11
T wo hours later, the carriage rolled to a stop. Lord Frederick opened the door.
“We’re approaching the marketplace, milady,” he said. “It’s time to proceed on horseback.”
I descended eagerly.
Misty pawed at my sleeve. Please do not leave me with this woman.
Giselle had stopped making small talk ages ago, opting instead for studying me with narrowed eyes. She made no attempt at concealing her scrutiny for the entire two hours. I found her shamelessness unnerving.
Giselle yawned and stretched before I could send Misty my condolences. “I’ll walk with the others for the rest of the way,” she said, hopping lightly to the ground. “I’m in dire need of some exercise.” She saluted me and Lord Frederick and skipped off.
If Lord Frederick found her as strange as I did, he didn’t show it. He led me to the front, where Crown Prince Bennett sat atop his white gelding.
He held the reins of a speckled gray mare, which I presumed was mine. Her tail swished meekly and her ears drooped. Certainly not a lively mount.
“Have your travels been comfortable, Lady Narcissa?” the crown prince asked as Lord Frederick helped me onto the saddle.
“Very much,” I said, my words stilted. I took the reins from him. He didn’t call me Cissa like I requested.
Our procession stood in the center of the short field that divided Delibera’s residential parts from the bustling witch market at the edge of the city. The ground was bare and brown, gray frost clinging to the patches of withering grass that remained. A cluster of teal-topped structures sat on the horizon of the bleak scene. It was odd seeing so many buildings in the once empty land.
“Is there anything I must do when we pass?” I asked.
Crown Prince Bennett hardly spared me a glance. “No. I will handle it.”
I bit back a scoff. I highly doubted His Royal Stoicness could handle a proper procession. If being a duchess’s daughter taught me anything, it was how to flaunt—just enough to impress an audience of commoners without appearing too gaudy. Processions were my specialty.
My mount, on the other hand, needed work.
We continued forward. I leaned over to stroke the speckled mare’s mane. Her thoughts were quiet compared to the others, but I managed to pick it out of the rabble.
So hungry...so bored...
I prodded her thoughts with my own to make my presence known, gentle enough not to spook her .
Hello. I continued to stroke her mane. My name is Narcissa. What’s yours?
Cozbi, she replied. She didn’t seem too interested in talking to me, or surprised that I could.
That wasn’t a promising start. I leaned back and looked around. Crown Prince Bennett rode to my right, and Lord Frederick to his. The three of us were flanked by two guards. Four rode behind us. Maddox, thankfully, was the furthest away from me. I didn’t need any snarky remarks from him.
“Excuse me,” I said to the young guard to my left. He looked not much older than me, with a crop of red hair and freckled cheeks.
He turned, as if surprised by my attention. “Did you need something, milady?”
I flashed him my best smile. “Yes. Do you happen to have any fruit on you? My mount is hungry.”
The guard blushed a deep scarlet. I felt some relief that I hadn't lost my charm entirely.
“Ah. Y-yes milady.” He fumbled in his pocket and pulled out a small pear. The yellow skin was dull and bruised. “Will this do?”
I thanked him sweetly, then leaned into Cozbi again, now holding the fruit in her line of sight. Her ears perked up.
May I have that? she asked with a small snort. She was a rather polite horse. My old mount would have snapped it right out of my hand.
“Do me a favor and it’s all yours,” I said.
“Pardon?”
I jumped at the sound of the crown prince’s smooth voice. He looked down at me, puzzled.
“Apologies, I was...talking to myself. ”
He nodded and returned his attention ahead. I pinched my arm, hard.
It was all those months talking out loud to Misty. I seriously had to stop.
Is this your first time in a parade, Cozbi? I asked, this time through my thoughts.
First time with fancy folk like you , Cozbi said. My last owner was a farmer. I pulled his cart...but he didn’t have much use for me anymore when he had a witch enchant his wagons to be weightless.
I pursed my lips. Witches again, this time putting horses out of work.
Alright , I thought to her. I’m going to need you to show off a little.
Show...off?
I smoothed the stray hairs in her dark mane. The stablehands had done a decent job grooming her, though compared to the crown prince’s snowy white gelding, Cozbi looked rather mediocre. Still, she had the potential to be stunning if she carried herself in the right way.
You’re a lovely horse , I said. It would be a shame if you let that one take the spotlight.
Cozbi swiveled her head to Crown Prince Bennett’s gelding and snorted.
We horses were never meant to be that perfect , she said loftily.
No, I agreed. Better rustic than extravagant.
Cozbi nickered. Very well. Have that pear ready for me.
I allowed myself a satisfied smile as the entrance to the market grew closer. Soon enough, we passed beneath the archway and into a wide cobblestoned street.
The witch market met us in a shock of jewel tones and spices. I expected outlandish aesthetics, but the buildings were recognizably Olderean and the wares on display appeared to be common objects—scented candles, glinting brass jewelry, and bottles of medicine and makeup. I couldn’t pick apart which items had magical properties and which didn’t.
I found myself straining for a closer look, but Ulysses blew his horn, the high timbre cutting through the bustling of the streets. “His Highness Crown Prince Bennett and his future princess, Lady Narcissa Greenwood!” he announced.
The vendors and hagglers quieted at once, parting for us to pass. A few children ran up to the sides, jewel-colored eyes wide and curious. The adults stayed back. Their expressions, though not hostile, were unreadable.
Crown Prince Bennett held up his hand, gracing the silent crowd with a stiff, close-lipped smile. Describing the situation as uncomfortable would be an understatement.
I will handle it indeed!
I straightened my shoulders and began to pull my lips into a proper smile until Cozbi reared her front legs.
Ulysses yelped. “Lady Narcissa!”
My backside nearly slipped from the saddle as the mare leaped forward. I grabbed the reins just in time. The children squealed, darting out of the way before they got trampled by her clattering hooves.
“Cozbi!” I exclaimed, clinging on for dear life. “What are you doing ?”
Showing off! she replied with a loud nicker. She pranced in a circle, throwing back her glossy mane.
I gave an incredulous laugh as a few strands smacked my cheek. The witch children giggled as Cozbi continued her ridiculous dance. I could only imagine how we looked cavorting in the middle of the street like a circus act .
The pear bounced in my pocket. I grabbed it and held it over her head in hopes she would calm.
Cozbi snatched the fruit, her hairy lips encasing my fingers. Yum! I love the yellow ones .
“Where’d you get a creature like that, princess?” an elderly witch hollered from the crowd.
“She’s so cute,” a witch girl cooed.
I smiled sheepishly as I took Cozbi’s reins and turned her around. A young boy with a head of inky curls stepped out into the street and pulled out another pear from his satchel.
“May I feed her too, milady?” he asked. A gaggle of children surrounded him, gushing at Cozbi’s liveliness and silky mane.
“Of course,” I said as graciously as I could. This was good. Princesses interacted with children all the time, didn’t they?
Cozbi, delighted by the attention, ate the second offering with enthusiasm.
The boy bowed low and melted back into the crowd with a giggle.
I steered Cozbi forward and returned to my place beside Crown Prince Bennett, who gave me a brief glance before looking away .
Lord Frederick gave a low whistle. “You certainly have a way with animals, milady. I hardly realized what a beauty that mare is.”
Cozbi practically preened at the praise.
“She only needed some encouragement,” I said, smoothing her mane.
“The committee did say witches wouldn’t respond well to our usual pomp and circumstance,” Ulysses said with a sigh. “Good thinking, milady.”
The prancing was far from my intention, but it seemed to have worked out in my favor. Crown Prince Bennett’s expression, however, remained neutral. I colored, hoping he didn’t think I was putting on an act for his sake. A part of me knew that was the case, but I couldn’t dwell on it. Shame had no part in my duty.
That’s enough for today, I thought to Cozbi. You certainly showed that gelding who the better horse is.
The mare behaved normally for the rest of the way—which was all I wanted in the first place—and the procession proceeded onward.
When the scenery reverted once again to dreary hills, Lord Frederick asked if I wanted to return to the carriage. I gladly agreed.
“It will be some time until we reach Coriva,” he said as he helped me dismount. He threw a glance at the crown prince. “Perhaps you would like to rest in the carriage as well, Your Highness?”
“No need,” Crown Prince Bennett said.
Lord Frederick sighed a sigh only I could hear. “As you wish, Your Highness.”
THE SUN HAD SET WHEN we arrived at Lord Frederick’s residence. Huntington Abbey was a silhouette against the dreary gray sky, speckled with elegant spires and golden window panes. We stopped before a spacious courtyard encased by a ring of second-floor balconies. In the middle, a large marble fountain in the shape of a bear reared on two powerful hind legs.
Lord Frederick descended his mount. “Welcome to my humble abode,” he said cheerfully, “and yours for the next few weeks. Do make yourself at home, Your Highness, Lady Narcissa.”
I held Misty closer as an icy gust of wind blew against my back. Ulysses said that part of the tour was to keep friendly relations with powerful families in Olderea—the Huntingtons included. If that was the case, I doubted I could make myself at home .
Inside, the halls were lively with bustling servants. White marble tiles shone like mirrors beneath my feet, and plenty of windows spanned floor to ceiling, so unlike Greenwood Abbey’s somber interiors. I hoped Father would consider remodeling in the future.
The second floor was luxuriously carpeted and equally as grand. Lord Frederick looked over his shoulder as we followed him through a set of double doors. “I’m afraid Lady Huntington and Isabelle have already retired for the evening,” he said apologetically. “Introductions will have to be made tomorrow. Meanwhile, here is where you will be staying.”
We stood in a cozy, comfortably furnished common area swathed in rich blue velvet.
“Your quarters, Your Highness,” Lord Frederick said, pointing to a door on the left. “And yours, milady.” He pointed to one on the right.
Crown Prince Bennett twisted the ring on his finger. “Are there no separate suites?”
Lord Frederick shrugged. “I’m afraid not. Unless Your Highness wishes to switch with one of the guards?”
“If you’re worried about propriety, Your Highness, we share a common room, not a bedchamber,” I said, irritable from the journey and the cold. All I wanted was to pass out unconscious.
What a prude that prince is , Misty meowed.
Crown Prince Bennett frowned. “Very well. Good night, Lord Frederick. Lady Narcissa.” With a stiff nod, he strode off to his side.
Lord Frederick shook his head. “I’ll leave you to your rest, milady.”