Page 89 of The Abandoned Princess

“That shows how much he knows,” Kali muttered under her breath, but the look she threw him was full of love.

“Please tell me you’re coming home to rescue me soon,” Xavier said, and I could sense a serious vein beneath his lighthearted air.

Xander shot me a quick look. “We’re going to Trione first. Daisy hasn’t been back in five years. But that will just be a visit. I’ll be bringing her home to Kuralan after that.” He looked at Kali and Zaria. “You’ll have to help her learn everything she needs to know about our kingdom.”

“Of course,” Kali said promptly, looping her arm through mine. She grinned at me. “You couldn’t ask for better sisters-in-law than Zaria and me. I promise!”

I smiled back at her, delighted. These girls didn’t know me like I knew them, but they were willing to embrace me all the same. I had longed to be their friends for real, and now I would be.

“You’ll be very welcome there, Daisy,” Zaria said with a welcoming smile of her own. “And don’t listen to Xander. The rest of us aren’t half as dull as he paints us.”

“I would never believe you were in the least dull,” I assured her. I looked around at the cluster of women. “I can’t believe we’re all here! In one place!” A sudden thought occurred to me. “Did you all know Arvin can talk?”

Giselle and Daria both burst into laughter.

“Oh, we are all too aware,” Giselle said moping her eyes. “I suppose that means he’s arrived?”

“Could you always hear him?” I asked her. “You did used to act oddly around him.”

“The wretched creature acted like I was the only one he could talk to,” she said. “And then suddenly he develops the ability to talk to everyone.” She shook her head.

“And wings,” Daria added. “He also got those.”

“I saw that too,” I said, remembering my shock. “But did you really marry Percy, Daria?”

She nodded, a gentle smile on her face. “Falling in love with a prince took me by far greater surprise than it can have taken any of you. But I’m extremely happy.”

She smiled across the room at a dark-haired man who was still recognizable as the boy who had once trailed around behind the older royal children like I did. From the way he smiled back at Daria, he was just as happy with his choice as she was.

“And you live here now, Giselle?” I asked. “Well, not here in Northhelm, but here in the Four Kingdoms? In Arcadia? And you’re having a baby? Congratulations!”

She rubbed her belly again. “Yes to the baby part, but I’m actually based back home in Eldon now.”

My brow furrowed. “Didn’t you marry an Arcadian?”

She chuckled. “It’s a little complicated. I met Philip in Arcadia, but he’s actually a noble from Lanover. And we decided to base ourselves in Eldon.”

“Celine must be happy about that,” I said, and she nodded.

“I really am relieved you’re safe,” she said. “And your maid too.” She nodded a greeting at Lori who still stood a short distance away.

“I owe everything to Lori,” I said sincerely, beckoning for her to come closer.

As she approached, Giselle glanced at Daria. “Have you seen Arvin yet?”

Daria shook her head, and I described where I had seen him. When I added that Puss had been with him, Kali joined the other two as they headed toward the outside doors.

I took the chance to pull Lori aside. “Did you hear?” I asked in a quiet voice. “My father wants to make a marriage alliance for me with Xander.”

“Congratulations,” she said, as if the news was entirely to be expected—which it probably was for her.

“How long have you been expecting this?” I asked accusingly.

She shrugged. “I’m not saying it was love at first sight, but the enchantment must have recognized the potential for true love at least.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“It let him through, didn’t it? For that first kiss. I don’t know if it was the enchantment itself or the work of the godmothers, but no one else ever managed to touch us, and yet it let him through.”

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