Page 9 of Love Letters & Lemon Drops

"Why not? We'll take one of the guards with us. I'm sure Frederick wouldn't mind, he's sweet on the blacksmith's apprentice and loves any opportunity to go flirt with him," Veronica muses.

"Is that why it took him so long to get back with my pan?" Evelyn asks.

"Your pan?" Veronica responds.

"Yes. It had a dent in it, so I asked Frederick if he could get it fixed for me, but it took him three days."

"I doubt he was flirting for three days," Veronica says.

I frown as I listen to them talk to one another, not entirely sure what to make of it. "What would your parents say about you going into the village?" I can only imagine how my parents would respond to me doing something like that.

Veronica shrugs in a very unprincesslike gesture. "They've never said anything about it. They're probably happy we're keeping out of trouble. Did you never go down to the village next to your castle with your brother?"

I shake my head. "I haven't seen much of my younger brother since he started training to become the next king."

"Ah, yes. I forgot that was how your kingdom worked. Kathryn has been the crown princess since she was born, Arthur's arrival didn't change that."

"I can't say I mind," I say. Though I'm not entirely sure if that's the real answer, or the one I give because I feel like I have to. My brother has always been the one set to inherit. I don't think they even named me as heir temporarily.

But I am glad for it in one way. It means that I'm here in Falhaven and not at home in Someil with all of the pressures of trying to learn how to be a queen.

Chapter 5

Being outside the castle with only a couple of guards and the two princesses as company is an odd experience for me, but no one seems particularly worried about us being here, so I assume that it's fine. It's just so different to how things are in Someil. I've been longing for this kind of freedom for years and wishing I had the courage to act on it, so now I can, it's a little jarring, though I suspect I will quickly get used to it.

"Does the Winter Fair come every year?" I ask the sisters.

"Oh, yes. It's my favourite," Evelyn says. "Though I also like the Summer Fair. And the Spring Fair. Oh and the Autumn Fair, and the Harvest Festival."

"Is there any fair you don't like?" I ask.

Veronica laughs. "Not if there's a stall that has anything to do with baking," she responds. "When we find it, it'll be the last we see of Evie for the afternoon."

The other princess shrugs, seemingly not insulted by the implication.

"What would you like to see, Solana?" Veronica asks. "I believe there's a woman who makes things for cats, if you want to get her something?"

"Arthur already got her a cat tree, I can't spoil her too much."

"He built it himself," Evelyn says. "Just so you know."

"He did?" My heart aches for the man who isn't here.

"He said no one else could do it the way he wanted."

"Evie," Veronica hisses softly. "You're not supposed to say that."

"Artie didn't tell me that I had to keep it quiet," she protests.

"It's just not the kind of thing you're supposed to tell people."

"How am I supposed to know that?" The question seems to be genuine, but I don't know her well enough to be sure about that.

Veronica rolls her eyes, but turns her attention back to me. "Artie likes to make sure things are perfect, especially when there are animals concerned."

"But also you," Evelyn says. "He would always smile when one of your letters came."

"Evie!"

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