Page 21 of Markets & Mooncakes

"Princess Evelyn and Princess Veronica will be showing Lady Sun Jinglan around the castle tomorrow," Mama says.

"Ah, very good. This is my daughter." He gestures to her and gives her a warm smile.

Lady Sun Jinglan steps forward and puts her hands together before bowing. "Your Highnesses." She raises her head and seems to lock eyes with Veronica, who makes a sound I've never heard from her before. "I look forward to seeing the castle."

I expect Veronica to say something in return, but she doesn't, instead just standing there.

"We look forward to it too, My Lady," I respond, but mostly because I don't think we're supposed to be standing in silence.

She turns her attention to me and smiles. "Will your dragon be joining us?" Her Falhavien is a little slower than we speak, and her accent is noticeable, but she seems to have a good command of our language.

"No, I was intending for her to stay near her fire," I respond.

To my surprise, she smiles. "I have heard that small dragons like the comfort of their fire."

"She certainly seems to. I can't say I blame her."

Lady Sun Jinglan nods, and then moves on while her father tries to make small talk with Veronica who keeps looking at the other woman and then looking away again. In all the time I've spent with my sister, I don't think I've ever seen her act like this before, and I don't know what to make of it. Hopefully, I'll get a chance to ask her about it, because I would really prefer to know what's going on.

Chapter 9

The banquet might be a small one, but small and royal are two things that don't go particularly well together. My father and the new Shengdanese ambassador are sitting next to one another, seeming to have a good conversation about something. Probably the treaty between our kingdoms, or maybe they're talking about the excellent roast duck that the kitchens sent up for the main course. Chef Martina used several of the ingredients that we import from Shengda to flavour it, making it familiar and new at the same time. Then again, dessert has now been served, so maybe it's one of Nate's creations that they're talking about.

Lady Sun Jinglan sits beside her father, leaning towards another Shengdanese lady beside her.

Movement to my left catches my attention, and I turn in time to see Veronica staring over at the ambassador's daughter.

"Why do you keep looking at Lady Sun Jinglan like that?" I ask Veronica.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she mutters, looking at her plate as if she thinks that will persuade me that there isn't something to learn. "Oh, what's this?" She gestures to the fruit cake in front of her.

"You know what that is," I respond. "Don't try to distract me with cake."

"It usually works."

"You're not usually acting so odd." I cut myself a slice of the fruit cake and add it to my plate. This is one of the advantages of Yuletide drawing near, the fruit cakes are leaving the kitchens after months of being tended to and they're at their absolute best.

She sighs. "She's just very pretty, all right?"

"You already knew that," I point out. "You said that she liked to cook and that she was beautiful, and that was all you knew about her. Though you also seemed to know that she's related to the Empress of Shengda, so you do know more."

"I didn't expect her to be so beautiful." Veronica glances over at her and then lets out a frustrated noise. "This is ridiculous."

"It is. Mama was very explicit about what you were supposed to do. You're not to have a dalliance with her..."

"I'm not going to have a dalliance with her. I might not be you, but I still need a woman to be more than just beautiful in order to have something with her."

I frown. "What do you mean that you're not me? Of course you're not me, I'm me."

She lets out a sigh. "I just meant that you don't feel the pull to anyone."

"I think I felt something for Nate the other night," I say without thinking.

Veronica stares at me. "I'm not sure I want to know. Don't tell me." She pauses. "No, do tell me. Wait, no, don't. Eurgh. Do."

"You have to know that I'm confused." I cut my cake into small slices.

"Tell me," she says. "I want to know."