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How many times had that been spat in his face while she had been asleep? How many times had he tried to step up and help only to be shut down and cast aside as though he were less than?

She knew all too well the crushing weight of having everything that had once given you life and purpose stripped away. It was heavy enough to bruise, to crush, to break you apart into tiny shards.

It was heavy enough to destroy.

No one should have to know that kind of suffering. She refused to let Elian feel it for even a moment longer.

“You are of royal Dymree blood. If Alouette has truly been abducted, we lost our only ally. Crown Prince or not, you know the kingdom better than any of us. If we stand a chance at salvaging this alliance, we need you.”

Elian’s eyes snapped to hers, lips parting, as if her words had sent a jolt through his system. Slowly, the shadows behind his eyes started to lift. He smiled and Thicket finally felt like this one was true.

“As you wish.”

Chapter Twenty-Two

When they returned, Lotta found Caspian immediately to give him an update on what had happened, and to request he assemble the Council to meet first thing in the morning. Thicket didn’t sleep all night, tossing and turning as visions of the poor phoenix plagued her mind. She imagined all the ways this meeting could go wrong. All the ways her plan could go wrong. She rehearsed her speech over and over as the stars slunk across the sky until the sun came to relieve the moon.

By the time dawn broke and Lotta came to get her ready for the meeting, Thicket was a jumbled ball nerves.

And now, it was time to act. She just hoped the Council consented to her plan and that it would finally lead them on the road to their happily ever after.

The morning air was crisp as Marcellus and Caspian led her to Sleeria’s version of the Great Hall. Fog rolled across the water and dew dribbled from the flowers clinging to building sides. Despite the frigid late spring air, she wished she had refused the shawl Lotta provided her on her way out. The anxious sparks in her stomach had spread, heating her entire body. She was sure a pool of sweat had formed in the underarms of her dress.

Elian and Bern were waiting for them outside the meeting hall. A towering arch was carved into the polished marble exterior, held up by columns topped with intricate whorls.

“Are you ready?” Elian asked.

“As ready as I will ever be.”

Bern tackled her in a hug from the side, making Thicket stumble into Elian. “You are going to be great! Besides, the Council is only there to give suggestions. You will always have final say. Just remember that and believe in yourself.”

Caspian cleared his throat, not so subtly disagreeing with Bern’s assessment of the Council. “Miss Brooks is… partially correct, though I cannot fully condone the wording.” The corners of his eyes creased. “At the very least, you will have my full support.”

Seeing them all crowded in front of her, Thicket couldn’t help but be reminded of her vision from the Lost Soul Lagoon. She had been chasing that feeling of belonging for so long. How many years had she spent, wishing Jett and Linda had never abandoned her. Avoiding looking at the picture frames taunting her with the family she once had. Working her hardest every night to tamper her dreams so she could live a normal life?

Thicket’s parents might have been dead and Jett and Linda may have just been puppets pulled by the strings of the curse, but that didn’t mean she was alone. She had Caspian, Bern, Elian, and even Lotta. Somehow, without her even realizing it, she had found her place.

All that was left was to protect it.

She glanced around her shoulder. Marcellus hovered behind Caspian, eyes vigilantly sweeping their surroundings.

We are not friends. We are not acquaintances. I am your guard, and that is it. We will never be anything more.

She wondered if he would let her in one day, maybe when this was all over, or if he would return to the farmhouse and move on with his life without her.

Elian offered her his arm.

She took it, grateful for something solid and sturdy to ground her. The Council was waiting for her in a large room. Instead of chandeliers, golden sconces hung from the walls, casting a bright, golden glow across the vaulted ceiling. Built into the divided section were a series of bookshelves made from pale, worn wood. The table was the same, long with enough seats to accommodate all the Council members. Elian drew hers out for her before continuing to the opposite end. His hand lingered on the chair, as though unsure whether it was okay for him to assume it. Thicket gave him a reassuring smile. He returned it and slid into his seat along with the rest of the Council.

Thicket’s palms were sweating profusely now. She kept wiping them on the skirt of her dress, silently reiterating her speech and praying she didn’t stammer over her words. Or worse—forget them entirely.

Behind her father, Bern grinned and gave her a double thumbs up.

Thicket pinched her lips to stifle her grin.

“What matter did you summon us for, Your Highness?” Duke Deveraux asked.

Thicket launched into her speech, explaining how she slipped into one of Lavender’s memories, allowing her to learn of her sister’s role in Alouette’s abduction. She did her best to fend off the questions that came with it.