Protect the Prince (Crown of Shards #2)(49)

A small white card was also propped up on the table. Welcome was written on the card in thick black ink, while a large, fancy cursive D was embossed in gold foil in the top right corner. I traced my fingers over the foiled letter, wondering who I had to thank for this. Prince Dominic? Dahlia Sullivan? Someone else?

Whoever it was had done their homework, since the table featured some of my favorite foods. I didn’t know whether to be flattered or concerned. Both, most likely.

My stomach grumbled, reminding me that I hadn’t eaten all day, so I poured a glass of lemonade and carefully sniffed it. I also reached out with my immunity, but I didn’t sense any magic. The drink was clean, so I took a sip.

The cold lemonade burst onto my tongue, the perfect blend of sweet and tart from the blackberries, lemons, and sugar, along with a faint, refreshing hint of mint. I also downed several cakes, grapes, crackers, and cheeses. The food was excellent, and it was the perfect light, refreshing snack to tide me over until dinner. I would have to thank the mysterious D for their thoughtfulness—and ask exactly how they knew what I liked to eat and drink.

I poured myself another glass of lemonade, then wandered around the balcony, examining the exquisite stonework, as well as the colorful clay pots filled with herbs and flowers lined up on the railing, basking in the afternoon sun. I’d never been much for plants, so the only thing I recognized was the mint, since the same type of sprigs were floating in the lemonade pitcher.

Still, I frowned as I fingered the mint leaves. Something about the pots and plants made me uneasy, even though they were just innocent bits of clay and color. Maybe it was because the leaves reminded me of the wormroot that Vasilia had used during the royal massacre, or how my father, Jarl, had been murdered with the same foul plant. I shuddered, dropped my hand, and turned away from the pots.

I went over to the center of the balcony, which curved outward and formed the top of the crown shape. I hadn’t noticed it before, but the balcony overlooked the famed Edelstein Gardens.

Autumn had already taken hold here in Andvari. Trees resplendent with red, orange, and yellow leaves towered over flower beds bursting with blue, purple, and pink blooms, while paths lined with black, wrought-iron benches curled past the beautiful blossoms.

And like everything else at Glitnir, the gardens were much more impressive than the royal lawn at Seven Spire. The trees were taller, the flowers brighter, the paths wider. Not to mention all the other features. One area boasted ponds covered with water lilies, while the space next to it was filled with striped sand and sunbaked rocks. In another section, black netting was strung up like spiderwebs in the treetops to contain the butterflies flitting around below.

Even more precious jewels and metals were woven in with the greenery. Trees made of hammered gold, silver, and bronze gleamed here and there, while roses with emerald stems, onyx thorns, and ruby leaves were set into the ground next to the actual, living flowers. Round moonstones lined the paths, while bits of silver frosted the black benches. The mix of metals and trees, gems and flowers, soft petals and hard stones made the area even more stunning.

And then there was the gardens’ centerpiece—an enormous evergreen hedge maze. I squinted into the sun, trying to see the pattern the paths formed. The top part curved up in two separate places, almost like horns. Two more empty spaces looked like giant eyes, and the space below it seemed to be full of jagged teeth . . .

I grimaced. The maze was shaped like a gargoyle face. Of course it was.

A large, round dome jutted up where the gargoyle’s nose would be. It looked like a gazebo was standing there, in the center of the gardens, isolated from everything else. No doubt it was a marvel of architecture and crusted with metals and jewels, and seeing it was your reward for navigating through the complicated maze.

A path ran past my balcony, so I leaned against the railing and watched the people below. Servants mostly, carrying crates, platters, and more. A few guards wandered by as well, making sure that everything was proceeding as normal. But Glitnir seemed to run as smoothly as a Ryusaman clock, just like Seven Spire did, and I soon grew tired of my spying.

I was just about to go back inside and take a nap before dinner when Sullivan appeared on the path below.

He strode over to the hedge maze entrance, which was directly across from my balcony, then stopped and started pacing back and forth. He was still wearing his long gray coat, and the tails snapped around his legs as if the fabric were mirroring the obvious frustration on his face.

I started to call out and jokingly ask him to rescue me from my high, jewel-encrusted prison, but a woman stepped out from underneath my balcony and walked over to him.

Helene Blume.

The afternoon sun brought out the flawless perfection of her topaz skin, along with the warm strands of red in her glorious auburn hair. She looked even more beautiful now than she had in the throne room.

Helene watched Sullivan pace for a few seconds, then stepped in front of him. “I know you’re still upset with me.” Even her voice was beautiful: soft, light, and feminine, with a hint of the Andvarian accent. “And I know I said this earlier in the throne room, but I want to apologize again. For everything.”

Sullivan let out a harsh, bitter laugh, moved around her, and resumed his pacing. But Helene was not to be denied, and once again she stepped in front of him, stopping him.

“I truly am sorry, Lucas,” she murmured. “For everything. I never meant to hurt you. That was the last thing I wanted to do.”