“Good.” He angled her chin down and kissed her forehead. “I need you with me, darling.”
He released her, attention turning from her as Lord Caspian returned, Priscilla on his arm. She was speaking softly, his ear angled toward her, though she fell quiet by the time they approached.
“Did you have a pleasant time?” Victor asked.
“Oh yes, the- the village is ab-absolutely charming. Lord Caspian indulged so many of my questions. I am afraid I-I may have been a handful.”
“Of course not, my lady.” Lord Caspian bowed.
“It is only that if-if I am to one day be the lllady of-” she raised her gloved hand to her lips and blushed. Such artfulmanipulation. So sweet and demure. “I only mean that your people are a treasure, and it is a pl-pleasure to know them.”
Clearly she had targeted Caspian’s love for his people. If she loved them too, could she get him to show similar affection for her? It was a clever gambit. It would have almost certainly worked before Keira’s arrival. Now though, Yvette watched as he retreated in his mind. She was playing too obvious.
Lord Caspian cleared his throat. “Lord Redfield, I would like to speak with you about the… arrangement. Tomorrow perhaps?”
“Yes, of course.” Victor bowed slightly in agreement without missing a beat.
Yvette could see the ice in his gaze as Lord Caspian retreated.
“I-I-I did my best, b-brother,” Priscilla said as he left them, a hint of tears in her voice.
“Of course, sister,” Victor said, offering her a brief and bitter smile. “Allow me to handle the matter from here.” He turned to Yvette, catching her eye. “It seems I will be requiring your methods after all, darling. Will that be a problem?”
Uneasiness pooled in her stomach. She’d used her magic to help him time and again, but it had always been against despicable people who she felt no qualms stealing from or even seeking deserved justice. But Lord Caspian was a perfectly good person.
“No more games, I promise,” he whispered. “We’ll finish this and let it be done, hmm?”
Yvette nodded finally. Victor would get what he wanted with or without her. She just wanted this to be over. Perhaps she could at least finish this with a touch of mercy.
Florian
Llyndale was the farthest north that Florian had ever ventured and certainly the coldest place he had ever been. Having grown up on the Merchant’s Coast, he was accustomed to mild winters tempered by the warm currents of the channel. Such an upbringing had left him entirely unprepared for the northern temperatures, or the snow. The sheer volume of it had astounded him. The last few days of travel had been rather miserable, leaving him to wonder if trekking so far north was a good idea in the first place. However, the mulled wine in his hand was steadily changing his attitudes. The dozens of bonfires warding off the winter’s best efforts to freeze them all solid didn’t hurt either.
The morning after Keira’s letter had arrived, Florian had read it over breakfast in the massive dining room at Grimlocke House. Lilith had been the first to insist that they take her up on the invitation to the Holly Festival. “It’s the largest Holly Day celebration in the kingdom!” she’d stressed. She’d never been this far north either and wanted to see the snow and what she began calling aproper Holly Day. Which was fair given that the Holly Festival in Stormhaven was often a damp and disappointing affair.
Of course, when Lilith pleaded, Rhea soon caved. And if Rhea went anywhere, Gareth was bound to come along too. And Florian wanted to see how Keira was doing. He couldn’t miss hischance to hear firsthand the story of how Caspian was alive after all this time, and a lord at that. And Knox hadn’t wanted to be left alone. So they’d all journeyed as far north as the roads would properly allow, arriving just in time for the Holly Festival where there was no sign of Keira whatsoever.
Florian had sent Thaddeus off to find her earlier that day. But the raven had yet to return. He glanced through the crowded square, the heart of the celebration. They were surrounded by many market stalls selling festival trinkets and refreshments. Most in attendance were common folk, though it seemed a few nobles had descended from the keep to enjoy the festivities. Everyone from pauper to princeling was dressed in their finest. Many wore sprigs or even crowns of holly woven in their hair. In the center of it all, Florian had contented himself with watching the people coming together for jaunty folk songs only to pair off for lively partnered dances.
He was draining the dregs of his wine when a flash of red caught Florian’s eye. Not the ripe crimson of the holly berries, but a head of coppery red hair, like that of a fox. When he caught sight of it again, he could see it was tied in a long, intricate braid. Her back was to him, but he could make out pale skin, almost white as the snow. She wore a woolen cloak of dark burgundy that hid her shape, though her frame was tall and narrow. Florian moved blindly through the crowd, trying to catch a glimpse of her face-
“Florian!” The sound of his name broke his singular focus just as he was about to knock into Lilith’s tiny shape. She scowled up at him as she readjusted the crown of holly and ribbons now askew in her blonde hair.
Rhea was looking at him with brows raised. A flush was showing even through her ebony skinned cheeks hinting that she too had been enjoying the spiced wine. “At least look where you’re going,” she joked.
He had been gawking rather obviously hadn’t he?
“Sorry,” Florian offered, though he was already trying unabashedly to find the red haired woman again in the crowd.
There she was. He could only see part of her figure, she was blocked by a man with a blood red cape and nearly golden blonde hair. He was clearly wealthy, likely nobility. They could only be standing a foot apart. His hand was touching her cheek. Realization struck deeply within him at the intimacy of their touch, heavier than he would have thought. Something beyond disappointment. Florian turned away entirely. He wasn’t sure if he could stand to look anymore. An insane agitation gripped him that he hadn’t even gotten to see her face.
“What in the Fate’s fucking…” Lilith cursed, voice trailing off as they craned to see around him.
“Florian.” Rhea pulled at his arm, angling him back toward his mysterious fox.
But that wasn’t who she wanted him to see.
Florian followed their gaze in the matter of a second. He was easy enough to spot, a head of brilliant white hair. A blue cape lined with fur hung from his shoulders, draped over a coat embroidered with holly berries in honor of the day. But the figure that stole their focus was the woman on his arm. Everything about her was delicate, graceful, and lovely in a soft and sated sort of way. She was looking up at Caspian with unflinching attention as he spoke.
