Hopefully this one fits. The skirt on the last one was far too long.
“And one of your admirers left something for you as well,” she singsongs over her soup.
The prospect of a charming prince or a handsome scholar dropping off gifts doesn’t excite me as much as it should.
Unless one of them brought desserts. Now,thatsounds enticing.
Nia nods toward the solitary silver flower in the vase by the ice box.
“That’s from Ronan.” A heaviness that feels a lot like disappointment spreads through my chest. Perhaps Iamcoming down with something.
Nia’s smile widens. “Nolan says that he has never heard of Ronan Reve giving anyone flowers before.”
“You should consider yourself very lucky, Kerris,” my aunt says with the barest hint of a smile. “Many women would kill to be in your position.”
I should consider myself lucky, except…
A pair of dark eyes flashes through my mind, and my heart pinches at the memory of Everett so gallantly crossing the border simply to escort me home. I’m dying to tell Nia, but that would mean admitting to breaking my promise. They say all’s well that ends well, but I’m not entirely sure that would be the case here.
The three of us chat about the upcoming Beltane festival over our stew. Apparently, the king considered changing the date of the celebration from the first of May to the second since the first fell on a Wednesday. Ultimately, his advisory committee voted to keep it on the same day. However, the Seelie are to stay inside until after five to be sure the Unseelie are all gone.
Did it ever cross their minds to invite the Unseelie? That this would be the perfect opportunity to come together in celebration of a new season?
Having slept through breakfast, I help myself to a second serving of soup to help me survive until dinner. Afterward, Nia and I clean the dishes while her mother rolls crust for a strawberry rhubarb pie. We offer to help, but she tells us there’s no need on her way out to the chicken coop.
My mouth waters as I stare longingly at the flecks of sugar glittering atop the dough lattice. I’m not sure I can wait for it to be baked. “Would you like to go to town? I’m craving chocolate cake.” Or raspberry macaroons. Or some gooey banoffee pie.
Perhaps I’ll purchase all three.
“You know me. I never miss a chance to go to town.”
Unless it’s Wednesday,I muse silently, snagging the towel to dry my own hands.
Part of me wishes it was Wednesday so that I could sneak out to meet Everett.
I really need to stop thinking about him. If I’m not careful, this obsession is going to consume me.
The new silver flower catches my eye. Perhaps that will help.
I pluck the bloom from the vase.
When I tuck the flower behind my ear, Nia’s eyes widen from where she waits in the doorway, parasol in hand. “Just so you know, Ronan will take that as a declaration.”
Shrugging, I throw open the door. “He might.”
“He absolutely will,” she counters, skipping down the path beside me. “Does this mean you’ve made a decision? Are you going to be the next Queen of Willowhaven?”
“I doubt it. Besides, it’s too soon to tell.”
“That’s not true. I knew Nolan was my soulmate the moment he smiled at me.”
“How?”
“Where do I even begin? My stomach went all jittery, and my heart felt like it was going to leap from my chest. For the longest time, he was all I could think about.”
See, neither the prince nor Trevor have that effect on me.
When I think of Everett, however, my insides feel all twisted up, which is inconvenient to say the least. What would Nia say if she found out the truth?