Page 101 of If The Crown Fits
“There’s one more thing.” She hesitated for a moment. “I’m going with them.”
“What?”
“I’m going to Norrandale with Jack.”
I shouldn’t have been so surprised. Jack and Cordelia had been infatuated with each other long before any of us had the brains to figure it out.
“What does your brother say about this?”
“He’s not overly fond of the idea but he knows it will make me happy.”
The past few weeks had been a whirlwind. It felt as though Cordelia and I had barely had time to talk to each other. She had been there for me in many more ways than I deserved.
“I’m going to miss you,” I admitted. “You were a good lady-in-waiting, but more than that, you’re a good friend.”
She gave me a tight hug. “I’m going to miss you too.” Cordelia pulled back and held me at arm’s length. “Promise me we’ll write to each other?”
“Promise.”
“Very well,” she said with a sad smile. “Come and see me off then.”
We made our way to the front of the palace where a few horses had already been saddled, ready for their journey.
Cai and Jack made sure all their weapons were in place while Alastor checked one of the horse’s reins.
Jack looked up with a smile when he saw Cordelia approach.
“Are you ready?” he asked her.
She nodded with a wide grin and after greeting her brother, Jack helped her onto one of the horses.
I remained standing at the bottom step, unsure of what to do with my hands.
Cai walked over and my chest tightened.
“Well, goodbye then.”
I cleared my throat, unsure how to respond. There were too many things running through my head.
“Have a safe journey.”
There was something like hurt in Cai’s eyes, and I wanted to tell him it wasn’t fair. He didn’t get to be hurt or sad when he was the one who’d lied to me, regardless of what his reasoning might have been.
I’d been too overwhelmed the previous day to have a proper discussion and now it was too late.
“Thank you. Best of luck with—” He gestured with his head to the palace behind me and I suppressed a sigh, not wanting to be reminded of my predicament.
“Goodbye, Cai.”
Once everyone had mounted, the party heading for Norrandale was off. Cordelia gave a little wave over her shoulderto which I waved back. I watched their horses walk further and further away until the prince of Norrandale disappeared from my sight.
Epilogue
The Palace of Levernia
Lara
I glanced in the mirror as my new lady-in-waiting, Anesta, stood behind me, pinning up my hair. She focused intensely on her task at hand and I shifted my gaze back to my reflection. There was something different about my eyes now. They used to be empty, hungry and cold. A different soul had taken its place behind my irises, and now there was a glimmer in them that had never been there before.
