“He’s adorable.” Demi slipped him a piece of honeycake. “Those ears, and that sweet little face.”
Fletcher grunted.Why don’t you tell me I have a sweet little face?
I do. All the time.
I don’t recall you stating it often enough.He gave Demi another pleading look.Tell her to give me some eggs. I’m starving here.
I slid an egg onto a plate and put it on the floor. He gobbled it up in one bite and gazed longingly at the rest on the platter.
That’s only a snack,he said.Be generous, would you?
You’ve eaten an egg and a honeycake already. That’s enough.
With a huff, he slunk over to the sofa and settled on it, closing his eyes. His snores quickly rang out.
Demi looked his way and shook her head. “I need to get a pet. He’s the best.” She launched into some of the activities that would take place during the Summit.
I tried to focus on what this event might entail. Would I be expected to give speeches or organize meals? Or just preside and smile? I could do that.
If dragon clans from different regions were gathering, they’d be coming from various climates and altitudes. That meant different weather pattern exposure, which could provide fascinating comparative data. Perhaps I could set up monitoring stations to track how the influx of dragons affected local atmospheric conditions. The thermal displacement alone?—
“Adele?” Raoul’s voice pulled me from my thoughts. “You’re doing that thing again.”
“What thing?”
“Where your eyes glaze over and the temperature drops three degrees.” He gestured to the window, where frost had begun forming on the glass.
“Oh. Sorry.” With a flick of my finger, I warmed the air back to normal. “I was thinking about the Summit. There might be interesting research opportunities.”
Demi grinned. “I like her already. She’s not remotely terrified of the political nightmare we’re about to throw at her.”
“Should I be terrified?”
“Probably,” Demi said cheerfully. “But you seem like the type who stays calm in a crisis. Unlike some people.” She shot a pointed look at Raoul, who ignored her.
We continued eating, Demi keeping up a steady stream of conversation about preparations, dragon clan politics, and which visiting royals were most likely to cause problems. I tried to absorb the information while simultaneously calculating how many weather monitoring devices I could put into place without being obvious about it.
“So,” Demi said, her tone shifting, “not that I’m judging, but why are you wearing only my brother’s tunic while he’s only wearing a pair of his pants? I know for a fact he owns more thanone outfit.”
“My belongings won’t arrive until sometime today. I was in a hurry yesterday and neglected to pack. I only have my wedding dress with me.” That was a nice, delicate way to put it.
“She was two hours late to the wedding.” Raoul sounded amused.
“I was tracking thermal patterns,” I said. “It was a breakthrough moment.”
Demi laughed. “Idefinitelylike you. But you can’t walk around the palace in just Raoul’s tunic, no matter how good you look in it. Give me a few moments, and I’ll grab some things from my chambers that should fit you. We’re about the same height.”
“That’s kind of you,” I said. “I don’t want to impose?—”
“I have more gowns than I know what to do with. Royal life requires an obscene wardrobe.” She popped another piece of honeycake into her mouth. “Besides, we’re sisters now. What’s mine is yours.”
The casual way she said it, like my belonging here was already settled, made me feel all warm and squishy inside.
We finished breakfast with Demi chattering about which gowns would look best with my coloring. When she finally pushed back her chair, she strode over to the sofa to ruffle Fletcher’s ears. He didn’t even wake.
“I’ll be back shortly,” she said. “Don’t let him take you on a tour without proper clothes.” She nudged Raoul’s arm. “My brother here is usually so absorbed in what the kingdom needs that he forgets the little things.”
She swept from the chambers with the same energy she’d brought in, leaving quiet in her wake.
