Page 85 of The Abandoned Princess

“Did he just talk?” I whispered, afraid all the extreme emotions of the last few hours had affected my brain.

Of course I talked. Did you think I was a regular horse? Must I constantly remind people that I come from the Palace of Light?

His nostrils flared, and the mound on his back began to move. The cat leaped down with an outraged growl, and the remaining dregs of the crowd called out in alarm, scattering away from us as large wings unfurled from Arvin’s sides.

I gasped, my hand jumping to my mouth as I stared at his wings. He had always been an unusual horse, but this transformation was a lot to absorb. How had I ever taken the folded wings to be a saddle? He must be able to fold them unnaturally small, but even so…

“So it’s true!” Xander sounded delighted. “I can’t wait to tell Xavier that I’ve seen you for myself.”

He turned to the cat. “It’s a pleasure to meet you again, Sir Puss.” He gave the animal a half bow.

The cat looked up at him with no obvious lightening of his displeasure. One of you really was enough, you know. Two can only be considered a surfeit.

Xander just laughed, not appearing offended at this insult to him and his twin.

Sometimes one is a surfeit, Arvin whinnied in a tone that was somehow dark. Take Celine, for instance.

“Is she here?” I asked, struck by an excited thought. “Did she come to see her sister crowned queen?”

Thankfully not, Arvin neighed. There are far too many of you as it is.

“Too many of us?” Xander’s eyes jumped from Arvin to Puss. “When you said two was surfeit, did you mean that Xavier is here now?”

Of course he’s here, Arvin said in long-suffering tones. Those women have been keeping themselves busy gathering anyone they could lay their hands on. Which would be well and good if they hadn’t insisted that we attend as well. As if creatures from the Palace of Light are worried about human coronations!

“Xavier’s here in Northgate!” Xander looked so elated by the idea that I couldn’t help smiling too.

“What about Daisy’s family?” Xander asked, making me forget all about the possibility of meeting his beloved twin.

“My family?” I whispered. “Is that possible? They have no particular tie to Northhelm, do they?”

Don’t you have ears? Puss asked. Arvin said it was the godmothers’ doing. They love big reunions. He sounded contemptuous of such sentimentality. Of course they would make sure your family came.

My knees nearly buckled, and Xander slipped a hand around my waist, steadying me.

“Are you all right?” he asked.

“My mother and father are here right now.” I repeated the words in a daze, trying to take them in. “I’m going to get to see them now instead of waiting for weeks while we travel—”

“Come on!” Xander slid his hand down my arm to take my hand, his smile lighting up his face. “Let’s go find them.”

We turned for the doors together as Arvin folded his wings back into position and Puss leaped up to take his original place.

And the godmothers claim I lack gratitude, the horse grumbled as we sped away.

I threw an apology over my shoulder, but the two had already lost interest in us. At any other time, I would have been utterly fascinated by them both, but all I could think about was my family. Had Teddy and Millie come too? What about Isla and Ray?

My feverish anticipation fizzled as we reached the doors and discovered them blocked by a solid mass of people. Desperate, I tried to push through, but the crowd was packed too densely to allow any movement.

Xander pulled me back with an apologetic expression. “It looks like they’ve allowed the general public to fill up the standing room behind the rows of seats, and they’ve packed in as many people as possible. Our families will all have seats of honor near the front of the room, so I don’t think we’ll be able to get to them until the ceremony is over.”

Disappointment burned through me, but I forced myself to smile. I had expected to have to wait for much longer than the length of one coronation.

Other members of the crowd had also failed to secure a place inside, and they were slowly spreading across the palace grounds, waiting for the celebrations that would occur once the coronation was complete.

I stayed by the door, though, too wound up to move away or wait patiently. Faint sounds of the ceremony drifted above the crowd, and I caught the deep tones of the new king uttering the traditional words of commitment and respect for the crown and kingdom.

I could picture him up there with his eyes glowing as blue as his jewel, his expression earnest and steadfast. And crowned at his side would be someone who shone even more brightly. The populace might not know Celeste’s hidden identity, but they recognized her beauty and intelligence. Northhelm couldn’t be in better hands.

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