Page 39 of Heir of the Autumn Queen

Roland Hayward, Steward of the Spring Crown

Below the signature, there’s a note written in a different penmanship.

What do you say, Trouble? -F

Chapter Nineteen

Looks like I’ll be putting Pearl’s dress to good use sooner than I anticipated. I’ve barely stopped smiling since I received Finn’s invitation last night, and the idea of seeing him again makes my stomach flutter. Since I have to wait until tomorrow for Shadow’s saddle to be ready anyway, there’s really no reason why I shouldn’t go to the ball. At least, that’s what I keep telling myself.

My day was thankfully uneventful as I wandered the city a bit more. I even visited the temple to try to do some research on succession of power and bloodlines but was unsuccessful in discovering anything that could help me better understand my abilities. From what I can tell, power can be passed down to offspring or not, but there’s no rhyme or reason as to who inherits abilities. Some will even have abilities that their parents didn’t have at all, as if the gods themselves still have a say in who has power and who doesn’t. Either way, since my mother is dead and I can’t just go waltzing into the Autumn Kingdom to ask my aunt about what powers her sister had, I’m left wondering about how I was able to heal Leo.

The sun is starting to set, which means I have about an hour or so to get ready before the carriage arrives to take me to the castle. I had the maids prepare a bath for me, and I add some lavender oil that I purchased from the market today to the steaming water. I scrub my scalp and body with a citrus and rosemary soap, allowing myself a little time to relax before my evening of dancing, or whatever the hell one does at a ball.

I dry off and pin my hair in a loose updo, leaving a few curls down by my face, giving the illusion of effortlessness, even though I spent significantly more time on it than normal. I don the peach dress from Pearl’s and study myself in the mirror, once again taken aback by my own reflection. I’m sure that Finn will hardly recognize me after the days we spent together where I looked more like an adolescent boy than anything in my dirty pants and tunic. I strap my dagger to my thigh, knowing I would feel naked without it, but it’s hidden well enough as the delicate slit in the dress only reaches midway up my thick thigh. Lastly, I add the golden chain with the amethyst that my godfather gifted me for my birthday. It’s been hidden away in my bag, but it ties the whole look together, drawing attention to my neck and collarbones.

Before I can start fussing over my appearance, thanks to the nerves that are starting to take over my body, I hear the carriage pull up in the street from my window and head downstairs. The coachman is waiting for me and bows deeply as he opens the carriage door with a flourish.

“Thank you,” I tell him, noting the two white draft horses that are hooked up to the front with black harnesses, pawing at the ground impatiently. The coachman closes the door behind me as I take a seat on the bench, instantly overwhelmed by the sheer luxury inside the coach. I’ve never been inside a carriage; no one has any need for them back home. I look around the small space, probably only big enough for two people, and note the details of the craftsmanship. The bench and walls are covered in a deep, forest-green velvet, and the curtains are impossibly soft, with golden roses stitched all along the fabric. I pull them back slightly so I can look out the small, square window as we trot through the city, giggling to myself.

Faide take me!I don’t know how I ended up here, being toted around like a princess, heading to aliteralball, but I’m actually excited about it. I make a point to remember to feel out how the local nobles feel about Selena, and if they know anything about what’s going on in the Autumn Kingdom. I know I could ask Finn, and I still might, but I’m sort of afraid that asking him about the Autumn Queen will reveal my intentions, and I’m not ready to do that with him, especially given his job. Tonight is a happy excuse to see Finn again, but it won’t lead to anything else. I can’t let it if I’m to remain focused on my goal.

Several minutes later, we arrive at the castle, and the thick, iron gate opens, receding up into the massive stone wall to allow us inside the courtyard. The carriage comes to a halt in front of the main entrance, and a moment later, the coachman opens my door and offers me his hand so I can step out. I take his hand and climb down, feeling a bit wobbly after riding in the bumpy carriage, and look up at the castle.

Huge, marble steps, each two feet deep and twenty feet long lead up to massive, wooden double doors, which are propped open to allow all the patrons to enter with ease. There are two knights stationed by marble pillars on either side of the doors, keeping watch through their helmets. I gather my dress in my hands and walk up the steps with care, praying to Jem, the only god who I imagine has any care for the finer things in life, that I don’t trip and make a fool of myself in front of all these fancy nobles. I make it to the top of the staircase without my steps faltering and walk through the doors and into the entrance hall, noting the banners hanging from the tall ceilings.

The same shade of dark green as the interior of the carriage, the pendants show the emblem of the Spring Kingdom; a knight riding a white Stag, his bow drawn. I’m not sure what the coat of arms represents, and my memory from my school days is failing me. All I know is that the Riverborne family rules here, as it has been for hundreds of years, since the end of the War of the Seven. Aside from the banners, there’s a massive crystal chandelier making the firelight sparkle around the marble room.

A small, middle-aged man is standing at the entrance to the second door, appearing to be vetting the guests against an extremely long list of names. I fall in line with the other patrons, pleased to find that I appear to be dressed appropriately, and wait my turn to tell the man my name, hoping this wasn’t some elaborate, cruel joke. The couple in front of me is waived through the door and I step up to the man, eyeing the two additional guards that are standing on either side of this door.

“What is your name, my dear?” the man asks me, looking slightly frazzled as perspiration coats his forehead, making his thinning hair that much more apparent.

“Um, Hazel,” I tell him, suddenly feeling ridiculously out of place.

He looks up at me and gives me a thorough once-over.“Ah yes, you are the guest of Prince Finneas, correct?”

I choke on my own spit, erupting into a coughing fit that is drawing several pairs of eyes. I quickly get control of myself and say,“Pardon me?”

“Prince Finneas Ravencrest, of the Winter Kingdom. You are his guest, are you not?” He quirks a brow, distaste of my outburst written all over his face.

Still shocked that Finn is apparently aprince, a fact that I will scold him for as soon as I see him, I nod slowly, unable to form any words.

“Excellent. He is waiting for you in his guest chambers. I will have one of the servants escort you to his room.” He waves over a young girl with a sheer veil covering most of her face. She curtsies to me and turns toward the left, leading me down the enormous hallway without a word. I follow her, unsure why Finn doesn’t just meet me in the ballroom.

We turn down another hallway, and the servant girl stops outside the first room on the right before knocking three times on the wooden door. Hurried footsteps sound on the other side before another servant opens the door and looks me over. He bows shallowly before stepping back and gesturing for me to enter the room. I turn to thank the girl, but she’s already gone, vanished down the hallway.

I step into the room, shocked to find that it’s massive, probably the size of our entire cottage back in Staghorn. A huge, four-poster bed with forest green curtains sits on one end of the space, while a large table and two chairs occupy the spot in front of the hearth. Another door in the back of the room leads to what I’m assuming is a bathing chamber, which Finn emerges from, looking enchantingly gorgeous in all black, wings out for the time being, his messy waves still slightly damp from bathing.

My stomach flutters upon seeing him, and every instinct in my body is telling me to run into his arms, but I keep my feet planted firmly where they are.

“Devyn, do you know where I left my ring? I can’t seem to find it…” He trails off as he looks up to find me standing near the door, and a huge, unabashed smile takes over his face.

I give him a reprimanding look, arms crossed, before curtsying sarcastically.“YourHighness.”

Finn’s smile vanishes and he clears his throat awkwardly, realizing that I now know who he is.“Devyn, will you excuse us?” The man, who I assume is his valet, bows deeply to him and then walks past me and out the door, closing it softly behind him.

“You never thought to tell me you’re aprince?We spent a week together, Finn.” I’m irked, though the hypocrisy of my anger is not lost on me since he doesn’t truly know who I am and I have no current plan to reveal that truth to him.

“Would it have made a difference?” He raises his scarred eyebrow at me.

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