It was just me and Liam in the carriage.
Kael was supposed to meet us at the Duke of the North's estate he'd departed earlier than we had.
"Rihanna," Liam whined.
Liam. The only brother who never treated me differently. Unfortunately, he was also hopelessly devoted to Landon too much to notice what was obviously wrong. He'd seen Landon lose his temper before, but Landon was his role model. There was no way he'd ever believe my word over his.
Still… other than that, he was the sweetest of the three.
"Yes, Liammm," I replied, dragging my voice out to mock his whining.
"You never come visit anymore," he said, pouting. "I know you've always been quiet, but still. Don't you miss us? Or at least me?"
"No," I said cheerfully. "Why would I miss an annoying brother like you?"
"Hey! That's not funny. I'm not annoying."
"Yes, you are."
"No, I'm not "
I grinned at him.
"Well," I added, "aren't you going to question where we're going? You dropped everything the second you heard we were heading north."
"You know how Emirates and Landon are."
My eyebrow shot up. "What do you mean? I thought you loved them."
"I do love them," he said quickly. "But they train me like crazy. Swordsmanship nonstop. It's so annoying. I barely get a break. So when I heard my beautiful, amazing, wonderful sister wanted me to accompany her, I was thrilled. Why wouldn't I be?"
He batted his eyelashes dramatically, clearly trying to look cute.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," I said. "I just want to leave a good impression since I'm the new crown princess. We're meeting Elijah the Duke of the North."
"Oh. That Elijah," Liam said, sighing. "I've met him before. He's not a smooth talker. Cold as the land itself. Same as Emirates. No wonder all three of them get along."
He shook his head. "It actually makes sense. Same personality, different masks. Cold. Strict. Terrifying."
"You're exaggerating," I said. "Older brother isn't that bad. And Landon is just… strict sometimes."
I can't believe I'm saying this shit.
"Maybe," Liam shrugged. "But you haven't seen them when they're angry. It's terrifying. If I mess up a swing, they make me repeat it until I get it perfect. No breaks. It's awful."
Great. Another Landon in the making.
And Emirates wonders why I don't trust him.
Still, this shouldn't go badly. Landon likes my older brother, and Liam is my brother so by extension, Elijah should at least tolerate me. Not to mention, I'm married to the prince. And Claude was the one who brought this meeting up to Elijah.
The carriage doors opened, cold air rushing in with snow and sharp wind.
Thankfully, I was bundled up in a long, elegant coat. Honestly, the only thing I liked about the Northwest was the fashion.
Kael was waiting for us.
"It's lovely to see you again, Kael," I said as he helped me down from the carriage.
"It's lovely to see you too, Rihanna ."
He glanced at Liam and ruffled his hair.
"And it's good to see you again as well, Liam," he added with a cheeky smile.
I froze.
Slowly, I looked between them, completely confused.
"Wait. Do you two know each other?"
"We met at your wedding," Liam said casually. "We really hit it off. Turns out we're pretty similar. Especially when it comes to royal duties."
He grinned. "I learned a few things from him."
Is this a new ship?
Snap out of it. This is exactly what got me bullied in my last life.my interest not just my appearance, but the things I liked. I hated the way my brain immediately went there.
I slapped my cheeks lightly to force myself back to reality. Both of them stared at me, confused.
Kael cleared his throat.
"Elijah is inside," he said. "He's waiting for you."
"Thank you for letting me know," I replied, straightening.
He led us into the palace.
The moment I stepped inside, the air dropped several degrees.
Cold blue eyes met mine.
Hair as white as fresh snow.
He studied me calmly before speaking.
"You must be Rihanna."
His voice was cool, controlled.
And somehow, I knew this meeting wasn't going to be simple.
"Yes, it's a pleasure to finally be acquainted with you," I said, managing to flash a polite smile.
Liam looked at me like he was about to burst out laughing. He could always tell when I was forcing manners especially since I usually avoided interaction altogether.
"The pleasure is all mine," Elijah replied.
He took my hand and kissed it.
Okay. Not unusual for the North. Still not great timing.
I glanced sharply at Liam, silently begging him not to relay this to Landon. Even if it was a normal greeting, I knew exactly what kind of punishment came with misunderstandings.
Elijah released my hand, his cold gaze settling on me.
Before I could speak, he beat me to it.
"Long time no see, Liam."
"Nice to see you again, Elijah," Liam replied easily.
Elijah's eyes shifted back to me. "So, Rihanna. The prince told me you wished to meet me. May I ask why?"
"I came to formally introduce myself," I said calmly. "You're familiar with my brothers father also with Landon and of course, my husband, Claude. I thought it was overdue that we finally met."
I gestured lightly. "I also brought gifts from the kingdom. They're in the carriage. I asked your maids to bring them in. I hope they're to your liking."
"Yes," he said dryly. "So I've heard."
The air grew tense.
Before I could smooth it over, Elijah spoke again.
"I've known your family, and Landon for years," he said, gaze sharp as it flicked toward Liam. "Yet I was never introduced to you. Curious, isn't it?"
Liam stiffened, sensing danger.
"Trust me," he started quickly, "she seems kind right now, but she's not exactly the friendly"
I shot him a glare sharp enough to kill.
"What I meant," Liam corrected immediately, voice turning cheerful, "is that we never found the right timing. You dislike traveling, and schedules are never aligned. Otherwise, I'm sure you'd have met long ago."
The maids arrived just in time, beginning to unpack the gifts.
There were pastries, carefully arranged but the centerpiece was a blue-and-white porcelain vase, painted with delicate flowers.
"I heard your eyes were blue as ice," I said softly, lifting the vase. "So I thought I'd choose something to match."
I held it closer, smiling.
"Everyone says your eyes look cold," I added. "But I think they look more like blue petunias."
Elijah froze.
For a moment, the room went completely silent.
Good, I thought. I remembered correctly.
In the novel, Elijah's mother had once said the same thing to him right before she died. She'd given him a vase just like this. It had shattered years ago.
Please let this work.
The silence stretched.
Great. Maybe I screwed up.
"…Do you not like it?" I asked carefully.
Before I could finish, Elijah gently took the vase from my hands.
And smiled.
Liam and Kael both stiffened in shock.
"Thank you, Princess," Elijah said quietly. "I truly appreciate this."
He took my hand again and kissed it once more.
"Okay," Liam whispered to Kael, "what is going on?"
Kael just shrugged, equally stunned.
"I'm glad you liked it," I said, putting on my most innocent smile.
"If you ever need anything," Elijah continued, "you may call on me. Unfortunately, I'm busy today, so I must cut our meeting short. But truly it was an honor to meet you."
He signaled the maids to escort us out.
"The honor is mine, Duke of the North," I replied politely.
Once we were back in the carriage, I couldn't help it.
"Liam," I said smugly, "you're such a liar. He's nothing like older brother or Landon. He's not cold at all maybe just a bit shy at first but not cold at all."
Before Liam could answer, Kael spoke.
"In all the years I've known Elijah," he said slowly, "I've never seen him smile. Not once."
He glanced at me. "He must really like you."
Liam blinked. "Even with older brother and Landon, I've never seen that either."
He stared at me. "I guess you do have a special charm when you actually try, huh, sister?"
"Well," I said, stretching, "I'm just glad I left a good impression. Too bad it was short but honestly? I'm ready to go home and sleep."
The carriage dropped Liam off first. I told him to send my regards to the family, and soon it was just me and Kael.
Not awkward. Just quiet.
Until he spoke.
"You really do have a charm, Princess Rihanna."
"No, not at all," I waved it off. "I just got lucky."
"Lucky is an understatement," he replied. "No one's seen Elijah smile in years. You're… special."
Wow. I'm getting glazed.
"Thank you," I said lightly. "You really don't need to flatter me."
He chuckled as the carriage rolled back toward the kingdom.