Chapter 6

Griffith had considered wearing his commander’s uniform but decided against it, instead going for dark navy-blue pants, black boots, and a white shirt with a navy jacket. He was pulling at his sleeves when Ha-Yoon made a soft sound beside him.

‘Are you nervous?’

‘No’ he scoffed. When he turned, he saw her smiling slightly, and he felt his cheeks turn pink.

‘Just be yourself,’ she said. ‘Here they come.’

Griffith made the introductions and, after they had ordered, said, ‘I hope you don’t mind that I bought along my sister-in-law, Princess Ha-Yoon. She has lived in Altrane since she was young so I thought she might be able to suggest the best places.’

‘Your sister-in-law? I understood you to be an only child,’ Eleanor said.

Ha-Yoon chuckled at her confusion. ‘Prince Yu-Jun, my husband, and Griffith were raised together. They did their Harrawong training together and are blood brothers. When I married Yu-Jun, I ended up with four new brothers. They spoil me outrageously. I think it has become a competition between them, to be honest.’

‘That is very kind of you, Your Highness.’

‘Have you been to the Imperial Palace?’ Ha-Yoon asked them.

‘No. I would love to see it,’ Eleanor said.

‘The King and Queen are hosting a party in a few weeks for the court. I will ensure you all receive an invitation. We will be there, so you will know someone there.’

‘Thank you so much, Your Highness.’

‘How did you two meet?’ Ha-Yoon asked, looking at Robert and Eleanor.

‘Our father has trading connections in Volis so we would often travel with him,’ Eleanor explained. ‘One day, Roslind and I were having lunch at this lovely riverside location. When we went to leave, we discovered that our bill had been paid for by Robert. A few days later, we were at a party, and the hosts introduced Robert to us. We had a long-distance relationship, then Robert approached my family for marriage.’

‘That is a lovely story, and you both look very happy.’ Ha-Yoon smiled warmly at Eleanor. ‘While you are here, is there anything you are interested in seeing in Altrane?’

‘I like cultural places, art and music. My sister loves plants and gardens. She spends most of her time out in the garden,’ Eleanor said.

‘I would like to invite you all to dinner at our manor; it is part of the Imperial Palace. I would like you to meet my husband and some of our friends. We can have music and I will show you our gardens, they are so beautiful,’ Ha-Yoon said.

Eleanor looked at her sister, who nodded in agreement.

‘I would like that very much, Princess Ha-Joon,’ Roslind replied letting her gaze roam over Griffith.

‘That went well, and I organised two opportunities for you to meet Roslind again,’ Ha-Yoon said with satisfaction once they were in their carriage.

‘She barely talked,’ Griffith said.

‘She may not have talked much but she did keep sneaking looks at you. Eleanor mentioned that she likes unusual plants, so I suggest that you start studying them. If you’re not into plants, find a common topic that you can talk about.’

‘Thank you, Ha-Yoon.’

‘You are very welcome.’

A few weeks later, Prince Yu-Jun and Ha-Yoon were hosting their friends in the Imperial Palace in the late afternoon. The pavilion opened up onto gardens that branched off the formal gardens.

Griffith had toured with the head gardener a few days ago and had learnt some of the plants’ names and some information about planting and growing.

It was a small gathering of their immediate friends with a sunset dinner. Griffith was holding a drink and half-listening to Taiden and Reid talking about their day and some court gossip before he realised the topic had changed.

‘She’s very pretty. Good family, no issues. She is known for being very kind to everyone, but shy. Everyone spoke very highly of her. She is the youngest of her siblings, all girls, and she is very close to Eleanor,’ Reid said.

‘What about the Pae family?’ Taiden asked.

‘Solid. Old family, good reputation. They have a country manor outside of Volis. Wealthy enough to be comfortable. Eleanor’s family provided a sizeable dowry which they said she will manage herself in preparation for any children. It seems like it was a love match between Eleanor and Robert. The Paes are very dedicated to community—not only Volis but also Dernancourt. Robert is one to watch and know. I have heard a whisper that inquiries have been made about Griffith, probably because they haven’t met the rest of us yet,’ Reid explained.

‘What? Did you investigate them? Did you do this to Ha-Yoon?’ Griffith hissed at Reid in horror.

He shrugged his shoulders. ‘Of course. Due diligence, old man. Comes with the territory.’

Griffith mumbled under his breath. ‘I’m younger than all of you. Nothing is going on. I haven’t even spoken to her without other people around.’

‘Then tonight is a good opportunity. I heard that the Queen has recently given some unusual plants to Ha-Yoon. They are just in the second garden over there.’ Reid pointed through an opening in the wall. ‘Big pots, can’t miss them.’ He clapped Griffith on the back.

‘You scare me sometimes. And I already know. I spoke to the gardener a few days ago,’ Griffith said.

‘Let me be godfather to one of your children and I’ll call it even,’ Reid joked. Before Griffith could respond, Bowie spoke.

‘They have arrived.’ Bowie pointed his glass towards Robert, Eleanor and Roslind.

Griffith watched Ha-Yoon introduce Eleanor and Roslind to a few guests. At one point, Roslind was distracted by a potted plant and knelt to touch one of the flowers. Griffith made a mental note to ask Ha-Yoon if Roslind said she liked any of the plants. It might be a nice memento of their visit to the palace and something to remember him by.

Ha-Yoon caught his eye and motioned him over. Griffith could tell she was going to give him an opportunity to spend time with Roslind.

Reid slapped him on the back. ‘Good luck.’

‘Griffith, Roslind was just asking after the garden tour. If you go through that archway, we have a lot of interesting plants that she may not have seen before. The Queen collects plants from all over the world, and she sent me a few recently.’

‘Of course. This way, Lady Roslind.’

He trailed along behind her as she examined the various flowers. He found it nice to spend time with someone who didn’t expect him to entertain them. He wanted to know everything about her because she enchanted him.

‘Do you like plants?’ she asked him.

‘Not really,’ he said, wondering if being too honest would work against him. ‘I was going to try to pass off that I was interested but, to be truthful, I’ve never really thought about them. Aven does have gardens, but I haven’t been home for a long time. My parents spend most of their time here in the capital as they are both close with the King and Queen. Our Altrane gardens seem nice, we have koi fish. We have an excellent estate manager who I assume keeps everything alive,’ he said to her with a slight smile.

‘Do you miss your home?’

‘Yes. But I have been so busy working that it doesn’t usually cross my mind. I also often see my parents here,’ he explained.

‘You are very close with your parents, I understand.’

‘Yes, I am. I am very lucky; my parents are wonderful people, and I enjoy spending time with them when I can. I have seen more of them in the last few years as we are all in Altrane now.’

‘Do you plan to keep serving in the Imperial Army?’ she asked him

‘I was planning to stay till I wed. Then I would go back to Aven to raise my family and help my father with the estate so he wouldn’t have to divide his time between Aven and court. He prefers court life—he says it is interesting and gives him the same feeling as when he served in the Imperial forces.’

‘What’s Aven like?’

‘It’s one of the safest places in Dernancourt. It has never been taken. It has only one entry and exit point with five iron gates to pass through. Then there are the castle defences, high stone walls and a deep moat, and it sits between mountains and the ocean. Even if the gates were breached, we are self-sufficient.’

Roslind smiled at him. ‘I meant what it’s like living there.’

‘Oh. It was built over a century ago, but I find it very comfortable. The castle is kept immaculate by the servants. Not much has changed—just a few tweaks here and there, as my mother says. It is a mixture of very formal historic rooms and rooms that we use as a family. My father says that those are the rooms he likes best as he can put his feet up on the couch or have an afternoon nap.’

Roslind giggled. ‘I can’t imagine your father having an afternoon nap. He seems formidable.’

They approached a bench under one of the larger trees, and Roslind sat down on one end, Griffith on the other.

‘Tell me about your family,’ he said.

‘I am the youngest of three sisters. Eleanor and I are closest in age, and our older sister is ten years older than Eleanor. I have two nieces and a nephew. My father is a successful merchant. When I was young, he travelled a lot. As we got older, my mother, Eleanor and I went with him. We have a house in Volis as we went there a lot.’

They had been talking for a while, and Griffith knew that their time would soon come to a close. He hoped he had made an impression on Roslind. He was enjoying her company, and he was starting to like her.

‘Roslind,’ Eleanor called. ‘We should head back to the party now.’