I nodded, wondering whose neck it had been around once upon a time.

“She was a nice lady, though. Fiery. My father gave her more than she asked. He was kind like that.”

“Then I would very much like to meet him one day.”

Valentina kept her eyes on the horizon and her hand on her necklace. “I wish you could. I wish you could have met both of them.”

I sighed, knowing I’d just ruined what was shaping up to be a great conversation. “I’m very sorry.”

Her gaze went over to the king. “So am I.”

I didn’t understand the sudden tinge of anger in her tone, but I didn’t have long to dwell on it. In the distance the maids were arriving, trays of delicacies in their hands.

“I’ve heard you have an interest in foreign cuisine. I took the liberty of having some dishes made especially for you.” I gestured to the approaching army of servants and watched as her face lit up.

“You did?” Her tone was incredulous.

“Yes. I . . . I wasn’t misinformed, was I? You certainly don’t have to eat any—”

“No, no! I’m thrilled!” She exclaimed as tray after tray was set on our blanket. “I know this one,” she said. “You usually make these for Crowning Day, right?”

“Yes. I tried to get a few things that were unique regionally and then a few associated with Coroan holy days. These pies over here? They’re for the solstice and have golden syrup in them.”

She picked up one of the treats and popped it in her mouth. I was adventurous with most things, but strange foods always gave me pause. I admired that, even in this, she plowed forward.

“Delicious. And these?” She went from plate to plate, asking questions and eating as much as she could stomach. When her smile was unguarded, she looked younger, more hopeful. In this tiny moment, I saw a Valentina that had not been present in the Great Room or on the jousting field. She was a clear beauty; even when she was frowning it was undeniable. There was something about this face that made me understand how she could be placed on a throne, be adored by the masses.

But then I thought of some of the comments the Eastoffes had made and realized she didn’t seem to be adored in that sense. I supposed the people had never seen this smile.

“This is the nicest thing anyone has done for me in a long time,” she said, basking in the sun. “Thank you.”

“You’re very welcome. Come visit anytime you feel the slightest bit peckish.”

When she giggled, the sound flew high and danced in the trees.

“Valentina!” King Quinten snapped, motioning to his bow, as if her laughter was interrupting something of the highest importance. That bright smile disappeared in an instant, and all the light around her died. She demurely nodded her head, then picked up a pie to cover her mouth.

“He’s such a tyrant,” she muttered under her breath. “I swear, if he had the stamina, he’d hunt down joy itself and shoot it through.” A moment later she remembered herself. “Please don’t repeat that.”

I picked up a small pie to obstruct the view of my mouth as well. “Don’t worry. If there’s anything I understand, it’s the value of a certain level of privacy. Mine’s dropped considerably recently, and I can’t imagine yours. I wouldn’t say anything. Besides, I think you’re right. He’s a bit of a grump.”

She pressed her lips together, suppressing her smile. “So, Lady Hollis, what are our plans for tonight?”

I could feel my heart beating fast. Things were really starting to turn around. “King Jameson has recently gifted me with a set of golden dice. I’m trying to learn some games.”

“I’ll bring money. It’s much more fun when there’s something on the line,” she offered, as if this were some piece of great wisdom.

“We can invite our ladies, too, if you’d like.”

She shook her head. “No. I’d like to just be with you.”

I smiled. “Absolutely, Your Majesty.”

At the title she rolled her eyes. “All right, it was fun when I was making you grovel, but you can just call me Valentina now.”

“I can always grovel for old times’ sake if you get bored later.”

She giggled at that, too, but pushed the sound away quickly. I could see King Quinten blow out a huff, but he took his time looking back at us. His eyes glanced off Valentina and swiftly settled on me, and I felt a chill. I may have finally gotten through to her, but I was still little more than an insect to him. I looked away quickly.

I reminded myself I was here to accompany Valentina, and if she was satisfied, I was doing my duty . . . but I knew that once I was queen, there would always be a Quinten in my life. Dignitaries and envoys would come and go, and I would be in the middle of it all, unable to hide. Some would probably like me well enough, but there would always be some who felt satisfied with ignoring me.

I pulled my chin up, and I thought of Valentina. We ladies in our gilded cage, we had to make the best of it.

Nineteen

IT DIDN’T TAKE LONG FOR Valentina to tire, which worked out just fine for me, as I had business of my own to attend to. The parcel was light, and, thanks to the painting outside their rooms that Lady Eastoffe had told me about, I knew where I was heading.

I was technically there to see Scarlet, but there were butterflies plotting a riot in my stomach. I felt too many things at once to know what they truly were. Would Silas be there? Would he try to talk to me? Did I want him to?

The kiss had been a surprise. No, not a surprise, a mistake. Certainly, Silas was easy to talk to, easy to understand. There was an undercurrent of goodness to everything he did, and the way his family so clearly valued each other made me want to be closer to not just him but all of them. And he was his own kind of handsome, with those blue eyes and that angelic smile. Yes, there was something very charming about Silas Eastoffe.

But seeing as he was not Jameson Barclay, it really didn’t matter. Charm wouldn’t give me a crown or bring hope to a kingdom. Charm was nice, not necessary.

I squared myself in front of the door, bracing myself for whatever—and whoever—might be on the other side, and I knocked.

“Lady Hollis! How nice to see you!” Scarlet greeted me, opening the door wide.

“Just the person I was looking for,” I said, ignoring the pang in my heart. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”

“Not at all. Please, come in.” She motioned that I should enter, and I walked in, taking in the space.

There was a small fireplace and a table that was maybe big enough for four with six chairs crammed around it. There wasn’t much for decoration, but they did have some flowers on the set of drawers beneath the window. Two doors led to where their sleeping quarters must have been. I felt a little bad for Scarlet, as she must have been sharing a room with her brothers, with no space to herself.

The only thing that saved the apartment was that one window. It was large, matching the size of all the others down that particular outside wall, so that every chamber in the palace, regardless of size, had a wide pane of domed glass letting light in. I stared at it, thinking her view was so very different from mine.

“You see that building over there?” she asked, pointing to a small stone structure with a thatch roof and a large chimney that was expelling smoke even now. “That’s where Silas and Sullivan are working.”