Morning came far too quickly. I had barely slept.
Every time I closed my eyes, my mind returned to the previous night's conversation with Alexander. I had gone into his room intending to negotiate my freedom, only to find myself distracted by his questions, his teasing, and the uncomfortable awareness that I had deliberately shown him a side of myself that wasn't quite the Elysia everyone expected to see.
I had no idea what he had made of it. Frankly, I wasn't sure what I had made of it either. That was the more troubling part. By the time Liam came to escort me to breakfast, I had already decided one thing. I was not going to let another conversation with Alexander derail my original plan. I needed a bargain.
A real one.Something clear enough that neither of us could twist its meaning later.
Lady Evelyn insisted on accompanying me. I suspected she was still worried about my reputation after what had happened the previous night. In Astoria, a woman spending the night in an unmarried man's room was enough to cause endless gossip, regardless of whether anything improper had happened. Fortunately, Evergrove's customs were not Astorian customs. And I had enough problems without worrying about marriage rumours.
We followed Liam through the inn and out into the garden. The change in scenery immediately lifted my spirits. The garden was quiet compared with the streets outside. Fountains trickled softly into shallow stone basins, and pomegranate trees stood beneath the morning sun, their branches heavy with red fruit.
Someone had prepared breakfast beneath a large oak tree. A small table waited beneath its shade, covered with porcelain plates, fresh fruit and scones.
Liam stepped aside. "His Highness has prepared breakfast for you, Princess."
I nodded. "Thank you."
He bowed and left. Lady Evelyn remained nearby.
I looked at her. "You can sit with me."
She shook her head politely. "I believe His Highness wishes to speak with you privately."
I wasn't sure whether that was reassuring. Or ominous.
I took my seat. For a moment, I simply looked at the food. Then I picked up my teacup and took a small sip. The tea was warm and fragrant, with a faint herbal sweetness. I broke a scone in half. Butter on one side. Pomegranate jam on the other. Then, without thinking, I put the two halves together and took a bite.
Lady Evelyn made a small choking sound. I froze. Slowly, I lowered the scone. Right. Table manners. Royal princess. Elegant. Graceful. Definitely not eating a scone like a burger. I glanced at Lady Evelyn. She was trying very hard not to look horrified.
"Sorry." I put the scone down and picked up my fork. Fine. Back to pretending to be Elysia. That thought lingered longer than it should have. How long was I going to keep doing this?
Every time I spoke, I had to think about whether the words belonged to Samantha or Elysia. Sometimes memories surfaced that weren't mine. Sometimes I reacted to things before I understood why.
And then there were moments like this. I knew how to behave like a modern woman. I also knew how the princess of Astoria was expected to behave. The two versions of me were beginning to overlap. I didn't know where one ended and the other began. I took another sip of tea and tried to push the thought aside.
I needed to focus. My goal was simple. Get back to Astoria. Once I was there, I could figure out how to return to my own world. The sooner I dealt with the mess Alexander had dragged me into, the better.
Footsteps approached from behind. I looked up. Alexander entered the garden. He had changed into fresh clothes, though he still carried himself with the same effortless confidence that seemed to irritate me on principle.His gaze fell on me. Then on the scone in my hand. A small laugh escaped him.
I immediately put it back on the plate.
"I saw nothing," he said. His eyes were still amused.
"Good."
He took the seat opposite me.
For a moment, neither of us spoke. I became uncomfortably aware of the quiet garden around us. The fountain continued to trickle. Birds called somewhere among the trees. Alexander watched me.
I took another sip of tea simply to give myself something to do. He was waiting. So was I. Eventually, I decided there was no point dragging this out. "About last night..."
Alexander's eyebrow lifted.
I could feel my face warming. Not because of anything romantic. Mostly embarrassment. I had spent half the conversation trying to act confident, and the other half wondering whether I had just made a fool of myself. "Our conversation took an unexpected turn," I continued. "I intended to propose something to you, but we never actually got around to discussing it."
His amusement faded into curiosity. "What bargain were you talking about?"
There. Now we were getting somewhere. I put my cup down. "I want to make a deal with you."
Alexander leaned back slightly. I could almost see him preparing himself for whatever ridiculous proposal he thought I might make. "If you agree to my terms, I will help you hunt Aetheron."
His expression became more serious.
"I will use my ability to communicate with monsters. I will help you understand their movements and find information your soldiers cannot obtain. I will also help you maintain stability in the territories we pass through." I paused. Then I gave him the part that mattered most. "In return, you allow me to return to Astoria."
Alexander didn't answer immediately. He studied me. I tried not to fidget. This was the part where I needed to be convincing. I wasn't offering this because I suddenly supported his obsession with Aetheron. I wasn't even sure Aetheron was a threat. But I had learned enough about this world to understand that blindly opposing Alexander wasn't going to get me home. If cooperation was the price of my freedom, then I would negotiate.
His gaze remained fixed on mine. "Why would you help me?"
"Because I don't want your expedition to become a slaughter."
His expression shifted.
I continued before he could interrupt. "You want to hunt Aetheron. Fine. But if you send fifty—or eventually a hundred—armed men into monster territory without understanding what you're dealing with, they're going to attack everything they see." I rested my hands on the table. "I can prevent that."
"And your second reason?"
I hesitated. That question was more difficult. Because the real answer was that I needed to get back to Astoria. And eventually, somehow, back to my own world. But I couldn't exactly tell him that. "I'm curious."
A small smile appeared. "Curious?"
"About Aetheron. About the monsters. About why everyone seems to fear something no human appears to have actually seen." I shrugged. "And if helping you gets me home sooner, then perhaps we both benefit."
Alexander remained silent for a moment. Then he nodded. "Very well."
I blinked. That was it? "You're agreeing?"
"I accept your bargain."
Relief washed through me so quickly that I almost smiled. Finally. A way out.
Then Alexander continued. "But you will remain with us until Aetheron is defeated."
My relief disappeared. "What?"
He leaned forward. "I said I accept your bargain. I didn't agree to release you halfway through the expedition."
"But that's not what we discussed."
"It is now."
I stared at him. "You don't need me once you've found Aetheron's lair."
"We don't know where the lair is."
"I can draw you a map."
"From what?"
"The information I've gathered."
"And how will you know whether the information is accurate?"
I opened my mouth. Then closed it. Alexander had anticipated that. Of course he had. I leaned back in my chair. "I can send my knights with you."
His expression didn't change.
"They can follow the map."
"They can also misinterpret it."
"They're trained."
"They're human."
I frowned. "So?"
"So they can't communicate with the creatures living in the forest." His gaze held mine. "Neither can my soldiers."
I knew where this was going. I didn't like it.
"Your ability changes that."
I looked away. He wasn't wrong. That was the most frustrating part of this entire conversation. Alexander wasn't simply refusing to compromise. He had a practical reason for wanting me there.
"If you remain with us," he continued, "we can avoid unnecessary fighting. You can tell us when a creature is defending its territory rather than attacking us. You can help us identify which monsters are dangerous and which are simply frightened."
I folded my arms. "And if something attacks me?"
"I'll protect you."
I gave him a look. "That's not reassuring."
A quiet laugh escaped him.
"You really don't make things easy."
"I'm not supposed to." He smiled. Then his expression became serious again. "I need you there, Ely."
There was something about hearing that nickname in his voice that made me pause. I looked at him.
He continued before I could respond. "Your map may be wrong. Your information may be incomplete. And your ability may be the difference between finding Aetheron and spending weeks fighting every monster that crosses our path."
I understood his reasoning. But I simply didn't like it. I wanted to go home. I wanted to return to Astoria, take control of my own kingdom, and figure out how to escape this world.Instead, I was sitting beneath a pomegranate tree negotiating with the man who had kidnapped me about joining a monster hunt. My life had officially become ridiculous.
I rubbed my forehead. "Xander."
He looked at me.
"I appreciate that you think my ability is useful. But I don't want to become some helpless princess who has to be rescued every time something goes wrong."
"I never said you were helpless."
"You keep acting like I am."
His expression softened. "I said I would protect you."
"And I said I can protect myself."
We stared at each other. Neither of us seemed willing to give in.
I finally sighed. "Fine."
Alexander raised an eyebrow. "Fine?"
"I'll go."
He waited.
"But I'm not going to sit in the back of the group while everyone else does the dangerous work."
His lips curved slightly. "Go on."
"If I'm helping you, then I'm participating." I pointed a finger at him. "I want to speak to the monsters myself when necessary. I want to examine the tracks. I want to understand what we're dealing with. And if there's a decision involving the creatures, I want a say."
Alexander listened without interrupting.
"And you won't treat me like luggage."
That finally made him laugh. "That's a very specific condition."
"Because I know you."
"Do you?"
I narrowed my eyes. "Don't start."
His smile remained. Then he nodded. "Deal."
I leaned back. For the first time that morning, I felt as though I'd actually gained something. Not freedom. Not yet. But at least I wasn't simply being dragged along. I had a role. A purpose. And perhaps that was enough for now.
I picked up my tea again. "Good. Then let's finish this quickly."
Alexander looked amused. "You really are eager to leave."
"Of course I am."
"Even after everything?"
I paused. The question caught me off guard. I looked at him. What did he mean by everything? The kidnapping? The monsters? The journey? Our arguments? The strange moments when I found myself laughing with him? I wasn't sure. So I settled for the simplest answer. "Astoria needs me." That was true. At least, I hoped it was.
Alexander studied me for another moment before a quiet smile appeared. "You're quite stubborn, Ely."
I picked up a piece of fruit. "And you're only noticing that now?"
He laughed softly. "I suppose that's one of the things I find intriguing about you."
I almost choked on my tea. Heat rushed to my face. I quickly looked down at the table. "Well, don't let it get to your head." My voice came out less steady than I wanted.
Alexander's smile widened.
I stabbed a piece of fruit with my fork and concentrated very hard on eating it. This was exactly why I needed to be careful around him. I could negotiate with Alexander. I could argue with him. I could even challenge him. But when he looked at me like that, my carefully constructed plans had a tendency to fall apart. And I had a feeling that was going to become a problem.