CHAPTER 22
Rosalina
Very carefully, I place the last sugared doughnut onto the top of my tower.
“Going to fix the castle with sweets?” A voice carries from the entrance of the kitchen.
I jump and my hand bumps the pile, toppling my tower. I blow the hair away from my eyes with a long sigh. “Great, Cas, now I’m going to have to start again.”
The Prince of Thorns saunters in past the huge stone oven, gliding his hand along the wooden table in the center of the room.
I haven’t spent too much time in Castletree’s kitchen, but it’s quite the cozy space. Set below the main level, it’s made entirely of stone. Dried herbs hang by the arched windows, streams of red midday light flickering through them. Two pantries stand side by side: one overflowing with vegetables and grains, the other chilled by Winter’s magic, stocked with an array of colorful berries, tubs of creamy desserts, and jugs of fruit juice and iced tea.
Since being back at Castletree, I’ve made sure to drink my contraceptive tea. It’s got a bitter taste, but thankfully one cup will last me a whole month.
“You’ve been busy,” Caspian says, eyeing the table laden with food: jewel-toned berries, a platter of ambrosia grapes, tiny tarts with flaky crusts and fillings of sweet cream, and a platter of pastel-hued cakes with edible flowers. There’s also a pot of honeysuckle tea brewing and a few jugs of fae wine. I know I’ll have to be careful with that, figuring the last time I indulged, I ended up showing my ass to Keldarion. But that was only because Day—
A sudden pang of grief ripples through me at the memory of that night. When Dayton had first taken me to the Summer Realm. First kissed me.
You were the first of the princes to kiss me.
I grip the edge of the table and breathe in through my nose. “It wasn’t hard,” I say, my words too high-pitched. “The chef Oliviana helped me for a bit. I’m just finishing up.”
Caspian eyes me carefully, like he can feel all the pain inside of me with just a look. He seems content to play along for now, and pops a berry into his mouth, the juices painting his lips red. “What is all this for?”
“I’m having a sleepover with Astrid and Marigold.”
He raises a dark brow. “Just how much do you expect a little rabbit and raccoon to eat?”
“And with Wrenley,” I say.
Caspian stiffens but doesn’t respond.
“She’s going to be part of our lives now,” I continue, not sure why I feel the need to justify myself to the Prince of Thorns of all people. Maybe I need to hear myself say it. “It’s only polite to try to get to know her.”
“Princess,” Caspian says, anger lacing his words. “What happened to the Summer Wing wasn’t your fault. You don’t need to do something you’ll hate just to ease some feeling of guilt that shouldn’t even be there.”
“I lost control of my magic.”
“Lucky just some parts of the tree fell apart. When Ezryn lost control of his magic, he almostkilledyou.”
The thought of Ezryn in such pain sends another stab of longing through my mate bond.I’ll find you soon,I think. “Speaking of Ezryn,” I say, “I know why you killed his father.”
“To continue overthrowing Spring and assist in building my mother’s dynasty.”
“No,” I say, crossing my arms. “It was one of the things I spent a lot of time thinking about during my imprisonment. Thalionor was sick. He was going to turn into a monster like that plant rat, wasn’t he? The pus that dripped from under his helm was the exact same as what that monster had around its maw. Perth Quellos must have been poisoning him.”
Caspian avoids my gaze. “Are these cream-filled tarts? Very delicious.”
“Caspian,” I say, “why didn’t you tell Ezryn what was wrong with his father?”
“It wouldn’t have mattered. Ezryn would have wanted to try to save him. But Thalionor was moments from turning and he might have killed you—” He stiffens, then says quickly, “Might have killed us all. I couldn’t take that chance.”
“Tell him when you next see him, then.”
“He won’t believe me.”
“Caspian,” I snarl, smacking his hand away from the tarts, “won’t you even try?”
