There was nothing to turn back to. My only option was to move forward.
I stepped inside and froze, trying to make sense of what I was seeing. The castle’s foyer was twice the size of Grandmother’s entire home. Hearths the size of wagons crackled with roaring fires. The ceiling rose so high it was lost in darkness. A sweeping staircase led upward. Its banister was carved with intricate designs that writhed with shadow and flame. Thick carpets in shades of crimson and indigo hushed our footsteps.
Remy waited patiently as I absorbed my surroundings, a slight smile playing at his lips as if he enjoyed watching me take it all in.
“Your Highness.” A portly man wearing Rymarian red bowed from his waist. “Welcome home.” His gaze took in the Legacians. If he found it odd that the prince had invited the enemy into his castle, he gave no sign.
The guards stood at attention, their faces carefully blank. But I noticed how Pierce swept the foyer with his gaze, cataloging exits and defensive positions. Teal’s hand rested near his weapon. Grayson’s expression was stony, giving nothing away. Only Flynn showed a smidge of emotion. He tilted his head and whistled softly.
“Carter, this is Haven Ford.” Remy’s hand settled on the small of my back.
Carter’s eyes widened slightly. “Pleased to meet you, Miss Ford.”
“Likewise.”
“We’re tired and hungry,” Remy continued. “Please have refreshments sent to our rooms.”
“Of course, Your Highness.”
Remy claimed my elbow, leading me up the sweeping staircase.
Behind us, the guards climbed in silence. No jokes from Flynn, no muttered observations from Pierce. They moved like men walking into a trap, expecting a knife between the shoulder blades at any moment.
“Where’s Zane?” He’d entered the castle with us. I was sure of that. But he’d disappeared. I’d been busy gawking and missed him leaving.
“Zane is reporting to the queen, telling her about Banvil.”
I nodded as if I fully understood the implications. I didn’t. I would have asked, but climbing the endless staircase with tired legs claimed my complete attention.
Finally, we reached a landing, and I took a moment to rest.
“You’re tired. I should have carried you.”
“Not too tired to climb a few steps.” Not too tired to admire the tapestries covering the walls. Springtime gardens. Starlit dances. Unicorns. Not a single portrait of a disapproving man in sight.
“This is your suite.” Remy opened a set of doors inlaid with mother-of-pearl filigree onto a bedroom so large, so elegant, that I blinked in disbelief.
Pale moonlight filtered through arched windows, revealing a canopied bed fit for a princess. Enchanted vines blooming with tiny silver flowers wrapped around its posts. I reached out and brushed a flower with my fingertip. Its petals felt like satin.
“This can’t be for me. It’s much too grand.” Grandmother’s house had been comfortable, especially for Grimswood, but this was beyond anything I’d ever experienced.
“Haven?” Remy’s voice was gentle.
“This is far too elegant. Don’t you have a simple bedroom?”
“You deserve this and more.”
“I’ll get everything dirty.” I gestured at my travel-stained clothes.
“So take a bath.” He crossed the room, opening the door to a bathroom that made me gasp. It was bigger than my bedroom at Grandmother’s house. The tub was enormous. The fixtures were gold. And the fluffy white towels stacked on a gilt table looked as soft as clouds.
“Clean up. You’ll feel better.”
Grandmother had hired tutors to teach me court life, but this luxury overwhelmed me. Knowing how royalty lived was nothing compared to standing in a room where one tapestry cost more than most earned in a lifetime.
Remy turned and looked at the Legacians. “You can each pick a room. The entire floor is ours.”
Grayson’s jaw twitched at that.
