“Good,” he replies, his smirk widening. “That’s what they’re for. But maybe eat a few more first.”
“Only if you join me.”
He looks surprised for a moment, but as I pat the bed beside me, he slides in.
“This is so much food, Kel. You’ve got to help me finish.”
“I can’t remember the last time I ate waffles.”
“That must be rectified.” I grab the fork and cut the biggest, syrupy-est bite of waffles and bring it to Kel’s lips.
He swallows. “Delicious.” Then he grips my chin and pulls me into a kiss. His mouth tastes like honey and mint.
I sigh against him. I couldn’t imagine a more perfect way to wake up.
When he pulls away, he’s giving me an odd look. “What are you thinking, Rose?”
I shake my head. “It’s silly.”
“Never.”
“Well, you waking me up this morning, eating breakfast in bed—it almost feels normal. And for a moment, I imagined: What if we weren’t in the Enchanted Vale? What if I was at Orca Cove, and my boyfriend came in to surprise me?”
Keldarion gives me a lingering look, not judging but considering, so I continue.
“I mean, I couldn’t imagine my home anywhere else but theEnchanted Vale. But I like this feeling. Of you being here beside me.”
“It is understandable, Rosalina,” Keldarion says. “It’s something I should remind myself of too. You spent most of your life believing you’d have a normal human existence. It makes sense that a part of you wonders about that future.”
I bite into the waffles. “I guess I’m still wrapping my head around the whole heir to the Vale thing.”
Keldarion tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. “For what it’s worth, you’re doing a wonderful job.”
“It’s worth a lot, Kel.”
His eyes crinkle at the corners. “So do you think the good people of Orca Cove would approve of me?”
I nearly spit out my waffles imagining it, remembering Ezryn, Dayton, and Farron dressed in nineties gear as they came to retrieve me. “You’d leave quite the impression. But you know what? It wouldn’t matter. I spent my whole life worrying about what everyone thought of me, but it never made me a better person. It only made me anxious.”
“That’s very wise, Rose,” Keldarion says. “Now enjoy this moment with your, uh, boyfriend in bed.”
I snicker at Kel, knowing we’re so much more. But at the same time, it fills me with happiness that he acknowledges the human side of me.
Together, we eat the waffles and bread rolls, finishing with the tea. I sip it, letting the warmth spread through me like fire in the hearth. “Thank you,” I say as he stands and takes the tray. “This was a wonderful solstice present.”
His brow rises. “Oh, that wasn’t your present. Just wait, Rose.”
Keldarion leaves, and Astrid and Marigold walk in. Marigold’s eyes gleam. “Have we got a solstice dress for you, Rosalina!”
The room humswith energy as Marigold flits about, a whirlwind of movement, while Astrid works with quiet precision. I stand in front of the gilded mirror, arms outstretched, letting them fuss over me like I’m some kind of porcelain doll.
“Hold still, Rosalina!” Marigold chirps, her golden curls bouncing as she darts around me. She pauses, squinting critically at my reflection, and then adjusts the angle of a silver sash draped across my waist. “Youhaveto look perfect! Everyone at the solstice festival is going to faint into the snowdrifts the moment they see you!”
“I’m not going to be the center of attention,” I mutter, though the way my cheeks burn betrays me.
“Nonsense,” Astrid says, her cool hands steady as she works to fasten a string of pearl buttons up the back of my gown. Her sleek white hair is pinned in an elegant knot, not a strand out of place. “You’ll shine brighter than the stars in the Winter sky.”
The dress they’ve chosen is nothing short of breathtaking. It’s a deep midnight blue, shimmering like fresh snow under moonlight. Silver embroidery winds along the hem and sleeves, forming patterns of frost and ivy. As I move, the gown catchesthe light, creating the illusion that stars have been woven into the fabric itself.
