It appeared my words only served to make Cassius even more aggravated, and he underlined this by stating, “Elena, do not lie.”

“Right,” I gave in a little. “So, I would hope in the spring you’d let me, or, say, some royal gardener plant some ivy, because really,” I flung a hand toward the castle, “there needs to be more green and it’d look lovely climbing up the walls.”

Cassius blinked.

“And a few more shrubbery wouldn’t hurt,” I went on gamely.

He simply stared at me.

“And I might switch the fire pit out to a fountain.”

He spoke then.

“There’s a vein of natural gas that feeds that flame.”

“Oh,” I mumbled, turning my eyes to the fiery display. I drew in breath, and with it fortification, and turned back to him. “Let us discover the inside.”

He raised his brows. “Would you like to meet my stepmothers?”

Actually, I wouldn’t.

I turned my gaze to the women who were all now on their feet, shuffling back, still with heads bowed, as Gallienus dismounted.

I looked to Cassius and chirped, “Of course.”

As I had never, in my entire life, chirped, and Cassius had not known me my entire life, but he’d come to know me well these past months, thus, he knew that, his eyes narrowed.

I dismounted.

Hera and Jasmine, already off their mounts, instantly got close to me.

“Ellie—” Jazz murmured anxiously.

She was not an anxious person.

But even the strongest warrior would be infused by harmful feelings just breathing this Airenzian air.

“We’re going to do this,” I murmured back.

“Do what?” Hera asked.

“I don’t know,” I admitted. “But we’re going to figure it out.”

“Mm-hmm,” Hera mumbled dubiously.

I couldn’t be dubious.

I had to do this, whatever it was, and I couldn’t wait until spring to do it by planting ivy.

I glanced at Finnie and Circe, who were approaching us accompanied closely by Frey and Lahn, and I gave the women big eyes.

Finnie’s gaze jumped beyond me, where I sensed Cassius approaching, then to me and she nodded.

Circe just gave me a sour expression, but then again, she’d already experienced an Airenzian city, so she understood it was sour indeed.

Cassius took hold of my elbow.

I drew in another fortifying breath and moved with him toward where Gallienus was standing impatiently, not close to his wives, who all were lined up, their heads still bowed.

Had he embraced them, and I’d missed it?

Had he even said words to them at all after being away from them for months?

“My father’s beloveds,” Cassius said drily when we’d arrived at them. “The Ladies Royal, Horatia, Cornelia and Domitia,” he introduced with arm extended and moving to each one as he said their name. “Ladies, my betrothed, Princess Elena of the Nadirii.”

“My pleasure,” I said.

Heads still bowed, they only nodded, and it was just Domitia who looked over her brows toward me with some curiosity, and I saw, from closer, she seemed the youngest of the three (by far).