The wise gardener tends each problem separately.
I tested the cakes next, breaking off small pieces and trying to sense anything about odd about the grain, thoughI was way out of my realm with this. Why had I basically ignored my plant magic all these years?
Because strategy magic made me feel safer. Not that plant magic felt unsafe, but in my determination to ensure my sisters didn’t feel the lack of our parents, I’d neglected everything else.
What do you feel?Savory asked.
“That same oddness I sense with the tea leaves, though it feels different than the barrier I sense with the wilted plants.”
Everything was contaminated. Or rather, everything was affected by some kind of magical disruption.
Which meant the problem with the plants may not be about tainted tea or cakes. This could be something bigger, something touching the entire court.
“I need to do more studies, but I don’t think the two issues are related,” I told Savory.
She tilted her head while I shared my conclusions.
Excellent work.
“Perhaps. But I’m no closer to finding the cause.”
Identifying a problem is the first step toward finding a cause.
The sun had shifted lower in the sky. I’d been working for hours, and my stomach reminded me that I’d skipped lunch.
Someone knocked on the door
“Your Majesty?” someone called out. “The king asked me to bring you lunch.”
I opened the door to find a servant carrying a tray holding covered dishes. The smell of fresh bread and soup made my mouth water.
“Thank you,” I said, directing him to set it on the dining table in the sitting room. “That’s very kind.”
“His Majesty wanted to be sure you ate,” the servantsaid with a small smile. “He worried you’d get absorbed in your work and forget.”
And he was right.
My smile rose. Dominic had been in council meetings all afternoon, but he’d still thought to send me food, even predicting that I’d lose track of time. It was thoughtful, the kind of gesture that could soften my resolve if I let it. But I couldn’t risk that distraction, not when the court’s mysteries demanded a clear head.
After the servant left, I tested the meal, touching the bread and even the soup, finding it untainted by whatever was affecting the tea and cakes. At least I had a way of testing the food and drink.
I was grateful, because the food smelled amazing.
I sat and lifted my spoon, scooping up a big bite of the soup.
It was delicious, both savory and perfectly seasoned, with chunks of vegetables and herbs that made me want to ask Alaina for the recipe. I ate quickly, realizing how hungry I was.
After finishing my meal, I returned to the balcony, determined to organize my thoughts before dinner with Dominic. I wanted to present him with coherent theories rather than scattered observations.
Piecing together theories kept my mind sharp, occupied, and away from stray thoughts about Dominic and what this marriage might mean beyond a simple alliance.
I was here to fix things, to prove my value through results, not through whatever warmth tried to creep in and blur the lines.
CHAPTER TEN
DOMINIC
Istrode through the castle corridors, my footsteps echoing off the stone walls. The council meeting had dragged on for hours, endless discussions about grain quotas for the western districts, tax assessments that needed reviewing, and the ever-thrilling debate about whether the road repairs should be completed in phases or all at once.
