-Prior-
Prior still felt dazed. It was all too much at once. She turned around.
"Where is Zho, actually?" she asked. She would have liked to at least say goodbye to him.
Suddenly, she noticed a small movement in the hallway. From around the corner, a small hand briefly appeared, waving. He was still nearby. She smiled.
At least that was like a small farewell.
-Kashion-
Kashion looked in the direction Prior had been staring. He saw nothing.
Why was she thinking about Zho now? He—Kashion—was here now, and he would be the one looking after her.
"He's a Hualin. He'll do his job. You don't need to worry about him." He touched her arm and said quietly, "And I won't let anything happen to you ever again."
Prior looked into his eyes and smiled.
His gaze fell to her lips, and he had to force himself to look away.
"Shall we?" Lina asked.
-Prior-
Prior nodded. Then she slowly walked toward the door and finally opened it.
At first glance, she immediately noticed how tastefully the room was decorated—and above all: it was full of her favorite colors!
She turned around and looked at Kashion. He nodded encouragingly and said, "Go on, step inside."
As she entered the room, she immediately felt comfortable. It was a pleasant size. There was a large table with a dark green tablecloth. On it stood a vase filled with wildflowers! Prior immediately walked over to the table and took a closer look. Cornflowers, poppies, and other meadow flowers. They looked so fresh!
Then she noticed the large windows and the door that probably led to a balcony. Her previous room hadn't had a balcony. And the curtains—they were a beautiful deep blue. She stepped outside onto the balcony and could overlook the palace garden from there.
Suddenly, Kashion stood beside her.
"My room is two floors diagonally below yours," he said, pointing to a spot.
Prior nodded. It was nice to know they were so close.
She let her gaze wander across the balcony. There was a small table and a hanging chair, and in the corners stood plant pots with small red flowers.
She stepped closer to one of the pots and caught an interesting scent.
"Chocolate flowers," Lina explained with a wink. "Life can never be sweet enough."
Prior leaned closer and smelled them. Indeed—they smelled like chocolate. She laughed.
Then she went back inside. There was also a sofa and an armchair on the right side. And on the left stood the large bed. It looked so comfortable—full of pillows. Then she noticed the pillows more closely. Some were shaped like strawberries. She laughed and picked one up.
And then she saw a stuffed animal. She looked at it in surprise before picking it up.
-Kashion-
It was a pleasure watching Prior explore her room. He could see in her expression that she liked everything. Now she had discovered the bear. She held it in her hands, turned around, and looked at him, half questioning, half smiling.
Kashion grinned. "A bear. You know—it protects the fox."
Suddenly, Prior took a few steps toward him and hugged him tightly. This time, Kashion was the one completely taken by surprise. For a moment, he didn't even know what was happening.
Then Prior stepped back again and beamed at him. "This… this is all so beautiful. Everything exactly to my taste."
Kashion bit his lower lip and gave a small grin. "Good, I'm glad you like it." He raised his eyebrows slightly. "Exceeded expectations?"
-Prior-
Prior laughed. Yes, he had exceeded her expectations by far. No one had ever decorated a room like this for her. She had to be careful not to tear up. She didn't want him to see her cry again.
"We've put your clothes and belongings in the wardrobe," Kashion explained. Suddenly, he looked down, slightly embarrassed. "And I also placed your bag with your tab and messenger over there."
He pointed to the armchair, and only then did she notice her bag. And with it came the memory—of how his father's men had torn it from her before kidnapping her. For a moment, she was caught in that memory. But everything was okay now.
She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, she looked at Kashion and smiled. "Thank you, Kashion."
-Kashion-
He shook his head. "No need to thank me. I'm so sorry, Prior. So incredibly sorry."
She gave a faint smile and sighed. "It's not your fault, Kashion." She touched his arm reassuringly, and he placed his hand over hers.
"If you need anything at all, let me know. And don't be surprised—I've had this corridor guarded. I won't let anyone take you away from me again."
She nodded.
"Kashion, Your Highness!" Oren's voice suddenly came from behind him. He hadn't even noticed him arriving.
"We should get going."
Kashion nodded. Oren was right. After he had stormed out of the meeting so abruptly the day before, it was time to resume the talks.
He pressed his lips together and looked at Prior.
"Go on," she said. "I know you have a lot to do. Thank you for everything."
Kashion nodded and turned to Oren. "Let's go." Then he made his way toward the meeting hall.
At least Prior was back. She had returned, and he could reach her whenever he wanted.
-Prior-
Prior watched Kashion for a moment as he left.
"You'll see each other again soon," Lina said. Prior had almost forgotten she was still there.
She laughed softly and nodded.
"How are you?" Lina asked.
Prior sighed and sat down on the bed. "I have no idea." She laughed again and picked up the stuffed bear. "So much has happened. It was all so frightening. But somehow, I'm glad to be back here. Do you understand me?"
Lina sat down beside her. "Yes, I think I do. We're all glad you're still here—and that you're back. No one is happier than Kashion, of course, but believe me, Kassia and I are happy too."
Prior was glad to hear that. It made her feel better. She smiled and then hugged Lina briefly.
"I was planning to go see Kassia. Do you want to come?" Lina asked.
Prior thought for a moment and let her gaze wander around the room. Then she shook her head. "I think I'd rather be by myself for a little while."
"Okay. If anything comes up or you need something, just message me."
Prior nodded. Then Lina stood up, and Prior walked her to the door.
After she closed it, she stood there for a moment and let out a relieved breath.
She still needed time to process everything. She walked through her room again, taking it all in. Everything had been done with so much care. She stepped out onto the balcony again and looked out. Then she leaned slightly over the railing, trying to spot Kashion's room, but she wasn't entirely sure where it was.
Eventually, she returned to her bed and picked up the bear. She smiled and sat down. She thought about how it had felt when Kashion had carried her into the palace. And when he had kissed her. She closed her eyes, smiling even more.
Suddenly, she heard her stomach growl. She was actually hungry now.
It would probably be best to go to the palace kitchen. So she set off.
In the hallway, she also saw the guard Kashion had mentioned. Still, she felt uneasy as she walked along the corridor. She kept looking around, worried she might run into King Tyron again. At one point, she almost turned back to her room—or considered asking Kassia and Lina to accompany her.
But then she told herself: No. This is her new home now. And she had to learn to manage here.
Eventually, she reached the kitchen unharmed. She smiled in relief—and even more when she spotted Shara.
Shara immediately approached her and gave a small curtsy.
"How may I help you?" she asked.
"I'm a bit hungry. Could I maybe have some snacks or something?"
Shara smiled. "No problem. We can simply bring them to your room. In the future, you don't even need to come here—you can just send us a message, and we'll take care of everything."
"Oh, thank you," Prior said.
She briefly told Shara what she felt like eating, and Shara promised to prepare everything and have it delivered.
Prior returned to her room, and this time she didn't feel quite as uneasy in the hallway anymore.
It didn't take long after she got back before someone knocked on the door.
That was fast, she thought. She stood up and opened it.
But standing there was none other than Queen Ada. Prior stared at her wide-eyed.