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“Her father ordered me to watch over her and I will be doing so. I do not answer to foreign princes.” He ignores Lux’s glare and looks ahead at the house, gesturing for us to walk on.

“I’m so sorry.” I wince at Lux. “Father insisted.”

He smiles tightly. “You do not need to apologise. One unwanted guard is a small price to pay for spending the next month with you.”

My cheeks turn rosy, and somehow I ignore Phillion’s loud bootsteps as Lux leads me towards his manor.

My new bedchamber is even prettier than the room I have back home. Lux clearly paid attention to my letters.

Yellow floral bedsheets cover a huge wooden bed. There’s a matching vanity, bookshelves, dressers and a wardrobe taking up the rest of the space in the airy room. A wide circular rug softens the wood floors. Above it, a dainty chandelier casts rays of sunlight over the walls – sunlight that is pouring in through the huge arched window.

As I step towards it, I gasp.

Just like Lux said, the room overlooks a huge sunflower field surrounded by forests. Some of the petals are beginning to brown with the cooler weather, but if anything, it only makes it more beautiful. The darkening blooms blend with the autumn trees.

I wish I could paint as well as some of my sisters can. I’d give anything to share this view with them. Perhaps I’ll get my embroidery hoop out today.

“Do you like it?” Lux asks from the doorway. Phillion reluctantly chose to stand guard outside after making sure there was no way anyone could climb in through the window.

“It’s beautiful,” I sigh. “I love everything about it.”

Turning away from the view, I wander past the vanity. My fingers brush the beauty products that were clearly bought only hours prior. “You bought all this for me?”

He nods. “I want you to be happy here. There’s gowns in the wardrobe too. But if you don’t approve of them, there’s a shop in the town that we can visit.”

Shaking my head, my heart flutters. “I’m sure they’re lovely.”

I’ll never be able to write to my sisters about this. They’ll be too jealous and won’t let me visit home ever again.

Grinning, I let my gaze roam around the room. But then my smile falls.

“What is it?” Lux urges.

“I…” It’s silly. I shouldn’t ask. But he did tell me I could change anything I didn’t like… “I would love it if I could have a desk for my sewing machine.” I fidget my blonde curls. “Perhaps, if it’s not too much hassle, one of the dressers could be switched with⁠—”

“I’ll have a desk brought up now,” Lux states. “Is there anything else you would like with it? I can buy you fabric, threads… buttons?” he chuckles.

“Just a desk and a chair will be fine,” I laugh. “Thank you, Lux.”

He grins, his gaze lingering on my smile for a few moments. “I will leave you to get settled then,” he says eventually, stepping back. “Dinner will be in two hours, but if you’re hungry please don’t hesitate to call for the servants so they can bring you something.”

“Thank you,” I say again as he closes the door.

The second he’s gone, I squeal and dance around the room like I’m eight years old again.

5

EDEN

It takes the servants almost an hour to fill my new bedchamber with all the things I brought from home. Mostly huge rolls of fabric, baskets filled with colourful threads, even a small box of buttons, which I place with a smile onto the desk that appeared within minutes of Lux leaving my room.

An hour later, I’ve changed into a more casual evening gown and I’m following a servant to the dining room while Phillion stalks a few feet behind us. He’d said nothing to me as I left my new room, only letting his gaze linger for too long on my low-cut yellow bodice.

I picked out this dress because I thought it would be more comfortable.

Jokes on me, I suppose.

“Princess Eden,” the servant announces my presence after we arrive at a small door. Based on his volume, I expect to walk into a large banquet hall, but instead I step into a well-decorated, intimate dining room, with a narrow wooden table that could seat no more than six people.