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Essie slid the door open, then picked up her skirt so she didn’t trip.

Edmund was already gone from his compartment. Probably to prepare the last few things for their arrival.

Essie and Farrendel joined Jalissa, who wore a flowing silver dress. A silver circlet of aspen leaves rested on her dark hair. She stood tall, head high, shoulders back. No princess ever looked more regal.

As the official ambassador, Jalissa led the way through the train and down the steps to the wooden platform. Her guard marched behind her, just as stoic as ever. This particular guard must have been chosen due to her skill at being impassive. She made Farrendel seem expressive.

As Essie and Farrendel stepped from the train, Farrendel stiffened.

The private, royal train station sat off to the side of Winstead Palace, with the tracks running along the outer wall that surrounded the whole palace complex including extensive gardens and a small lake. The roofs of the town crowded against the other side of the wall and spread into the distance. A few people leaned out of the upper windows closest to the palace wall, trying to catch a glimpse of the arriving elves.

Ahead, soldiers and servants lined the walk that joined the main circle drive before the grand entrance to the palace. Edmund waited for them on the walk.

Essie couldn’t see anything that would make Farrendel go so hard and cold. She leaned closer and whispered in elvish, “What’s wrong?”

Farrendel’s gaze was locked on Winstead Palace sprawling before them, a grand edifice of gray stone accented with marble steps and glittering arched windows.

“Are you all right?” She still spoke in elvish and squeezed his hand. “Are we in danger?”

Farrendel’s stiff posture cracked enough for him to flick a glance in her direction. “No.”

Was that no, they weren’t in danger or no, he wasn’t all right? Essie couldn’t be sure, and now didn’t seem like the time to ask.

Jalissa glanced over her shoulder, and Essie thought she caught a hint of worry in the narrowing of her eyes before Jalissa faced forward again.

Stepping forward, Edmund bowed and extended his arm to Jalissa. “Welcome, to Escarland and to Winstead Palace.”

Jalissa eyed him, as if deciding if taking his arm would be beneath her dignity. After a moment, she lightly rested her hand on Edmund’s forearm in the style of the elves instead of tucking her hand in the crook of his elbow as was the custom in Escarland.

Edmund didn’t miss a beat, and instead matched her pace along the walk. The Escarlish soldiers saluted while the servants bowed.

It was all so very official and pompous. When Essie had arrived in Estyra, the walk from the train had been relaxed, with the elves in the town casually greeting their king as he passed.

Then again, she had gone to Tarenhiel as Farrendel’s bride. Part of the royal family instead of an official ambassador like Jalissa was. This visit of two members of the elven royal family to Escarland, a human kingdom, was historic. Nothing like it had happened in living memory.

Two footmen in crisp black uniforms and white shirts opened the huge double doors to the palace. Edmund swept inside with Jalissa on his arm. Essie followed, and beside her, Farrendel crept forward like the floor would burn him.

Inside the grand entrance hall, a huge marble staircase wound to the upper floor while paintings of historic battles and kings flanked the walls along with a few busts of those same kings.

Her brother Averett was, thankfully, standing at the base of the stairs rather than waiting on the landing for a cliched grand entrance. He wore his large, gold formal crown, complete with jewels set into the heavy thing, though the rest of his clothing was a nice suit and shirt. He was the only one of Essie’s siblings to also inherit red hair, though his was a darker shade of auburn.

Beside him, Essie’s sister-in-law, Paige, beamed in a bright pink dress that set off the sparkle in her blue eyes and the shine of her golden-blond hair. Although Paige was four years older than Essie, she had been Essie’s best friend even before she’d fallen in love with Essie’s brother Averett.

Essie’s mother stood beside Paige, dressed in a somber gray dress and wearing a circlet on her faded red hair that had once matched Essie’s in color. She still carried herself tall, wearing the circlet of the Queen Mother with dignity.

Julien, the middle of Essie’s three older brothers, wore his tan, army uniform. His brown hair was cropped short while a short beard covered his chin.

Averett stepped forward. “Welcome to Escarland. I hope this visit will be the first of many as the alliance between our kingdoms strengthens.”

Jalissa gave the mouth to forehead greeting gesture and a small dip to her head. “It is a pleasure to be here. I hope we will be able to put aside our differences to build a more lasting peace.”

Essie hung back with Farrendel while Averett completed the official welcome for Jalissa. Essie didn’t want to greet her family in this stiff, formal manner.

After a few more preliminaries, a maid stepped forward.

Averett motioned from Jalissa to the maid. “She will show you to your rooms if you would like to freshen up and settle in. We will be dining in an hour.”

“Very well.” Jalissa followed the Escarlish maid from the entrance hall, her elvish guard trailing behind them.