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“I see.” My stomach roiled. What had I gotten myself into by trying to trick the king?

“Shall we?” Genji motioned for us to continue, which we did, and as I crossed the interior lobby, I looked upward at the domed glass ceiling.

In the open intersection of busy corridors, the ceiling allowed everyone a glimpse of the blue winter sky. Through the glass, I spied those silver hawks again, resting atop the spires. I wondered if King Magnus had placed the bear here on purpose, so that when the hawks looked down, they saw they were no longer revered in the palace.

Whatever the case, I felt glad when Genji pulled us down a half dozen more white corridors, each filled with nosey fae who acknowledged Roar and stared openly at me.

Finally, Genji stopped before a door. “This suite is yours.”

“Who else is staying in this wing?” Roar asked.

The question surprised me, but why, I wasn’t sure. He was tactical and six other doors stood in this hall. Clearly, he wanted to know who we might potentially run into in our hallway.

“Warden of the East, Lady Ithamai, and her daughters have the suite at the end. And Lord Riis is staying down this hall with his three eldest boys.” Genji dipped his head. “The other families of the Sacred Eight are nearby, but not in your wing.”

“Riis,” Roar grumbled. “I take it his eldest bastards are here?”

“They are, my lord.”

“Why? Doesn’t the Lord of Tongues live in Avaldenn? Can’t they stay at home?”

Genji swallowed. “He alternates between his castle and the city, my lord. He owns many thriving businesses here.”

Roar snorted, which told me that whatever Lord Riis did for a living, the warden did not approve. “Why they’re allowed at the Courting Festival, I’ll never understand. But I suppose being the Lord of Tongues earns you different benefits than the rest of us.”

Genji looked away.

Pity for the poor fae rose in me. “Thank you for showing us here, Genji.”

“Of course, my lady.” Genji looked relieved. “I’ll take my leave. Soon a maid and manservant will stop by.”

“That won’t be necessary.” Clemencia shook her head. “Not for my lady.”

“Nor me. When we require it, I’ll pull the servant cord and request a maid to clean,” Roar instructed.

The fewer people in our bubble, the better.

“Very well. I shall see you tomorrow.” Genji bowed and left us staring at the door to our quarters.

Roar said nothing as he opened the doors to our suite. We stepped into an antechamber, complete with a hearth embellished with a beige fur rug in front of it. Near the hearth a small table for two sat and a navy settee and three off-white armchairs waited in the center of the room, perfect to relax in. I was relieved to find there wasn’t a white bear in sight. Rather, the designer of the suite had decorated it with what looked to be historical paintings.

In one such image, a fae with long white hair stood atop a mountain, a scepter gleaming in his hand. In another, a beauty who could only be a princess walked among frozen gardens. The one that caught my eye the most was that of a mermaid flinging herself out of the water as a ship of sailors watched on in awe.

“Not bad.” Roar swept from the main room to one of the side rooms. “Two proper bedchambers and servants quarters right next to them. The one by Neve’s room will be for you, Clemencia.”

“I’d rather we not call them servants quarter,” I said, and Roar had the good grace to look chastened.

“It’s not a problem,” Clemencia assured me.

“But if anyone asks, you’re not a maid,” I assured her because a lady with her standing in Guldtown would not like to be thought of as such.

Although her shrug told me she didn’t care. She did this for her lord. Maybe for me too.

“Our rooms have their own bathing chambers,” Roar added. “We have a dining nook, though of course, once the festival begins, we’ll dine with the royals and nobles most of the time. For dinners, certainly. Likely lunches too.” He smiled and the strain on his face softened. “And there’s a small library tucked close to that window. They must have known a bibliophile was coming.”

He pointed, and when I saw what I’d missed before, I smiled. The library was nothing compared to the one in Roar’s castle, but I couldn’t wait to dive in.

“The trunks will arrive soon.” Clemencia cleared her throat. “Lady Neve, will you show me where you’d like your things?”