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I glanced at Jace. “Are we all going?”
“Oh, yes,” one of the guests cooed as Jace nodded in agreement. “Ironhelm City is such a charming place for shopping! You’ll love it!”
“Oh… that sounds great,” I said, bobbing my head enthusiastically, happy to know that Jace was joining that day, too. I relaxed slightly, my earlier jealousies about where Jace had been and with whom dissolving.
“And just a little dinner party tonight, I’m afraid,” King Cade added, glancing at me. “I hope you weren’t expecting too much more than that.”
“Oh, no!” I told him quickly. “You’ve already gone over and above what I was expecting.”
“Good! Then it’s settled. The cars will be waiting out front when you’re ready to leave,” King Cade informed us. Queen Zephyrine ushered me from the dining room, several others in tow.
Day two of our Ironhelm journey was officially in play.
As much asI hated to admit it, Ironhelm City grew on me fast and furiously. I was almost at the point where I could envision myself living there, if only to vacation. I didn’t speak my mind aloud, but Jace seemed to read it all the same.
“You like it here, don’t you?” Jace teased me, catching the glint of approval in my eyes as we walked the streets.
The city was modern, but areas of it still held an old-world charm.
“I can’t explain it,” I agreed. “But it’s… surreal-like. Like a children’s book.”
“They’ve done their best to connect with the ancestors, I suppose,” he mused. “I don’t know what the reasoning is. This part of the continent is an enigma to me. But I agree. There is something mystical about it.”
Whatever it was, I loved every moment of our day trip to the city and regretted that it was over so quickly.
“Next time, can we stay longer?” I asked absently, staring out the window forlornly as the buildings faded away on our trip back to the castle.
“What?” Jace laughed, and I turned crimson as I realized what I’d just said.
What next time? Have I lost my mind?
“No… nothing,” I sputtered, and to his credit, Jace didn’t push the issue.
Everyone returned to their suites to dress for dinner, and Jace low whistled when I exited the bathroom in a short, periwinkle blue dress.
“Is this okay? Should I change?” I asked nervously.
“Is that what a whistle means to you in Geldon?” he replied, laughing. “You look… hot. Everyone in the room will be staring at you… again.”
I eyed him shyly, slipping into a pair of stiletto heels and draping a silk shawl over my naked shoulders. Jace extended his arm, and we navigated the stairs carefully in my shoes.
“Should I carry you?” he joked, and I considered it.
“You could have warned me beforehand about the hazards around here,” I told him. “I would have brought more sensible footwear.”
“And missed out on watching this? Where’s the fun in that?”
Snickering, we made our way toward the formal ballroom where tables had been laid out to accommodate everyone for dinner.
Despite what King Cade had said about it “only being a dinner,” the same orchestra from the ball was set up on the stage, and dozens of servants milled about, pouring wine and delivering drinks to the various attendees.
We were seated at the head table with the king and queen, Jace next to the king as I sat to his left, facing outward.
Long tablecloths spilled over the edges of the surface, fine China and the best silverware lined the white tops. No sooner had we sat than the first course began to come out.
To my left sat a minister whose name I couldn’t remember and his bored-looking wife. They had also been at breakfast and were among the pair who had been giving me weird looks.
“Thaddieus,” he told me, and I forgot his name again immediately.
