Page 26 of To Catch a Prince

At first, he kept his distance. It had been five days since he’d started trailing her steps and she’d never noticedit.

This morning, she went to the market with her elder sister and a servant. He pretended to look at some incredibly cheap and useless armor: Vincent, like any man with dragon blood in his veins, couldn’t be easily hurt. But that stand just happened to be a few paces away from where the lady was looking atbeignets.

He smiled as he heard her exclaim in ecstasy, “This is the most wonderful thing I’ve ever tasted,” saidshe.

“I don’t even care that this will mess with my figure,” Aleria added, making the old and usually grumpy Dreijblush.

Beignets were common in the south, from the Sands to Farden, but she wouldn’t have been familiar with the pastry where she came from. Vincent half considered joining her then. She didn’t know about golden melts either, and no doubt the salted caramel delish, the signature dessert of Telenar, ought to be tasted by anyone who entered the doors of their city, so that they may fully appreciate the grandeur of theirkingdom.

“Mhhhhh.”

Or maybe he just wanted to hear her moan like that again. Never had he been so glad of his acute sense ofhearing.

He stayed in place and then followed her progression through the stands. She was mostly interested in thefood.

“We should get a new dress each,” the elder sister suggested, when they arrived in front of a clothes shop. “Unless you’re interested in borrowing something ofDemelza’s.”

“By all heavens, certainly not, I would look quite ridiculous.” Vincent frowned. She never could. “But I’ll be just fine in what I’ve brought with me, as long as there’s no other ball, thatis.”

“Talia, your dress has sleeves. And it’s made of velvet.” Pointing out the obvious, she added, “It’s hot enough to roast chicken outhere.”

Was it? Dragons, like other creatures, felt the heat, but it never bothered them. The cold was another matter altogether, though. It took extreme temperatures to actually affect their health, but snowy winters were unpleasant, nonetheless. Hence, why their Kingdom was as southern as the continentwent.

“I have the other one - the red silk Laya gave me back in the capital. I only wore it at the ball. It’ll do verywell.”

“Not for everydaywear.”

Talia bit her lip. “I’ll pay for it,” her sisteroffered.

“I can’t keep relying on your generosity,Aleria.”

“Nonsense. Big sisters are meant for nothing else. And if you don’t want to ask it of me, Xandrie would certainly not see you uncomfortable, and you knowit.”

That’s when his feet led him to the women, quite against his own volition. It just wouldn’t do to have her worry about money for simple dresses. She was their Queen’s littlesister.

“I still have a good half of the money you gave me - I can manage a dress,” Talia sighed. “I’m just attempting to becareful.”

“A very good exercise,” Vincent told her, now he was close. She turned to him, frowning. “But unnecessary. I’ll see that you’re both granted an allowance from the crown. Today, you’ll allow me to purchase whatever youneed.”

She was going to be stubborn about it, he could justtell.

* * *

Talia and Aleria were impressed,to say the least. In Malek, the dress shop had a handful of used designs they resold, as well as very simple clothing for farmers. When she or her sisters had needed anything new, they’d gone to the part of the store where fabrics were stored and picked whichever one was the leastdreadful.

The attire store on the main street of Telenar, leading right up to the palace, was of a like she’d never seen before. Their jaws fell when they crossed the threshold and didn’t close until they weredone.

The finest gowns and day dresses, riding habits, and pants-attire for ladies she’d ever seen were displayed there. Even Xandrie would have found cause to drool at the soft leather breeches fitted on mannequins. Talia had claimed she wasn’t one to enjoy frocks. She’d lied, for surely, if she’d lived somewhere where such a shop existed, she would have spent every penny of her allowancethere.

Two elegant female employees came to greet them. One look at Vincent and both of them curtsied deep, sinking to the floorelegantly.

“Commander,” they said reverently, pressing their fists to theirhearts.

The unfamiliar gesture spoke volumes. It was deference, admiration, love, and more. The sort of thing no title earned a man. Talia looked at Vincent, who inclined his own head in greeting. What had he done to deserve it, she wondered. Yet she couldn’t say she felt surprise; just proud,perhaps.

Which was ridiculous. What business did she have at being proud of a man she barely knew atall?

“Greetings. I bring you Talia and Aleria, our Queen’s kin. They’re in need ofclothing.”

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