Page 17 of To Catch a Prince

Clarya, a girl of nineteen, was dead, but she’d live forever in Vincent’s memory, and he would honor her by wearing his hair like she usedto.

She’d shaped him into the man he was now. Suspicious. Hesitant to let anyone in. Ruthless to those who preyed on theinnocent.

Dragonless.

11

The Friend

Talia could finally putwhatever anxiety she’d felt at the thought of coming to the kingdom of dragons firmly behind her now. Their welcome, while not warm, didn’t leave much to be desired. Most attendees made a point of coming to greet them, respectfully bowing their heads in a show of respect. She was certainly regarded with suspicion by some, but they remained cordial all the same. Besides, how could she blame them? She’d made quite theentrance.

“Viktor Vasili, my wife, Mula,” said an elegant, handsome man, introducing himself, rather than letting a servant doso.

Viktor was tall, with a powerful build; he kept his light brown hair cut short, but had a long, trimmed beard. Talia noticed his eyes, which seemed strangely familiar; she couldn’t place them,though.

There was no suspicion from him, and no animosity, either; the man downright beamed, welcoming them with good humor. It seemed that her sister had really wed into a goodhearted family. How pleased she was forher.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a bonnier face, dear,” he told Aleria, who couldn’t help but return his smile. His good humor was contagious. “What say you, Mula? You should draw the girl’sportrait.”

“And I would, too, if I had the skills to do her justice.” Then, the short, yet feminine, woman, who looked slightly older than her husband, but nonetheless handsome, turned to Talia. “You gave us quite the fright, younglady.”

She didn’t sound all that forbidding, but Talia apologized nonetheless. “Pardon me, Lady Mula, when I heard my sister could be held in captivityhere-”

The woman didn’t let her finish. “Nonsense. We do love our women with spirit around here. It’s good you showed them all what you’re capable of. You wouldn’t have fit in,otherwise.”

Talia tilted her head. Fitting in was no concern of hers. Now she knew Xandrie was more than fine and had made a home for herself, she would be going soon. As an Enchantress, she had a duty to the realm, they’d said. If any Kingdom called for her aid, she’d be on her way. But this was a discussion she needed to have with Aleria and Xandrie before anyone else, so she just smiled, averting the woman’s piercinggaze.

Turning away from those she’d talked to, she sawhimagain. Pretty Man. The beautiful woman who’d stood next to her sister through the ceremony whispered low with Pretty Man; they seemed toargue.

“Ah,” said the Archduke, following her gaze. “You like what you see, do you? Most ladiesdo.”

“No,I…”

“Come over here, Vincent!” he called out before she could finish denying that she did, indeed, very much like what she saw. Good thing, too, as she didn’t likelying.

Pretty Man glared; at her, rather than the Archduke. There was some sort of a warning she didn’t quite comprehend, in the way he then redirected his attention toViktor.

“My ladies, let me introduce you to myson.”

Ah. Well, that explained the eyes, now that shelooked.

The two men were of the same height, and their hair was dark blond, although the father wore it short. They really did have a similar look, although Vincent’s features mirrored his mother’s, rather than his father’s - one of the reasons why he was so damnpretty.

Vincent seemed to be around the same age as his parents. Talia belatedly recalled what she’d read somewhere in her schooling: dragons could live hundreds, if not thousands of years, and remained in good form. She tried not to hate them too much forthat.

Pretty Man - or Vincent - wordlessly bowed his head as little as he could while remaining somewhat civil. “Aleria, Talia, meet Demelza.” He held his hand up, until the woman he’d been in a conversation with joined them. She was even more stunning from upclose.

Like Viktor, the woman seemed well disposed towards them. Her smile wasn’t forced. “I’m a particular friend of your sister,” said Demelza. “It would be my honor to guide you to your apartments and be of any help during yourstay.”

Finally. There was a bath in her immediatefuture.

“Could we go? As in, rightnow?”

Her smile widened. “Afteryou.”

Talia and Aleria practically tripped over themselves to getoutdoors.

What wasthe man’s problem? He’d seemed suspicious of her when they’d first met, but, generally, people warmed up to her after a while. That dragon was the opposite; he seemed colder, his eyes narrowing and flashing with somethingdangerous.

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