Following Maddie’s directions, within minutes, I found myself in an enormous kitchen, the marble counters gleaming under the low light. The elaborate culinary space was filled with hand-carved wooden furniture and an enormous kitchen island located in the very middle of the vast room.
Exploring freely, I quickly noticed how magnificent the space was. Polished wood, marble counters, and more utensils than I could name. My fingers drifted over the smooth surface of the island, tracing the patterns carved into it.
A kitchen this size could feed an army or a royal court. I had yet to see how many people lived here or what my role among them truly was. Back home, my mother had treated me and my sisters like ornaments, not daughters. The shiny toys in her dollhouse.
Lilian had always been the favourite, and Willow, the admired one. Both inherited the pale hair and blueeyes of our waterborne lineage. I, with my brown waves and green eyes, was the odd one out. The eyes of the land, they’d called them. I preferred them.
Here, without money or belongings, stripped of my title, I almost felt free.
I was still running my fingers along the counter when a deep voice broke the quiet.
‘One place I didn’t expect to find you,’ River said from the doorway.
Chapter Nineteen
Avari
Making his way to a cupboard a few feet away, River pulled out a metal tin and poured its dark contents into two large mugs. ‘You’re learning the castle, huh?’
He was dressed in dark burgundy sweatpants and a black T-shirt that clung to his body, outlining every muscle. The thin fabric hugged his biceps like a second skin, and it took all my restraint not to stare.
It was a massive contrast to his usual military attire. The only time I’d seen him dressed like a royal was the day we met. His black blazer and black shirt looked formal and untouchable. Over time, I realised that the Fogoyan King didn’t care much about trivial things like formality and opulence. Perhaps he didn’t feel the need for such vanity.
Watching him mix the dark powder with boiling water, I smiled. ‘Maddie’s assistance proved pivotal.’
‘Ah, she found you already,’ he said, not looking away from the mugs.
I hoped I hadn’t put her in a difficult position. ‘Was she not supposed to?’
‘Not what I meant. Try this,’ he said, smiling.
The steaming mug contained a velvety cocoa that made my mouth water. A sip melted over my tongue, and a small sound escaped before I could stop it.
River said nothing, though his gaze flicked to my mouth and lingered. Too long.
‘I don’t think I’ve ever tasted anything better,’ I admitted. The cocoa would become my own ginger biscuit story; I would get fat and happy sipping my problems away one cup at a time.
A smug grin stretched his lips, and I couldn’t believe how much younger he looked without the serious clothes and the constant scowl.
River could have easily passed for someone my age, though that didn’t mean much with how slowly fae aged. Even my mother, Queen Harper, barely looked older than her daughters. It made me wonder about his mother.
What kind of woman raised a man so full of contradictions?
‘Can I ask you something personal?’ I asked, a flicker of doubt curling through my chest.
He tensed slightly, as if sensing the shift. ‘As long as you accept I might refuse to answer.’
Hesitation made me shake my head. ‘No, it’s fine. I shouldn’t.’
I turned for the door. ‘Thank you for the hot chocolate; it’s delicious.’
Before I could step away, he caught my hand, his fingers lingering against my skin. ‘Ask.’
My heart kicked against my ribs as I hoped my curiosity wouldn’t destroy the fragile truce. ‘I took a walk around the fourth floor tonight… saw all the portraits. I know I’m in no place to ask—’
‘Ask,’ he repeated, his tone surprisingly gentle.
‘I’ve seen portraits of you and Michael and your grandparents. And your father. But… none of your mother.’
