“Of course,” the fae says, then goes to the wardrobe.
Amelie comes to me and perches on the side of the tub. “You look much better today, Evie. How are you feeling?”
“I’m feeling well. How are you? Your cheeks are flushed.”
She sighs, not meeting my eyes. “It’s a beautiful day outside. I should have waited for you to wake before walking the grounds, but I just couldn’t bear it. I’m sorry.”
There’s something about her tone and the way she averts her gaze that gives me pause. She’s hiding something. “Who did you walk with in my stead?”
The pink in her cheeks deepens. “Oh, the palace is abundant with good company, if you know where to look. The residents and staff are most friendly, as you will soon learn once you’re ready to move out and about again.”
The residents and staff. Perhaps…a certain servant she mentioned last night? I catch a glimpse of Lorelei still digging through the wardrobe, back facing us. I lower my voice. “I didn’t hear you come in last night.”
“Ah, well I didn’t want to wake you. I was quite discreet when I came to bed after dinner.”
Her words weave double meanings in my mind, and I wonder if what I’m reading between the lines is truly there or simply my imagination. “How was last night’s dinner, by the way?”
“Oh, very pleasant. I wish you would have been there. The food was divine, and the wine was even better.” Her eyes take on a distant look, one that tells me more than her words can. I’ve seen this look before, many times. Amelie is in love.
The question is, with whom?
* * *
I watch my sister like a hawk as we arrive at dinner later that night. We’re dressed in flowing fae gowns—I in coral and Amelie in sky blue—with our hair expertly piled on the top of our heads, thanks to Foxglove. We meet the two royals in the dining room. Aspen and Cobalt sit at opposite ends of the long table, while Amelie and I sit across from each other. Like the first night, Foxglove and Lorelei sit with us, although this time they don’t wait for Aspen to invite them. The mood feels much lighter than it had the first time we were here.
Well, I should say the mood of everyonearound meseems lighter. I’m once again a ball of tightly wound nerves. It doesn’t help that I can hear the rhythmic crashing of the ocean far below the palace, the sound coming through the open expanse at the other side of the room. A shudder crawls up my spine.
Amelie whispers something in Lorelei’s ear, prompting a giggle from the fae. I feel that squeeze in my chest again. It’s not that I dislike the friendship that seems to have bloomed between them. It’s more that I hate feeling left out. My sister has always been my best friend. And I’ve always been her confidante.
Amelie catches my stare, then reaches across the table and puts her hand over mine. She turns her smile to Aspen. “Doesn’t my sister look so much better, Your Majesty? She’s like a rose come back to life after a winter frost, isn’t she?”
Aspen doesn’t so much as look up from his plate as servants pile it with one food item after the other. A second servant—the same wood-like fae from before—takes a dainty bite out of each piece that lands on the plate. “She looks the same as ever.” His voice is flat, disinterested, with none of the seething danger I’ve heard when his words were meant only for me. Perhaps Amelie’s perception of Aspen isn’t too far off. Maybe for her, he really is as dull and harmless as she said.
Amelie laughs as if he’s made some silly joke. She turns her smile to Cobalt next. “What do you think, Your Highness?”
With some trepidation, I lift my eyes to meet the prince’s. It’s the first time I’ve dared look at him since arriving to dinner. I’ve been too afraid to read what his expression might say. Too afraid I’ll see none of the warmth I saw last night.
His lips pull into a shy smile and his eyes lock on mine before he answers. “She looks positively radiant. As much as I missed her presence at dinner last night, I’m glad she got some more rest.” His eyes move from me to my sister. “It’s just as you said. She’s like a rose come back to life. I couldn’t have put it any more eloquently myself.”
My sister beams at him. “You’re too kind, Your Highness. Now, how about some wine?”
I sit upright in my chair, eyes locking on the approaching servant. Is this the one Amelie was gushing over last night? The fae male steps forward and fills her glass. He’s tall and slim with boyish good looks, pale golden eyes, and brown, tousled hair that brushes past his pointed ears to his shoulders. I watch the way Amelie smiles up at him, the way her gaze lingers on his when he bows to her. Is he the one? The one she’s in love with?
“Evie, you must try this wine.” My eyes flash to Amelie as she takes a sip. I didn’t even catch if she salted it first. “I can’t get enough these days.”
The handsome servant lifts the decanter questioningly. I shake my head, but Amelie insists. The servant circles the table to fill my cup. I expect Amelie’s gaze to follow his every move, but her eyes are on me, all innocence. Why is she being so difficult to read?
Once my cup is full, the servant returns to the far wall, and I lean toward my sister, lowering my voice. “Did you bring salt? I lost mine at the picnic.”
She lifts her chin, a haughty grin on her face. She pushes a silk pouch across the table toward me. “Of course I did, silly.”
I retrieve the bag of salt and sprinkle a dash in the wine, then over my plate. When I return it to my sister, she does the same. “Now try the wine already!”
Amelie watches eagerly as I take a sip. The flavor is sweet with just the right hint of bitterness, and the texture is as smooth as velvet. I can’t help but close my eyes as I savor it.
“See?” Amelie winks. “Isn’t it divine? It’s one of the many pleasures I’ve enjoyed since coming here.”
I narrow my eyes at her over the rim of my glass. “What other pleasures have you enjoyed, dear sister?”
