I nibbled my fingernail, deliberating. “Very well, you’ll have to borrow my copy. I’ll bring it the next time I visit.”
“Can’t wait,” he said wryly.
I took the book from him and scanned the table of contents. My breath caught as my gaze traced over a story title I’d forgotten about: “The Tale of the Witch and the Love Potion.” I gawked at it as the beginning of an idea flickered to life.
Alastar groaned. “Uh oh, something is brewing in that mind of yours, and I’m almost afraid to ask what it could possibly—”
“Alastar,” I shrieked. “That’s it!” I tapped the story that had caused my brilliant epiphany. His brow furrowed.
“‘The Tale of the Witch and the Love Potion?’ Are you a witch, Rosalina?”
“No, but I do have a recipe for a love potion.”
His mouth fell open. “You can’t be serious. Does such a thing even exist?”
“Of course it does. My family has a book of magical recipes you bake into desserts, and one is a love potion. It’s such an obvious solution I can’t believe I didn’t consider it earlier.”
His puzzlement twisted into alarm, and if I hadn’t been so fascinated to see him openly showing emotion, his expression would have annoyed me.
“Oh no. Please don’t tell me you’re truly considering…”
“I certainly am,” I said smugly as I slid the book back in its place on the shelf. “I’m going to brew up a love potion to give to Prince Liam so he can have the strength to overcome his arranged engagement in order allow himself to fall madly in love with me.”
Chapter 10
Goodness, Prince Liam was remarkably attentive this morning. He must have sensed that I’d concocted the most delicious plan that would allow us to finally be together, meaning our hearts were already beginning to connect. He’d scarcely spoken to anyone else throughout breakfast, engaging me in an interesting discussion of books we’d each read as we dined on the delectable spread. With each of Prince Liam’s coy smiles and flirtatious winks, any lingering doubts concerning his feelings vanished—this was the behavior of a man who’d found his true love. How fortunate that woman was me.
I dreaded my upcoming departure—how tragic that I was being torn from my love so soon after we’d just found one another—but we’d no sooner finished breakfast than Prince Liam gave me a dashing smile that caused my breath to hitch.
“It’s a shame you’re leaving so soon. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed your company.”
My heart became aflutter with excitement. He loved spending time with me and dreaded our parting! “I feel the same, Your Highness. If only I could remain longer.”
He twirled his fork as he leaned back in his seat. “Perhaps that can be arranged.” He winked at me, causing my settling heart to flare to life again. Oh, he was definitely interested. This was only confirmed when he swiveled to face Eileen and Aiden. “Rosalina hasn’t had the privilege of a tour. Might I give her one before your departure?”
Aiden rolled his eyes. “Really, Liam, you want to subject her to your infamous grand tour?”
Prince Liam pretended to look affronted. “Infamous? Just subject yourself to a tour given by the servants—or, if you’re brave enough, my father—and you’ll better understand how thrilling mine is. Theirs will lull you to sleep with their rambles about every dull fact from past royals, whereas mine is full of all manner of juicy secrets and exciting stories.” He leaned closer to me and lowered his voice. “How about it, Rosalina? A private tour, during which I’ll show you all the secrets of the palace?”
I could scarcely breathe with him so near. I found myself lost in those eyes of his. Oh, but he was incredibly handsome; he’d completely cast me under his spell. I mutely nodded my consent.
“Excellent. I knew you were one for adventure.” He stood and offered his arm. I nearly knocked my chair over in my eagerness to accept it, my hand curling perfectly around his elbow. I smiled in anticipation and was pleased when he returned it. “Shall we?” He led me from the dining room, making a special effort to pass a glowering Alastar on the way out.
I couldn’t help looking back at him. I hadn’t had a chance to speak with him since he’d kindly escorted me back to my room the evening before. “Alastar looks upset.”
“Does he?” Prince Liam glanced over his shoulder and smirked. “He does. Poor bloke, forced to stand around all day while I get to escort a beautiful maiden. He undoubtedly envies me.”
I became fluttery once more. I, Rosalina, was the beautiful maiden on Prince Liam’s arm! Despite the sheer magic of my circumstances, Alastar’s scowl nagged at me for the first several corridors until it faded away as Prince Liam launched into his tour.
“Now, you may think this is an ordinary hallway,” he said mysteriously. “But this particular hallway happens to be haunted.”
A delighted thrill rippled up my spine. “Haunted, you say?”
“Yes. Strange noises emanate from it every night, decorations are often discovered mysteriously rearranged…clearly, it’s the work of ghosts, and I have a theory as to which type of ghosts. Would you like to hear it?”
“Absolutely.” I fluttered my eyelashes and was pleased the gesture was well received; his grin widened as he leaned down to whisper into my ear.
“I find it highly probable that two of Draceria’s past queens are having a squabble even beyond the grave about how this particular corridor should be decorated.”
I giggled and he seemed pleased he’d gotten me to laugh. And why shouldn’t he? Surely a man enjoyed making the woman he cared for happy.
The tour continued. Prince Liam showed me all sorts of rooms, each accompanied by a story told with theatrical gestures that I doubted could be found in any of the royal histories, but which delighted my imagination. He told me of dramatic battles, scandalous secrets, unsolved mysteries…even the simplest rooms had a captivating tale attached to it. I was certain that there was no place more fascinating than His Highness’s home, soon to be my home.
Prince Liam’s storytelling was interrupted when, upon leaving a parlor that was said to contain a map to a hidden treasure woven in an ancient tapestry, we spotted Princess Lavena at the end of the hallway. He immediately tugged me behind the thick drapes of a tucked-away alcove.
We were forced to stand rather close due to the confined space. Heat pulsed between us and it became difficult to breathe. I peeked up at His Highness, expecting him to be giving me the smoldering look I’d always read about heroes giving beautiful maidens. Perhaps he’d use the opportunity to steal a kiss?
But no. He wasn’t looking at me, but trying to subtly peer through the slit in the curtains to watch his unwanted fiancée. A minute crawled by, and when I was certain I’d faint from our proximity, he released a whooshing breath of relief.
“She’s gone. Thank goodness she didn’t spot us. Disaster averted.” He led me out from behind the drapes and re-looped my arm through his.
“You really dislike her, don’t you?” I said.
He scowled. “There’s no one I dislike more. She’s a vile, spoiled woman who will make my life a misery the moment we take our vows and become bound to one another. No man deserves such a sentence.”
My heart wrenched. No, he couldn’t marry her! He deserved someone better than that…one who would love and cherish him as I would. “Is there no way out of it?”
“Other than her demise? I’m afraid not. Not that I haven’t tried.”
“Perhaps if you fell in love with someone else, you’d be allowed to marry her instead?” I smiled up at him, hoping he’d see that I was the woman he was meant to fall in love with.
“In an ideal world, that would be the perfect plan,” he said. “Perhaps you and I should elope and I’ll finally be free.” He winked at me before leading me into a state room, but I scarcely heard whatever humorous story he rattled off about the royal who’d commissioned this room, my mind eclipsed by his recent words.
Me. He wanted to marry me
. He’d essentially just proposed. I thought I’d float away in my joy. To think I was so close to becoming a princess, living my happily ever after in a palace with my prince. Oh, bliss!
The rest of the tour passed in a daze, and all too soon Prince Liam returned me to Aiden and Eileen, who’d spent their wait conversing with Prince Nolan of Lyceria and Prince Liam’s sisters.
Prince Liam released my arm with obvious reluctance. “I very much enjoyed my time with you, Miss Rosalina.”
“As did I, Your Highness.”
He flashed his princely smile. “I wouldn’t expect anything else.” He glanced sideways towards Princess Lavena, who watched us through narrowed eyes. He glared right back before pressing a lingering kiss on my hand. “I eagerly look forward to our next meeting.”
I stared after him as he left, my heart soaring at his romantic parting words. I scarcely noticed Eileen sidle up to me. “I take it you enjoyed his tour?”
“Oh Eileen, it was magical.” I pressed my hand to my heart with a wistful sigh. “He’s so…so…” Words couldn’t express how perfect the morning had been, what with the prince’s attentions…and his near marriage proposal!
“He is charming,” Eileen said. “I’m glad you enjoyed yourself.”
Enjoyed wasn’t an adequate enough word to describe the bliss I was feeling. I followed Eileen and Aiden to the waiting carriage in a daze, floating with each step. I was jerked rudely back to earth when Alastar helped me into the carriage with a tight, almost painful assisting grip that compelled me to look at him.
I frowned at his glower. “What’s wrong, Alastar?”
“How was your grand tour?” he asked drily. I lifted my eyebrows in surprise, but nothing could dampen what had likely been the best morning of my life.
I beamed as the wondrous memories returned to dance across my mind. “Positively wonderful.”
His eyes narrowed. “I see.”
“His Highness is the most charming man I’ve ever met, not to mention humorous and incredibly handsome and—”
He snorted. “Yes, you’ve mentioned how handsome he is. Many times.” He clambered into the carriage after me and slammed the door before settling back in his seat, arms crossed and glaring.
I frowned at this grumpy Alastar, both fascinated by his open display of emotion and rather annoyed by it. Why was he always so moody? Was he trying to ruin my perfect day?
I exchanged a puzzled look with Aiden and Eileen, who were looking at Alastar with a mixture of confusion and pity. No answers would come from them. Not that I needed them. Alastar wasn’t my concern; my prince was. As the carriage rolled out of the palace gates, I closed my eyes and repeatedly relived the memory of the grand tour with Prince Liam, revisiting every single detail, especially His Highness’s smiles and the sweet way he’d looked at me—as if I was his heart’s match. I sighed wistfully. Perfect.
Alastar’s dark tone pierced my daydreams. “His Highness is nothing but a flirt.”
I opened my eyes to glare at him, but before I could retort, Alastar continued.
“His attention towards you was nothing special. I’ve witnessed His Highness’s behavior on many occasions, and he never misses the opportunity to pay attention to a pretty girl.”
“Alastar’s right,” Aiden said. “While his intentions are innocent, I wouldn’t read too much into Liam’s attention.”
“He paid me more than a bit of attention,” I snapped. After all, he’d essentially proposed.
“Then he undoubtedly felt guilty about upsetting you last evening and was trying to make it up to you,” Alastar said.
No, it was very obvious that he yearned for me to rescue him from his arranged engagement so that he could marry me, his true love, and nothing Alastar said would cause me to doubt what I knew to be the truth. He didn’t know what he was talking about; after all, he hadn’t witnessed the tender moments the prince and I had shared.
Ignoring him, I re-immersed myself in my lovely daydreams, this time lingering on the thrill I’d experienced being pressed so closely to him while we’d been hiding from his dreaded fiancée, a moment that had been followed by his romantic words: “Perhaps you and I should elope and I’ll finally be free.”
I sighed happily. We were meant to be together. And I now knew how to save him from his arranged marriage. The love spell was definitely the solution. Nothing else would be strong enough for him to stray from his duty and follow his heart.
I couldn’t wait to return to the bakery and begin this newest quest—securing the heart of my prince.
The only consolation in being forced to leave magnificent palaces and return to my dull life was I would now have the chance to obtain our family’s magical recipe book. Upon my return to Arador, it took three days before the opportunity to steal my loot from its locked cabinet finally arrived.
The bakery had just closed and Mother and Father had left for market, leaving me, Master Thief, the perfect moment to pick the locked cupboard with my hairpin. Unfortunately, there were always foes lurking to dissuade a heroine from her goal—in this case, my pesky older brother. Before I could even sneak into the kitchen and begin my heist—
“What are you up to, Rosebud?” Ferris stood in the doorway of the parlor, watching me with suspicious eyes as I wriggled with impatience to make my move to snatch the book of magical desserts from its hiding place.
“Nothing,” I said hastily.
His eyes narrowed. “I highly doubt that. The mischievous Rosalina is never up to nothing.”
I locked my jaw to keep my swarm of brilliant retorts from escaping their prison and causing trouble. Allowing him to goad me into one of our epic fights—which ranged in length from hours to occasionally days—would rob precious time from my quest. I had a happily ever after to achieve.
Without a word, I picked up my copy of Tales of Magic and Romance to Enchant the Heart and walked right past him to sit on the parlor chair. I turned to “The Tale of the Witch and the Love Potion” for inspiration. I curled up in front of the hearth with a plate of day-old cherry tarts and immersed myself in my story.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t shake Ferris so easily. He leaned against the wall and watched me for a good ten minutes before he finally straightened with a sigh. “This is boring. I’m off to my mate’s.”
“Have fun,” I said as I casually turned my page. He slowly backed from the room, and a minute later I heard the jingle of the front door. I waited several minutes more before I crept over to peer through the slit in the drapes. No sign of him. Excellent. I scampered into the kitchen and careened right into Ferris.
“Ah ha, I knew you were up to something.”
It took every ounce of discipline to school my features. Older brothers were the worst. “You haven’t left yet?” I made a show of putting on the kettle on the hearth to serve as my alibi in venturing into the kitchen. “Would you like some tea before you go?”
Ferris continued to frown at me before sighing once again. “Fine, I give. I don’t care what you’re up to, even though you have that ‘Rosalina is about to make trouble’ gleam in your eye. I’m leaving now, for real.”
“Have a good time.” When he left, I tiptoed to the kitchen window to watch until he disappeared down the road. Finally. That delay had taken too many unnecessary pages of my story.
After a successful lock-picking, I pulled Enchanted Sweets and Delights from its hiding place and took it to my room. I sat cross-legged on my bed, eased it open on my lap, and frantically turned the pages, searching, searching…there! “A Spell of Love.” I grinned. Perfect.
My smile faltered as I scanned the page. Goodness, what a complicated recipe. The list of ingredients was vast, many rather unusual. I could raid my parents’ stock for the more common ones, and a few might be found in the Forest, but the others…I nibbled my fingernail as my gaze lingered on some of the rare flowers. Perhaps those could be found in the Sortileyan palace gardens, which I was fortunate to have access to.
It’
d likely take at least a month before I succeeded in my quest. What a bother. And I’d been hoping to be able to whip the spell up this afternoon so I could take it with me on my next visit to the palace.
By the time Eileen and Aiden invited me for another stay two agonizingly long weeks later, I’d managed to procure over half the ingredients, all carefully measured in labeled jars. After our usual hug in greeting, Eileen’s brow furrowed as she took in my bulging satchel.
“What do you have there, Rosie?”
I grinned and pulled out Enchanted Sweets and Delights, having been forced to lug it from the bakery since the book was enchanted with a spell that prevented me from copying any of the recipes out, which would have been so much easier. “I have a plan.”
Eileen frowned. “Oh no, not that book.”
I pouted. “Why the wary tone? You know this book is perfect for helping achieve happy endings, considering we baked truth cakes from it for your own romance.”
Eileen blushed at the reminder, but her firm countenance didn’t waver. “While those admittedly worked, magic is still rather dangerous to meddle with. What are you planning on baking?”
I flipped to my bookmarked recipe. She gasped.
“Oh, Rosie, you can’t possibly be serious.”
“Of course I am,” I said. “I need to do all I can to ensure my happily ever after—hey!” Eileen had seized my book and proceeded to show the recipe to Aiden before I could snatch it back.
His eyes widened. “Would such a recipe actually work?”
“From personal experience with goods baked from this book, it likely will,” Eileen replied. “And thus we can’t risk her even trying. You do realize who this love spell is intended for, don’t you?”
Aiden’s mouth fell open. “Rosalina, you’re not seriously considering—”
“Of course I am,” I repeated, prickled at the negative reception my ingenious plan was receiving from my best friend and her husband. From his usual place against the wall, I also sensed that guard’s disapproval, but I didn’t even spare him a glance.
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