“You’re so kind! Come in.” I open the door wider when I hear a strangled, gasping sound.
Down the hallway, Marigold pushes a trolley, a betrayed look across her face. “Excuseme,Eldor, but Lady Rosalina ismycharge. I won’t have her drinking that watered down leaf juice you calltea.”
She uses her trolley as a battering ram to shove Eldy out of the way so she can get into my room. “Come in,” I say meekly.
“Thisleaf juiceis the realm’s finest lavender tea, steeped at a precise temperature so as to bring out the floral notes.” Eldy sniffs and raises his nose in the air. “I highly doubt Lady Rosalina would prefer the boiled mud water you always serve.”
Oh boy. It’s too early for this.
Marigold’s face turns a concerning shade of red. “At least my tea has taste.”
“Unlike its maker,” Eldy shoots back.
Thankfully, I notice Astrid poking her head around the corner, white hair a mess and dressed in only a simple white shift. I gesture her in, and we sit down on the edge of the bed. She places her head on my shoulder.
“I figured you’d be well taken care of, so I didn’t even bother to check on breakfast,” Astrid says.
I smile. “You should use this time as a vacation. I think we’re going to need it with these two.”
Eldy and Marigold seem to have forgotten Astrid and I are even here. They stand inches apart, her finger jammed into his chest, his eyes glowering down.
“Take your stale muffins and begone! Rosalina is more than cared for!” Marigold snaps.
“Prince Ezryn specifically requested that I make sure Rosalina’s every need is tended to! I could never go against his wishes,” Eldy retorts.
“Oh, yes, you could never disappoint His Highness, but you have no worries about disappointing others.”
“You’re the disappointment—”
Quickly, I stand and step between them. “Thank you both so much for bringing me breakfast. It looks delectable. And I can drink two pots of tea, no problem! But I’m more than capable of feeding myself and I’m sure you both have more important things to do than watch me eat.”
Marigold narrows her eyes at Eldy. “This place has fallen apart since I was last here. Your staff are wandering in circles, useless without directions! Time for someone to whip them into shape.”
Eldy’s words come out through gritted teeth, “I have been doing the best I can.”
Astrid flops on the bed. “I saw Prince Ezryn wandering the halls on my way here, saying something about needing a cup of coffee.”
Marigold and Eldy both stare at each other, then practically sprint out of the room, trying to muscle each other out of the way to get through the door faster.
Their words echo after them: “Your coffee is like swill, woman!”
“At least my coffee doesn’t give people therunsfor three days after.”
When their arguing is far enough away, I shut the door and raise a brow at Astrid. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen Ez drink coffee.”
“Yeah, well, they needed something to keep them busy.” Her red eyes shine with mirth.
I chuck her a muffin then pour us each two cups of tea: one from each teapot. “So, what’s the story?”
“I’ve only witnessed the end of it myself, but from what I can gather, Marigold and Eldy had a sweeping love story back when they both served here in Spring.”
I widen my eyes. “A torrid love affair?”
“That’s what Marigold told me.” Astrid takes a long slurp from one cup. “Both Marigold and Eldy were offered service under High Prince Ezryn when he went to live at Castletree. Eldy felt like he couldn’t leave Prince Thalionor after Princess Isidora’s death, while Marigold wanted to stay close to Ezryn.”
“So, the distance tore them apart?”
Warm sunlight drifts from a window carved in the rock, making Astrid’s hair shimmer. “On the contrary, at that point, the way was open between Spring and Castletree, and their love only grew. In fact, Marigold thought perhaps a wedding would be on the horizon.”
