She didn’t know what unsettled her more: that Hassamir still hadloyalists willing to risk everything for him, or that the palace itself might be compromised. Guards, staff—people she’d walked past, smiled at, trusted. Any one of them could’ve opened a door, looked the other way.
And Castiel. He might not have lifted his own finger to assist Hassamir’s escape, but his silence was certainly telling.
The conspiracy ran deeper than they feared. Each thread they pulled only revealed more knots.
She exhaled, hands curling at her sides, nails digging into her palms.
A quiet presence at her side pulled her from the spiral. Alarik’s fingers wound through hers—squeezing, anchoring. When she looked up, his tender smile met her like a balm.
Some of the tension in her chest eased.
He turned to the captain. “We’ll speak with the king shortly. In the meantime, where are the Xians being housed? The princess is eager to greet them.”
Marzius bowed. “They arrived safely two days ago. Lady Neda offered them the Ambassador’s Wing, but they declined. Said the lesser pavilion in the outer courtyard would suit them better.”
Reiya’s lips twitched. Of course they did.
“They’ve settled in well,” the captain added. “The girl, Mei Mei, has taken a particular liking to Princess Thalina. But she has asked for the Tazahrina twice a day since their arrival.”
As if summoned by name, a small figure broke free from the pavilion’s shadow, bare feet slapping against the stone as she sprinted over.
“Yara!”
Reiya crouched just in time, laughing softly as the child flung herself into her arms, small hands gripping her dress. For a moment, all her worries—Hassamir’s escape, the gnawing unease it left behind—faded beneath the sheer joy on Mei Mei’s face.
“There’s my brave girl.” She pressed a lingering kiss to the girl’s hair.
Kaelen chuckled beside her. “Seems someone missed you.”
Mei Mei’s grip tightened. “Níang said we shouldn’t bother you until you were rested, but I didn’t want to wait.”
“I’m glad you didn’t.” Reiya adjusted her hold, the child fitting easily against her side.
Her gaze lifted past Mei Mei to see Xian Jun, Su Lian, and Ru Rong approaching. Seeing them here, far from the caravan roads where they’d become her family, felt almost jarring.
Yet their presence was warm and familiar—like another home.
Xian Jun stood straight, expression carefully neutral, while Su Lian and Ru Rong looked more relaxed, their gazes warm, though a little uncertain. Ru Rong shifted her weight, hands on her hips, as if debating whether to bow or scold Mei Mei for running ahead.
“Mei Mei,” Su Lian whispered, stepping forward and gently tugging her sleeve. “I told you—call her ‘Princess’ or ‘Your Highness.’”
Mei Mei blinked up at Reiya, wide-eyed. “I always knew you were a princess.”
Reiya arched a brow. “And I’ve always known you have the best eyes in the family.”
The girl giggled, and warmth spread through her chest, leaving no room for formality.
Ru Rong stepped forward first, her weathered but gentle hands cupping Reiya’s face—a mother’s touch, familiar and knowing. She tilted Reiya’s chin up, scrutinizing her with quiet intensity.
“You’ve grown thinner,” she mused. “Don’t they feed you here in the palace?” She turned to Mei Mei. “Go and fetch some steamed buns for Yara.”
“Perhaps thinner,” Su Lian noted, touching Reiya’s pulse, her fingers cool against her wrist. “But stronger, I think.”
Reiya opened her mouth to speak, but the words caught as Su Lian’s gaze softened, a slow, knowing smile curving her lips.
“I see the Reindeer’s antlers have come in,” she murmured, pride lacing her voice. “How magnificent.”
The words knocked the breath from Reiya’s chest.