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“I suppose staying locked in my room all day yesterday was not what they expected of me,” I continued as she pushed slippers onto my feet.

Cara straightened and smiled sympathetically. “Prince Granier would like to see you in the garden. He’s having breakfast served out there, so you two can talk.” She began undressing me, but I shook my head.

“I’m sorry, I’m not used to the whole royal treatment. Just bring me the dress I should wear. I can’t believe he wants to bother when I’ve put little effort into this whole visit.”

Cara glided across the room on tiny feet, disappeared into the armoire of clothes and glided right back with a teal blue and silver dress. I had to admit, the beautiful clothing, enchanted to fit perfectly, was something I could get used to. She held it up for my approval.

“That’s beautiful. The butterflies in the garden will be jealous.”

Cara giggled. “You haven’t seen our butterflies.”

“I can only imagine. Now about this breakfast—will you-know-who be in attendance?”

Cara grew quiet.

“Ah, that explains the grim expression when you walked in. So, it’s not really a chat with the prince. It’s another chance for Princess Jonier to belittle me and let me know in no uncertain terms that she does not want me in her castle.”

“She will only be there at the end. Her son made her promise not to disrupt your breakfast together. You’ll have a chance to get to know the prince. He is really quite charming.” A pink blush covered her cheeks as she said it, and I wondered if Cara had been one of his many side interests. I briefly considered telling her what I saw in the hallway but kept it to myself. It wasn’t my place to say. It was entirely possible she knew all too well. After all, Prince Granier hardly made a point of keeping the tryst secret by standing right in an open hallway.

Cara finished helping me dress and swept my hair up in a long ponytail. She adorned it with a glittering gold clip at the top and leaned back to admire her handiwork. “There, you look perfect for a morning breakfast in the garden.” Her face dropped into a soft, pleading expression. “I do hope you come here permanently. I would love to work for you.”

I squeezed her hand. “And I would love to be your friend.” I took a deep breath. “Well, let’s do this.”

Cara's brows twitched in confusion. “Do what?”

I laughed. “Never mind. Just a saying in the—” I was about to add in human world, but in truth, I was starting to feel so far from that world it felt like an entirely foreign place. “Let’s go to breakfast,” I clarified.

Cara led me through a breathtaking open-air atrium, with trees growing straight up to the top of the castle. The sky above looked more than blue; it looked peaceful and serene as if nature had created a special color just for the Solamere sky. Fragrances ranging from sweet to spicy filled the air as we walked through a flower garden that would rival any of the world’s finest palatial gardens. For a gardener like me, it was a slice of heaven, and I could have easily skipped breakfast and wandered aimlessly between the fluttery blossoms for the rest of the day.

Cara led me along a path of gray pavers and into a circular section of green grass. In the center was a small round table decked out with a fine linen tablecloth, hand-painted plates and crystal glassware. A tall vase of purple flowers sat in the middle of the place settings. To the side, three servers waited at attention in front of a table that was heavy with silver serving dishes. The aroma of savory food mixed almost unpleasantly with the perfumes wafting in from the gardens, but my stomach still grumbled at the thought of food.

Before I reached the table, Prince Granier appeared from the other side of the garden. He looked perfectly suited to the dramatically gorgeous surroundings. He was almost too perfect. I preferred a few more flaws. They made a person more interesting. Naturally, my mind peeled back to the scarred Valian warrior I’d left behind. My heart sped up just thinking about him.

Prince Granier repeated his first greeting with a gracious smile and a kiss on the back of my hand. Just grazing Revel’s arm or hand always sent a deep shiver and rush of heat through me, but Granier’s touch and kiss did nothing.

He pulled out my chair, and I sat at the glitzy table. The stemware sparkled in the sunlight pouring through the trees in the garden. Everything about the scene was sparkly, including the man sitting across from me, and nothing about any of it seemed genuine, especially the man sitting across from me.

Like his mother, Granier snapped his fingers sharply, and the servers jump into action like trained circus animals. They brought over a broth and breads topped with some type of cream. The fragrance was spicy and made my mouth water.

“Please, enjoy. The vegetables and herbs were all grown here,” he said as if that was something phenomenal and unheard of. In Norvale, everyone grew their own vegetables and herbs. There I was again, comparing everything to Norvale. I’d become hopelessly connected to the place and its people, and now, three sorcerers who had no connection to me or my life had determined that I had to leave my home and live in another region all because of some silly ancient fate.

I wasn’t shy. I dove right into the delicious broth with a chunk of cream topped bread. It tasted as divine as it smelled. Granier smiled behind his crystal goblet of juice.

I shrugged. “Guess I’m hungrier than I imagined.”

“I’m glad you’re enjoying the meal, and I am sorry that my mother made yesterday’s lunch so unbearable that it gave you a headache.”

I choked a little on my last bite but washed it down with water. Even the water was sparkling and refreshing. “No, I’m sure the headache was due to the long journey to Solamere.”

Granier smirked weakly. “Of course. Still, my mother can be a bit abrupt. I’m also sorry about the incident—” He paused and couldn’t seem to find the words, but I knew what he was talking about. I blushed just thinking about it.

“Yes, that did catch me off guard. It seemed she could have done her exam with less of an audience.”

“My mother is very protective of Solamere and our titles. She needed to make sure that⁠—”

“Yes, that I wasn’t already sullied. Can we change the subject?”

He chuckled. It was deep and melodious. “Of course. I apologize for bringing it up.” He put his glass down. He’d barely touched his food. Granier leaned back on the ornate chair. “I know this is hard for you, coming to a new region and having to learn our ways, but I think you’ll find Solamere a very fine place to live. It’s far superior to the other regions.”