Page 21 of Love & Letter Charms
“I already talk about weather,” Aurelise pointed out. “It’s my primary conversational refuge.”
“Then you’re perfectly prepared,” Mariselle declared. “You’ll bore Prince Ryden into a state of complete indifference within a week.”
Aurelise sighed. “I still don’t think I should have been chosen.”
“Noted,” Rosavyn said. “Your objection has been registered with the committee of sisters who don’t have any power to change anything but will enthusiastically commiserate.”
They lapsed into companionable silence then, all of them staring up at the ceiling as afternoon light continued its slow progression across the plaster roses. Aurelise tried to find peacein the quiet moment, but underneath the calm, anxiety churned like a restless tide.
The ceiling roses, she decided, offered no more useful wisdom than their living counterparts back home.
Chapter Five
The corridorsof Solstice Hall stretched endlessly before Prince Ryden, each faelight casting shadows that felt heavier than usual. He’d been summoned to his mother’s private withdrawing room—a space she reserved for matters requiring discretion rather than ceremony—and he trudged forward with mounting resignation. No doubt she wished to discuss her selections for the Crown Court now that this madness was officially happening.
As he approached the double doors, they opened to reveal Lady Rivenna Rowanwood preparing to take her leave. The sight of her wasn’t surprising—his mother had long maintained a friendship with the formidable matriarch of the Rowanwood family, speaking of her with the particular fondness reserved for those who’d offered guidance through difficult times. What counsel had his mother sought tonight, he wondered, that required such a private audience?
“Lady Rowanwood,” he said, offering a proper bow as she moved toward him.
“Your Highness,” she replied. Her curtsy was perfectly correct, yet somehow she still managed to look down at him despite the difference in their heights. As she straightened, herpiercing eyes assessed him with an intensity that made him want to fidget.
“May I offer my congratulations on your granddaughter’s selection for the Crown Court,” he said, falling back on formal pleasantries. “Lady Aurelise’s magical demonstration was truly extraordinary.”
“How kind of you to say so.” Her smile was the sort that didn’t quite reach her eyes. She strode forward, then stopped in the doorway before passing him, leaning in just slightly. “Your Highness,” she murmured, “I trust you understand that not every flower in a garden is meant to be plucked. Some are far too delicate for careless hands.”
“My lady?” he enquired, raising an eyebrow though he understood her meaning perfectly. It seemed the Rowanwoods were of one mind—first Evryn’s stern warnings at the Opening Ball, and now the formidable grandmother herself. They had clearly decided their delicate flower needed protection, and he had been unanimously designated as the garden pest.
“Should my granddaughter experience even the slightest distress while under your attention,” Lady Rivenna said, her voice carrying the gentle menace of silk concealing steel, “I shall devote my considerable resources to ensuring that your future holds regrets of such magnificent proportions they will eclipse all other memories of your youth.”
The words hung between them for a moment as the older woman smiled a frost-bitten smile. Then she was gone, her footsteps fading down the corridor.
Ryden entered his mother’s withdrawing room, still processing Lady Rivenna’s warning. The space was designed for comfort rather than grandeur, with walls of soft pearl-gray and furniture upholstered in shades of lavender and cream. His mother sat in her favorite chair near the window, a portfolio of some sort lying closed on the low table before her. Themoonlight streaming through the glass caught the pale blue of her hair, making it seem almost white.
“Come rest yourself, darling,” she said in that voice she reserved solely for him, patting the chair beside her without glancing up from her papers.
Ryden obeyed, sinking into the plush velvet. “Lady Rivenna appears to have her talons particularly sharpened this evening,” he observed, hoping his tone conveyed casual amusement rather than the wariness he actually felt.
His mother’s lips curved in the faintest smile. “Lady Rivenna’s counsel remains consistent with our research. We both believe you need a partner whose magic will provide a grounding influence—earth magic, protective barriers, something with natural stability. The deep magical bond created through marriage should theoretically stabilize your surges.”
“She does not seem pleased about her granddaughter’s inclusion in the Crown Court.”
“Oh, she was fully aware Lady Aurelise would be selected. Grateful that I agreed to it, in fact.”
“Agreed?” Ryden straightened, genuinely surprised. “Sherequestedher granddaughter be selected?”
“Of course. The Rowanwoods are one of our most distinguished families, yet their position has grown somewhat precarious with their older daughter’s continued lack of manifestation. To have their younger daughter debut this Season and not be included in the Crown Court would have invited speculation about the family’s standing. Lady Rivenna is far too shrewd to allow such whispers to take root. She does not, however, wish you to actuallychooseLady Aurelise. She knows her granddaughter’s temperament would make her unsuitable for royal life.”
Ryden exhaled slowly, remembering Evryn’s similar comments. “This seems to be a common sentiment among her family.”
“I concur, naturally. We needn’t waste time considering her. Music magic could hardly be further from what we’re seeking. Far too emotional.”
“Her magic was …” Ryden paused, remembering the way those invisible strings had seemed to reach directly into his chest. Another involuntary shiver ran through him. “Magnificent.”
“Oh yes, quite extraordinary. I’ve never experienced anything quite like it.” His mother’s brow furrowed slightly. “Though it is curious. The Rowanwoods typically manifest earth-based abilities, particularly those relating to lumyrite. The magic in their bloodline could potentially be the sort of grounding influence we seek for your authority surges. Yet Lady Aurelise’s gift appears to have diverged from her family’s traditional affinities. An influence from her mother’s side, presumably. Nevertheless, given the fact that your surges sometimes correlate with emotional intensity, a magic that so powerfully stirs feeling would be particularly ill-advised.”
She waved a hand over the portfolio, and it transformed into something far more sophisticated. A series of translucent panels slid into the air where they hung, bobbing gently, each displaying a moving portrait of one of the Crown Court ladies along with flowing script beneath.
“Now,” his mother said as she began swiping elegantly through the panels with her hand, moving and reordering them, “let us review our true prospects.”
