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“You have no love interests?” A pretty fae like her should have a dozen suitors waiting for her to call.
She shook her head. “My father is very protective. I still live with him, when I’m not staying at the palace to help you, that is. He does not allow suiters.”
“How old are you?”
“Twenty-two.”
A year younger than me. My eyes widened in surprise. She held herself with such poise and grace, I’d thought she was in her late twenties. “Is that common here?”
“In certain circles of Guldtown, a female will live at home until wed, or until their liege lord calls upon them for a task such as this one. My circle observes such practices.” She sighed, which made me think she wished things were different. “In the capital, and some territories, such as Virtoris Island, females of my station have more freedoms. Some even live outside their family home before marriage. My father calls it a life of debauchery.”
I thought about that, and about how she was spending so much time with me. My lady-in-waiting only rested when she slept.
“You know, Clemencia, I don’t need you to do everything for me. Now that you’ve gotten a little freedom, if you wanted to go on a date or two, I’d understand. And of course, I wouldn’t say a word.”
She eyed me sidelong. “You still need a lot of help to learn the ways of the court.”
I couldn’t deny it. I’d made progress in etiquette these past few days, but I had a long way to go before I became a perfect lady.
“Plus, my father would know if I went out in Guldtown.” She shrugged.
“The offer stands,” I said. She deserved a life too, and she would not get one under her father’s thumb if he had any say. “If a male catches your eye at the Courting Festival, I’d like to know.”
Clemencia didn’t reply, and remained quiet as we exited the castle. Soft snow fell, but today had warmed compared to most days in Guldtown, and when the clouds broke, the sun shone through. I smiled, delighting in the weather, which I considered perfect.
Roar already stood at the gate, among others in the distance. He caught sight of me, and his face lit up as he waved.
In just a few days, he’d become more relaxed around me. Laughing and smiling more and even teasing me about my enormous appetite and love of desserts, all the while making sure I was well fed and taken care of.
A part of me thought that he’d grown more relaxed because there was an undercurrent of attraction between us, which I considered only natural. We were both good-looking fae, and we were intentionally playing a couple in love.
For my part, I knew my attraction had to be at least partially down to the fact that Roar was the first male faerie I’d grown close to, and he was really everything a female could want.
And yet, oddly, I felt that he was more attracted to me than I was to him. He certainly initiated contact and sought me out more. Like when he showed up at dance lessons or took dinners in my room after the orc attack.
Or when he’d tried to kiss me.
Those actions gave me pause. After all, why would a high lord truly like me? By comparison, I had little to offer, while Roar had much to give.
But then again, perhaps I was just that unused to kindness from those in power. Before coming here, I’d experienced no such thing.
I tried not to think of it too much. If I’d been certain about my feelings for him, things might be different, but I wasn’t sure about how I felt. Were my feelings more of an infatuation with someone so unlike myself, a person who truly seemed to like me too? Or could they be real?
For now, all I knew was that I needed to convince the King of Winter we had become a couple and save Roar from an arranged marriage he did not want. That was my focus.
As we got closer, it became clear Roar dismissed the other fae and turned to me. “Your wings look much better. And they’re finally unbound.”
I flexed my wings, reveling again in how different they felt. “Althea said they should have the chance to breathe.”
“That’s wonderful news.”
“So what’s going on?” I held up the letter.
“As an orc horde interrupted our first trip into the city, I thought we might try again.”
I swallowed, suddenly nervous. Behind the castle gates, I felt safe—safer than I’d ever felt in my life. “Is that a good idea?”
“I’ve had the surrounding area swept for orc hordes. Don’t worry. That will never happen again.”
