The elders did not linger. I wasn’t sure if this was to spare themselves from any further embarrassment or because they wished to let us settle into a cozier atmosphere.

  Regardless, settle we did.

  Nasha was quick to start chattering excitedly about adorable dragon babies, and Arandel eagerly joined in once she’d brought our food. Interestingly, the elf spent as much time giving us advice on what to prepare regarding baby items as she did gushing. Amara watched her do that with a soft, amused smile, but did not step in to remind her that Alys had others to offer advice, too.

  I was glad to see that Kiri was ever so slowly leaning towards happiness rather than mindless fear. She still glanced at me from time to time with apprehension evident on her face, but she nonetheless embraced the lighter mood of the gathering.

  Then there was the oddest member of our little party: the fox.

  Ritsu fluttered around the table, offering unusual sweets to anyone who cared to partake and making small contributions to the conversation. Each time he came near me, he offered a hesitant smile, like he half-expected to be struck.

  Fortunately for the fox, I was determined to relax and enjoy the rest of the day. Also fortunately, the sweets he brought were fantastic. One of them seemed to be made out of hardened sugar, with a gooey, fruity core. Another was made entirely out of amber-like honey with chocolate chips caught inside of it.

  I especially liked one shaped like a flower, with a crunchy undertone and a sweet, floral center you had to be careful not to spill. At least, I thought it was shaped like a flower. It didn’t take me long to realize those particular sweets were actual flowers. I only caught on because the Courts liked to present similar dishes, with several types of flowering plants being prized as sources of delicacies.

  Even with that context, this flower was particularly unusual. I had truly believed at first that this was some kind of sweet material shaped like a plant. But when I subtly ran a diagnostic spell through it, I was shocked. Instead of water and minerals, the plant contained channels that transported sugar and something suspiciously honey-like, if much more watered down. I found it equally delicious and fascinating.

  Yet even amidst all these pleasant interactions, a wisp of unease curled like choking smoke around the table.

  Nasha was obviously shaken by what had happened with the elders. While she was pushing through it with sheer enthusiasm, the distress was still there under the surface. Arandel, too, was clearly holding certain emotions at bay. She would occasionally glance back at her grandfather with worry flickering over her features before she forced it away. Still, I never once caught signs of resentment aimed at me or Alys, which I admittedly appreciated.

  And then there was Alys herself.

  My dragoness had not changed her behavior in any obvious way. She was still pressed against me. She still had her tail wrapped around my waist. However, I caught an occasional glance from her that made me shift uncomfortably. Something was smoldering behind those beautiful golden orbs of hers. There was also a new rigidness to her spine that I didn’t like.

  This all caused a quiet sense of dread to build up in the back of my mind, even if I ignored it easily enough in favor of interacting with everyone.

  “I wish Pen was here,” Nasha whined, drawing my attention back to the conversation. “She would have been thrilled for you two as well! She adores babies, actually. And all cute things in general.” The beagle giggled, a brief look of mischief sparking in her eyes. “Maybe I should ask her if she wants us to adopt a kid or two?”

  “I am surprised she isn’t with you right now, actually,” I mused. “You two seemed inseparable.”

  “Ahhh, she wanted to join me, but all the domestic animals are scared of her for some reason.” In defiance of all natural laws and logic, the beagle’s ears managed to droop even further. “She really loves sheep, too. Especially the lambs. She’d probably abduct one of them to cuddle with if she could, but the poor dears either freeze up in terror or try to run away from her whenever she gets close.”

  I caught Kiri’s wince from the corner of my eye. She looked to be on the verge of apologizing before I shot her a look. I could only assume she knew exactly why the animals were so afraid of Pen. It was almost certainly related to the Winter Court’s manipulative forging of Pen’s entire species. But the Hall was hardly the place for Kiri to let slip the confirmation that she was a Winter Royal Fae.

  Now, I was fairly sure some people in town suspected. Hyel, perhaps. But I would also bet that he would continue to follow the wise path of ignoring and denying everything unless forced to confront the matter.

  It was always best not to poke your nose into fae business, whether said fae was friendly or not.

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  That did make me wonder if he suspected me. I had done plenty of things by that point that a common fae would not be able to. Though I had never explained some of those things, like what I’d done to the soldiers, Hyel was not a fool.

  But, as with Kiri, I couldn’t think of a reason he would choose to cause trouble for me. It was simply unwise.

  Especially with The Molten Expanse added into the mix.

  “What has Pen been up to?” Alys rumbled curiously.

  “She’s still working with the hunters, mostly,” Nasha replied. “Turns out, when your tribe has been living on the frontier for as long as hers, you learn plenty about the local critters, threats, hunting grounds, and such. She never ventured this far, which is why she can’t point us directly to places where we can find useful herbs and where animals gather, but she’s been sharing all the wilderness info she has. It’s been helpful.”

  My ears perked up. “Useful herbs? I don’t suppose she is aware of some we haven’t come across yet, is she?”

  For a moment, Nasha’s expression was pure chagrined sheepishness. “Oh, shoot… Ummm… I don’t suppose you’d be willing to forget what I said for a bit?”

  “Why?”

  The beagle drooped again. This time, it was a full-body motion that reminded me of melting ice cream.

  “Shoot! Okay, so… Pen wanted to do something nice for everyone who helped us when you guys discovered she was around. I’m not spoiling any more surprises! But, Thorn, yes: she knows some very useful stuff! You’ll see! She’s almost done compiling the binder for you. I’ve been helping her.”

  Cheer made a swift resurgence as Nasha chirped about how well Pen was doing, especially when it came to picking up our written language at a startling rate. I was only partially paying attention, however, because I had the strangest feeling swarming through my chest.

  Pen was preparing a gift. For me. Someone she barely knew, and who had disrupted her attempt to hide away from Swiftband in the first place. Certainly, the situation had worked out extremely well in the end, but to say I felt odd would be an understatement.

  There was a flicker of something else there, too. A feeling of… connection, shall we say.

  I was willing to admit I saw them all as friends, of course, and I did care about them. But Alys still came unequivocally first, along with the new, expanded family she had brought into my life. That wasn’t likely to change in a hurry. However, I now had to confront the quiet realization that these people at the table genuinely cared about me.

  Obvious, perhaps, but I was a fae.

  Apparently, it took them silently sitting there and choosing not to intervene on behalf of their elders, followed by the shocking promise of a gift without expectations or strings attached, for me to take notice of how I felt. Of how people felt about me.

  Strangest of all was the fact that they were sincere in their extensions of friendship towards me. Even Kiri, a cynical part of my brain pointed out. A Winter Court princess was not someone I would typically accept anywhere near my family. Yet there she was, a protective, resolute gleam reflecting in her eyes whenever she looked at Alys.

  She understood what Alys’ pregnancy and relationship with me could cause when — if — we were discovered. Yet in spite of the initial terror, she seemed determined to protect my mate, rather than do the smart thing and disappear in the middle of the night.

  Again, I felt odd.

  The feeling only grew as midday approached and the conversation wound down. It was almost enough to distract me from that feeling of dread prompted by the way Alys was acting.

  Almost.

  Finally, Ritsu, Kiri, and Nasha excused themselves and left, with plenty of hugs and promises to visit from the latter two. Alys lingered, talking to Arandel about something in quick whispers. I used the chance to venture over to Alys’ parents, who were waiting for us by the Hall doors.

  They must have discerned something in my expression. Soren straightened up when I reached them, and Amara tilted her head at me ever so slightly.

  I saw no reason to avoid the topic.

  “I wanted to apologize.” I addressed the draconian, offering the same bow dictated by fae etiquette when a child was aware they had erred and wanted to make amends to their parents. “I never once forgot our conversation about living in Grandmother’s lair, nor the promise I gave you. I have no intention of ever following through with the threat I made to the elders. But I still made it, and I should have warned you ahead of time that I might. I hadn’t planned to, truthfully, but it… ah, slipped out?”

  I winced. With a bit of time and relaxation separating me from the moment, the magnitude of my mistake was growing ever more apparent, as was the reason I’d made it to begin with.

  I had sensed weakness. My pride had been chipped, and I had sensed weakness in those who had done it. For all that I liked to separate myself from most of my kin, I was still undoubtedly a fae. Rarely had it been as evident as during my chat with the elders.

  I had still held back quite a bit, of course. Fae are not known for tolerating even the smallest of slights. In my position, my parents would have done far, far worse, and far, far sooner.

  But that did not matter. What mattered was that I was trying to do better… and that my instinctual and training*-*ingrained need to press an advantage, to twist the knife, had hurt people I cared about.

  For a moment, both of them remained silent. Soren gazed at me contemplatively, while Amara was watching me with an expression I couldn’t decipher.

  I admit I was thoroughly confused when she went on her tiptoes to ruffle my hair and then gently patted my cheek.

  “Oh, you poor, poor thing. I forgive you. I’m sure my hubby does too, right?”

  She nudged Soren. He narrowed his eyes on me for a moment, searching my face. Whatever he found there finally made him smile and nod.

  “I wish you luck discussing this with my sweet hatchling, though,” Amara went on. “Because from what I’ve seen so far, you didn’t warn her either, did you?” She giggled at the expression I pulled. “That’s what I thought. Well, I’m sure you’ll work it out, hmmm? Make sure you do! Because while I do adore you so far, I won’t stand for my sweet hatchling being hurt. Some growing pains are expected, of course. All relationships have them. What matters is how you handle them, and whether you learn from them!”

  She gave me a mischievous grin. “Not that my hubby made many mistakes, since I made sure to teach him the big no-nos from the start. Didn’t I, dear?”

  Soren suppressed a laugh, eyes swimming with mirth as he leaned down to press a kiss to Amara’s forehead.

  “Yes, dear.”

  Somehow, that didn’t make me feel better.

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