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The fact that this was the moment his family were hoping to introduce Kai to his intended for the first time was not lost on me. Gross. I’d always longed for a family, but I would keep my past as an orphan if it meant I didn’t have to deal with all the bullshit Kai went through. I knew he’d already turned them down plenty of times, but that just didn’t seem to matter.
“Introducing Healer Ayla Everton and Sergeant Darla Kahn of his Royal Majesty Nikolai DeLune’s personal entourage!”
I was proud of myself for not jolting out of my skin as a man’s voice came out of nowhere. I didn’t see or scent any masculine person on the landing we’d walked onto, so was he coming from speakers hidden somewhere?
Darla and I gave a courtesy bow, hoping that we went low enough, and then we strode down the stairs. We paused at the bottom, sure that we’d hear Seraphina’s announcement, but when we looked over our shoulders, the young princess was right behind us.
“What are you doing?” I whispered, but Halle just gave me a flat expression.
“Please move to the side. It’s impolite to congregate at the base of the entrance landing.”
“Come on,” Seraphina whispered, linking her arms through ours once again. “I’ll explain it all. Don’t worry.”
Oh, but I was, especially since Seraphina didn’t seem remotely surprised that her name hadn’t been announced like ours. I hoped it wasn’t more familial nonsense.
“Sorry, it’s just more latent wolf stuff,” Seraphina said once we were far enough away from the landing.
I fucking knew it.
“Really?” Darla hissed. “They’re not going to announce you just because you don’t have a wolf form?”
“Well, it’s complicated,” the princess murmured, and I could tell she was trying to defend her family. I felt for her; I did. It was difficult loving them so fiercely when it was clear they couldn’t care less for her. “There are some people who have no idea who I am, or even that there’s a third child in the royal family. It’s better for everyone if it stays that way, you know, for security purposes. It’s not like I’ll defend myself all that well if someone decides to assassinate me. Without any wolf form, I’m a sitting duck.”
I knew that was a crock of shit, but I wasn’t going to stand in the middle of the gala and break the bubble Seraphina was in. I recognized it was less painful than the truth, and honesty wasn’t going to help her all that much. Let her have at least some comfort.
“I see,” I said in an effort to sound convincing. I wasn’t sure how well I pulled it off, however, so I hurried on to change the topic of conversation, which was easy to do considering the lavish outfits of the nobles surrounding us.
Some were dressed in more modern styles, but most were in either Camdarian traditional dress or outfits that reflected the customs of their own kingdoms. Those from the Isles wore shimmering, gossamer robes and jackets, the motifs long, the fabric reflecting nature. Their hair was worn down, though they had beautiful chains of fine silver, gold, gems, and other charms hanging down along their tresses.
It was a shocking display of wealth, and while it truly was gorgeous, it also was… well, pretty awful. Just one of the outfits around me could be sold and feed a town near Canid for a year. Granted, I was wearing just as much finery, which was hard to wrap my head around. It was beginning to make me feel like an alien in my own body.
“I thought I heard them announcing double and trouble,” a familiar voice said, and I turned to see Mad Dog approaching.
Just like Seraphina mentioned, he was wearing something much nicer than our traveling clothes or military uniform. It wasn’t quite as lavish as Darla’s and my getup, but it was still quite nice.
His jacket was formal, reminding me of the navy, back when Camdaria used to have such a thing. Now, most of our water troops came from the Isles, as the faeries there really had the lock on oceanic travel. It was a deep black, matching the cufflinks Seraphina had gotten him, which made me wonder if she’d seen the outfit beforehand, or if Mad Dog’s outfit was some official military uniform she was familiar with.
I imagined she’d had plenty of time trapped in her room to memorize all sorts of ceremonial dresses.
The urge to kidnap her was growing ever stronger. Surely her family wouldn’t mind, right? Who could possibly discover an unknown third royal child at a nowhere fort barely on the edge of Camdarian territory?
“In the flesh,” Darla answered without missing a beat. “But I’m sorry, I don’t think I know you. You sound like a scoundrel with a beard I know, but he’d certainly combust if he were forced to be so well groomed.”
“Hah, well groomed? That’s one thing to call it.”
“What would you say it is?” I asked, stepping out just a little to allow Seraphina to fully stand between Darla and me. She was one of our circle, and she deserved to feel that way.
“I would say it’s camouflage to fit in amongst all the…” He paused to wrinkle his nose, and goodness, even dressed up, there were certain things about Mad Dog that would never change. I adored him for that. “…rich folk around here.”
“I appreciate you couching your language around me,” Seraphina said with a giggle. “For what it’s worth, I think you look quite dashing in your camouflage.”
“Aye, I do look all right with a bit o’ shine, but I’ll tell you what. The spoiled people of your constituency just ain’t my type of folk. You’re a bonnie lass, all right, but I’ve met far more deserving cryptids in the trenches who could use a good meal.”
At that, Seraphina frowned, but it didn’t feel like she was upset. She was truly hearing Mad Dog and taking in what he had to say.
“Is… is there an issue with food in our nation?”
Goodness.
