Chapter 47 Rosalina
Rosalina
Iwake to the soft glow of morning light spilling through the frosted windows, a warm cocoon of blankets, and the High Prince of Winter standing above my bed, a strange expression on his face.
Because it’s a smile.
Keldarion is smiling. His eyes are bright as robin’s eggs, hair long and wild. “Happy solstice, Rosalina.”
“Happy solstice, Kel.”
I tilt my head. He’s nearly bouncing up and down with excitement. I take a deep breath, and something rich cuts through the air. Butter. Sweet pastries. A hint of spiced berries.
Keldarion grabs a tray off a table and lays it on the covers in front of me.
A spread fit for a queen. Steam rises from a delicate ceramic teapot painted with swirling frost patterns.
The tea smells of chamomile and something sharper—mint perhaps.
A platter of golden waffles rests nearby, drizzled with honey and scattered with sugared red berries.
Beside it, a small bowl of whipped cream sits like a puff of snow.
But the centerpiece steals my breath—a massive basket of bread rolls, dusted with flour and still warm. Nestled on top is a handwritten note: To throw at me all you want.
A smirk tugs at his lips. “I figured you’d appreciate the gesture.”
The absurdity of it makes me laugh. “I only throw these at you when you’re being annoying.”
“Well, my Rose,” he says as he leans against the bedpost, arms folded, “I can’t make any promises for today. I wanted you to be prepared.”
I reach for a roll and tear into it. The inside is impossibly soft. I take a bite, the warmth spreading through me. “Perfect,” I murmur around a mouthful.
Keldarion watches me with such intensity it brings a flush to my cheeks.
“You’re making me suspicious.” I clear my throat and gesture to the basket. “I’m tempted to use these.”
“Good,” he replies, his smirk widening. “That’s what they’re for. But maybe eat a few more first.”
“Only if you join me.”
He looks surprised for a moment, but as I pat the bed beside me, he slides in.
“This is so much food, Kel. You’ve got to help me finish.”
“I can’t remember the last time I ate waffles.”
“That must be rectified.” I grab the fork and cut the biggest, syrupy-est bite of waffles and bring it to Kel’s lips.
He swallows. “Delicious.” Then he grips my chin and pulls me into a kiss. His mouth tastes like honey and mint.
I sigh against him. I couldn’t imagine a more perfect way to wake up.
When he pulls away, he’s giving me an odd look. “What are you thinking, Rose?”
I shake my head. “It’s silly.”
“Never.”
“Well, you waking me up this morning, eating breakfast in bed—it almost feels normal. And for a moment, I imagined: What if we weren’t in the Enchanted Vale? What if I was at Orca Cove, and my boyfriend came in to surprise me?”
Keldarion gives me a lingering look, not judging but considering, so I continue.
“I mean, I couldn’t imagine my home anywhere else but the Enchanted Vale. But I like this feeling. Of you being here beside me.”
“It is understandable, Rosalina,” Keldarion says. “It’s something I should remind myself of too. You spent most of your life believing you’d have a normal human existence. It makes sense that a part of you wonders about that future.”
I bite into the waffles. “I guess I’m still wrapping my head around the whole heir to the Vale thing.”
Keldarion tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. “For what it’s worth, you’re doing a wonderful job.”
“It’s worth a lot, Kel.”
His eyes crinkle at the corners. “So do you think the good people of Orca Cove would approve of me?”
I nearly spit out my waffles imagining it, remembering Ezryn, Dayton, and Farron dressed in nineties gear as they came to retrieve me.
“You’d leave quite the impression. But you know what?
It wouldn’t matter. I spent my whole life worrying about what everyone thought of me, but it never made me a better person. It only made me anxious.”
“That’s very wise, Rose,” Keldarion says. “Now enjoy this moment with your, uh, boyfriend in bed.”
I snicker at Kel, knowing we’re so much more. But at the same time, it fills me with happiness that he acknowledges the human side of me.
Together, we eat the waffles and bread rolls, finishing with the tea. I sip it, letting the warmth spread through me like fire in the hearth. “Thank you,” I say as he stands and takes the tray. “This was a wonderful solstice present.”
His brow rises. “Oh, that wasn’t your present. Just wait, Rose.”
Keldarion leaves, and Astrid and Marigold walk in. Marigold’s eyes gleam. “Have we got a solstice dress for you, Rosalina!”
The room hums with energy as Marigold flits about, a whirlwind of movement, while Astrid works with quiet precision. I stand in front of the gilded mirror, arms outstretched, letting them fuss over me like I’m some kind of porcelain doll.
“Hold still, Rosalina!” Marigold chirps, her golden curls bouncing as she darts around me.
She pauses, squinting critically at my reflection, and then adjusts the angle of a silver sash draped across my waist. “You have to look perfect! Everyone at the solstice festival is going to faint into the snowdrifts the moment they see you!”
“I’m not going to be the center of attention,” I mutter, though the way my cheeks burn betrays me.
“Nonsense,” Astrid says, her cool hands steady as she works to fasten a string of pearl buttons up the back of my gown. Her sleek white hair is pinned in an elegant knot, not a strand out of place. “You’ll shine brighter than the stars in the Winter sky.”
The dress they’ve chosen is nothing short of breathtaking.
It’s a deep midnight blue, shimmering like fresh snow under moonlight.
Silver embroidery winds along the hem and sleeves, forming patterns of frost and ivy.
As I move, the gown catches the light, creating the illusion that stars have been woven into the fabric itself.
“Let’s not forget the fur,” Marigold chimes in, holding up a white stole. “Faux, of course,” she adds, casting a glance at Astrid. She wraps it around my shoulders.
Astrid steps back to examine me, her eyes narrowing as she tugs at the hem of the gown.
“Hmm. It needs something else.” She retrieves a silver circlet adorned with tiny crystals, each one catching the firelight and sending rainbows across the walls.
Carefully, she sets it on my head. “Keldarion insisted you wear this. He fetched it from the Winter treasury and everything.”
I glance at my reflection, almost not recognizing myself. The dress clings in all the right places, flowing to the floor. The stole adds a regal touch, and the circlet glimmers, its design framing my face.
“You look stunning!” Marigold exclaims, clapping her hands together. Her joy is infectious, and despite my initial hesitation, I can’t help but smile. “Like a princess!”
“I suppose it’ll do,” I tease, earning a dramatic gasp from Marigold and an amused eye roll from Astrid.
For the first time, I don’t feel like simply a visitor in the Winter Realm but a part of it.
There’s a rap at my door, and Keldarion slips in, looking dashing. My lips curl into a smile at the sight of him. He’s dressed in an elegant blue tunic with a heavy sapphire cape trimmed with white fur. Atop his head is a silver circlet similar to mine.
“Yes.” He rolls his eyes. “Eldor made me brush my hair.” His hair does look nice, falling in a straight sheet down his back. Keldarion holds out his arm, and I take it. “Ready to celebrate solstice?”
“With you?” I grin. “Always.”