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E lowen stepped into what the maid had called the Cloud Room and immediately removed her dirty boots and socks. Ash padded around on pale blue rugs as soft as moss. The whole room was three times larger than her kitchen back home—with minimal furniture and plenty of room for a dragon.

“I didn’t know there were so many shades of white,” she observed. Even Alder would be overwhelmed.

Ash ducked behind gauzy fabric that curtained a bed that would fill half Elowen’s bedroom. “I can see through it. I think just one of these pillows would be a comfortable bed for a goose.”

“They’re probably filled with goose feathers, you know,” she said.

He didn’t seem offended. He’d no doubt had his share of goose pie as a dragon.

A fire crackled merrily in the hearth, and silver vases filled with creamy roses winked in the late afternoon sunshine streaming through two tall windows. The walls, even paler blue than the carpets, were painted with fluffy clouds and delicate butterflies.

Elowen looked at her dirty feet and felt small and insignificant. It was a wonder the prince hadn’t laughed in scorn at her when he found out they were engaged. He seemed kind, at least.

A maid cleared her throat from the doorway of an adjoining room. The door was painted to blend in with the wall, so Elowen had missed it. Wait until she told Alder—he’d covered all the window frames in the farmhouse, but he’d never used the walls and doors as a canvas.

“My name is Mari, miss. If you please, I’ve a bath drawn and laid out some clothes for you to change into.”

Elowen stepped into the smaller room, gawking once again. She shut her mouth with a click of teeth. Clouds of lavender-scented steam filled the air above a porcelain bathtub with silver-clawed feet.

“Would you like some help, miss?”

“Oh, that’s not necessary.” Elowen hadn’t needed help bathing since she was a child.

Mari pointed out a luxurious dressing gown folded on a velvet stool. “I’ll help you dress once you’re finished.”

As soon as the maid closed the door, Elowen opened it again. Where had Ash gone?

He spoke from behind her. “You didn’t think you were leaving me out there alone, did you?”

She sighed in relief. He’d followed her into the bathing room unnoticed.

“I feel like I’ve got a big golden target on my back, even in a place like this where they’re not strangers to shiny things.”

Elowen grinned fondly. “Speaking of a golden target, can you hold onto the coin while I clean up?” She peeled off her muddy clothes and handed him the embroidered band with the coin.

“I’ve never fit into a human bathing room before. Things seem so much larger now.” He peered into the tub and then behind a curtain hiding the privy. “Hmm.”

Although reluctant to step into the pristine tub in such a dirty state, Elowen reminded herself that it was made for such a purpose. She stepped into the hot water and sank down with a sigh of contentment until her chin touched the surface.

Ash found a towel and dragged it behind a changing screen. He prodded it into a lumpy nest and settled down for a rest. “Could you imagine being pampered like this every day?”

“Absolutely not,” she said. “I would become intensely bored with nothing to do but take long baths and attend meetings and whatever else a fine lady does.” Like run a castle.

She sat up suddenly, sloshing water over the lip of the tub. What a ridiculous thought—Elowen of Southling married to a crown prince. She had a family and a dragon and responsibilities that didn’t include a castle and a city and all the people in it. No wonder Vale wanted to get away, if only for a short time.

“What about you?” she asked. Would Ash rather be a companion to Princess Elowen of Northling or Elowen the Fair, farmer’s daughter?

“If I’d wanted all this, I would have gone with those dragons earlier and been part of the Queen’s Guard.”

Pleased with his answer, and worried by how much she was enjoying the warm, scented water, she washed her hair and stepped out of the bathtub. Ash snored softly, so she let him sleep. She donned the blue dressing gown, towel-dried her hair, and walked back into the bedroom.

Mari laid down the embroidery she’d been working on and instructed Elowen to sit at the dressing table.

Elowen sat ... and stared. Why did she need to see so much of herself, not to mention the room behind her? She would need fifty, no, one hundred of her own hand mirrors to make one this large. Walking among the trees in the woods had never made her feel small and unnecessary the way all the fine furnishings of the castle did.

Mari dried Elowen’s hair even more, brushed it exactly one hundred strokes, and then trimmed the ends with dainty scissors to make it even all the way around. Elowen had never managed such a precise cut with her tiny mirror and chunky shears.

“Lavender or rose?” the maid asked.

“Excuse me?”

She held up two bottles. “Scented oil for your hair.”

Hair perfume? “Lavender, I suppose.” She already smelled of it after the bath.

Mari sprinkled on the oil and brushed Elowen’s hair even more. Elowen’s eyes closed as she remembered the feeling of her mother’s gentle hands. Cedar would need a haircut by the time he returned. Alder and Father, too. She never let them cut their own hair.

“Miss.”

Someone tapped her shoulder, and Elowen opened her eyes.

“We should get you dressed now.”

Elowen yawned, surprised that she’d dozed off. If only she could skip the awkward meal with the king and queen and go to sleep on that fluffy bed.

Mari helped her into a silky-soft shift, laced her loosely into a corset, and then slipped a velvety blue dress over her head. Elowen felt ridiculous being dressed as if she were a child and put on the matching slippers herself.

Am I walking barefoot? She glanced twice at her feet to make sure the shoes hadn’t fallen off.

“You’re a masterpiece.” Mari smiled pleasantly and then took up her embroidery again. “The prince will escort you to dinner shortly.”

Elowen paced in front of the mirror. A masterpiece, indeed. She’d never seen her hair gleam so golden, had never realized how much she looked like Cedar. But she was still a farm girl with unbreakable ties to the land. She didn’t belong in this Cloud Room or any other part of the castle.

Vale arrived soon after and stood in the doorway with admiration in his eyes. He reached out and touched her hair. “Shiny.”

He’d cleaned up, too, and was dressed in soft brown trousers and a white shirt underneath a pine green waist coat. Elowen cheeks warmed, and she lowered her gaze to his boots. They would make good hiking boots.

“Ready?” He offered his arm.

She placed her hand exactly as he had positioned it before, feeling a bit less awkward than the first time. “What about Ash?”

“He’s your companion, but this is a family dinner. It’s at your discretion what information you share with him afterwards. Your maid will stay here to keep him company, and two guards are stationed outside the door, with more down the hall.”

Ash had dealt with royalty before, albeit dragon royalty, so she’d been hoping to have him by her side.

“Don’t worry.” Vale squeezed her hand. “He’ll be sent a good meal, and your maid has been informed about his upcoming change of form. She’s one of Briony’s girls.”

Elowen managed a grin, relieved and touched that he seemed to have thought of everything.

One of the guards closed the door behind them. Vale walked slowly, obviously in no more of a hurry than Elowen to join his parents for dinner.

After a few minutes of awkward glances, he broke the silence. “You look beautiful.”

She really wished she would stop blushing.

He cleared his throat, not allowing her time to respond. “I suppose we should have asked if you are married or attached, but it seems that slipped everyone’s mind. You don’t wear a ring, so perhaps we all assumed.”

He hadn’t asked a question, so she was unsure how to respond.

“You’re not ... are you?”

“Married?” She chuckled, despite the seriousness of his voice. “No, of course not.”

“What about ... attached? Is there anyone waiting for you back home?”

She shook her head and then became momentarily distracted by the silkiness of the strands against her cheeks. “The group I had following me earlier is the closest I’ve ever been attached to anyone. Besides family. And Ash.”

He breathed a big sigh of relief. “Oh, good. I have to admit, I had a gnawing feeling in the pit of my stomach walking to your room. I think it might have been jealousy.”

She chuckled again, thinking he was joking, but his expression was sincere and thoughtful, as if he hadn’t anticipated the feeling.

They arrived at the door of the private dining chamber. “I want you to know,” Vale said, “before we go in, that my parents and sister are good people. Father may be more of a by-the-book man than some, but he always tries to do the right thing. And Briony’s had the weight of the world on her shoulders since she realized the connection between her birth and Mother’s condition.”

“What about you?” she said. “Is there anything I should know?”

“I try to put a smile on their faces from time to time and get out of the way when I can. I have no stomach for politics.”

A man with practical interests, a sense of humor, and no political ambition. Add to that sincerity, kindness, and ... well, obvious good looks. Vale, as a whole, was not someone Elowen had expected to find within castle walls. He was someone she might have dreamed of meeting someday who wouldn’t be scared away by dirt and hard work. If only he weren’t a prince.

Vale led her into a cozy room with a candelabra hanging over a polished wooden table barely long enough to be called a rectangle. As soon as King Odolph saw them, he nodded a greeting, escorted the queen to her seat, and took his place at the head of the table. Briony sat opposite Vale and Elowen. The only sounds were the crackling fire and the servants ladling out soup.

Elowen eyed the array of utensils in alarm.

Vale leaned close, his breath warm on her ear. “Follow my lead.”

She blushed again. Well, there was nothing she could do about it. Perhaps by now, he would think that it was simply her natural coloring.

She chose the correct spoon and congratulated herself as she took her first bite. She concentrated on eating slowly so as not to spill anything on the fine dress. After three bites, the flavors of the soup distracted her, warm and creamy and spicy like nothing she’d ever tasted. She finished all of it before noticing everyone else talking quietly about castle business that she couldn’t follow.

Servants cleared away the bowls and brought in plates full of roast beef, vegetables, and mounds of fluffy potatoes with butter melting on top.

Had the soup not been supper?

Her stomach growled in approval.

Vale smiled while indicating which utensils to use. They all ate in earnest then, and Elowen let herself relax.

Queen Jonquil broke the silence. “My son tells us that your family owns an estate?”

Elowen raised an eyebrow at him, but he gave her an innocent look. “It’s more of a farm, Your Majesty, but my family has been on the land for generations.”

The queen watched her as if expecting a longer answer, but Elowen didn’t know how to make small talk with a queen about farming.

Surprisingly, the queen started discussing, as if to herself, the bloodlines of the royal horses. She stopped mid-sentence and asked Elowen, “Do you ride?”

“No, Your Majesty. I mean ... yes? I’ve ridden our farm horse. And a donkey once. And a cow.” How embarrassing to be talking of cows and donkeys to the queen. She would rather be out in the woods eating mushrooms with Ash. At that thought, she blurted, “Oh, and I’ve ridden with Ash.”

Why had she said that? Hopefully Vale had explained that Ash was really a dragon, or they would think her truly crazy.

Briony jumped on the change of subject. “What is it like to fly?”

Relieved that the princess seemed to understand, Elowen described it as best she could, while Briony and Vale encouraged her with questions. The queen turned her attention to her potatoes as if she hadn’t started the conversation. Briony proved to be pleasant to talk to, despite her reluctance to smile. She had a way of showing amusement with her eyes.

The queen interrupted and began talking excitedly about the engagement ball the next night.

Elowen tried not to squirm in her chair, and Vale smiled at her sympathetically. King Odolph had remained mostly silent, his gaze alternating between thoughtful and sad. Was he displeased with the whole situation or with her in particular? Or was it something else? Elowen caught him watching her and looked away.

Once again, servants entered and removed dishes, while others followed and placed luscious cream tarts in front of each person. Red sauce dripped down the sides. Elowen took a bite, and her eyes watered as the flavor of cherries filled her mouth. Her appetite disappeared. What was Cedar eating for supper? He hadn’t been able to taste the cherry tarts she’d baked for him. She swallowed and forced herself to finish the dessert. Food was not to be wasted.

After finishing her last bite, Briony put down her utensils and looked pointedly at the king. “Father, please tell me you’re not seriously going to go through with this wedding. Elowen is a lovely person, but neither she nor Vale have asked for this. Mother meant for me to find someone who could make me laugh. That’s all.”

The king lifted his chin. “What’s done is done. The law is the law, and we will uphold it. What would become of us if we started picking and choosing which laws to follow based on what we wanted?”

Vale took Elowen’s hand under the table. “Sir, I—”

“No more, Vale. It’s time you settled down and took your responsibilities seriously. I’m sure this young lady will make you as good a wife as any.”

Elowen flinched, glad to have Vale between her and the king. Heat flooded her cheeks again. How dare he imply that she was no more than a tool to be used? The king didn’t care who she was or that she had her own family to return to.

“Father, this young lady’s name is Elowen.” Vale squeezed her fingers. “And I would like to remind you that her brother is in need of rescue from trolls that are squatting in our mountains. We must send someone to get him back as soon as—”

“The boy will be fine until our regular emissaries arrive at the trolls’ castle in mid-winter. They can negotiate his release then.” The king’s tone remained conversational, and he looked at his wife frequently as if to gauge her mood and reaction to his words. “We’ve had longstanding peace with the clan, and I won’t jeopardize that by marching in and demanding they hand over a servant who’s not even from our kingdom.”

Princess Briony’s face reddened. She responded conversationally as well, although her voice was tight. “Not even if that servant is the brother of our future queen?” She raised an eyebrow in challenge.

“The girl is marrying the crown prince, who happens to be my son, but that doesn’t mean I have to adopt her whole family.”

Elowen shook off Vale’s hand and stood abruptly.

The queen looked away from the window, startled.

Elowen had had enough of being talked about as if she weren’t in the room or had no name. Her brother’s future was at stake, even though the king didn’t seem concerned about leaving him in a castle full of trolls for months on end. She had a few choice words to say to the king, but she kept them to herself for Queen Jonquil’s sake.

“If you’ll excuse me, Your Majesties,” she said, “I’m feeling unwell.” She bolted from the room, not waiting to be dismissed, half expecting the guards to chase her down and drag her back.

After running down the hallway and around a few corners, she realized that she had no idea where she was going. She stopped and bent over, hands on her knees. Running in a dress was tiring—especially after days of hiking through the woods.

Vale found her and almost ran past in his haste.

She hadn’t expected him to follow her.

“Elowen.” He took both her hands in his. “I’m sorry for that. It’s my fault. This is more about me than it is you, in Father’s eyes. Briony is putting out the fire, so to speak.”

She wanted to pull her hands away from his, run to her room with Ash, and slam the door in Vale’s face. But ... she also wanted to enjoy the warmth of his fingers around hers. “I can’t leave my brother with the trolls for months, and I can’t stay here with you.”

“I gave you my word—we’ll get your brother back. I have an idea, but I need to sleep on it.” He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “You should get some rest yourself. You’ve had an unusual day, to say the least, and we have much to do tomorrow.”

She let him escort her to her room, partly because she was lost, but also because she was reluctant to let go of his hand. He, at least, was determined to help. He bid her goodnight at the door, promising to return early the next morning. After kissing her hand, he made his way back down the hallway, turning frequently to smile at her. Only after he disappeared around the corner did she enter the room, ignoring the amusement of the two guards.

Ash, in his dragon form, slept soundly in front of the fire. She had been looking forward to talking to him, but weariness took hold and she suddenly wanted nothing more than to sink into the bed and sleep for days. The maid helped her into a long nightgown, and Elowen climbed onto the fluffy mattress.

“Enough room up here for both of us,” she murmured to Ash’s back as she drifted off to sleep.