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“Much better.” Farrendel rested his head against the top of hers. A strand of his wet hair brushed against her cheek.

Essie held up her filled mug. “I’m thinking a picnic and hot chocolate in the back garden. I left a pile of blankets by the door. If we’re lucky, we’ll have a clear night, and we’ll be able to star-gaze.”

“Perfect.” Farrendel reached over her to claim his mug.

Between the two of them, they carried the picnic basket, the blankets, and their mugs of hot chocolate to the garden. Snuggling on a bench, they ate their supper, sipped their hot chocolate, and lingered there as twilight faded into a star-speckled night.

Warm and wrapped in blankets, Essie fell asleep curled against Farrendel’s chest.

ESSIE SAT AT THE SMALLdressing table in their turret room, pinning up her hair. She’d been tempted to ask a maid to walk to Buckmore Cottage for tonight to help with her hair, but, in the end, she’d gotten used to making do. Besides, this was her and Farrendel’s last night before he left for Tarenhiel. It wouldn’t be fair to the poor maid to get stuck in potentially awkward situations.

After pinning another lock of her hair into the chignon at the back of her head, she smoothed the skirt of her deep green dress and considered her reflection in the mirror. It was strange seeing the human hair style with her elven dress. But it was, perhaps, a good strange. Right, somehow.

One more lock of hair stuck out at the nape of her neck. She tucked it into place and stuck in a pin to hold it there. Finally, she picked up the elven circlet that matched Farrendel’s and tucked it into her hair. Perfect.

She picked up the pair of elbow-length silk gloves she’d set to the side and pulled them on. There. She might not have the massive skirt in the style that was fashionable in Escarland, but with this mix of elven and Escarlish fashion, no one could mistake her for anything other than a princess.

What was taking Farrendel so long? He’d retreated to the water closet to get ready for the ball tonight and had yet to return. What was he doing in there? It wasn’t like he had to spend hours doing his hair. He would wear it down like he always did, and, thanks to elven shampoo and conditioner, he didn’t have to worry about frizz.

She turned back to her mirror. Was her circlet resting slightly crooked on her head?

She adjusted her hair. As she straightened the circlet, the door to their room opened and shut behind her. Due to the angle, she couldn’t see the door in her mirror. “I was starting to worry about you. You usually don’t take that long to...”

She trailed off as she turned around. Farrendel stood a few feet into the room, his gaze flicking from her to the floor, as if uncertain of her reaction. Instead of his usual elven tunic and trousers, he wore gray, Escarlish breeches tucked into his tall elven boots. He had a crisp white shirt underneath a gray waistcoat and a tight, black tailcoat that fit his shoulders and waist too exactly to be anything other than tailored for him. To complete the outfit, a white neckcloth lay just a fraction askew.

He motioned at it. “I could not get this right. It seems I did not practice long enough.”

Essie slid to her feet, still gaping. She squeezed her eyes shut. She must be seeing things.

Nope. Farrendel still stood there in full Escarlish finery.

“You’re dressed in...where did you even get those clothes?” Essie tiptoed closer, as if he would disappear if she made any sudden moves. If she’d been strange with her Escarlish hairstyle and elven dress, then he was stranger still with his silver-blond hair flowing across the finely tailored shoulders of his tailcoat.

“Your brothers helped.” Farrendel’s gaze swung to the floor, looking for all the world like he wanted to scuff his boot against the floor, though he remained stock still. “You adopted my people’s manner of dress even here. I could do no less.”

It was a strategic political move and wouldn’t go unnoticed at the ball. Her, a human princess, dressed as an elf. Him, an elven prince, dressed as a human.