She bobbed a quick curtsy, cheeks pink with excitement and nerves. “Prince, my lady mage,” she panted.
I shot Nisien a sidelong glance, smile attached, which he answered with a grin of his own. You could tell a lot from the way people treated their servants. And I could already tell that Nisien would be one of the best.
“This,” he said with a bit of pomp, “—is Catrin. She’s been assigned to you as your personal attendant. She will continue your tour, as I must make certain that Emrys has set nothing afire.”
Given the state of the door when I’d first entered, I was no longer certain Nisien was joking.
“I will see you at dinner, Lady Isca.” Nisien covered the distance between us quickly then took my hand, his touch warm and steady, as he gently pressed a kiss to the back of it.
His lips lingered a heartbeat too long. Could he feel the calluses from years of scrubbing cauldrons? His friendly nature, his dazzling smile, his very presence—everything about this golden prince was overloading my good sense. He left me breathless and speechless in his wake.
“Lady Isca.” Catrin quickly took my other hand up. “Do you like the library? Come, we’ll show you to your apartment.”
Apartment? I wasn’t even familiar with the word.
I gave a simple nod. She was speaking so quickly, my input didn’t seem necessary. Catrin led me down a different stone corridor that appeared to lead to a different wing of the castle. She narrated on the way.
“The princes’ apartments are at the end. Yours is just…” She stopped before a set of wide, carved double doors. “Here. They had their mother’s apartment done over for you.” She sucked in a quick breath, worry jetting out of her. “Oh no, I wasn’t supposed to say that.” Her hands fidgeted at her sides, too nervous to reach for the door handle but too afraid not to move. “Guess it’s out there in the world now. Don’t tell the princes, will you?”
They were giving me thequeen’sroom?
Stay calm, Isca. For all you know, this is how royals normally act when sent a diplomat.
I mutely shook my head, a small smile playing on my lips. A chaotic, anxious energy rolled off Catrin. She was incredibly excited about…me? No one had ever been this excited about me. What had she been told about why I was here?
Catrin kept chattering. “Not that Prince Nisien would care that I said anything, really. He’s so agreeable. We’re lucky to have him.” She swung the doors open wide. “I was told to make it feel welcoming,” she said. “I hope you like it. There’s fresh food on the table. I can send for more if you’d like. A hot bath is next. Oh, and— Well, I suppose you’ll see.”
The room was something out of a dream. Tapestries in white and gold cloaked the walls. A fire crackled gently in the hearth. One side of the room was dominated by a single massive door inlaid with gold. A second, simpler pair of doors adjacent to it opened onto a balcony.
Thick furs covered the bed. Next to the hearth sat a small oaken table. Atop was a bowl overflowing with bright green apples, crusty bread, soft cheese, and a container of jam that smelled like summer berries. My stomach roared its approval. It remembered every missed meal that had come before.
“Thank you,” I said, my voice hushed. “This is…more than I expected.” I walked over to the massive ornate door on one side of the room, allowing my fingers to trail over some of the decorations. “What is this for?”
“Oh, that leads to the king’s chambers, my lady.” She paused, noticing the smallest hint of concern on my face. “No one’s occupied those rooms for years. No king, no need.” Catrin beamed, thrusting the bread toward me like a sacred offering. “Still warm,” she whispered. “And the cheese is the soft kind. Mam says it’s good with the jam. Would you like tea or wine? I can go ask—”
“No, please,” I said, crossing to the table in a daze as she gently pushed me toward it from behind. “This is… Water is…perfect.”
I sat and stared at the veritable feast before me for a long moment. The room was enormous, with separate areas for sitting, sleeping, changing, bathing, and relaxing. It was larger than the house that had slept nine people for years.
Catrin must’ve noticed my hesitation because she grabbed the knife sitting next to the loaf of bread and started slicing. She layered the bread with cheese, a slice of apple, and topped that off with a smattering of jam. She shoved the plate of food in front of my face. “I have to get your dress and bath ready, Lady Isca, but the prince insisted that you be fed upon arrival. So eat!”
Only knowing that my family in Caervorn had a coin-filled purse to buy food of their own let me contemplate it. I took a bite so large it left me unable to answer Catrin’s next dozen questions as she worked.
“It’s like you haven’t eaten in days.” She laughed, hands on her hips.
“It feels like it, with the travel and all.” I swallowed. I’d eaten well on the trip, but those were travel rations.
I don’t know what drove me to it. Perhaps it was Catrin’s openness and talkative nature that prompted my honesty. The words spilled out of me. “For me, this bowl is a feast, Miss Catrin. I do not come from wealth. So please, just call me Isca. Mage Isca, if you must.”
Her expression shifted. She leaned in, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “I had a suspicion, not that I’d say so without your prompting. Because of the dresses.”
I blinked at her, confused.
Catrin smirked and walked over to a large chest at the foot of the bed. “A missive straight to the top servant called for some of the princess’s old gowns to be brought out of storage and made into new styles. That’s when I guessed.” She pointed at my thin waistline. “Bronwyn likes her honeycakes, so there was plenty of fabric to make a few things totally new for you.”
Almost everyone was better fed than I was, so that wasn’t saying much.
As I nibbled a piece of the soft cheese that was so creamy it made me want to cry tears of joy, Catrin neatly arranged the dresses across the foot of the bed. All were crafted from luxurious, heavy fabrics, dyed in rich jewel and pastel tones and embroidered. The most ornate one featured hundreds of tiny pearls. I’d never seen anything quite like it.
