“Is Ash not here?” the crown prince asked.
I recalled that Elowyn said he was in Vandil for business.
“He is. But if he’s not writing letters, he’s at the city library,” she said with a sigh, though there was a smile on her lips. “He’ll show up, eventually. Come. Let me show you to your rooms!”
Lady Marianna didn’t have a taste for the extravagant as evidenced by the simple yet elegant interior of her manor, a stark contrast to Huntington Abbey. My suite consisted of a bedchamber with a plush bed, seafoam green furniture, and an adjacent washroom. Gentle winds brought in the scent of the flax fields through the balcony. It overlooked the back of the manor where the city decorated the horizon.
The crown prince was situated at the opposite end of the hall. Pippin decided to take lodging with him, much to Misty’s satisfaction. She claimed she was in a better mood now that we were no longer on the road, though I suspected it was because Lady Marianna had a soft spot for cats and showered both her and Pippin with treats and playthings.
The evening passed pleasantly, and the next morning, Lady Marianna herself knocked on my door.
“Bennett’s busy, so I thought you could join me on some errands in the city,” she said cheerily. She was already bundled up to the neck, basket in hand.
I looked over my shoulder at Misty, who was slumbering peacefully on the bed. She wouldn’t like it if I left without notice.
“You can bring your kitty if you’d like,” Lady Marianna said. “Or rather, if she’d like, since you can talk to her. They do tend to prefer sleep over anything else.”
I woke Misty and asked her if she wanted to go
She meowed.Not a chance. It’s far too early.
“How lovely that you can understand animals,” Lady Marianna said, eyes shining when I informed her of Misty’s answer. “I suspect if I could, the kitten I had as a youth wouldn’t have run away.”
We set out, the sun barely peeking out through thick white clouds. Lady Marianna chatted pleasantly about the land and scenery as we rode down the road on her horse chaise, which was led by Cozbi after the groom proclaimed her a mighty strong horse. She looked much happier in her old role of pulling carts.
“See the lake over there?” Lady Marianna asked, pointing at the body of water to our left. A few reeds stuck out of the surface, swaying in the wind. “The farmers use it to irrigate the fields. It’s large enough that it extends into the city canals. Ah! You and Bennett must have a ride on one of the canoes before the water freezes over. It’s truly a beautiful experience.”
She gave me a sidelong glance, leaning back in her seat after a minute of silence. “It’s Bennett’s birthday next week. Did you know that?”
I fiddled with my gloves. “I was not aware, no.”
Was she testing me? Seeing if I was a suitable niece-in-law? I hardly knew anything about the crown prince, besides his favorite color. And that was only because Giselle told me.
To my relief, she chuckled warmly and patted my hand. “Not to worry, dear. Very few people know because he prefers it that way. He doesn’t like the fuss of it—parades and celebrations and all. I suspect that’s why he’s been so stiff this entire time.”
Lady Marianna continued on about the crown prince’s youth and the scenarios he had gotten into as a rambunctious toddler. By the time we arrived at the center of the city, I knew that he had once soiled himself during an important meeting with a foreign ambassador and that he had a deathly fear of candles.
I couldn’t help but laugh. “Candles?”
She smiled. “Fire, to be exact. He always insists on having the flames contained in a lamp.”
We left the horse chaise and I followed Lady Marianna as she picked out vegetables and a few yards of striped linen.
“I make it a point to buy from human sources,” she whispered, tucking the fabric in her bag with a sheepish grin. “Keeps the peace, somewhat.”
I found it strange that she went about running errands a housekeeper would normally run, especially since she was the king’s sister. But as the day went on, I found there was a certain charm to visiting a mundane fabric shop or a farmer’s market where no one knew who we were. Mother would’ve never stood for it, but I found the smiling faces and polite greetings of civilians more welcoming than a ballroom of nobles stifling in their own perfume.
At last, we reached a gray building with tall pillars framing the doorway.
“The city library,” Lady Marianna said, squinting as we hiked up the steps. “I have a few recipe books I want to find. If anything strikes your fancy, let me know and we can check them out together.”
I thanked her, but I preferred to keep my fascination for romance novels a secret. When we entered the building, she went off to the recipe books and I wandered about myself.
Civilians lounged at the desks and armchairs, some perusing the books. The shelves were nowhere near as vast as the ones in the palace, but it offered a variety of options nonetheless. I was content with looking around the romance aisle and waiting for Lady Marianna until I ran into a familiar figure.
“Narcissa?” Prince Ash blinked, balancing a stack of books that teetered dangerously in his arms.
I gave a brief nod. “Prince Ash.”
