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She gave me a stiff nod and lifted her chin. Gods’ breath, she was such a stunning creature. From the hard glint of her emerald eyes to the determined set of her full mouth. Loose strands of her fiery hair drifted with the wind, framing her face and making her look fierce and formidable.

My heart swelled with emotion as I thought of how incredibly brave she was to offer this. When I’d last seen her in the bunker, she had wanted nothing more to do with Elvira’s sordid dealings. But now, she was willing to dive head-first into the most disturbing truths her grandmother had been hiding.

“All right.” I brushed my thumb along her chin. “Thank you, Cerise. This will mean a lot to me—and my people.”

Her eyes softened, and a small smile curved along her lips.

I kept her hand clasped in mine as we continued our path down the road. When we reached the gate, the guard bowed at my approach. ”Your Majesty, the chiefs are waiting for you in the throne room.” His gaze briefly darted to Cerise, his nostrils flaring. I let out a low growl, and he straightened, quickly looking away.

“Understood,” I said, my tone perhaps a bit too sharp.

The gates opened before us. Instead of taking Cerise toward the outer bailey and courtyard, where there were likely servants and nobles flitting about, I led her around the training yard and to the rear side of the castle. Her eyes grew wide as she took in the sparring soldiers, some in their human forms and others in their animal forms. A fox and a raven fought, the former leaping while the latter flapped his wings, darting out of reach before slashing down with his talons.

A few soldiers paused their practice to stare at us in curiosity. I tugged on Cerise’s elbow to hurry her out of sight. As soon as I secured her in her rooms, I could inform the chiefs about her presence—and hopefully come up with a convincing reason for bringing her here. I had no doubt word was already spreading that the witch had returned.

I needed to get ahead of the gossip.

We entered the small servants’ entrance at the back of the castle. Cerise cast me a puzzled look but wordlessly followed as I led her through the narrow hall. A few servants bustled past, shooting us looks of alarm. I grabbed the arm of the second one, a scrawny butler with a vase of blue flowers in his hands.

”Will you fetch Fiona for me?” I asked quietly. Fiona had been Cerise’s maid before, and I knew her to be trustworthy.

The servant nodded, eyes wide. “Yes, Your Majesty. Right away.” He hurried off, leaving a trail of blue flower petals behind him.

A few moments later, Fiona appeared and offered a quick curtsy, shooting a curious look Cerise’s way. “Your Majesty.”

“Could you take us up to Cerise's guest quarters?” I asked. “And could we perhaps take the servants' staircase?”

Fiona blinked, then nodded once. “Of course, Your Majesty. Follow me.”

I was glad I hadn’t announced to anyone that Cerise had decided to end our collaborative investigation; it made it much easier, having her room ready for her.

Fiona led us down the hall, then up a dimly lit winding staircase that was too narrow for us to ascend side-by-side. When we got to the top, Cerise was panting. I paused to give her a questioning look, but she nodded, and we continued after Fiona.

Several corridors and another small staircase later, we reached the familiar guest wing. Fiona withdrew a set of keys from her skirts and unlocked Cerise’s door before letting us in.

“Please send for food to be brought up and a bath to be drawn,” I said to her.

Cerise raised her eyebrows. “Does my unwashed scent bother the noble Mage King?”

“Of course not,” I said at once, giving her a crooked smile. “I just assumed you would want a bath and fresh clothes. But if you prefer not, Fiona can just⁠—”

“No, no, I want the bath and fresh clothes,” muttered Cerise quickly, her face reddening.

I chuckled, resisting the urge to lean in and kiss her again. That blush of hers was more alluring than I cared to admit.

But there was something I needed to do first. I faced Fiona and asked, “Would you wait with her one moment? I'll be right back.” At Cerise’s look of alarm, I whispered, “I have to grab something for you. It'll only take a moment.”

She nodded, though she still looked uncertain. I left the room, hurrying back down the staircase and toward my own chambers. I found Stover pacing in my room. He looked up, his face unusually pale, then wagged a finger at me.

“Unorthodox, my lord,” he said, striding toward me with all the severity of a stern parent. “Reckless, irresponsible, inappropriate…”

“I know,” I said impatiently as I sifted through my armoire until I found what I was looking for—Elvira's journals. I tucked them under my arm and clapped Stover on the shoulder. “I’m on my way to smooth things over with the chiefs now. But in the meantime, can you have Reid, the new captain, brought to my chambers to wait for me?”

Stover huffed and crossed his arms before muttering, “Of course, my lord.”

“Thank you. And I apologize for the trouble I’ve caused.”

Stover grumbled something unintelligible but looked far less agitated as I strode out the door.