Whether Camellia was the direct threat, or she found another vessel, I was afraid Emory's blood was not the last I would wear on my hands.
"Bryony," Wendell murmured, and I startled, realizing all their gazes were fixed to me.
I shook myself and forced a smile. "I think an unconsummated love affair is the least of my worries, really. Cresswell and I will find our moment."
The Pope estate rested in the heart of the Highminster Woods, just south of where the foothills seemed to roll to a weary stop. We'd only rested for a brief picnic, and it was very late and the woods were dense, but the modest manor home we approached glowed sweetly within the canopy. A pair of servants appeared in the doorway before we rolled to a stop, and they hurried down the small front steps to meet the carriage and take our bags.
"This is very pretty, Wendell," I said as Thao and I crowded the window to peer up at the house.
Daniel had joined us in the carriage, taking Wendell's seat, who moved to squeeze in with Cosmo and Thao.
"It's not Danser Hall but—"
"But it's probably in a great deal less debt," Daniel answered to Wendell wryly.
It was smaller than Danser Hall, but also less austere. Rose trellises rose up along the front facade of the pale brick, and even though it was too late in the year for any blooms, the greenery gave the place a pleasant wildness.
"It looks every bit as you described," Thao said, his usual energy subdued.
A figure appeared in the outline of the open door, tall and feminine, and Thao jerked back from the window suddenly.
"There's Mother," Wendell said.
The rest of my Chosen, including Cresswell, appeared in front of the carriage door, and it was Aric who opened it for us, Thao stepping out and handing me down. My mage looked weary and windswept from the long ride of the day, and a sharply cold cheek rested against the top of my head as I leaned into him.
"I know I said we shouldn't spare so much time here, but I'm relieved at the thought now," Aric grumbled softly.
"You know you could sit in the carriage," I whispered back, restraining my laugh as he let out an offended grumble. Aric was far too opposed to luxury for his own good.
"Wen!" the woman on the stairs cried as Wendell's long frame ducked out of the carriage.
Wendell's mother, Miriam Pope, rushed down the steps of her home and across the grassy drive as Wendell jogged to meet her. He bent as she rose to her toes, enveloping him in a fierce hug. It was too dark to tell if her hair was a lighter shade of blonde than Wendell's, or if she had his blue eyes, but it was obvious in their embrace her own joy and relief at seeing her son again. Wendell lifted his mother off her toes briefly, the pair of them laughing as he set her down just as quickly.
My heart ached at the sight of them, a strange kind of jealousy rising up inside of me.
"Bryony?" Aric asked, and I smoothed my expression.
"It's nothing," I said quickly, not wanting to explain the source of my discomfort.
Wendell's mother kissed his cheeks twice before they settled, her smile catching some of the light from the lamps in the manor windows. He stepped to her side, and Miriam's hand rose to rest over her chest. She was every bit as elegant and beautiful as her son, with creases in the corners of her eyes the only clear sign of her age.
"Oh, excuse me, Your Highness—"
"No, please!"
"It is such an honor to-to have you all visit here. And to—" Her words failed her, and Wendell's arm wrapped around her shoulders as she beamed up at him.
I moved to join them, and Wendell's hand squeezed on her shoulders, thankfully keeping his mother from falling into a curtsy for my sake. "It's my sincere pleasure, Mistress Pope. And please, call me Bryony."
Wendell and his mother released bright laughs at the same time, hers a little panicked. "You'll have to forgive my mother when she can't help herself, love," Wendell said, turning his smile back to his mother. "Have you driven Cook mad rearranging the dinner plans a hundred times yet?"
"I—maybe a bit. Speaking of dinner, I went ahead and asked for suppers to be sent up to the rooms we prepared for you. I'm afraid accommodations are a little tight—"
"It's fine," Wendell and I said at the same moment.
I had the oddest impulse to step in closer, to claim a hug from the woman with the same ease that Wendell had, but her nerves were obvious and she leaned into him for support. Thao joined me, one hand cupping over my shoulder, and Miriam's eyes widened.
Not even Wendell could stop his mother from the low curtsy she fell into then. "Oh! You must be Prince Thao. Wen always had such wonderful things to say about you and how at home you made him feel in Mennary. I am so grateful to you and so happy the both of you were Chosen!"
Thao answered the curtsy with a deep bow, and Miriam flushed and nearly tottered over until Wendell pulled her up. "I can assure you the praise is mutual and I've long looked forward to meeting you as well, Mistress Pope."
Thao's gallantry met awed silence, and I took the opportunity to introduce the rest of my Chosen.
"Please come in, you all must be so tired from the traveling," Miriam said, her wide eyes flicking back and forth between Thao and I as she clung to Wendell's arm and he guided her toward the doors.
"Father?"
"Oh, he said he would make it to your arrival, but he fell asleep immediately after his—"
"His port," Wendell finished, chuckling. "Glad to know that hasn't changed."
Cosmo and Thao joined me on the way in as I drank in Wendell's family home. It was more modern than the Farraque estate, with larger windows to look out into the woods, and there was something sweetly comforting about the space. The carpets were a little worn, and ample bouquets rested on every available surface, overflowing with greenery that looked as though the mistress of the house had arranged them herself.
This is what a lovely home must look like, I thought, thinking of scenes and settings from the books I'd read. If I'd been a heroine in a novel instead of a princess, this might've been the hall where I'd greeted guests at a dinner party, and that might've been the staircase I raced down as a girl.
Miriam Pope's eyes slid in my direction, a self-conscious flinch in her gaze. "It's not mu—"
"It's beautiful," I said quickly.
"It reminds me of Wen," Thao said, making our lover blush.
"It's late. You should join Father. I can see our party gets settled in," Wendell said. "Tours and longer introductions can wait for the morning."
It was an awkward procession up the stairs with Miriam trying to excuse the little faults she kept discovering in her home. Wendell had the best luck with reassuring her, and Owen, who declared in his most sincere way that the manor made much more sense in its size than the Winter Palace.
Wendell sighed and gave me a sheepish grin as his mother retreated into her room, and he led us further down the hall. "I warned you," he whispered.
"She's lovely and every bit as kind as you. I hope she'll be more comfortable with me in the morning, but either way, I'm glad we're visiting here so she gets to see you," I said.