CHAPTER 1
Natalie’s heart lifted with every bounce of the carriage. Not that there were many of those—it was the most luxurious carriage she’d ever ridden in.
“I suppose this seems slow to you,” her companion said, glancing out the window at the spring sunshine bathing the passing fields, her face at odds with the cheery scene.
Natalie examined the face of the golden-haired princess across from her and concluded that she looked concerned. Curiosity instantly flooded her. They were heading to a royal court for a social visit which was sure to mean a succession of parties, balls, picnics, and every other delightful diversion. What possible cause did Princess Rose have for despondency?
“A carriage is considerably slower than riding the wind,” Natalie acknowledged, her eyes on the princess rather than the view. “But it’s also a lot less cold.”
A surprised chuckle escaped Rose. “I never thought about that aspect. Why is nothing ever as delightful as it looks from the outside?”
Natalie’s brows rose. “Really? So far this experience is proving far better than I hoped.”
She let her attention wander out the window, her mouth curving upward again. After three long years of waiting, she was finally on her way to Lanover and Prince Leo.
“Better?” Rose’s doubtful tone sent Natalie’s eyes snapping back to the other girl.
When Natalie had arrived in Arcadia, traveling in style on the wind with Queen Gwendolyn of the mountain kingdom, she had ostensibly come to visit Charlotte. And Natalie had been genuinely pleased to see her old friend—now officially crown princess of Arcadia thanks to her marriage to Rose’s older brother. But Natalie’s focus had been finding a means to continue on to Lanover.
Her parents had promised her a visit to Arcadia when she turned eighteen, but Natalie’s true goal had always been Lanover. The discovery that King Max and Queen Alyssa were about to send their daughter on a visit to the southern kingdom had been the best possible news. Natalie had hoped to join a traveling merchant caravan or similar for the journey, but traveling in a royal carriage in company with a princess was a far superior option.
She had been a little surprised at the Arcadian king and queen’s ready invitation for their new acquaintance to join their daughter, however, and now she was more curious than ever. Was something going on that Natalie didn’t yet understand? At the Arcadian court, Rose had seemed friendly, cheerful, and confident.
Natalie leaned forward.
“Is something wrong?” she asked. “You can tell me, if you like. I’m a very reliable secret-keeper.” She gave Rose what she hoped was a confidence-inspiring smile.
Rose smiled back. “Queen Gwendolyn spoke of you in glowing terms, so I’m sure you’re very reliable.”
Natalie wrinkled her nose. She didn’t want to beunreliable, of course, but of all the possible traits to be known by…
Rose must have understood the emotion behind Natalie’s expression because she laughed. “Queen Gwendolyn was telling me about the rebellion three years ago when your kingdom overthrew the usurper queen and restored Queen Gwendolyn to the throne. She said you played a crucial role. Is that true? You must have only been fourteen or fifteen back then. Did they really let you help?”
Natalie sighed. “Back then they did.” Her brows drew together. “Not with any enthusiasm, mind you. They just didn’t have a lot of options.” Resentment flooded her thoughts. “I was the one to seek out the rebels at court in the first place, and yet they still kept trying to cut me out of everything!”
“Surely they only wanted to protect you?” Rose protested.
Natalie shrugged. “Of course. They insisted on seeing me as a child. But I wasn’t the one constantly getting myself injured or captured or…” She shook herself, pushing aside the old injustices. “Never mind all that.”
If she kept talking, she would end up having to explain about her brother, and she had no desire for Baden to ruin her mood. He had done enough damage already.
Rose also sank back against her seat, her own brief animation fading. As her earlier despondence returned, she sighed.
“The last time something that exciting happened in Arcadia, I was only six years old, and no one told me anything until it was all over.”
Natalie gave her a sympathetic look. No one could understand Rose’s frustration better than Natalie. Ever since the end of the rebellion, her parents had relentlessly shut her out of all excitement, despite Natalie being sixteen, not six. They hadn’t cared that, after taking part in such dramatic events, ithad been torturous to find herself shut out of the court and everything that mattered.
But Rose already had what Natalie wanted—she was a royal, guaranteed to remain in the middle of everything that was happening across the kingdoms. And she was even on her first solo royal visit. If her issue was that she was longing for adventure, shouldn’t she be more excited?
Rose’s parents had even acquiesced with her request that they not send any older courtiers with her. Other than Natalie, only Rose’s maids followed in the second carriage. Even the troop of guards who rode beside them would turn back once they reached the border, handing responsibility for the carriage to the Lanoverian honor guard who would be waiting there.
Which,Natalie reflected,might be the reason the king and queen had been so pleased to discover a companion their daughter would accept.
But it didn’t give any insight into the princess’s attitude. She had been allowed to have her own way with the visit to Lanover, so what was left to distress her?
Rose looked at her, hesitated, and then spoke, the words bursting out of her. “When my brother turned eighteen, he went traveling alone and got into all sorts of trouble. We didn’t even know if he was alive! But I’ve always been a dutiful, obedient, perfect princess.”
“Is that a problem?” Natalie asked cautiously.
