“Did you get that calendar invite I sent you this morning for next week’s meeting?” Skylar, Oliver’s assistant, asked Vanessa.
“Yes. I accepted it and put in to talk to Tadashi about the specifics,” Vanessa answered.
“Perfect. Thank you,” they replied.
“Okay. While we’re all together and can’t be interrupted, let’s review the itinerary for the next two days,” Vanessa added from the seat behind me.
Oliver and I nodded, turning our attention to her. It was the first week of February and we were on our first coronation tour event, an appearance at the Eros Festival.
Every year, the town of Philia, located on the western border of Wexstone, hosted a two-week festival leading up to Valentine’s Day. Though the festival was celebrating its fiftieth anniversary this year, it had experienced a resurgence in popularity in the last few years after Lord and Lady Thorne began sponsoring the event and their daughter Sabine took ownership of the planning. It had become quite the spectacle, drawing in visitors from all over Europe.
I had never been, but had seen videos from influencers detailing their favorite parts of the festival. Every year was themed, with actors playing the role of Greek godsinteracting with attendees. This year’s theme was, coincidentally, the 1980s. I found this to be hilarious, given Oliver’s penchant for hair bands.
Vanessa continued, “We will arrive just before the festival opens. The rest of this morning and this afternoon are reserved for perusing the grounds and mingling with vendors and attendees as appropriate. Security is already on site and has set up additional screening measures, so we shouldn’t run into any problems.”
“Yeah, we’ve heard that before,” Oliver whispered under his breath and gave me a sly look. I suppressed a grin.
Skylar picked up where Vanessa left off. “This evening’s concert begins at 8:00. Your Majesty, you will be saying a few words before the show begins. Vanessa and I are already in communication with Ms. Thorne to stay apprised of any changes in the schedule and will notify you of such.”
“At some point today, let’s be sure to take a photo of you two with the Thornes. Cordell will have our heads if we miss that photo opportunity,” Vanessa added. I believed her; the palace’s press secretary was nothing if not a bit high strung and took his job very seriously.
Vanessa paused, looking to me. “Adelaide, do you have any questions so far? I know this is your first big appearance since the coronation. Is there anything you need to feel more comfortable?”
I smiled at her, grateful for her kindness. “No. I think I'm good.”
I, in fact, was not good. I was absurdly nervous.
I knew when I agreed to the engagement that I would be expected to make public appearances, but I hadn’t really considered the reality of having so much attention on me. Despite being beside Oliver throughout the coronation day’s events, most of the attention had been on him, and all ourevents since then had been smaller, more intimate gatherings. But this time, the idea of having so many eyes on me made me feel like I was under a microscope. Not only was I nervous about making a mistake, I was also anxious about embarrassing Oliver.
“You’ve got this,” Oliver reassured me. He reached over and squeezed my hand as the car stopped in front of an expansive conservatory.
Jackson opened Oliver’s door first, who then insisted on taking care of my door while the driver removed Vanessa’s wheelchair from the back of the SUV. As we gathered outside the car, Sabine Thorne came through the conservatory doors to greet us.
“Your Majesty, Adelaide, so wonderful to see you,” she said, dipping into a low curtsy.
“Thank you for having us,” Oliver greeted, taking her hand as she rose and kissing her on the cheek.
I too leaned in to touch cheeks with Sabine. “This place is stunning,” I said, unable to keep eye contact as I took in the glittering glass walls and roof.
“Wait until you see the inside,” Sabine replied with a proud smile.
We followed her through the doors, a pleasant earthy smell hitting my nose as we did. The midmorning sun shone through the ceiling, highlighting a vast array of trees, bushes, and flowers. The temperature was warm and the air was humid, but it was still comfortable.
Huge trees were planted at the edges of the space. Thick vines snaked between them and ran up trestles along the ceiling. Flowers in every color of the rainbow caught my eye. A rolling trickle reached my ear, and I looked to my left to see a small stream meandering next to us, ending at a pond covered in lily pads with koi swimming underneath them.Wooden benches were stationed at the edges of the winding paths, allowing visitors a place to sit and take in the beauty of the space.Give me a book and some tea and I could waste my entire day here.
“Sabine, this is breathtaking,” I gasped.
“Thank you. The conservatory was in danger of closing about eight years ago, which is when my family purchased it under our conservancy’s umbrella. It was one of my first pet projects and may still be my favorite. We have never charged an entrance fee, although visitors are always welcome to make donations, and we do rent the space for weddings and events from time to time. Living in a place where it snows seven out of twelve months can wear on you, so being able to come here and feel like you’re on a tropical island really helps your mood and mental health. It has always been important to us that anyone who wishes to be able to experience that.”
“Absolutely. My mood has greatly improved since I walked in.” I laughed.
A tall, handsome man came through the door, approaching our group. He was dressed in white pleated slacks and matching oversized blazer with the collar popped over a shirt patterned with large red and pink hearts. His hair was styled like Patrick Swayze’s inRoad House, except he wore a golden olive-branch crown across his brow and had gold glitter sprinkled across his cheeks.
Faxon appeared, stepping up to stop the man when Sabine spoke. “This is our Eros. As the ‘host god’ of the festival and the Greek version of Cupid, he walks around and hands out love to the guests.”
Eros stepped forward and bowed. “Your Majesty, we are honored to have you here today.” He rose and handed Oliver and myself small, red-painted wooden heart tokens.
“Thank you, Eros. It is our pleasure to be here.” Oliver glanced at the token in his palm.
