“Oh.Yes, of course.”
I had nearly forgotten he was the illegitimate son.His air was that of...well, an heir.
“It is always an honor to serve the crown, both as a citizen and a businessman,” Edmund said, dipping his head at Crown Prince Bennett.“Speaking of which, Your Highness, I brought a selection of fine jewels that may be to Lady Narcissa’s liking.Your steward put them in the other room.”
“Thank you.I’ll see to them after this.”
So Crown Prince Bennett was purchasing jewelry from Blanche de Clare.I always thought he was more of a custom-made man.
“Giselle?”
I blinked as both men stared at me, realizing a touch too late that the crown prince had asked me something.
“If you could give Mr.de Clare an overview of where he is going to stay in the next two weeks?”Crown Prince Bennett prompted.
Horsefeathers.Perhaps I should have spent some time thinking about where to hole up for the tour.
“Oh, Witch Village...the village where witches live,” I said stupidly.
Amusement danced in Edmund’s blue eyes.“Go on.”
“It’s underground, right below Delibera and almost as large.We have enchanted passageways all over the city that lead to it,” I continued.“It has existed since King Humphrey’s reign, when we were wrongfully banished.”
I stole a look at Crown Prince Bennett, who thankfully didn’t seem offended at this recount of history despite it painting his late grandfather in a bad light.
Edmund leaned his elbow against the desk and tilted his head.“As large as Delibera!How can so many people live underground?”
“Witches can make any space inhabitable.We especially rely on our weather witches, who specialize in recreating aboveground conditions to the best of their abilities.Our population is small compared to that of Delibera, so space is not an issue,” I said.Ma would give me a good swat on the backside if she heard such a lackluster rendition of Witch Village history.I never preferred her theatrics when telling the story, though.
Edmund nodded slowly, as if absorbing all I’d told him.I couldn’t tell if he was receiving it positively or not.
“I suppose we should start off with finding a host in the village, yes?”I continued when he didn’t speak.“I could write to potential places today.”That shouldn’t be too difficult.I knew Ferdinand rented rooms, and there were many vacancies all throughout the village due to witches coming aboveground, like those in the Witch Committee.
“Your family cannot host?”Edmund asked.His gaze had never left mine since I started talking.
“Er, our house is small,” I lied.It was one of the biggest in the village.“Then we can tour the fields, perhaps.It’s nearly Harvest time, assuming we still do that.There’ll be gatherings in the village square.Though it’s really not that interesting,” I added hastily.
Witch Village really only had three places of significance.The fields, the square, and the oak tree behind my house.Mentally, I made a note to only show Edmund the square at a distance, and the tree too, if its branches were visible from miles away.Avoiding civilization would be the ideal strategy.
“It sounds quaint,” Edmund said with his heart-wrenching smile.“I’m looking forward to it.”
“You’ll be writing a report of your experiences, Mr.de Clare,” Crown Prince Bennett said.“It will be reviewed by a member of the King’s Council and a member of the Witch Committee.For security’s sake, a guard will accompany you.”
Maddox stepped up on cue.“Maddox Greenwood, son of Captain Greenwood of the Royal Guard, at your service.”He bowed neatly.
At that moment, a footman came to the door.“Your Highness, representatives of the King’s Council and the Witch Committee are waiting in the throne room.”
“We’ll be there shortly,” the crown prince said.
Edmund stood.“I’d like a quick word with you, Your Highness.”He accompanied the crown prince to the far door.“About the jewels...”
Maddox took a seat on the edge of the desk once the other two men were out of earshot, destroying his previous pretense of good breeding.
“Say, what sort of person is the emissary, anyway?”he whispered.
I stole a look over my shoulder at Edmund, who was still speaking with the crown prince.His figure was fantastic.Broad at the shoulders and trim at the hips.The way he held himself was all elegance, though his deep voice and shadowed jaw lent him a more masculine appeal.Not to mention his—
Maddox snapped his fingers in front of my face.“Giselle?”
