made as our ancestors slowly worked their way toward the forests and fields at the end of our territory.”

“Yes,” I said, and, for what it was worth, I did remember that little bit of Coroan history.

“As such, these roads are in the greatest need of repair. I have fine carriages, and even they struggle. You can imagine the strain this puts on the poorest of my community who might need to travel to the capital for any reason.”

“I can.” He made a good point. Back home at Varinger Hall, we, too, owned and kept lands, and we had many families who lived on them and paid rent to us in money and goods. I’d seen their old horses and weathered carts. It would have been a challenge to come even from our closer county to the castle with those things. I couldn’t picture trying to do it from the farthest reaches of the country. “What is your aim here, sir?”

“I’d like a royal survey of all the roads in Coroa. I’ve tried to mention this to His Majesty twice this year, and he’s brushed it off. I was wondering if you could . . . encourage him to make it a priority.”

I took a deep breath. How in the world would I go about that?

I looked down at the papers I had no hope of understanding before handing them back to Lord Seema. “If I can get the king to focus on this, I would ask a favor of my own in return.”

“I assumed nothing less,” he replied, crossing his arms.

“If this project moves forward,” I began slowly, “I expect you to speak kindly of me to anyone you pass who mentions my name. And if you discuss this interaction with the other lords, would you please tell them I received you graciously?”

He smiled. “My lady, you make it sound as if I would have to lie. You have my word.”

“Then I will do all I can to help you with this worthy project.”

Satisfied, he gave me a deep bow and left the room. As the door shut, Delia Grace burst into a fit of laughter. “Hollis, do you realize what this means?”

“That I need to learn how to make the king care about old roads?” I offered.

“No! A lord of the privy council just came asking for your help. Do you see how much power you have already?”

I paused for a moment, letting that thought sink in.

“Hollis,” she said with a grin, “we are on our way up!”

This time, when I walked into the Great Room for dinner and Jameson waved me to approach the head table, Delia Grace came with me. My parents were already to the king’s left, chatting up a storm, so I went up thinking I had some time to figure out how to casually work road repair into the conversation.

“How in the world am I going to do this?” I asked Delia Grace quietly.

“No one said it had to happen today. Think on it more.”

I didn’t know how to explain why this felt bigger than earning Lord Seema’s allegiance. I wanted Jameson to see me as someone serious. I wanted him to know I could be his partner, that I had a mind capable of handling important decisions. If he could . . . then a proposal surely wouldn’t be far off.

As Delia Grace and I listened to my parents go on and on about how Mother’s favorite tiara had gone missing last Crowning Day, and she was hoping the culprit would show up with it this year so she could finally get it back, I thought back on how easy our conversation had been the night before. How would I have said something then? A crumb of an idea hit me, and I waited until my mother finally let the king have a break from her incessant talking.

“I had a thought,” I began sweetly. “Remember that old swing back at Varinger Hall?”

Jameson smirked. “What of it?”

“I think I would like to go back to it, and have the strongest hands in all Coroa push me on it. Maybe then I would finally feel like I got to be a bird,” I teased.

“That sounds positively charming.”

“There are many places in Coroa I’d like to see with you,” I continued.

He nodded seriously. “As you should! More and more, I’m thinking you need to be well versed in all of Coroa’s history.”

I added that little tick mark to the list of things the king had said that made me think he wanted me as queen.

“I hear the mountains in the north are so beautiful, they’ll bring you to tears.”

Jameson agreed. “The way the mist settles on them . . . it’s as if they’re from another world entirely.”

I smiled dreamily. “I would very much like to see that. Maybe it would be a good time to go on a tour of the country, let your people see you. Show off your great possessions.”

He reached over, wrapping a strand of my hair around his finger. “I do have some beautiful things, though there is one gem in all of Coroa I am aching to call my own.”

Tick.

I lowered my voice to a whisper. “I would go anywhere with you, Your Majesty. Although . . .” I peeked around him at Father. “Father, didn’t you have trouble on the road the last time you went up to Bern?”

After swallowing his oversized spoonful of food, he answered. “Broke a wheel. Those roads are rough out there.”

“Are they?” Jameson asked.

Father nodded gravely, as if everything he spoke of with the king was of utmost importance. “Unfortunately, yes, Majesty. Not enough people out there to keep them up. I’m sure there are plenty more in the same state of disrepair.”

“Well, that won’t do,” I said. “I wouldn’t want Your Majesty injured. Perhaps another time.”

Jameson wiggled his finger at me. “Who was it . . . Ah! Lord Seema!” he called. Out of the crowd, Lord Seema lifted his head and rushed forward to bow before the king.

I sat up straighter as Jameson began.

“Was it you who was saying something about the roads in Upchurch?”

Lord Seema flicked his eyes between Jameson and me. “Yes, Your Majesty. They’re in considerable disrepair.”

Jameson shook his head. “I am thinking of taking the Brites on progress, but I cannot do so if this pearl of a lady might be stranded on the road.”

“No, Your Majesty. With your permission, I could assemble a committee and survey the roads. Afterward, I could organize a proper budget, if you like. I’m very passionate about all the citizens of Coroa being able to travel easily, wherever they like, and would happily oversee it myself.”

“Granted,” Jameson replied quickly. “I’ll expect reports.”

Lord Seema stood there, stunned. “Yes. Yes, of course,” he stuttered as he backed away, mouth still hanging slightly open.

“What fun!” I sang. “I shall finally see all of our great country.”

Jameson kissed my hand. “All of Coroa. All of the continent, if you wish.”

Tick.

I settled back into my seat, looking over at Delia Grace.

She lifted her cup as her smile tightened. “Impressive.”

“Thank you.” I looked out at the mass of people, finding Lord Seema. He tilted his head toward me, and I did the same in reply. Maybe I could do this after all.

Five

WITHIN DAYS, MY WORLD CHANGED. Jameson was still sending flowers and trinkets to my room anytime he seemed to see something he thought I’d like, but now nobles left gifts for me as well. With all the new jewelry at my disposal, I truly was as Jameson said: as radiant as the sun. I had two chambermaids assigned to me, and when I walked through the palace, people would smile at me in passing, if sometimes a little tightly. I didn’t know if I had Lord Seema to thank for this or if my new attempts to be as regal and lovely as possible when I was with Jameson were finally being seen, but I certainly didn’t mind the attention. I had thought nothing could be as much fun as winning over the heart of a king, but I was wrong. It was much more thrilling to win over the hearts of countless people at once.

This thought filled my head as I walked with Delia Grace to the Great Room, graciously acknowledging courtiers and wishing them a good morning. Jameson seemed to have a special sense for when I was entering a room, and he would turn the full force of his attention on me when I came near. I was now greeted with a kiss on the cheek in the full view of the court anytime I joined him. And while I noted some disapproving glances when it happened, I took that as more of a challenge than a disappointment.

“You got my letter?” he asked.

“You mean the page of absolute poetry that ended with a request that I meet you this morning? Why, yes, I did.”

He chuckled. “You bring words out of me that I didn’t know existed,” he confessed, not looking the slightest bit shy about making such a statement with so many people in earshot. “Tell me, is everything well? Your new maids? Do you like your new clothes?”

I stepped back so he could see the full glory of one of my recent gifts. “They are the most beautiful I’ve ever had. And, yes, my maids are quite helpful, thank you. As always, you are too generous.”

At that he wiggled his eyebrows. “Those tokens will look like pebbles when—”

He broke off at the sound of hurried footsteps, and I turned, following his gaze. An older gentleman, one of Jameson’s many advisers, rushed in and bowed his head.

“Your Majesty, forgive me. There is a family here from Isolte seeking sanctuary. They come to present their case.”

It was customary among all the kingdoms of the continent to ask a king’s permission before settling in his land. If a family was found without a royal grant, well, on a good day they’d be removed. I’d seen what had happened on bad days, when Jameson’s father, Marcellus, sat on the throne.

His Majesty sighed, seeming put out to be drawn away from our conversation. “Very well, show them in.” As if the idea had struck him just then, his gaze came back to me. “Lady Hollis, perhaps you’d like to sit for the proceedings?” He waved his hand to the seat beside him. The gentleman in it, Lord Mendel, looked quickly between the two of us.

“Your Majesty, I—”

Beside him, Lord Seema gave a discreet nudge to his arm. Lord Mendel sighed but stood, bowing to both the king and me. I gave Lord Seema a grateful nod as I took my place.

I shot a look at Delia Grace, who was quietly smug on my behalf; she’d always known, hadn’t she? I heard disgruntled murmurs swarming around us—yes, I still had hearts to win over—but I focused my attention on Jameson. This was an opportunity to prove exactly what I was capable of. I could be demure and intelligent if the moment required it.

I sat up as straight as I could, keeping my chin down and my breathing slow. I wanted everyone to see me as poised, capable. Maybe then Jameson would be ready to make me his queen.

An older gentleman and his wife entered the room, her hand gracefully perched upon his. Behind them followed their four children, three boys and a girl.

The children all had pale skin and hair in varying shades of yellow, while their parents were starting to gray. The youngest boy was on edge, clutching his sister’s hand tightly, while she was canvassing the room in a much different way, her eyes suggesting she was looking for something.

The father knelt, bringing his knee to the floor, before rising and presenting himself to the king. Even if we hadn’t been told they were from Isolte, it would have been obvious. The land was dreadfully windy in the summer, and the winter went on far longer than it did here. I wouldn’t have been surprised to hear they were still seeing light snow, even now. As such, Isoltens spent more time indoors, and the sun-kissed cheeks seen everywhere in Coroa were missing on them.

“Good morning, sir,” Jameson said, inviting the man to speak.

“Your Majesty, I pray you will forgive our poor state, but we came straight here,” the father began humbly.

I would not have called their appearance poor. Velvet draped across every member of the family, with plenty to spare . . . which forced me to press my lips together so I didn’t giggle. Honestly, who in the world designed those sleeves? I could make an extra gown from the yardage draping off their arms. And the hats! For my life, I never understood the fashion from Isolte.

In truth, I never even understood people from Isolte. The word that came to mind most of the time was unoriginal. Yes, I’d heard of their great findings in astronomy and herbology, and that the medicines discovered by their doctors were yielding great benefits for their people. But the music they made was bland at best, the dances they performed were copied from ours, and most other efforts at art were modified forms of something seen elsewhere. Their fashion seemed to be their best attempt at something no one else laid claim to. And why would they?

“We come asking for your mercy, to allow us to settle in your land, offering us sanctuary from our king,” the father continued, his tone carrying an edge of nerves.

“And where is it that you come from, sir?” Jameson asked, even though he knew the answer.

“Isolte, Your Majesty.”

“What is your name, sir?”

“Lord Dashiell Eastoffe, Your Majesty.”

Jameson paused. “I know that name,” he murmured, brow creased in thought. Once his memory came back to him, he eyed the visitors with something that looked like a mix of suspicion and pity. “Yes, I can see why you would want to leave Isolte indeed. Oh, Hollis,” he said, turning to me with a playful glint in his eye, “do you ever thank the gods that you have me for a king and not that grouch, King Quinten?”

“I thank the gods that we have you above any other king, Your Majesty.” I batted my lashes flirtatiously, but I truly had thanked the heavens for him. He was younger and stronger than any king on the continent, much kinder than his father, and far less temperamental than the other leaders I’d heard about.

He chuckled. “If I were in your position, I, too, might have fled, sir. Many families have chosen to immigrate to Coroa recently.” There was one such family living in the castle, but I never saw them. “It makes me wonder just what dear old King Quinten is up to these days to strike such fear into his subjects.”

“We also have a gift for Your Majesty,” Lord Eastoffe offered instead of answering the question. He nodded to his oldest son, and the young man moved forward, bowing before the king and holding up a long velvet parcel.

Jameson walked down the dais steps to the young man and flipped the fabric back. Beneath it was a golden sword with an array of jewels resting in the hilt. As Jameson lifted it, the new spring sun bounced off the blade, temporarily blinding me.

After inspecting the sword, Jameson pulled out a lock of the young man’s long hair and sliced through it with his gift. Chuckling as it cut away with ease, he held the sword up again. “This is impressive, sir. I’ve never seen its equal.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Lord Eastoffe said gratefully. “Alas, I cannot take credit for it. I was raised a gentleman, but my son has settled upon this craft, choosing to be capable of supporting himself, with or without land.”

Jameson looked down at the boy whose hair he’d just so graciously trimmed. “You made this?”

The boy nodded, his eyes downcast.

“As I said, impressive.”

“Your Majesty,” Lord Eastoffe began, “we are simple people, without ambition, who have been forced to abandon our estates due to serious threats on our lands and our lives. We ask only to settle here peacefully, and vow to never stir a foot against any natural Coroan, and join in their faithful service of you.”

Jameson turned away from them, his eyes going from thoughtful to focused as they settled on my face. He grinned, suddenly looking exceptionally pleased with himself. “Lady Hollis, these people have come seeking refuge. What would you say to their plea?”

Smiling, I looked down at the family. My gaze passed cursorily over the youngest children and their mother, and settled on the eldest son. He was still on his knees, hands clutching the velvet wrap. His eyes locked with mine.

For a moment, the world stilled. I found myself completely lost in his gaze, unable to look away. His eyes were a shocking blue—a color rare enough in Coroa and completely unique to anything I’d seen before. It wasn’t the shade of the sky or of water. I didn’t have a word for it. And the blue pulled me in, refusing to let me go.

“Hollis?” Jameson prodded.

“Yes?” I couldn’t look away.

“What would you say?”

“Oh!” My eyelids fluttered as I came back to the present. “Well, they have come in all humility, and they have shown they will contribute to our society through their artisanship. Most important, they have chosen the finest kingdom to settle in, offering their devotion to the goodliest king alive. If it were for me to decide?” I looked at Jameson. “I would let them stay.”

King Jameson smiled. It seemed I’d passed the test. “Well, there you have it,” he said to the Isoltens. “You may stay.”

The Eastoffe family looked at one another, embracing joyfully. The young man bowed his head to me, and I did the same in return.

“A family of your . . . caliber must stay at the castle,” Jameson instructed, his words sounding more like a warning than an invitation, though I didn’t understand why. “At least, for now.”

“Of course, Your Majesty. And we will be most happy with wherever you choose to keep us,” Lord Eastoffe replied.

“Take them to the South Wing,” Jameson ordered a guard, giving a flick of his head. The Isoltens bent their heads in acknowledgment before turning and filing out.

“Hollis,” Jameson whispered beside me, “that was beautifully done. But you must become accustomed to thinking quickly. If I ask you to speak, you need to be ready.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” I replied, fighting a blush.

He turned to speak with one of his advisers, while I focused my eyes on the back of the hall, watching the Eastoffe family. I still didn’t know the eldest son’s name, but he looked over his shoulder at me, smiling again.

A quick flutter of whatever had made him hold my gaze before rushed through me, and it felt like a tiny pull in my chest was telling me to follow those eyes. But I dismissed it. If there was anything I knew as a Coroan, it was that Isolten blue was not to be trusted.

Six

“NOW THAT THAT’S DONE, I have something to show you,” Jameson whispered in my ear. I turned to look at his devilishly excited eyes, remembering that I’d come in this morning at his invitation. I was thankful to have something—anything—to pull me away from the strange sensation humming through my chest.

I took his hand gratefully, but as soon as he wove his fingers through mine, he looked troubled. “You’re trembling. Are you unwell?”

“I don’t know how you handle all those eyes looking at you all the time,” I replied, trying to explain it away. “You have to make so many decisions, and so quickly.”

His eyes were alight with wisdom as he led me to the edge of the dais. “I was fortunate enough to have an excellent teacher in my father. My bride, whoever she may be, will have to do her best to learn the trade of ruling from me.”

“That’s no small task, Your Majesty.”

He smirked. “No. But it does come with some rewards.”

I waited for him to say more, but he simply stared straight ahead. “Majesty?”

He kept smiling with his chin up, ignoring me.

We walked down the steps, and I drew in a breath as he led me to one of the doors at the front of the Great Room. I shared a look with him as the guards let us through; I’d never been here before. The king’s rooms—his private chambers, rooms used for prayer, and the spaces he gave to those working on the privy council—were separated from everyone else by the Great Room. It allowed him to make a rather impressive entrance, and it was easier to keep him secure.

“Majesty, where are we going?”

“Nowhere,” he sang coyly.

“It is decidedly not nowhere,” I insisted, the excitement bubbling up in my stomach.

“Fine. It’s someplace I’ve been thinking about taking you since the night we truly met.”

I rolled my eyes. “You mean the moment I made the world’s biggest fool of myself?”

He laughed. “The moment you became the most charming girl in all of Coroa.”

“I have to tell you, it’s made me so happy to know I’ve brought any measure of joy to your life,” I admitted. “Not every lady can say she’s made a king himself laugh.”

“In my case, not a single girl at court can say it. You’re the only one, Hollis. Everyone else? They want something. But you give and give.” He raised my hand to kiss it. “So it delights me to give to you in return.”

We walked past two more sets of guards before we reached the room Jameson wanted to show me. Once we were there, one of the guards had to take out a special key and hand us a lantern.

“There are some lanterns in the room already,” Jameson assured me, “but there are no windows, so any bit of light helps.”

“Am I being escorted to a dungeon?” I joked, feigning fear.

He laughed. “Not today. Come. I think this may end up being your favorite room in the castle someday.”

Tick.

I hesitantly followed him through the doors, taking a moment to let my eyes adjust and then forgetting completely how to breathe.

“Some of these are mine,” he began. “I’m sure you recognize the seal I wore on my coronation day. These rings here, I’ve worn many times. And this . . .”

“The Crown of Estus,” I breathed, completely awestruck. “It’s even more beautiful up close.”

I stared at the piece for a long time, feeling tears gather at the corners of my eyes. Just over seven generations ago, Coroa was under constant civil wars for leadership. Rulers were made and undone in a handful of years, and it left us at war with ourselves and defenseless against other countries that might take our land. Finally, the Barclay tribe—the very same Barclays who Jameson was descended from—conquered what was left of their enemies, and, though the fighting was brutal, the people were grateful to have one clear leader. The people collected scraps of gold and jewelry, melted them down, and forged them into a crown. A holy man blessed it, and everyone came to watch King Estus Barclay be crowned, the people giving over their rights to his leadership.

The Crown of Estus was only taken out once a year, on Crowning Day, and only those fortunate enough to be born into a noble family would ever catch a glimpse.

“Your Majesty, thank you. Your trust in me must be very great to let me so close to something so special, and I am humbled by it.” I could hardly express the awe I was feeling, but I knew how privileged I was in that moment. I turned to face him, tears still blurring my vision.

He took my hand, kissing it again. “I do trust you, Hollis. It’s like I said: you constantly give. Your time and affection, your laughter and care. You have already given me a thousand gifts in them. Which is why I must tell you that seeing the Crown of Estus is not your gift . . . this is.”

He gestured to the wall to my left, which was covered in shelves of yet more jewels. Ropes of sapphires and laces of diamonds were laid out before me. We didn’t need windows in this room—the little light we had was enough to make them sparkle blindingly.

“These are the queen’s jewels. Every year, the kings of Coroa and Isolte meet to renew our peace. King Quinten will be coming for his annual visit at the end of the week, and I want you to look like royalty.”

Part of me wanted to faint. Part of me wished my parents were here to see this. But every last piece of me wanted to wear that necklace set with rose-tinted jewels and diamonds.

I walked closer to it, afraid to so much as even point at any of these gorgeous pieces. “Are you quite sure? I know how precious they are.”

“There’s no one I’d trust with them more. And, genuinely, since that night in the ballroom, I’ve been imagining you with something as pretty as these along your neck.” He gestured across the wall of jewels, as if offering them all to me.

Satisfied, I pressed my lips together and lifted my fingers to touch the smooth, cold stones, hovering somewhere between pink and red. “This one.”

“Perfect.”

The thrill of knowing I was going to wear something distinctly made with a queen in mind ran over me, and I turned around, throwing my arms around Jameson. “You are too good to me.”

“Are you happy?”

“Almost too happy,” I answered, holding on to him tightly and realizing something. “Your Majesty. We’ve never been all alone before.”

He smiled. “Well, you are a rather virtuous lady. I’m surprised I managed to get you to slip away with me now.”

“You’re very clever.”

And because we were so close, and alone, and swept up in our own world, when he bent down to kiss me, I leaned into it. To finally be kissed was a wondrous thing, and to be kissed by a king was even more thrilling. Jameson drew me close, holding my chin and pulling away when he deemed the kiss long enough.

Something in his eyes shifted, as if he’d settled upon a decision. His tone became very serious.

“You must brace yourself, Hollis. Many changes are coming for us.”

I swallowed. “For us both, Majesty?”

He nodded. “Over the next few weeks, I intend to make all of Coroa aware of just how much I adore you. That will mean many things. Some will beg for your favor; others will curse your name. But none of that matters, Hollis. I want you for my bride.”

It took all the strength I had to even whisper a reply. “And I would be honored . . . but I worry I’m not worthy.”

He shook his head, carefully tucking a loose curl behind my ear. “I think many who marry into royalty feel that way, but you needn’t worry. Just think of my great-grandmother Albrade. They say that she was as pale as an Isolten when she took her vows,” he joked, “but look at the legend she became.”

I tried to smile, but it was hard to imagine myself doing anything so brave as winning a war.

“I am no soldier,” I replied meekly.

“And I don’t want you to be. All I ask is for you to be everything you already are. That, my sweet Hollis, is what I love you for.”

Love you for, love you for, love you for . . .

The words echoed in my heart, and I wished I had a way to save them in a bottle. He was kind enough to give me another moment to steady myself before going on.

“I’ve grown up without any siblings. My parents both died far too soon. Above anything, you have given me the company in this life that I have longed for. That is all I ask for from you. Anything else anyone wants is superfluous. If you think you can be happy being my partner in this world, then all will be well.”

He spoke so sincerely, with such feeling, that my eyes welled once more. His affection was overwhelming, and as I looked into his eyes, only inches away from mine, I trusted that I could do any task that might be demanded of me so long as I was beside him.

It was such a strange sensation, so very new. In that instant, I knew this must be love. It was more than the weak knees, but the unflinching resolve he inspired in me . . . all of this was unique to Jameson.

I nodded. It was all I could do. But, for him, it was enough.

“I ask that you keep this a secret for now. The lords are still trying to convince me to marry the princess from Bannir for the sake of the border, but I cannot stomach the thought. I need some time to convince them that you and I can make Coroa secure on our own.”

I nodded again. “I shall do the same.”

He looked as if he might kiss me again, but then thought better of it. “I must take you back before anyone has room to question your honor. Come, sweet Hollis, into the madness we go.”

As the doors opened to the Great Room, I blushed as everyone’s focus turned to us. My heart fluttered mercilessly, and I wondered if they could see it.

They were looking upon their queen.

Seven

OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS, Delia Grace hounded me relentlessly. I sometimes hummed as if I hadn’t heard a single thing she was saying, or occupied myself with another task entirely, smiling the entire time. Today I was bent over some embroidery on a new dress, but, as focused as I tried to be, Delia Grace could only be ignored for so long.

“Why won’t you at least tell me what you saw?”

I giggled. “It’s nothing more than a collection of rooms. It just so happens that Jameson lives in these ones.”

“What in the world took you so long?”

I pulled carefully at my gold thread, trying to keep the design clean. “We were gone for all of five minutes.”

“Fifteen!”

I looked over my shoulder at her in shock. “Surely not.”

“I was out there, waiting with the rest of court. I assure you, we were all keeping time.”

I shook my head, smiling. “You’ll know about everything soon enough.”

“Did he marry you?”

I nearly pricked my finger. “Do you think so little of me? King or no king, getting married without a witness is as bad as eloping. Do you honestly think Jameson would tarnish my reputation in such a way?”

She at least had the decency to look apologetic. “No. Sorry, Hollis. But then why won’t you tell me the truth?”

“Can I not enjoy a little surprise every once in a while? Or a secret? Goodness knows they’re impossible to keep at court.”

She rolled her eyes. “Well, if that’s not true, then nothing is.” Sighing, she walked over, placing her hands on my shoulders. “If something important happens, you will tell me, yes?”

“Trust me, I wish I could tell you everything.” I pulled at my stitches again. The dress looked rather nice, and it was a welcome change to have something else to occupy my thoughts.

“Just tell me this: Are things going as I suspected they would?”

I pressed my lips together, looking up at her from under my lashes. Her responding smile was enough.

“Very well, then,” she said. “You’re going to need ladies.”

I set the dress down. “No. I don’t want to build a circle of false friends. Most of the girls at court have been staring daggers at me since the night of the ball; I don’t want them near me all the time.”

“You need people to attend you.”

“No,” I replied. “A queen needs people to attend her. I have no such title . . . at the present.”

“Hollis.”

“And if I attempt to amass a household, the lords will talk. It seems they’re still hesitant, and I don’t wish to do anything that might bring hardship upon Jameson.”

She sighed. “Fine, then. If you were going to ask one more person at court to see to your needs, who would it be? And, in the name of Estus, don’t you dare say that pig-nosed Anna Sophia.”

I sighed. “Can I think about it?”

“Yes, but not for long. This is no game, Hollis.”

I remembered when, not even a few weeks ago, I had thought of it all as just that. But Delia Grace was right; these were the paths of our lives being forged right before us. It was nothing to play with.

“Where do you think I’d find more thread?”

Delia Grace stood up. “The royal seamstress ought to have loads. I can go find her.”

“No, no,” I said. “Let me. I’m sure you have lots and lots of plotting to do for my life,” I added with a wink.

I left through the side door from my room in my family’s apartments, which let out into the middle of the castle, a bustling intersection of activity. I took a second to gaze around. Even though I had spent a significant amount of time at Keresken Castle, I still always found myself in awe of my surroundings.

The wide hallways were grand and ornately decorated; the stonework was even and beautiful; and throughout there were spectacular arches that formed canopies above every space wide enough for them. They often reminded me of upside-down bridges, their spindles coming down as if they wished to touch the tips of our expectant fingers. Magnificent spiral staircases looped through the three upper floors of the castle, and we’d been told the collections of sculptures and paintings housed here surpassed any of those that foreign ambassadors had seen anywhere else on the continent.

My family’s apartments were located on the inner edge of the East Wing, which was a respectable location. Those of great importance lived in the very small North Wing, which was closest to the Great Room, and therefore closest to the king. There were also empty apartments in the North Wing that were reserved for nobles and dignitaries. It was where King Quinten would stay when he came to visit.

Families with long Coroan bloodlines were next, living on the near sides of the East and West Wings, and then those with shorter lines but valuable ties and land on the outer edges. Then less important families, and if you got beyond a certain juncture in the hallways, well, it was clear most people didn’t care if you were present or not. High floors meant you could stay but weren’t necessarily expected to be seen, and the servants made their homes in the floors below the main level.

Beyond the back of the palace, along the high crest of the hill the castle claimed as its own, there were outbuildings, larders, and other spaces where the masses of people who kept the palace operating did the majority of their work. I hoped that was where I might find the seamstress.

“Oh!” I gasped as I rounded a corner a little too quickly.

The two young men I’d almost crashed into looked at me and then dropped into a deep bow. Their hair alone made them unmistakable; these were the boys from Isolte. They wore very loose shirts, the kind men in Coroa wore under their doublet, and they both carried leather bags with tools sticking out of them.

“Oh, please, there’s no need for that,” I insisted, urging them to stand.

The boy with the blinding blue eyes lifted his head. “Perhaps there is, Lady Brite.”

I smiled. “I see you’ve learned my name. But it is my mother who goes by Lady Brite. I am simply Hollis.”

He rose, eyes never breaking contact. “Hollis,” he said. We stood there for a moment, my name hanging between us, and, once again, I found myself having a difficult time looking away. “I’m Silas,” he finally added. “And this is my brother Sullivan.”

The brother merely tipped his head. Silas placed a hand on his shoulder. “Why don’t you go ahead and take those supplies to the outbuilding? I’ll follow along in just a moment.”

Wordlessly, Sullivan stumbled down into another bow before exiting quickly.

“Sorry about that,” Silas said, turning back to me. “Sullivan is very shy if he doesn’t know you. Actually, he’s shy even if he does.”

I giggled. “Well, you’ll have to apologize for me. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“Since when do you have to apologize for anything, my lady? They say you are to be queen.”

My eyes widened.

“Is it not true? I didn’t mean to presume. It’s just, everyone says so when you pass.”

I looked down. “These people . . . do they sound happy when they say it?”

He nodded. “Plenty of them. If they happen to be around about our age, let’s just say the tone is a bit more envious than awed.”

I sighed. “Understood. Well, there is no ring on my finger, so no one can really say one way or the other.”

“Then if this all comes about, I hope that you two will be very happy. Isolte has a queen, but it is universally acknowledged that she lacks a level of strength and generosity one should expect from a leader. Your people will be fortunate to have you.”

I looked at my feet, feeling a blush coming on, and noticed the tools in his hands again.

“Forgive me, but why is it you’re still working now that you’re here? You’ve left Isolte—which, by the way, may be one of the smartest things a person could do—so why not start over and be a gentleman like your father? It would certainly be cleaner.”

He laughed. “I’m proud of what I can do. I’m best with swords and armor, but if Sullivan doesn’t mind working with me, I can make jewelry, too.” He shrugged, still looking quite pleased with himself. “After presenting that sword to your king, I—”

“Ah, but he is your king now, too,” I commented.

The boy—Silas—nodded. “Forgive me. We’re all still adjusting, and I’m a bit suspicious of kings at the present.”

He took a pause before returning to our conversation. “Since presenting our sword to the king, we’ve received several requests for more, and I think my mother even managed to talk someone into commissioning a necklace.”

I put my hands on my hips, staring at him, impressed. “And here I didn’t take Isoltens to be artists.” He smiled and shrugged. “That’s a rather handy skill. How did you learn it if you were a courtier yourself?”

“Our manor was close enough to the castle that we could come and go with ease, so most of our time was spent at home.” A whimsical smile crept across his face. “My father’s greatest regret is not developing a practical skill in his youth, so when I expressed an interest in metalwork, he made it possible for me to learn. The first sword I made was for my cousin Etan?” He said it like I might have some idea who he was talking about. “He needed a good battle sword for a tournament. The handle shook too much for him to trust it, and a huge chip came out on his very first swing, but he used it for that whole tournament just the same.” He said all this with an expression that told me he was picturing the whole scene. “It’s been three years, and I’m proud of what I can do, but I’m always trying to improve. We all are. Even my sister does metalwork, though she does mostly finer things, the finishing touches on the jewelry Sullivan and I make.” He held up his hands. “Our fingers are too big.”

I studied his hands, noting they were dry and there was soot along the beds of his nails. He might have been raised a noble, but his hands were anything but gentlemanly. Something about that made them strikingly beautiful to me. I tucked mine behind my back, sighing in admiration when I answered. “That’s amazing.”

He shrugged. “Not so impressive in Isolte. The arts aren’t quite as important there.”

I raised my eyebrows, allowing that. “Is it as cold as everyone says?”

“If you’re speaking of the winds, yes, they can be brutal sometimes. And if you’re speaking of the general public . . .” He raised his eyebrows. “I find that being around some people in Isolte can make the temperature drop even further.” He chuckled at his own joke. “Don’t you know what it’s like? Haven’t you ever been yourself?”

The surprise in his voice was fair. If a Coroan was going to visit anywhere, Isolte was the easiest place to go . . . though perhaps not the most welcoming.

“No. My father is always working, and if he travels, he prefers to go alone or with Mother. I’ve asked to go to Eradore—I heard the beaches there are breathtaking—but it’s never happened.” I didn’t want to say that I’d stopped asking ages ago, when it became clear they wouldn’t have minded my company so much if I’d had the common sense to be born a boy, or at least have come after I had a brother. But that didn’t happen, and I didn’t know where the blame for that belonged, but they decided it was mine.

I had Delia Grace anyway; she was better than a long ride in a stuffy carriage, regardless of the destination. That’s what I told myself.

He hoisted the bag back up onto his shoulder. “Well, I’m sure His Majesty will take you anywhere your heart desires. It sounds as if he’d do anything for a lady he rescued from a freezing river.” He made a teasing face.

“That happened before you even got here! And it wasn’t frozen! And I was defending myself from an onslaught of berries. If anything, I didn’t do enough.”

“I’d have liked to have seen that,” he commented playfully. “The ladies back in Isolte don’t even bend to touch their hands to the water, much less risk slipping in.”

“Probably for the best. That river claimed a very dear pair of shoes.”

He laughed, kicking at the stone floor idly. “Well, I suppose I should find Sullivan. The staff was kind enough to find a space for us to work, and it’ll be nice to feel . . . useful.”

“I know what you mean. Which reminds me, have you seen a seamstress’s or dresser’s room back this way? I’m looking for thread.”

“Yes,” he answered enthusiastically. “Take the next stairway to the second floor. There isn’t a door on the room, so you should be able to see it.”

“Ah. Well, thank you very much, Silas.”

He nodded his head. “Anytime, Lady Hollis.”

He hurried on his way, and I walked back to the stairwell, thinking that it was much darker back here than I was used to. As I climbed the stairs, I thought upon the countless visits of kings and dignitaries, of emissaries and representatives that had happened since my family made Keresken Castle our primary residence. I’d seen people from all over the continent. And yet, speaking in the hallway with Silas Eastoffe marked the first time I’d ever spoken to a foreigner.

I was surprised to find he was not so different from me, not so difficult to see at home within these castle walls.

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