“Allow me.” He picked up my plate and went around, placing different things in it—an egg nestled in a silver holder, roasted meat, fresh fruit, pastries, more than I could eat in one sitting. When he was done, he deposited it in front of me.
Fancy Daniella Sunder being served by a prince. Yet another ridiculous thing.
He picked up a cup, filled it, placed it atop a small saucer, then handed it over.
“And a surprise,” he said, then sat across from me and gathered a similar breakfast for himself.
I stared into the dark drink. “Is this… coffee?”
“It is.” He poured a cup for himself. “One of the many things I enjoy from your realm.”
That got my attention.
“I’ve spent some time there due to diplomatic endeavors,” he said when he noticed my surprise. “And I found quite a bit to my liking, despite how different everything is. I hope that you can say the same thing about Elf-hame once you leave.”
I made a sound in the back of my throat as I considered. “I like the wine so far… and Dandelion.”
He smiled, his sculpted mouth stretching gently. It was a genuine enough smile, though it did nothing to erase the sadness in his eyes.
“Are you all right?” I asked, unable to help myself.
“I am. Thank you for inquiring.”
“You’re lying.” The words jumped out of me even as I tried to hold them in.
His cobalt blue eyes locked with mine from across the table. I expected him to deny it, but he appeared resigned.
“What is wrong with you,Kalyll?” I used his name for the first time, which, judging by the raised eyebrow he gave me, he noticed all too well.
“Many things are wrong with me,” he said.
“Are you… are you ill?” I couldn’t shake the feeling that his behavior was caused by forces outside of his control. It was stupid. He was probably just a temperamental asshole prince, who could get away with treating people however he wanted whenever his mood soured.
“Ill?” he echoed, seeming amused for some reason. “No, I’m not ill. But enough about me,” he waved a hand in the air, “tell me more about you.” His attitude changed on a dime, going from reflective to casual.
I blinked at him, recognizing his behavior for what it was: a performance.
“That won’t work with me,” I said.
He took a sip of his coffee. “What do you mean?”
“You can’t brush me off with platitudes. I don’t doshallow.”
“I see.” One of his perfect eyebrows arched up. “Others will start coming down for breakfast soon, so why don’t we finish eating and then take a walk? The gardens behind the summer palace are something to behold.”
I nodded, feeling oddly nervous. After that, I was barely able to nibble on a pastry, though I had no trouble downing two cups of coffee.
Before anyone else made it to the table, Kalyll led me out of the dining room and down a hall that cut across a large kitchen. As we passed, the busy staff stopped what they were doing and bowed deeply to the Seelie Prince. I caught a glimpse of tons of food in different stages of preparation, and a large number of Fae of different species; such I’d never seen. There were people with wings, horns, tails, hooves, scales, and skin tones that would put a painter’s palette to shame. I would’ve loved to stop and talk to all of them, but the prince gave me no time for more than a few nods and smiles.
As we reached the gardens, crossing under a stone arch, all thoughts of what we left behind flew right out of my mind. I sucked in a breath, awe washing over me.
“I told you the gardens were beautiful,” Kalyll said, gesturing toward a stone path lined with emerald green grass, colorful plants, and trees draped in cascading purple flowers.
We walked in silence for some time as I admired a waterfall splashing into a pool of water strewn with water lilies. Next to it, there was a bush replete with blooming red roses. Kalyll cut one of them and offered it to me.
I took it with a shaking hand, unsure of what to say.
When we reached a secluded spot that faced the waterfall, the prince found a tree with swooping branches and we sat on a bench under its shade, a carpet of soft clover under our feet. I pushed a stubborn strand of hair away from my face and tucked it behind my ear. Gurgling sounds surrounded us, creating a private space, safe from prying eyes and ears.