SABINE
I prepare for my outing with Alex, probably more excited than I should be.
My gown is ivory, with a laced bodice and full skirt—lightweight enough I shouldn’t melt in the summer heat. Before I step out of my room, I tie the pink satin ribbon in my hair, wondering if Alex will remember it.
“Ah, Your Highness,” Lord Cavinder says when we meet in the hall. “I had hoped to speak with you for a moment, but it looks like you’re on your way out.”
I don’t often meet Lord Cavinder in the house alone, but Frederick left yesterday to visit his mother again.
“Will you have time this evening?” he asks.
A feeling of foreboding settles in my stomach. I can’t think of any reason he’d need to talk to me, and the idea of purposely meeting him alone makes me uncomfortable.
“I’m not sure how late I’ll be,” I hedge. “Perhaps we could all have tea tomorrow when Frederick returns?”
“I’m afraid the matter I wish to discuss is for your ears only. Don’t despair—we can set aside a few minutes whenever you have time. Enjoy your outing.”
He passes me with an easy smile, but it feels as if the temperature in the hall has dropped twenty degrees. Goosebumps rise on my arms, and I shudder.
Brushing the uncomfortable encounter aside, I step outside, enjoying the morning while it’s still pleasant. Already the day is hot beyond the shade of the townhouse.
But we’re on the cusp of a new season. Frederick said the cheerful mounds of rust-colored flowers are chrysanthemums. They bloom when autumn approaches, beginning in the heat of late summer and continuing into the cooler days. The trees’ foliage is lighter, too—a little brighter, a little more yellow.
Will I be here to see their leaves change from green to scarlet and gold? It’s a thing I’ve read about in books, but I never imagined I might have a chance to see it myself.
I push the thoughts aside when Alex arrives in a horse-drawn cabriolet. The small carriage is just large enough for the two of us, with no room for attendants. It seems we’ll be truly alone.
Alex hops down, grinning. He doesn’t wear a jacket today—just a tan waistcoat over a white shirt that he’s rolled up to his elbows. “Am I late?”
“No.” I walk down the entry path to meet him. “I came outside to enjoy the morning.”
“It should be somewhat cooler near the ocean,” he promises. “You might want to grab a shawl.”
“I can’t imagine I’ll need it in such weather.”
A playful smile steals across his face. “I plan to have you out rather late, Your Highness.”
I stumble, tripping over my own feet. Thankfully, Alex doesn’t seem to notice. Not wanting to go back into the house alone, I say, “Come inside with me?”
Frederick’s groom rounds the house, and Alex greets him. Leaving the horse and carriage in the man’s care, he walks up the steps with me.
“Lord Cavinder is home,” I explain quietly, even though Alex doesn’t ask why I need his company to fetch a shawl.
“You’re alone with him?” he says, startled—and obviously not liking the situation any more than I do.
I nod.
Alex offers his arm, and I gladly take it. I feel far more comfortable with him by my side.
“I’m this way,” I tell him, gesturing down the hall, wondering what the staff will think if they see me escorting a male visitor to my room. And then I remember I don’t care.
I’m beginning to forget my place. I’m the future queen of the Auvenridge Court, and these are just humans. What difference does their opinion make to me?
But no matter how I tell myself, it doesn’t settle right anymore. Because I do care, just as much as I would if they were my own peers. After all, haven’t I been living as a human this last month? Am I truly any different because I cannot use my magic?
I shake my head, uncomfortable.
“Are you all right?” Alex asks with a curious look, obviously spotting my distress.