Page 23 of Luca

“How could I not be?”

As a whole, the market was… well, a market. Loud and generally overwhelming, but our unhurried pace allowed me to get my bearings, to adapt to the environment that usually sent me into a tailspin. The brightness of life, the fizz of enchantments, and the delicious smells made the inevitable headache worthwhile. I felt a buzz under my skin as we browsed each vendor’s wares. My fingers brushed expensive fabrics, I inhaled exotic perfumes, and my tastebuds sampled foods I’d never known existed. As Cair had said, there would definitely be a delay. It would take a while to scour every square inch of the place, to pop into every shop and experience all Briargate had to offer, but we had time.

Finding my dad could wait another day or two.

For such a busy corner of the Otherworld, everyone respected personal space. We’d tackled nearly an entire section of the settlement and I’d only felt the odd stray shoulder bump. They never seemed malicious either, and weren’t ever followed by a glare or curse as they would’ve been in the human realm. Creatures were rushing around, but they didn’t use it as an excuse to be rude. Whether because of enhanced perception or ingrained politeness, they possessed a heightened sense of spatial awareness that most humans lacked. No doubt it was the reason I enjoyed myself so much. I wasn’t drowning intoo much,too close,too tight, and I didn’t feel like a bother just for existing.

Cair being very obviously a prince may have been somewhat to thank for the distance, too. Not out of fear, but respect. It wasn’t hard to notice creatures swerving at the sight of his white hair, giving a slight dip of their heads as we walked by, and offering their most sincere smiles. The people loved Cair, that much was clear, and I felt a sense of pride walking beside him. He treated his people fairly, maintaining his poise and grace without shunning their blessings or looking down his nose at them as I knewsomeFae would. He would make a great king—firm and composed, yet kind.

Even if, deep down, I knew it wasn’t what he wanted.

“Over here a moment, sweetheart,” Cair said to me before gently tugging my hand.

I followed him through the masses to a small shop named Tally’s, nestled between two other buildings, one pink and one yellow. An older monster—a satyr, I recognized from a book I’d read back at the palace library—sat under the shop’s awning, a table in front of him laden with a spread of intricately decorated Fae pastries and cakes. My mouth watered. They looked delicious.

“Your Highness,” the satyr greeted, both hands clutching the top of his walking stick as he shifted as if to stand. “Forgive me, I’m not as spritely as I used to be.”

Cair raised a hand. “No need to get up, Ivar,” he said, and the guy, Ivar, bowed his head before relaxing in his chair again. He set his stick off to the side.

“One hundred years, and you still remember this old fool’s name.”

Cair laughed, the sound rich and warm. “You may be old, Ivar, but you are no fool.” They shared a look I couldn’t quite decipher, a secret that I wanted to discover, but I didn’t want to interrupt. Cair must have sensed my intrigue as he pressed his hand to my back, ushering me forward a step. “This is Ivar, sweetheart, the best baker in the entire Otherworld,” he said in introduction, and Ivar rolled his eyes at the compliment, but dipped his head respectfully toward me. “Ivar, this is Luca, my mate.”

“Your Highness,” he said, the words falling from his tongue as if he were greeting an old friend. “Anything you require, you need only ask. I am but your humble servant.”

“Oh… thank you.” I fiddled with the strap of my pack, shifting nervously from foot to foot. The weight of such a promise was unusual to me, especially from a stranger. “And just Luca is fine.”

Ivar smiled politely, though Cair bent forward to whisper a gentle correction in my ear. “As the mate of a prince, it is proper for the people to address you by your title in public, little one.”

“Oh, right! Yes, of course.” My skin grew hot, embarrassment settling like a lead brick in my stomach. I should have known that. “Sorry.”

“You will get the hang of it, don’t you worry,” Ivar reassured me, tone devoid of judgment, and before I could make a joke at my expense, he leaned forward to scoop up a cute little pastry with his cake slice. He placed it on what looked like a banana leaf. “Now, would you be a dear and try these Amber Sunrise tarts, your highness? They are a new addition to the shop, and I am led to believe you have a sweet tooth?”

“Yes, I do.” I frowned. “How did you?—”

He winked, and I was definitely missing something. “Intuition.”

I shelved it for now, and took the cake. It had a round biscuit-like base, and a dome on top, covered in an orange mirror-glaze. There were also little details in white and peach, making the icing look like a painting of the sky at dawn.

Ivar made an encouraging sound, and aware that I was in public and supposed to at leastactdemure, I took a bite. It was like heaven. My teeth sank easily through a layer of shortcrust pastry, a thin sheen of ganache, a cloud of fluffy cream, and…

“Apricot,” I slurred around my mouthful, manners out the window. I managed to swallow before adding, “That’s my favorite!”

“I had some imported from the human realm,” Ivar said. “We have a similar fruit here, same shape and texture, but the taste was never quite right for the tarts.”

“It’s delicious.” I took another bite and sighed happily.

“I am glad you approve,” he chirped, before expressing his apologies and turning his attention to the minotaur who’d wandered over, requesting a box of Autumn Delights.

I watched as he served the guy, taking extreme care with each fruit-laden cake as he placed them into a white craft-paper box before bagging them up. Rubies were exchanged instead of gold coins—the currency for some monsters, but not others—and the minotaur expressed his gratitude. He bowed to Cair and me as he left.

Ivar sagged back into his seat once more, but just as he opened his mouth to speak, several more customers began to gather around, though they seemed content just to browse. “Creators, this is as busy as I’ve been all day. I tell ya, everyone gets a glimpse of the white hair and suddenly this stall is the best thing since the Veil. Why don’t you stand there for a wee bit longer, Your Highnesses, so I can sell out and go back to bed, huh?” he joked, laughing tiredly.

Cair scoffed, the sound extremely fond. “It’s good to see you, Ivar. And though I’d love to stick around, we have somewhere to be. Don’t let us distract you any further.”

Ivar waved dismissively. “Pfft, nonsense. You know better than anyone that I can multitask, and I do a damn fine job of it, too.”

“That you do.”

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