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Back Princess at Heart Save as PDF
Chapters (49)
  1. Cover
  2. About the Author
  3. The Rosewood Chronicles
  4. Dedication
  5. Prologue
  6. Part One
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. Part Two
  23. 16
  24. 17
  25. 18
  26. 19
  27. 20
  28. 21
  29. 22
  30. 23
  31. 24
  32. 25
  33. 26
  34. 27
  35. 28
  36. Part Three
  37. 29
  38. 30
  39. 31
  40. 32
  41. 33
  42. 34
  43. 35
  44. 36
  45. 37
  46. 38
  47. Author’s Note
  48. The Rosewood Houses
  49. THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING

Of course she was still hiding something. Ellie knew that. Lottie was always worrying about her, always trying to help, and that was Ellie’s fault for dragging her into her world, but it wouldn’t matter soon – none of this would matter soon. Not now that Ellie had made her decision.

13

An entire week passed before Lottie received her first reply from Claude. Class had ended and it was time for another of Jamie and Haru’s get-togethers when she saw the telltale manila envelope winking at her from her cubbyhole. The moment Lottie saw it, she grabbed it – along with her other post – without looking too closely at it and headed straight for Binah’s.

‘It’s here,’ Lottie said, as Binah opened the door to let her in.

Stratus House had the most modern dorms, the building having been entirely refurbished recently. Binah’s room was an oddity with its modern architecture and furniture paired with her collection of old books and enough plants that you might think you were in a greenhouse. Her room smelled of tangy incense, rainbow reflections dancing around the room where the light from the large circle window hit her collections of crystals.

Sitting down at a low table where Binah was already pouring cups of chamomile tea from a frog-shaped teapot, Lottie felt more like they were about to perform witchcraft than go over a letter.

With surprisingly steady fingers, Lottie pulled out the letters she’d shoved in her bag and got to work on ripping open the manila envelope. She pulled out elegant parchment paper, the heady scent of spiced wine catching in her nose. She peered into the envelope. ‘There’s another card.’

‘Let’s read the letter first.’

Nodding, Lottie lay the paper out flat on the table, ready for her next correspondence from the Master of Leviathan.

To my ever-curious niece,

I’m glad your youthful humour can prevail at this difficult time, although it does not give me hope that you are adjusting to my terms gracefully and with dignity.

Haru keeps me well informed, and it would take only one less-than-accommodating reply for me to decide this arrangement is not working. In light of this, perhaps you will try to refer to your uncle, who is responsible for the well-being of your friends, in an appropriate fashion.

Your desire to see the wolf in the crown is rather ironic. The joke will be lost on you, of course, so until it becomes clear perhaps this image and message will tide you over.

Remember, wolves are hunters too.

PS Your Partizan is the wrong that needs righting.

‘Well, this is entirely useless,’ Lottie grumbled, pushing the letter away.

Binah chuckled. ‘Oh, Uncle Wolfson, you aren’t generous with your clues, are you?’ She grabbed the letter and Lottie couldn’t help conjuring up an image of Claude and Binah having tea together, something so unfathomable that it made her shiver. ‘What’s the clue?’