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The guards reached for their swords. Bern held up her hand. “Relax. I am not going to attempt any murder today. I am, however,” Bern said, sliding a sly smile Thicket’s way, “going to initiate a kidnapping.”

Before Thicket or the guards could react, Bern grabbed Thicket’s hand and dragged her down the halls.

“Where are we going?” Thicket asked.

Bern didn’t answer as she rounded corner after corner. She moved like she spent her days mapping these halls. As kids, she probably had. Bern burst into Thicket’s room. Bayo jumped up from where she lay across Thicket’s bed, yipping as she bounded over.

Lotta emerged from the sitting room, cradling a freshly steaming kettle. “How did it go?” Her eyes fell onto the blood still caking Thicket’s hand. “By the chalices, what happened?”

“Nothing to worry about,” Thicket said. “I’m not hurt. And more importantly, Lavender has been taken care of. She is locked safely back in her cell while the guards prepare for her to be transported to the Desert Kingdom.”

That was the negotiation Thicket had struck with the Emperor. To avenge the phoenix, Lavender would serve time in the Desert Kingdom, doing whatever menial tasks she could perform without access to magic.

“And now it is time to celebrate!” Bern said. “Thicket, you go get cleaned up while I grab refreshments.”

Lotta watched, horrified as Bern pranced over to the table she had been carefully assembling for tea and dumped the assortment of pastries into a napkin, looped the teacups onto the fingers of one hand, and cradled a stack of plates in the crook of her arm. Thicket was fascinated by how fast she had been able to gather what should have taken at least three people to carry.

Fastening the napkin in her teeth, Bern grabbed Thicket with her free hand and said, “Let’s go.” The fabric muffled her words, but Thicket understood her meaning perfectly as Bern dragged Thicket towards the door, Bayo trotting after them. “You’re coming, too, Lolo.”

“But I’m working,” Lotta protested.

Bern let go of Thicket’s hand to grab the bundle of pastries, allowing her mouth to move freely.“This is our well deserved girls time. There’s no getting out of it.”

Bern led them to another room in a different suite and kicked the door open. “Ah, it feels so nice to be home.” She set her spoils on the table situated by a couch before hauling herself on top of it. “This is where I would stay whenever my father and I spent the night at the castle,” Bern said. She rolled onto her stomach and patted the seat next to her. “Come sit. Girl time has commenced.”

Lotta finished setting her arrangement on the coffee table, sighing slightly at the dented frosting lining her once pristine pastries.

Seeing all the food gathered in one place made Thicket’s stomach growl. It occurred to her that she hadn’t eaten since last night before she had gone to see her family’s old wing. She grabbed what looked to be a cream filled pastry and took a bite. The filling exploded in her mouth, coating her tongue with the sweet, delicate flavors of vanilla. “This is delicious,” Thicket moaned. Bayo sniffed her hand, doing her best to try and sneak a taste for herself. “Where did you get it?”

“The bakeries sent some pastries with us when we departed for the castle,” Lotta explained. “They said you would be hungry once you were done so they gave us everything from sandwiches to pastries to fresh fruit. They weren’t the only ones who sent gifts. Other shops pitched in, providing clothes, blankets, soaps and body scrubs. Anything they thought you could possibly need.”

Thicket set her pastry down as a hot lump pressed against her throat, making it hard to swallow. “They… They did that?”

Lotta nodded, smiling. “Liam and Milo said hi, too.” She nodded at Bayo. “But they desperately miss her.”

Thicket scratched Bayo’s thick ears. “They didn’t come?”

Lotta shook her head. “They are staying in Sleeria. Their adoptive parents decided to move there officially and they are settling into their house as we speak.” She toyed with the hem of her maid uniform, running her finger along the embroidered edges. “I was planning on saving up my leave and visiting them once they are more established.”

“Are they staying in your family’s old home?”

“No. They decided a fresh start would suit them better.” Lotta glanced at Bern, who was stuffing macaron after macaron in her mouth. “You said you wanted to travel? Do you think your father will approve?”

Bern sighed. “Seeing the Desert Kingdom has rekindled my love for travel. I thought a week in each city would suffice, but I was naive. Alouette showed me all these hidden markets and architectural marvels that I had no idea even existed. I think I would need at least a month to explore each city to its fullest.”

“When did you and Alouette go exploring?” Thicket asked.

“After you left!” Bern chirped, reaching for another macaron. Thicket wanted to ask how she had been able to go sightseeing while she had been a prisoner, but Bern purged on. “Alouette said being back in the Desert Kingdom made her realize how much she missed traveling. She said she wants to go on a trip across the Continent for a year before assuming the throne. She invited me to join her.”

“Traveling with Princess Alouette sounds like a great opportunity,” Lotta said. “They spare no expense, and if Princess Alouette has already traveled, she will be able to provide a lot of great insight into how the world has changed in the last century.”

“It would have been.” Bern took a small nibble from the cookie’s crust. “But I turned her down.”

“Why?” Thicket demanded.

“Because you will be queen soon. I couldn’t leave you to handle that on your own.”

“Yes, you can. In fact, Bern, I hereby banish you from Vindrya for one year.”