When we reached the bottom, a carriage was waiting for us, smaller than the one that had brought me here. The guards mounted their horses as Ceren helped me in. Unlike the last carriage I’d ridden in, there was only one bench. It would just be the two of us inside, and I prayed that the trip was short.

My skirts were thin enough that I could feel the warmth of his thigh against mine. I kept my hands clasped neatly in my lap so he wouldn’t be tempted to take one of them, but when the carriage went over a large bump, I threw out a hand to steady myself, grabbing the nearest thing available: his forearm.

I released it immediately, but I could feel Ceren smiling next to me. How he loved to see me squirm, like a worm on a hook.

“I’m impressed with how quickly you’ve adjusted,” he said. “They say it took Queen Talia nearly six months of sickness before she finally got used to living here. But you’re different than she was. She was so self-aware, and her actions were always calculated, like she was performing in a play all the time. It was as if she’d spent her entire life worrying about how her behavior looked to other people.”

“She did,” I said, the words tumbling from my lips before I could stop myself. “That’s exactly how she spent her life. You have no idea the amount of pressure there is on Varenian women to be beautiful, all so we can be the one chosen to come here.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

I glared at him from the corner of my eye. “It’s all such a waste. You wouldn’t care what I looked like, as long as I can provide you with healthy heirs.”

He chuckled, a low rumble in his chest. “My, aren’t we feisty this morning. Of course your beauty matters to me. If I must marry a wave child, I far prefer a pretty one. But you’re right, it does seem foolish to waste so much time on vanity. My mother was beautiful, too, but what good did it do her?” He shook his head sadly, then added, “At any rate, you’re nothing like Talia.”

I arched an eyebrow in question.

“You speak your mind, for one thing. I never heard Talia say anything sharp or angry to my father. She was always the perfect lady, as delicate as a flower.”

Not so delicate, I thought. A flower could not have survived the journey to Ilara, let alone a life in that horrible mountain.

“No, you strike me as someone who’s more careless with her beauty,” he continued. “For example, most women with your bone structure would wear their hair pulled back, to show off their cheekbones. But you’ve worn yours down today. Don’t worry, your hair still looks lovely, but it’s not as flattering. I can hardly see that delicate neck of yours.”

I bit back a growl at the memory of his hands on my throat, but he was right. I never thought about whether or not a particular hairstyle was flattering. Zadie would have.

“And while I know you’re desperate for color, the green gown was a poor choice. You should have chosen the feathered gown, or the one with the diamond cutout. You have so few chances to display your flesh for my brother, after all.”

I hated the way he made everything vulgar and ugly. “In Varenia, I wore whatever we could afford. Our pearls don’t buy what they used to,” I told him.

“See, just one of the many ways you are lucky to have been rescued from poverty. I would wager you have fifty gowns in your wardrobe right now, and I’d order fifty more if you asked for them.”

I looked out the window, grateful that the curtains had been pulled back today, so I could see out as we rode. “I have no need for one hundred dresses, nor even fifty.”

“So you don’t like them?”

I turned back to him. “It’s hard to think about dresses when I know my family could very well be hungry tonight, especially without me there to dive for pearls.” I almost mentioned my injured sister but stopped myself just in time. I had to control my emotions around Ceren, no matter how much he rankled me.

Before he could answer, the carriage rattled to a stop. I felt it rock as the driver leaped down and came to open our door.

“We’re here,” Ceren said, handing me out of the carriage. “Lake Elwin, the largest of the Linrose Lakes.”

Talin and his guards stood off in the distance, some mounted, others holding on to their horses’ leads as they waited for our arrival. Talin was still on his dapple gray stallion, looking as majestic as the day I’d seen him at Old Castle. There was a part of me that wondered if he’d help me if he knew what Ceren had planned for the Varenians. I wanted to believe that he’d helped me last night.

But he’d also convinced me to dance with him at the ball when he must have known how his brother would react. I couldn’t help thinking that Ceren was right. Talin was a lionfish, beautiful but dangerous, drawing me in even though I knew he could cost me everything.

When he spotted me crossing the field, he dismounted and walked forward to meet us. He bowed in front of me, his brown hair falling over his brow. “My lady.”

“Your Highness.” I curtsied, letting my own hair shadow my face, always conscious of my scar around him. I looked away quickly, pretending to take in the landscape. “I didn’t get to fully appreciate Ilara’s beauty during my journey here.”

I could feel his gaze on me. “I always believed Ilara was the most beautiful thing in the world, until I visited your home.”

I had promised myself I would avoid eye contact with him today, but my glance betrayed me at his words. Was he referring to Varenia, or Zadie? Or was it somehow possible he meant me?

Ceren’s hand landed heavily on my shoulder, staking his claim. “Thank you for meeting us, Talin. I know your men are busy, but I think what you’re about to see will impress even you.”

“Are you so difficult to impress, Prince Talin?” I asked.

He smirked in response, and something caught in my chest.

“Only when it comes to me,” Ceren said. “Isn’t that right, brother?”

Talin ignored him and took my arm. My pulse quickened at the contact. “I am very impressed with your bride-to-be,” he said over his shoulder.

I could feel the tension rolling off Ceren as he walked on my other side. Along the bank of the river, Ceren’s guards and the young page were inflating the air bag with a pair of large bellows.

Talin scratched at his hair. “I must say you’ve outdone yourself this time, Ceren. I have absolutely no idea what I’m looking at.”

Ceren continued on toward the device. “Not to worry. You will soon enough.” He unclasped his coat and handed it to the boy. “I’m afraid I need to undress for this presentation. My lady, please avert your gaze. I wouldn’t want to spoil our wedding night.”