Trustingly, Caitlyn bobbed her head.
***
Cabaeau was a lot greener than Caitlyn had expected at this time of year. Though that expectation may have come from poor geography skills. Ensconced as it was between southern France and Italy, the weather was still rather sunny and mild.
Caitlyn tied her sweater around her waist as she followed Emrys from the private jet to a large, black sedan. While his hands had been all over her on the jet, now that they’d landed, Emrys simply offered her his arm and guided her where to go. There was a flourish of propriety surrounding every move he made. He’d changed again. From her sweet summer Emrys five years ago, to a driven movie star at the party, to this elegant prince beside her now.
Who was he really?
Caitlyn wondered a bit, but let herself off the hook for thinking about it too much. She was fascinated by the green fields and the old architecture. For such a small country, the city they drove through seemed large, teeming with people going about their business. The car had to slow to compensate for the moderate traffic and the people streaming through the streets. Caitlyn spotted several signs, each emblazoned with French and English.
“Is French the main language here?” Caitlyn asked. In her hasty departure, she hadn’t found the time to do much research on the country.
“Yes, along with English, but most people know enough Italian or German to get by.”
“We’re nowhere near Germany.”
“No, but we’re near Switzerland, and many people in Switzerland speak German.”
Caitlyn took that in. She was passable in French and Japanese, but she was no polyglot. She had always wanted to learn more languages, but never had the time to devote to it. The lack had definitely restricted her travel options. That and funding.
“Your streets are so clean,” Caitlyn noted.
“I’d hope that was a given.”
“We just came from New York. How much time did you spend outside?”
Emrys gave a polite chuckle. “Look up there. That Cathedral is one of the oldest in Europe.”
“Oh.” Caitlyn looked out the window to see the church’s spires reaching for the sky. The rest was obscured from view by other buildings and the palace.
Cabeau had been lovingly crafted by its architects. Each house was jauntily colored, and many had a large, circular window on the second story. The people walked as fast as people did on the streets of New York, but they seemed a bit friendlier. Caitlyn could see groups chatting with one another as they poured from one sidewalk to another. They were so lively and energetic, and everything seemed so bright.
This city was like a gem that had been hidden from every history book and list of travel hotspots.
As they approached the palace, Caitlyn had the strange feeling of being brought up in a carriage drawn by four white horses—or maybe 500 horsepower. The gates opened in front of them, and the car pulled around to a large garage that seemed to house every possible car color known to humankind.
“Leave the luggage,” Emrys instructed. He left the car first and held out a hand for Caitlyn. “It will be taken care of.”
She stretched beside the car and yawned.
“You can spend a few hours resting. Eventually you’ll have to meet mother and father and whoever happens to be at the house currently. My sisters will all be coming in for the annual Autumn Ball, but they may not be here yet.” Emrys held his arm out for her to take once more.
“Your sisters? How many do you have?”
“Three. Imelda, Elsa, and Adora.”
“That explains your charm. So much experience with women.”
“My father and I were outnumbered for most of my childhood. When I was seven, he invited my uncle and cousins for an extended stay, just to even the odds.”
“What kind of war games were you playing here?”
Emrys furrowed his brow at her. “Nothing so exciting. Really just a rehearsal of manners.”
“Manners?”
“You’ll find out.”
The inside of the palace was just as gorgeous as the rest of the city. Each window stretched to the ceiling. The walls were immaculately white, and carvings of marble ivy crept along the frame of every door.
Emrys gave her a deep bow and then gestured to an older woman with her hair done up in braids. “Heloise will take you to your rooms.”
“My rooms?” Caitlyn blinked at him in disbelief. “As in plural?”
“As in plural.” Emrys smirked. “Go get a nap. I’ll see you at lunch.”
Caitlyn wrapped her sleeves around her fingers as she watched Emrys go.
“Come this way, Miss Caitlyn.” Heloise gave a gentle bow with her head and headed down the hallway.
Between the sparkling windows and vaulted ceilings and the innumerable paintings and wall hangings, Caitlyn felt like her eyes were stuffed full. Servants passed them quickly and quietly, but otherwise, the hallways seemed both empty and endless.