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For the first time, Cyrus’s eyes met mine. They were a lovely shade of green, and he beamed as he stepped toward me. He took my hand and planted a gentle kiss across my knuckles. My stomach fluttered at the delicate touch. Those nerves I hadn’t felt? They made their appearance now. It all hit me and my cheeks flushed a vivid shade of pink. Hopefully, he mistook it for rouge.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Emilie,” he said, and I noticed he held my hand a little longer than necessary.
This wasn’t the first time we’d met, but I didn't correct him. No one needed the reminder that our first meeting was actually when I’d been a child and he’d already been a young adult.
“The pleasure is mine,” I replied.
Cyrus stepped back and acknowledged his entourage. “This is my brother Ladon and my mother Sophia. And this is my advisor, Hudson.”
Hudson gave a curt nod to my parents and me. I extended a hand toward Sophia, but she pulled me in for a warm embrace instead.
“Oh,” I said softly. I hadn’t expected such an intimate introduction.
“It’s so nice to see you again, Emilie. I’m sure you don’t remember your visits here as a child, but you were always such a joy to have around. I still remember you splashing in the waves of the sea for the first time. You were the most darling thing. I look forward to catching up.” She looked deep into my eyes and I struggled not to fidget. “You’ve grown into such a beautiful woman. Wouldn’t you agree, Cyrus?”
I turned to face the man behind me, and he nodded in affirmation. A soft smile stretched across his face and I found that mine soon matched his.
Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad.
Lastly, I greeted Cyrus’s brother Ladon. I raised my hand, and he stared at it a second too long before he reached to grab it. He gave me a firm, steady shake with a calloused palm and didn't say a word before dropping my hand and moving toward his brother.
“Nice to meet you, too,” I mumbled under my breath.
“Shall we move inside?” Sophia asked. She had a shawl draped over her shoulders, even though it was pleasantly warm this evening. Perhaps I was just so used to the overbearing heat of Dreslen that Osavian’s night air felt comfortable to me.
She led us inside and already there were workers making trips in and out of the castle carrying trunks of my belongings and the bags my parents packed. Theirs were much smaller than mine since they wouldn’t be staying long. Just a few days while I acclimated.
Cyrus and my father were deep in conversation while my mother clung to them like a parasite. It was embarrassing how desperately she wanted to exert her influence.
I took one look at the stacks of my possessions that were now piling up in the entryway and realized my mother might’ve had a point. It seemed excessive now that everything was out in the open for all to see. I hoped Cyrus didn’t think that I was simply a material woman.
I loved dresses and jewels and fine art, but I also loved to read and learn. Hopefully, he would see there was more substance to me than what these trunks presented.
Ladon watched as each of the trunks paraded past him. He caught me looking at him and his eyes squinted in the tiniest fraction. “Is this all yours?” he asked.
I lifted my head a little higher. It was one thing to be hard on myself, but I would not be shamed by Cyrus’s brother for wanting to bring all the comforts of home. “Yes,” I responded firmly.
His jaw rippled, and I figured he was holding back a retort. If he was smart, he probably knew it was unwise to insult his future sister-in-law and future Queen of Osavian.
I brushed my hair from my shoulder and strode toward Cyrus and my parents. Ladon scoffed behind me, but I didn't turn around. I refused to give him the impression that his opinion mattered to me—even if it did.
The first lesson in power that I’d been taught was to never let anyone believe they hold any persuasion over you. It was a weakness they would exploit every chance they got.
“I can show you to your rooms now if you’d like. I’m sure you must be tired from traveling all day,” Cyrus said.
“If you don’t mind, I’d love—”
“Yes, we would love to settle in for the night. Thank you, Cyrus. You are so thoughtful.” My mother interrupted me and spewed a load of her usual over-the-top dramatics. She acted as if we’d been traveling for weeks and not hours.
I had just been about to say how much I’d love to see the town—it had looked so inviting as we’d passed earlier—but I supposed I’d be going to bed instead. I took a deep breath, reminding myself I only had to put up with my mother for a few more days.
“I’ll be there shortly,” Ladon said from a distance, as he turned to talk with the workers who were transferring our belongings.
Cyrus led us to the living quarters of the castle. We hadn’t seen much of the castle yet, but I could already tell every corner was dripping in grandeur. From the ornate banisters to the long, patterned rugs that lined the hallways. Every detail was intentional. The marble floors contained swirling lines of black that reminded me of the vines that crawled up the castle’s exterior. And I was half-convinced the curtains at the top of the grand staircase were enchanted. They were closed, but they shimmered as if the stars were just beyond the fabric, filling the landing with a majestic blue glow.
Cyrus set my parents up in a suite next to Sofia. Then he took me up a second staircase to another level of suites.
“How many floors does the castle have?” I wondered aloud.
