Page 43 of The Dragon of her Dreams

It took a while, but we wove our way, up the steps and to the huge front door of the castle.

Jaegar let go of my arm and went straight up to the ornately designed steel door, knocking hard. When the door opened, he stepped back and put his hands behind his back, clasping his hands together as though he were standing at attention.

The butler opened the main door, his eyebrows drawn together in surprise. “Sire, are you home early?” he queried.

Jaegar nodded quickly. “Yes, we arrived this morning. Could you please see to Vanya’s needs until the king and queen arrive home tomorrow?”

The butler nodded. “Of course.”

I stared at Jaegar. His voice was so strong, and his posture was as straight as an arrow. He had the presence and bearing of a king, even if he didn’t yet realize it. I followed after the butler, walking toward the alluring warmth of the castle, only to find that Jaegar was pulling back. “Aren’t you coming with me?” I asked.

He shook his head, his lips pulling tightly into a thin line. “No. I’m afraid I have some things to work on today. I can’t delay.”

“But you’ll come sleep here with me, tonight, right?” I pressed, turning to stare at him. Surely, he didn’t mean to go back to that draughty, tiny little house all on his own? Not when the castle and its royal family had welcomed him as a long lost son.

“Well, I—”

“Please, Jaegar,” I said over the top of whatever excuse he was going to come up with. “I don’t want to stay here without you.” And I didn’t, which was the truth. If I’d believed that Jaegar would abandon me the moment we’d arrived, I would never have come.

Jaegar’s ice-blue gaze bored into me until finally, he nodded, a short, curt motion of his head. “All right. I’ll be by later.”

I took a step toward him to kiss him goodbye, but he bowed his head and rushed away to attend to whatever it was that was so important.

I stared after him, gobsmacked. What had caused such a significant turnaround?

“Come inside, Princess Vanya,” the butler called out, interrupting my thoughts. “You must be cold.”

Jaegar was out of sight now, so I turned and ran inside the castle. “Freezing!” I agreed, shivering for effect.

The butler hurried me into the main dining room, where a large fire heated the room.

“Oh!” I hurried over to the fireplace, putting my hands out to feel the heat on my palms. The doors behind me opened and I turned around to see who it was.

Sharon walked in, the regular housekeeper. “Princess Vanya,” she greeted me, her arms full of dresses and other clothing. “I heard you had arrived and were dressed in clothes that weren’t yours.”

I frowned at what she held, not recognizing the garments. “Hello, Sharon. I don’t think they’re mine either.”

She shook her head. “No, of course. Your clothing hasn’t arrived yet, so I took it upon myself to go through Veronica’s closet. Most of her clothes should fit you.”

“Oh, thank you,” I said gratefully, reaching out to touch a midnight-blue dress.

Sharontskedloudly. “And whose clothes are these?”

I put my hand to the rough cloak I wore, feeling a little self-conscious. “I don’t know, actually. Jaegar borrowed them from a friend, I believe.” I’d been too out of my mind with the cold to ask any questions.

Sharon made a disgruntled noise. “Follow me, dear. The maids are setting up a guest room for you as we speak, and we’ll get you into a nice warm bath, then into some of these clothes. You don’t want to wear those any longer than you must.”

I followed her but glanced down at the clothes I wore with appreciation. The boots were comfortable and well-made and had amazingly kept my feet warm and dry even though we’d walked the whole way in the snow. The cloak was made from rough and worn materials, as was the dress, but that didn’t mean they were beneath me. I didn’t care about being dressed in finery, especially when I’d faced freezing to death.

I would have walked up to the castle wrapped in a blanket if I’d needed to!

Sharon showed me to my bedroom and ran me a bath.

Uncle Damon’s castle was the least fancy of all the castles in the realm, but it was steeped in history. The paintings, the portraits, and the architecture were simply beautiful and ancient beyond memory. The rooms were smaller, the furnishings simple. But the room was clean, and well cared for, and most of all, it was warm.

“Hop in,” Sharon encouraged with a smile as she helped me undress. “You must be cold to your core.”

I undressed quickly and rushed to get into the bathtub and sank beneath the hot water. Goosebumps covered my flesh, and for a moment, I simply shivered beneath the surface. But then a wave of relaxation washed over me as the heat seeped into my bones. “Oh, thank you Sharon,” I said.

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