Freya harrumphed. “I’m only the most important person to these two.”
Finn snorted. “Hardly. You just tag along behind us everywhere.”
“I enrich your life!”
I glanced at Griff, who was hiding a smile. “Freya is an old family friend,” he told me.
“Aclosefamily friend,” she countered. “Like the little sister you two never had.”
“If that little sister never gave us a moment’s peace,” Finn grumbled, but it was good-natured.
Griff’s lips twitched. “It is good to see you, Tagalong. What are you doing here?”
“Just visiting home before heading to Valdris.”
“You’re coming to the castle?” I couldn’t tell if Griff was excited or resigned. Maybe he didn’t know either.
“I’m going to be working with Andrei.”
“Freya is a healer,” Finn offered to me.
She turned to me and explained, “I’m a body healer right now, but I have the right channel to be a soul healer too, which is what I want to learn.”
“I think that’s what my mother was,” I said softly.
That stopped the energy coursing through the three of them momentarily before Freya broke the tension with a sunny smile.
“Do you need a break from these two animals?” She looked at my dress. “The market here has the best collection of textiles anywhere in Serentyn, if I do say so myself.”
“I’d love to, but I don’t have any money.”
Before the twins could jump in, Freya laughed. “Lexa, you’re the princess. You just charge it to the castle.”
“I can do that?”
Both Finn and Griff agreed.
“And Zachariah would hate it,” Finn added.
“That settles that,” I said with a grin.
She linked arms with me and dragged me away from the twins. “I’ll return her later!” she called over her shoulder.
“In one piece, please,” Griff called back.
“That’s not up to me, Champion. That’s up to your princess.”
I cast a glance back over my shoulder. Was Griff actually letting me out of his sight in a crowded place? But that was just wishful thinking, as he followed us at a respectful enough distance—but followed nonetheless. I shook my head at him, and he gave me that private smile. I could almost hear the words—Enjoy yourself, Princess. But I’ll be right here behind you, keeping you safe.
Freya certainly knew her way around the marketplace. She led me straight to a shop that had dresses similar to hers hanging outside the doors. I ran my hand over the material of one. It was light and flowing—perfect in this climate.
Freya bustled around, grabbing dress after dress and holding it up to me to test it against my complexion. Finally, she grabbed a turquoise blue. “Perfect. It matches your eyes and the sea.”
She ushered me behind a curtain and waited while I tried it on. The sleeves were bound up with silver rings at my shoulders, a deep vee in the front and the back. It was tight around my waist, with matching silver accents, before flowing down and ending mid-calf. With the skirt swishing around my waist, I felt free and uncontained. So different from the leathers I had grown accustomed to.
I came out and twirled. Freya squealed in delight and showed me the matching silver sandals she had picked out.
She handled everything with the proprietor while I looked at myself in the mirror, swaying slightly. My braid wasn’t pulled backas tightly as usual, bits of hair escaping in the humidity. It softened my reflection. I smiled, liking the way I looked.
