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Agnar scuffs at his neck and chin with the back of his hand. “Nay. S’not true.”

As I roll my eyes at the terrible pun, he smirks.

“Don’t bother to argue with the man. It’s nearly a compliment from his mouth.” Blair groans as he sits up straight, ignoring Sterling’s grin. “Although, he would know about ugly horses. His very first girlfriend was this sway-backed, mangy old nag. The homeliest creature you’ve ever laid eyes on. Silver loved Knox though. She used to break out of her stall and follow him around like a lost puppy.”

My eyes widen as I turn to Agnar. “Wait…Silver? Is that why you called him Prince Silver the day you stole me from Flighthaven?”

“I prefer the termliberated. And yes. Blair and I started calling him Silver whenever he pissed us off which, let’s face it, was over half the time. Then, we got into the habit of calling him that at other times too. It eventually died off, but I like to resurrect the name every now and then to keep his ego in check.”

I snicker. “I bet he just loves that.”

Struggling to smile, Bastian just nods along. While he might partake in this type of tomfoolery in the field or during training, he’s clearly not comfortable with it in the king’s quarters, right in front of the crown prince. I wonder how he would feel knowing Sterling’s position should rightfully be mine. Would he become just as stiff around me? Or worse, would he back Sterling’s claim over mine?

I’m still not sure what I’m going to do about that, or even how I feel, but it’s a conversation we’ll have to have before the fast-approaching coronation.

Agnar snorts—or maybe it’s a brief snore—as he jerks upright. “Seeing as you’re all caught up and know there’s nothing more we can do tonight, how about letting us go so we can get some food and hit the racks?”

“Go. Go.” Sterling smiles, amusement dancing in his eyes. “Tomorrow we’ll train and resume the research. Agnar, Blair, you talk to the men and anyone you know who might have knowledge of ancient weapons. See if any of them used anything from phoenixes.” He dismisses the two with a flick of his hand, but they ignore him. “The rest of you know how to read books, so the Royal Archives sounds like a good spot. After food and rest.”

“Books?” Blair slaps Agnar on the knee to get him to pay attention. “Those are the things with all the pages covered in pretty drawings, right?”

Agnar shakes his head, levering himself up from the couch. “Maybe. I’ve never bothered opening any of them.” He winks at Sterling. “I’m not some noble born with so much time on my hands I can sit around and admire pretty pictures all day long.”

Deciding to take the opportunity to bathe while Sterling is occupied, I rise from the couch.

When he reaches for my hand, I gesture to the dirt that clings to my skin thanks to a night of sleeping on the ground and a morning spent climbing through a window and investigating the remnants of a crumbling palace. Sterling nods, pressing a kiss against my knuckles and letting me go.

Retreating to my rooms, I head straight for my bathing chamber. On days like this, I really appreciate the overhead sluices. I use them to get clean quickly, with fresh water replacing the dirty almost immediately. I peel away the layers of grime and exertion, water cascading over skin marked with the day’s trials. The cuts on my arm are pink, but not hot or puckered.

In due time, I am refreshed and ready to crawl into my bed. Two days of solid flying has taken its toll on me. Wrapped in a soft nightgown and robe, I leave the steamy bathing chamber, only to find the door to my private sitting room open and voices coming from inside. Recognizing my mother’s and sister’s voices, I pad over.

“Oh, Lark, dear, there you are.” Mother scoots to one of the low-backed couches and pats the cushion next to her. “I heard you and your sister had returned, so I went to check her room but found it empty. I came here and discovered her talking with your nice taste tester at the door. Does that mean you ordered food?”

“I did.” Leesa glances at me. “After the way Lark was wilting on the last leg of our flight, I knew she’d be too tired to remember to eat before getting cleaned up.”

“You’re not wrong.” I sit next to my mother, taking the cup of tea she hands me with a grateful smile. “As I’m sure Mother recalls, I don’t mind getting dirty, but I hate the thought of crawling into sheets with all that grime on me.”

“Remember when I convinced you to climb down the trellis outside your nursery so we could make mud pies in the herb garden?” Leesa grins, then covers her mouth as Mother stares at her with wide eyes. “Oh, I guess you didn’t know about that one?”

“I most certainly didn’t. When did this happen?” Mother gawks at us both, mouth open.

“The spring after…” I’m suddenly filled with a hint of childish guilt even though I’m a grown woman no longer living in my mother’s estate. “I mean, I have no idea what Leesa is talking about, Mother.” I stuff a bit of bread into my mouth.

“It was the spring you got her the bright green ribbon for her hair.” Leesa giggles, a sound I sorely missed when she was away at Flighthaven, and later when I assumed her place at the academy after her disappearance. “She had a crush on the alderman’s son and wanted to look pretty for him.”

I nearly choke on my bread, laughing. Leesa must be as tired as I am if she’s spilling childhood secrets like this. “You were the one who had a crush on him. He was too old for me. I wanted to be friends with the baker’s son because he had access to the strawberry pastries and always swiped me one when he could.”

Leesa blushes before shooting right back with another tale of our adolescent antics.

Not to be outdone, I explain how my sister was actually the one who instigated our raid on the goat pens after swearing by their talent for climbing walls.

“That’s how the goat got into the storage room on the third floor?” Mother’s laughter joins ours in a melody that wraps around us like a warm embrace.

For a moment, the palace walls recede, and we’re just three souls bound by love and memories, untethered from the burdens of nobility and prophecy.

“Those were simpler times.” Mother sighs, her gaze distant. “I’m so glad you were able to have some happy experiences despite the walls I was forced to keep you behind.”

“It wasn’t all bad, Mother. Leesa was my best friend and always made sure we had something fun to do, even if I wasn’t allowed to leave the grounds.” I catch Leesa grimacing as pain flares across her features.