Page 51 of Song of the Heart Scale
After a quick pit stop in the bathroom to freshen up, I tiptoed out of the room and closed the door behind me with a soft snick.
The hallway was quiet, sunlit, and stupidly regal. Arched ceilings painted with celestial maps, velvet runners so plush I felt guilty stepping on them, and vases that looked older than my entire bloodline.
I wandered aimlessly, taking turns just to see where they led. Mainly I needed to find Maeve. She had all my clothes and I couldn’t just walk around here wearing nothing but this robe. Eventually, I passed a pair of tall double doors slightly ajar, with the rich smell of tea and something floral drifting out.
Curiosity piqued, I lightly knocked.
“Enter,” came a voice—calm, low, and unmistakably authoritative.
I pushed the door open.
Royal Prince Bai sat at a carved desk near a tall window. Sunlight slanted across an array of scrolls, books, and a silver tea service that looked far too elegant for anything involving caffeine. Even though he looked like he’d been up for hours, his silver-streaked hair was immaculate, his posture relaxed but regal, and his eyes locked on me with quiet curiosity.
“Good morning, Lady Arya.”
“Uh, hi.” I winced. “You can drop the ‘Lady’ thing. I think we’re way past formalities.”
He inclined his head. “Please, come in.”
I stepped inside, feeling underdressed in his presence—even in the silk robe, which I now realized probably looked more like a stolen trophy than something respectful. Still, he didn’t comment.
“I was just making jasmine tea,” he said. “Would you care for a cup?”
“Tea is not really my jam, but sure, why not. It’s not like there’s any coffee around here.” I slid into the seat opposite him.
He poured for both of us, the clink of porcelain soft and precise. “Damien told me,” he said after a moment.
I blinked. “Told you... what?”
“Everything.” He handed me the cup. “Your true name. Your origins. The truth behind your presence in Elaria.”
I stared at him. “Huh.”
It wasn’t the most articulate response, but it beat the full-blown panic attack tap-dancing at the edge of my chest.
“I see,” I said slowly. “So... what? Are you planning to have me burned at the stake or tossed back through the portal?”
His lips twitched. “Neither.”
“Because I don’t do well with flames. Or time-travel. Or mysterious tea, come to think of it.” He seriously could have poisoned me, and I was just about to drink it without thinking twice. Idiot.
“I assure you, the tea is safe.”
I took a cautious sip. Jasmine and honey. Not bad. “So... you’re not mad?”
“Mad? No. Intrigued? Absolutely.”
“Okay, well that’s better than expected. I’m usually more of a ‘cause for concern’ than a curiosity.”
Royal Prince Bai smiled faintly. “You are many things, Cat. But mostly, you are a complication.”
I gave him a flat look. “Thanks. I’ll embroider that on my pillows and towels.”
He set his cup down with a quiet clink. “You must understand. Damien is my nephew. I love him as my own. And you have changed him.”
My throat went tight. “Is that a bad thing?”
“No,” he said softly. “But it is a dangerous one.”
