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“How do you know that?” I press through a constricted sob.

“It’s never been documented or discussed. No one has ever heard from those who have been lost to another realm, especially one of the purgatory realms.”

I don’t doubt what he knows, but I trust what I feel. “How many of Nico’s kind have gone to that place?”

“I don’t know, my Lady.”

My lip quivers but I speak anyway. “Were any of them loved like Nico is loved?”

“I don’t know, my Lady.”

“Then, sweet Pennie, don’t tell me what’s impossible.”

Pennie lifts me onto his lap and cradles me, his warmth breaking through the icy chill that owns my heart. “Quite right, my Lady. I will never tell you what’s impossible, especially when everything about you is beyond what any of us thought possible.”

“What’s the matter with our Lady?” Archie demands from the doorway.

“I dreamt of Nico and he’s being hurt.” Something passes between Pennie and Archie, but I ignore it. “The queen… can I see her yet?”

Archie’s expression falls. “No, my Lady. She’s declared the day one of grief. She will remain in her tower all day and night, with no visitors.”

“Humph.” I consider for a moment. “Fine, I want a tour of the city and I want to meet the monsters who live here. I want to learn about their lives and talk to them. Any issues with that?”

“No, my Lady,” Archie says, beaming with pride. “Your father desires the same.”

“Of course, he does. Dude’s super chatty when he gets going.” My eyes widen before surliness lands not just on my face, but in the deepest part of my soul. “Look, there will benoteaching golf to the monsters.Nogolf in this realm. He’ll say he hates it, but he’s an addict who can’t be trusted. So, don’t even think about facilitating his addiction. And don’t you dare try to win his approval by hooking him up with some skilled monster who can create golf clubs in this realm.”

Grimacing, Archie mumbles, “I believe his golf clubs wereinhis golf cart when it crossed the portal, so they’re already here.”

“Oh, crap. Is there a deep lake on your land?”

“Yes, my Lady.”

“Good, we’re totally sinking those things just as soon as we get back. Maybe you could teach him how to knit. Everyone loves sweaters.”

“It would be my privilege, my Lady.” Archie seems a little too amused, and I don’t believe for a second that he’s onTeam No Golf. I might have inadvertently given him a way to get in my dad’s good graces. Pennie doesn’t look remotely trustworthy either. They both appear to be in the grip of a very bad, golf-infestation-friendly state of mind.

I’m still glaring at them when Bastien leans and distracts me with tender kisses. Then he guides me up and toward the bathroom. There, with absolute dedication, our song playful and sweet, Bastien prepares me for the day. He dresses me in a light blue satin gown, with amazingly comfortable cloth and leather shoes. Then he creates an intricate braid with my hair, weaving a blue ribbon through it. After he places a delicate tiara on my head, the pale blue gems matching my dress, I giggle at my reflection. My monsters packed tiaras for this trip, becauseof coursethey did.

Not only that, I’m soon wearing a matching blue diamond pendant and holding very still as Bastien applies my makeup with exquisite care. My eyes are closed as he works and the calm inside me takes me by surprise. How right this feels between us now is unlike anything that came before, as though our bond is a living entity between us. More than that even, it’s as though we’ve finally inhabited our truest roles. Me to be tended by Bastien and Bastien to tend to me. This isn’t the first time this ritual between us has occurred, but it’s the first time it feels more like a calling than a nice, random moment.

When he’s finished, the person staring back at me in the mirror is a freaking princess.

“You’re beautiful naked, with mussy hair and your lips puffy from all the kisses,” Bastien whispers, running his nose over my earlobe. “But this is good too.”

“Thank you,” I say softly, my eyes misting and my voice cracking with emotion.

“Thank you, Mistress. Now, let’s go meet all your adoring fans.”

I take his offered hand and off we go, with Pennie, Archie, and my dad accompanying us, while Remy and his knights play chaperones. Part of me wants to dash through the city and discover everything, but that’s not the purpose of this outing. I want to meet the monster locals and learn from them whatever they wish to share—whatever will help me to understand who they are and what they desire in their lives. I don’t want to just assume I understand them based on what they clearly lack. I want to know them and for them to know me and my new family.

I don’t know whether it’s fair, but I want them to believe that what we found could be theirs too. Love always felt like winning a lottery with impossible odds, and that’s what it is here, but maybe, one day, we can lower the odds by a huge margin. It’s certainly worth trying.

After a very long day, with much walking, listening, and so much tea I’m about to explode, we begin to meander back to our inn. My monsters seem to understand that I need time to process all the new information playing pinball inside my head. I appreciate their understanding and their quiet presence.

I certainly learned heaps and the monsters were quite gleeful about my interest. I now know about the city, its infrastructure, and the most popular trades. I know about the different family configurations, as well as details about the city’s founding and many noteworthy events throughout its history. It was all fascinating and what delighted me most was their obvious pride in who they are, where they come from, and what they do. For all their sorrow and loneliness, they still believe in their worth and that’s the best starting point possible.

What surprised me most was just how many kinds of monsters there are. During the entire day, in which I met hundreds of them, I never saw a single one who looked like Archie, Pennie, or Nico, and no one had ever seen a Taran before, so my four monsters appear to be rare, or maybe their kinds aren’t city dwellers. I’ll have to ask later, but right now my mind is stirring a dangerous brew based on a piece of information that landed on me with the subtlety of vengeful wasps.