In unison, all three of them looked to see which of the Starstorm brothers had decided to join them, except it wasn’t any of them.
There stood Prince Aspen, looking every inch the esteemed heir to all of Aeramere. He wore a rich forest green coat, the hem stitched in gold, and a stark white shirt underneath with the collar popped. The top two buttons were undone, revealing a swath of bronze skin, and a chain with what appeared to be miniature animal skulls dipped in gold hung from his neck. His pants were black, his boots were polished, and he bent at the waist, bowing deeply.
“Your Highness.” Sarelle jumped out of her seat, nearly spilling her glass of starberry punch all over the oak table. She lowered herself into a prim, well-practiced curtsy. “I beg your pardon, we weren’t expecting you.”
Narissa and Caelian followed suit, each dipping into a curtsy, but neither taking their eyes off the prince, whose gaze had yet to trail away from Sarelle.
“Ladies.” Prince Aspen tucked his hands behind his back, his broad shoulders encompassing the whole of the doorway. A lock of dark brown hair fell across one eye. “I’ve come to call upon Lady Sarelle.”
Narissa glanced across the table at her friend, only to see Sarelle’s color fade considerably. She smoothed away a few invisible wrinkles from her satin day dress, the bold hue of blue matching her eyes. She’d already confided in Narissa that shehad not seen the prince in weeks and had very little success in attempting to woo him for Ariesian’s cause. So, for Prince Aspen to make such an unannounced arrival was rather shocking.
And intriguing.
When she didn’t answer right away, the prince continued speaking without interruption. “I thought we might take a stroll through the city of Celestine.”
Sarelle’s gaze darted to the nearest window, where the sun was shining brilliantly against a sky of the brightest blue. It was quite deceiving, for it looked positively lovely, but once outside, the winter season made itself known.
“Are you certain you wish to venture to Celestine?” Sarelle worried her bottom lip and there was the slightest hitch in her voice. “It’s quite cold today.”
Prince Aspen’s face remained impassive, yet each word was spoken with calculated innuendo. “I am more than confident in my abilities to keep you warm, Lady Sarelle.”
Narissa swallowed her gasp, and Caelian coughed loudly to cover her giggle of surprise.
Sarelle, however, turned a rather vivid shade of pink. The furious blush colored her cheeks and nose, chasing away her earlier pallor. “Of course, Your Highness.”
She excused herself then and Narissa and Caelian watched in awed silence as she tucked her hand into the crook of the prince’s offered arm without another word.
Once their footfalls could no longer be heard, Caelian expelled the breath she’d been holding.
“Narissa,” she breathed, clutching both hands to her stomach, lashes flying back, framing her wide eyes. “Can you believe that? He just showed up out of the blue, no notice, no warning. Then to speak to her soboldly.And withuspresent?”
She laughed again, then snorted.
“Honestly.” Narissa pulled her mouth to the side. “It was as though we weren’t even here. He did not spare us a glance. Not once.”
“Who didn’t dare to spare my beautiful wife a glance?” Solarius’s voice carried from the door as he strode into the dining hall.
Narissa sighed with relief. She’d been worried about him, hating how he shut her out of his mind, how she’d been blocked and unable to reach him. But seeing him in the flesh quelled some of her concern. The moment he wrapped an arm around her waist, she molded into his side.
“Prince Aspen,” Caelian answered, tucking a few stray hairs back behind one ear.
“Prince Aspen?” Solarius looked down at Narissa, then over to his sister and back again. “Prince Aspen is here? In the house?”
Narissa nodded. “He called upon Sarelle just moments ago.”
“Hewhat?”
Caelian rolled her eyes at her brother’s dramatics. “It’s fine, Sol. He asked her to accompany him for a stroll through Celestine, nothing more. There will be plenty of onlookers milling about, ready to wag their tongues, and spread rumors as soon as they’re both out of earshot.”
But then Caelian’s blue eyes locked onto Narissa, and they shared a look of secrecy—neither of them would hazard mentioning the prince’s implications in regards to Sarelle’s body temperature.
“Still, I wish either myself or Ariesian had been informed of his arrival.” Solarius folded his arms across his chest, a line forming along his brow. “He should have asked one of us if he intends to court her.”
Again, Caelian snorted, and Solarius’s scowl deepened.
“Please, Sol. He’s the Prince of Aeramere. He doesn’t need your permission to doanything.”She flipped her long hair over one shoulder and gathered her violet satin skirts to depart. “Besides, it’s not like he asked for her hand. Merely her time.”
She dipped her head then, leaving them alone in the dining hall, and Narissa found that she was pleased to see a glimpse of Caelian’s former self make an appearance.
