Tarts & Tiaras (Falhaven Castle #3)

What Happened Before

Custards & Crowns

Evie is excitedly awaiting Nate's return, even if she's a little concerned about how to reveal her feelings to him now that she's realised that she's in love with him.

When he arrives back, she's waiting for him in the courtyard, and the two have an affectionate reunion, including Evie introducing Nate to her sister-in-law, Solana, and her brother Artie revealing that they all know that Evie's missed Nate.

The two of them bake together, but Nate burns his arm while feeding Ember, which Evie tends to with some of the Aloe Vera from her plant. They have a good time together, falling into a pattern of familiarity with added affection that Evie enjoys.

Evie attends a family dinner where her father and siblings are complimentary about Nate's baking, which she likes.

Her mother is less pleased to hear that Nate is back in the castle and asks Evie if she's drinking tea.

Evie is confused as they aren't serving tea, to which her sisters (Kathryn and Veronica) help her by revealing their mother means accident tea to avoid pregnancy.

The conversation horrifies the Queen, and the subject gets changed to the upcoming visit from Gaullessian nobles.

While setting up to bake quiche (a request from Kathryn), Nate and Evie talk about gifts, and that it's customary to give them to those you love.

Nate agrees that she can buy him gifts within reason, which results in her suggesting that she asks her brother to teach Nate to ride.

Nate says he loves her and that she's his best friend, which crushes her hopes of confessing her true feelings to him.

Evie is distracted over breakfast, and ends up telling Veronica about the night before, to which Veronica tells her to try again with confessing, and that she might do something with Nate outside the castle.

The Queen appears and informs them both that Kathryn is ill and Evie needs to take over her duties as Crown Princess with the upcoming Gaullessian visit.

Evie is horrified but Veronica promises she'll help.

At a meeting about the upcoming feast for the delegation, Evie suggests using lemons in the menu to show off the bounty they've got from their trade treaty with Someil (Solana's kingdom), but Nate's father (the castle's baker) points out that it might not be wise, and Nate suggests she checks first. Nate agrees to go to the theatre with her, and Evie instructs her private secretary (Marion) to make the arrangements.

Evie and Nate attend the theatre, giving her a chance to see him dressed very smartly and enjoy how handsome he looks.

Evie feels as if they almost kiss, but the play starts before she can say anything.

When they return home, they both admit that it was nice to spend time together outside the castle and that they should do it more.

When Evie enters her room she finds Veronica waiting for her wanting to hear how it went, and saying that she should use her words to tell Nate that she's in love with him.

Evie and Nate are making chocolates with freeze-dried raspberries for Veronica, which Evie explains as being because she's been quite helpful recently (though she doesn't say why).

Nate accidentally offers to come to the meeting with her father about potentially including lemons on the menu at the feast (he thought he was offering to write Evie notes).

Evie is about to start a conversation about her feelings when Nate's new sous chef, Camille, arrives.

Evie feels jealous but doesn't recognise the feeling and rushes out of the kitchen.

Nate follows Evie to her room and the two of them talk.

He guesses that she was unsettled about Camille, but has no idea why.

Nate reveals that he and Camille slept together a few times, which upsets Evie because it makes her worry that Nate wants something she can't give him.

He also reveals that they stopped because he realised that he was in love with someone else.

After he's gone, Evie talks to Veronica, who asks if Evie's considered that she might be the one Nate is talking about, but Evie doesn't believe it.

She also reassures Evie that there are lots of reasons to have sex with someone, and if she wants to, then she can even if she doesn't feel any sexual desire towards people.

Veronica encourages Evie to talk to Nate about how she feels about sex, because it's the only way to find out if they're compatible on that front.

While making vanilla slices, Evie starts the conversation with Nate, in which she admits to him that she's asexual but isn't sex averse, while he reveals that he's demisexual and only wants to be with the person he loves.

Evie asks him why he hasn't told the person yet, and he says it's because he didn't know if she was ready to hear it.

Evie is about to tell him she loves him when his father arrives, and the two have to part ways.

Nate attends the meeting with Evie's father where they come up with a good solution for the inclusion of lemons in the menu.

Evie also asks Nate if he wants to spend more time outside the kitchens with her, and while he's not able to on the day she asks because of the delegation and work, he says he'd like it.

The delegation arrives, and Evie is pleased to learn they approve of Nate's pastries.

At the feast, she finds herself thinking about Nate a lot until Veronica points out that Nate is in love with Evie in a way that actually registers.

Despite knowing her mother won't approve, Evie leaves the feast early to make her way down to the kitchens.

Once there, she asks Nate if he's in love with her, and he confirms that he is, leading to her confessing that she feels the same.

He checks that she's comfortable with kissing, and the two kiss for the first time.

But Nate asks if they can talk after he's finished with food prep, which she agrees to.

Evie answers the door to her room, expecting it to be Nate behind it, but finding her mother instead.

The Queen tells her off for leaving the feast early, and instigates a "no leaving before the end" rule for the remainder of the time that the delegation is there, which Evie is not looking forward to.

She also tells Evie that she'll be having a ball for her twenty-fifth birthday and will be expected to interact with prospective suitors.

Evie protests, pointing out that she doesn't need to be married in order to secure the Falhavian succession, she could just have a baby, but her mother doesn't listen.