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“Right. Just taking in the whole—” I waved my arm. “Never mind. Continue.” The green hillsides on the west side of town were covered with tall houses constructed of ornately carved gray stone with the occasional gold embellishment, and blue spires reached high into the crystal-clear sky. All the neat, orderly streets were paved with the same gray brick. The Blackforge Sea looked somehow less dark and menacing on this stretch of coast. The town was built along tall cliffs, so there was no need to fear a tidal surge.

Women wore long, flowing, jewel-toned dresses. Some of them paused to watch us stroll past. Glittering shops had picture windows filled with brocade and lush silk fabrics, sparkling jewelry and skin creams. Vanity seemed to be key in Solamere, and it showed in the way people looked and behaved. It was a far cry from the gritty and occasionally too rugged streets of Norvale, but did I fit in with this kind of snobbery? I couldn’t see myself in any of it. I was more of a dirt-under-the-fingernails kind of gal. My old cloak and dusty boots certainly stood out.

We walked a good distance through town, and as elegant as the first set of houses and shops looked, we were suddenly heading through areas where the houses were even bigger and more ornate. Crystal blue windows stood open on massive stone verandas that looked out over the ocean. Even the bricks in the road had been laid in a herringbone pattern with different shades of gray to give it a truly spectacular appearance.

At the very top of the road stood what could only be described as a castle. Tall spires stood up along a vast stretch of buildings, a stone wall surrounding it all. Guard towers topped each corner of the wall. My guide stopped at a gate house and said something to the guard inside. Two men with wings on their backs fluttered out of the gate house and floated like butterflies to the top. Their tiny wings vibrated quickly as they pushed open the big gates and I followed the guard through.

Inside was a massive stone waterfall with white swans swimming serenely in the bubbly water. Flowers overflowed from ornate planters, and emerald green vines climbed up the stone façade of the building. Another pair of winged Fae were busy trimming some of the shrubs. We walked along a brick pathway that led to two arched glass doors. I spotted my own reflection as we walked toward them and couldn’t stop smiling about how entirely out of place I looked. I was sure Prince Granier would take one look at me and turn away. That would be absolutely fine.

A young woman with silver white hair and deep blue almond-shaped eyes came around a corner. She smiled when she spotted us. “You must be Raphael,” she said and took my hands. She held out my arms. “Oh dear, this won’t do. Come, I’ll get you ready. There is a lunch in your honor, and you can’t show up in a dusty cloak and boots.” The short, elegant train of her emerald green dress twirled as she led me down a hallway. She held my hand gently. Her fingers were long with silver fingernails. “I’m Cara, by the way, your lady’s maid.” She had a sparkling smile. “I was excited to get the position.”

“Well, I’m happy to have you as a friend here in this strange place. This is all very different for me.”

“Oh yes, we can definitely be friends.” We walked along a corridor that had mosaic tile floors and framed artwork lining the walls. Candles flickered from gold sconces, and perfume filled the air. The fairy tale outside had followed me inside.

“Here’s your room,” Cara said cheerily. She opened a tall door into a vast room. A massive bed mounded with blue and orange silk pillows and topped with a lacy blue canopy sat in the center. A large marble fireplace took up half of one wall, and a set of tall multipaned windows spread across another. Thick white drapes were held back by gold cords, and a dark orange velvet settee sat in the sunlight beneath the windows.

“Oh, my, it’s a little stuffy in here,” Cara said. She moved gracefully, like Madigan. It was hard to tell whether her feet actually touched the ground beneath her long dress. She threw open a large window, and a cooling ocean breeze wafted in. The white drapes billowed like clouds. I walked over to see the view. It was breathtaking and hard to believe that the dark blue ocean below was the dreadful Blackforge Sea. Cara skittered across the room. “I’ll be back in a few minutes. We’re just getting your bath ready.” She yanked a light silky blue robe from the armoire. “Take off those traveling clothes and pile them by the door. I’ll have the laundry maids pick them up and clean them.” She held up the robe. It looked more expensive than anything I’d ever worn. “In the meantime, you can put this on.” She left the room.

I turned back to the view and startled as a shadow passed over. A large black raven landed on the ornate iron railing around the window ledge. I smiled. “You’re far from home, Omni.” I looked into the bird’s black eyes. “I wish I were home,” I said quietly. I assumed a certain someone was still watching me through his bird’s eyes, unless the raven had just grown fond of following me around.

I walked away from the window, slipped out of my clothes and pulled on the luxurious robe. I glanced back, forgetting there were eyes on me. Omni was still there. Suddenly, I could feel Revel “watching” me. I smiled again and felt a blush cover my entire body.

Cara came back in, and behind me I heard wings flap. Omni was gone. “You’re ready. Perfect. So is your bath. Now hurry along. We don’t have much time. Prince Leovan and Princess Jonier will be at the lunch. They are very anxious to meet their future daughter-in-law,” Cara said as we hurried across the hallway to another set of tall doors. A strong, flowery scent surrounded us as we stepped into a room that was floor to ceiling gold and aqua tile. In the center was a square pool with fountains spurting water from every direction. A pile of thick white towels lay next to a tray with various chunks of soap. Candles lit up and scented the room.

“Please take your time but not too long. We’ve got to get you dressed for the lunch.” Cara left the room. I had to admit I didn’t hate the pampering part of this whole thing, even though none of it felt like me. I didn’t fit into a lavish lifestyle.

I luxuriated for as long as I dared. I didn’t want to be late for lunch, and at the same time, I needed the long soak to wash away the case of nerves. Something told me that even when wearing a fine dress and smelling like flowers from the bath, I still wouldn’t fit in with the royal family.

Cara returned just as I was pulling on the robe. “Oh, good, you look rosy pink and ready to get dressed.” I had to admit if I was going to be burdened with a lady’s maid, I was glad it was Cara and not some stodgy, prim and proper headmaster type.

A plum and moss green dress with long flowing sleeves and a train that would excite any bride-to-be was laid out on the massive bed. It seemed Prince Granier and his family were going to make sure they won this ridiculous Sorcerers-induced contest. The dress looked large but somehow it fit perfectly once Cara dropped it over my head. I raised a skeptical brow.

Cara smiled. “The royal dressmaker enchants her fabrics to stretch or shrink to size. She had no measurements to work with.” Cara leaned back and smiled. “You are petite, but you have a wonderful figure.” She waved her hand and a full-length mirror appeared on the wall. “Have a look, then we’ll do something with your hair.”

I touched the ends near my shoulders. “I rather like it down,” I said. I hadn’t gone back to my librarian style bun since I reached Norvale. I didn’t feel the need to be invisible because I was home. That thought made my chest tighten. How would I ever fit in here in Solamere?

Cara thought her hair comment had changed my mood. “We could just pull back the front pieces,” she said hesitantly. “Most women wear their hair up in Solamere. They like to show off their flawless complexions.”

“Mine is hardly that.”

Cara smiled sympathetically. “I heard you grew up in the human world. Harsh climate and sun, I imagine. Then you lived under the even harsher Norvale climate. Still, our creams will help bring out your natural Solamite glow.”

Her words made me sadder. I had Solamite blood, but in my soul, I was a Valian. “You can pull it back and do what you think is best.”

Cara worked magic, possibly real magic, with my somewhat unruly hair. She pulled the top pieces back and clipped the strands with shiny gold butterflies. The rest of my hair fell in neat waves around my shoulders. She touched my lips and cheeks with pink blush, then stared at me in the mirror. “Perfect. The prince will be impressed.” Her face fell before she looked away.

“But?” I asked.

“Pardon?”

“Your face is telling me there’s more to add.”

Her mouth turned down, and her long lashes dropped. “Princess Jonier, Granier’s mother, is the one who is hard to impress. She can be harsh and cold, but I have no doubt you’ll do fine. Just be yourself and try not to take to heart things that she says. And I never said any of that just now.”

I took a deep breath. “Thanks for the warning. I suppose she wanted someone more suited to her son’s society for a daughter-in-law.”

Cara’s non-answer was answer enough. Up until now, my visit had been pleasant. I was given a beautiful room, had an incredible bath and was now dolled up like a debutante, but as we walked down the endless array of long hallways my stomach knotted, and my steps slowed as if I was wearing cement shoes rather than the silky slippers Cara put on my feet.