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A guard motioned Elowen towards the giant doors of the throne room, keeping a healthy distance between them. She followed, Ash padding along beside her.

By himself.

She whipped around to see Kennet waving both his hands in the air. “I’m free!”

His mother rubbed her hands together, shushing him and casting furtive looks at the courtiers. The blacksmith joined Elowen, while the young lady made doe eyes at the guards, who paid her no mind.

Elowen snatched Ash from the floor. Her muscles protested, but she wanted him close. Too much had happened in too little time for her to make any sense of things.

“What happened?” she asked him.

“I don’t know,” Ash said. “One minute, that boy was stuck all over me, and the next he let go and hugged his mother.”

She sighed in relief. Whatever had triggered the release of their new acquaintances, their freedom was confirmation that the fairy’s magic wasn’t permanent. There would be a way to get Ash back to his proper form. Somehow.

The guard ushered them down a series of hallways until they reached the south drawing room, which, though much smaller, was as awe-inspiring as the rest of the castle. There was no colored glass, but a crackling fire welcomed them inside. Large windows faced south, and Elowen imagined her home out there somewhere in that direction—a warm and familiar place that had once been as bustling as the castle. Plush chairs dotted the room with various side tables in a haphazard arrangement that made the space feel more homey, yet in an opulent way. Soft rugs warmed the stone floors, and paintings covered the walls. If Alder had access to such colors, he could transform his charcoal drawings into something equal to anything hanging there.

She removed her pack basket and let Ash pad around on the rugs while she sat as far away from the door as possible.

Before they had time to discuss what had happened in the throne room, three maids brought in tea and refreshments and arranged them on a table along the wall. The aromas were as rich as the furnishings: thick slices of warm bread with four kinds of jam, dainty frosted cakes, and tiny sandwiches. The maids handed each of them a sturdy mug of tea and encouraged them to help themselves to cream and sugar. Ash was brought a platter with vegetables and grains and a bowl of water.

Left alone, they spread out to enjoy a much-needed rest. Kennet and his mother sat near a window, while the blacksmith and the young lady shared a table beside a painting of a purple dragon.

Seeing that Elowen was empty-handed, Kennet’s mother brought a plate of food over to her. “No one blames you, dear, but I do hope someone shows up soon so I can get home to my family.” She almost bumped into her son when she turned around. “Stay over there,” she whispered, pointedly not looking at Ash.

“Aw, it’s all right now.” Kennet ran his hand over the feathers on Ash’s back, just where he’d been stuck before. “The goose let us go.”

His mother pulled him away quickly with an apologetic smile.

Elowen would have done the same. She wiped strawberry jam from Ash’s feathers—Kennet’s hands were the stickiest thing in the room now.

About half an hour later, when all but two of the dainty cakes had been eaten, the king and queen entered the room, followed by Prince Vale and his sister. No one looked surprised that they were no longer stuck together, so someone must have told them already. The queen smiled around at everyone as if delighted to see them.

Prince Vale introduced his family—King Odolph, Queen Jonquil, and Princess Briony. He started to introduce everyone else, but he only knew the names of the blacksmith, Elowen, and Ash.

The king took charge and asked questions of everyone in turn, beginning with the young lady who had been at the end of their parade and ending with Elowen. He dismissed them one by one after questioning. The young lady shuffled out reluctantly, the blacksmith patted the prince on the shoulder in parting, and Kennet’s mother led her son out by his collar while he waved to Ash with both hands.

Elowen hoped to be dismissed as well. Instead, the queen strode up to her, grasped her hands, and kissed her on the cheek. “Welcome to the family, my dear.” She walked away smiling, helped herself to the last dainty cakes, and sat in a chair near the fire.

The princess poured a mug of tea and took it to her mother.

Elowen, surprised at her own boldness, glared at Prince Vale. He glanced at her but averted his gaze quickly, his face a fierce red.

Princess Briony crossed her arms. “Father, are you going to explain what’s going on to this poor girl?”

King Odolph walked to his wife and placed a hand on the back of her chair. He smoothed the frown from his face and smiled fondly at her. “I’m sure our story is as complicated as yours,” he said, addressing Elowen. “I won’t try to explain the whole of it, but the important part for you to understand at the moment is that, in the eyes of the court, you are now engaged to my son, the Crown Prince Vale.”

“What?” Ash’s honking voice startled everyone.

The queen giggled.

Elowen closed her eyes and took a deep breath. They hadn’t heard Ash speak before, and unfortunately, Elowen hadn’t misheard the king in the throne room.

“This keeps getting better and better,” Princess Briony said.

The king held up his hand for silence and continued while watching his wife watching clouds out the window. “When the king or queen makes a decree from the throne, it stands as law.”

“Decree!” Ash said. “What decree, Your Majesty?”

King Odolph closed his eyes for a moment, as if seeking patience, and then eyed Ash as if he would rather not be speaking to a talking golden goose.

Elowen bristled. Ash wasn’t to blame for what the fairy had done. In fact, he was rather brave to ask questions of the king.

“Two months ago,” King Odolph said, addressing Elowen rather than Ash, “after observing the persisting ... melancholy of her only daughter, Queen Jonquil decreed that whoever made Princess Briony laugh again would become part of the royal family.”

What a preposterous decree! Elowen glanced at Prince Vale, who still refused to meet her gaze, and then stared incredulously at the king. Her heart pounded, and she wiped her sweaty palms on her trousers. “Your Majesty ... I have to get my brother back from the trolls!” Why couldn’t she get enough air? “I can’t marry the prince!”

Queen Jonquil sat up straight, her mug dropping to the carpet. Her bottom lip quivered.

King Odolph drew her gently from her seat, wrapped an arm around her, and said softly in her ear, “Of course she will, my darling. Let’s go make plans, shall we?”

Ash fluttered his wings in agitation.

The king gestured for Briony to follow him and addressed Vale as he escorted the queen from the room. “Speak to your fiancée.”

When the door closed behind them, Prince Vale finally met Elowen’s eyes. He gestured to a seat by the fire. “Please, make yourself comfortable.”

Comfortable? How could she be comfortable so far removed from the woods and fields? In this castle full of riches so far from her home, she felt as if her roots were stretched to their breaking point. She perched on the edge of a wooden chair in a corner farthest away from the heat of the flames. She pulled her dragon-goose onto her lap and buried her fingers in his golden feathers.

Prince Vale pulled up a chair next to her

Ash mumbled, “This explanation had better be good.”

The prince sighed. “Good, bad. It is what it is.”

Ash huffed.

“I don’t like this any more than you do,” Prince Vale said, “but maybe we can turn it to our advantage.”

Our advantage? “How?” Elowen asked.

“I don’t know where to begin.” He stood, turned in a circle, and then sat back down. “I suppose it begins with my mother. After my sister was born, Mother slipped into a month-long sleep. When she woke, her memories were cloudy, and her health has never fully recovered.”

He seemed to be struggling for words, and Elowen wondered if he had ever before needed to explain this to anyone.

“Father loves her dearly,” he continued. “He dotes on her and refuses to exclude her from anything. Every meeting, every court appearance, every ball, and every official event she has any interest in attending, he welcomes her presence. Her occasional random outbursts have never been an issue, but a few months ago, she made a royal decree while Father was holding court.”

“Royal decree,” Ash muttered with a huff.

Elowen nudged him to be quiet. She could see how difficult it was for Prince Vale to tell her these things. She wondered why he was telling her anything at all. Just as she’d expected all dragons to have fancy names, she had assumed all princes would find it beneath them to converse with a travel-stained, pack-laden Southling farm girl. Instead, the prince seemed surprisingly ... human.

“Had she said it in private, or even at a dinner party, it would have been brushed aside.” The prince ran his hand through his hair. “But she’s the queen. Her words became law the moment they left her lips.”

“Whoever makes the princess laugh will marry into the royal family,” Elowen said, hoping if she heard it once more aloud, she might believe it. “But ... isn’t there some other way to make that happen? Why me? There were others with me. What about the young lady beside the blacksmith, the one who was watching you at the smithy?”

The prince grinned ruefully. “Please spare me the fawning females with dreams of ballgowns and bonbons.”

Ash snorted in response and then looked annoyed at himself for finding the prince amusing.

A smile tugged at Elowen?s lips.

Seeing it, Ash tilted his head and goose shrugged. He stretched his neck to whisper in her ear loudly enough for the prince to hear. “Maybe he’s not so bad?”

If he hadn’t had so many feathers, she would have pinched him for his cheekiness in front of the prince.

Prince Vale turned serious. “We spoke to the royal advisers before joining you here. They all agree that marriage is the only reasonable way to fulfill the decree—it’s what everyone is expecting. It’s especially what Mother is expecting, and so Father will insist.”

Elowen opened her mouth to protest.

The prince put a finger to her lips to stop her and then rested his hand on top of hers. “Briony and I have a plan that we think will help all of us.”

She hid her face in Ash’s feathers, partly to hide her blush. “I just want my brother back.”

He slid his chair closer and put an arm around her shoulders. “We’ll get your brother back. I promise. I’m in this with you, Elowen.”

She liked the way he said her name, but she resisted the urge to lean into him. With Ash as her companion, she was no longer alone. She didn’t need to rely on anyone else. She shrugged out of his casual embrace and gently set Ash onto the floor. After pouring two mugs of tea, she handed one to the prince and returned to her seat.

He was allowing her time to think, and for that she was grateful. She studied her fingers. They were strong hands, stained with hard work and scratched from persistent effort. She should probably stop chewing her nails.

“Do you work at the smithy often, Your Highness?” His fingernails were as stained as any she’d ever seen, whereas the king’s and queen’s had been impeccably clean. She hadn’t noticed the princess’s hands.

“Please call me Vale, I beg of you,” he said. “And, yes, I go as often as my duties allow, ever since I was a boy. Sometimes more often.”

Ash snorted.

Elowen glanced down at him. She’d been so distracted by the prince that she hadn’t noticed her dragon-goose sitting on her feet. He would no doubt understand the prince’s desire to escape expectations.

“I much prefer doing things hands-on that have a beginning and an end,” Vale said. “Seeing things shape up, repairs being made, useful things crafted out of metal and wood. I’ve been itching to get away from this castle for ages, and going with you to rescue your brother is exactly what I need. Plus, it will give Briony a chance to show Father how indispensable she is. She’s always been in my shadow, so getting me out of the castle will benefit us both. Not to mention it will benefit you.”

Elowen felt a stirring of hope. Could she really rely on someone else besides Ash? And a prince, at that? He would have soldiers and perhaps other resources at his disposal. “You’ll help me get my brother back? Truly?”

“Yes, I will.” He smiled encouragingly and added, “But first ... we have to endure Mother’s engagement ball tomorrow night.”

Ash groaned. “You’re joking. Aren’t you?”

Vale shook his head. “Mother insists, and so Father will make it happen. She wants to introduce you and make things ... extra official.”

Elowen’s hope was overlaid with dread. “I appreciate your offer to help, but I really can’t marry you. Can you imagine me living in this place? What would I do all day?” She could easily imagine Alder living here, soaking up inspiration from the paintings and gardens and the city itself. “I only want to get my brother back and take him home.”

“I understand,” Vale said. “If we go along with this betrothal for the time being, Briony is sure she can convince Father—and Mother—to dissolve it by the time we return with your brother. You can go home, and ... I guess life will go on as usual for me.” He sounded as miserable as she’d felt a moment ago.

“Do you really think your sister can do that?”

Vale smiled widely. “I never underestimate Briony.”

Elowen sipped her tea self-consciously. She’d never sat and sipped tea for so long in her life. She’d always been too busy. Did she dare accept the prince’s help? Did she dare not? She was so far from where she thought she would be, but she also had more hope of rescuing Cedar than she’d ever thought possible.

“Maybe this is why the fairy changed you into a golden goose,” she said to Ash.

Vale looked confused.

Ash said, “You think the fairy knew this would happen?”

She shrugged. “Perhaps she knew Prince Vale—”

“Just Vale, I beg of you,” the prince said with a pained look.

It felt more natural and comfortable to call him by name without the title, anyway, so she complied. “Perhaps the fairy knew that ... Vale would likely be at the smithy today.”

“But she couldn’t know for sure how everything would work out,” Ash said. “Could she?”

“Fairies can’t see the future,” Elowen said. “But they fly far. Perhaps she knew enough to put us all together, with you as a golden goose, to move things along. I did ask for whatever would help me rescue Cedar. So ...”

Vale gestured at Ash. “Are you saying he’s more than just a talking golden goose?”

Elowen stared at him. She’d left out that part of the story in an effort to make it less confusing.

“Wait,” Vale said. “He’s not ... he’s not your sweetheart, is he?”

She choked on her tea.

Ash stood as tall as possible in his goose form, puffed out his chest, and spread his golden wings. “I am Ash the dragon, hatchling of the twenty-fourth clutch of Verity and Valorous, and companion to Elowen the Fair.”

Elowen hid a grin behind her mug. She had to admit, his introduction sounded impressive and made her feel like a princess in a story.

Vale looked taken aback. “I ... was not expecting that. Well, I’m pleased to meet you, Ash the dragon.”

Ash tucked in his wings and sat back down, satisfied with the acknowledgment.

“This is all mixed up and backwards, isn’t it?” Vale said. “Your explanation of the fairy’s gift sounds reasonable, and it would explain why the goose ... er ... Ash was only sticky for a short amount of time. It got you into the castle and secured my aid. But she could have made any goose do the same. She probably could have conjured a goose out of thin air rather than making your companion into one.”

“Don’t forget,” Ash chimed in. “I’m only a goose during the day. So, Elowen has a goose and a dragon on her side. And now a prince.”

Vale blinked rapidly and lifted his mug to his lips. When he found it empty, he set it on the side table. “Anything else I should know?”

Elowen replied in a small voice, “I think that’s all.”

He grabbed her tea mug and drained it. “So, why a golden goose?”

Ignoring his impropriety, she shrugged. “The fairy knew Cedar was kidnapped by trolls, and what do trolls love more than anything?”

“Gold,” Ash said.

“Shiny things,” Vale echoed.

“Maybe Ash has some further purpose as a goose, though I’m not sure in what way,” she said and turned to Ash. “Can I have a feather?”

He plucked one from his back and placed it in her palm, where it crumbled to ashes a few moments later.

“I already have gold.” Elowen patted her waist where the golden coin still lay hidden. “The golden feathers alone won’t help us. It’s the goose she means for us to find some purpose for, I think.”

Vale smiled slowly, a look of admiration in his eyes. “I’m liking your fairy more every minute ... not to mention the girl she sent my way. I’ve half a mind not to let you go once all this is over.”

She blushed, wishing she still had her tea mug to occupy her hands.

Ash cleared his throat.

Vale glanced at Ash. “Yes, well, since we’re alone for a moment, relatively speaking, I feel the need to do something I haven’t yet had the chance to do.”

Elowen tucked her hair behind her ears, and then clenched her fists in her lap. He wasn’t going to try to kiss her, was he? She wasn’t entirely sure she would stop him if he did.

Vale knelt on one knee, hesitantly took her hands into his, and said, “Elowen the Fair, companion of Ash the golden goose-dragon, will you agree to be my betrothed so that we may rescue your brother while my sister endeavors to release us both from any permanent vows?”

She giggled, surprising herself, relieved that he understood her wish to return home. “Yes, I will.”

A maid knocked at the door and poked her head inside. “The Cloud Room is ready for the young miss if she wants to freshen up before supper.” Seeing the prince on one knee, her eyes widened. She scurried over to collect Elowen’s pack basket and retreated out of the room quickly.

Vale’s grin lit the room. “That’s settled, then.” He stood, planted a kiss on her forehead, and then offered his arm. Elowen picked up Ash and balanced him on one hip. She laid the fingers of her free hand lightly on Vale’s arm.

He secured her hand more firmly and said, “This is a lot to take in, for all of us. We’ll take it one moment at a time, shall we?”

Somehow, one moment at a time, Elowen’s life had taken a turn she’d never expected. It hadn’t all been bad. She would try to welcome and embrace the good for Cedar’s sake. It’s what he would do, but she couldn’t let herself be truly happy until he was once again by her side.

“One moment at a time,” she repeated.