It all was as charming as her mother had said.
Evangeline had to look down at the damp cobbles to make sure her feet were still on the ground and that she hadn’t taken flight, for parts of her were soaring. Stepping into the North didn’t just feel like the start of something, it felt like the start of everything.
Beyond the docks, spires of hearty wooden shops grew upward instead of outward. Each glorious level had storybook-quaint storefronts, all connected by fog-laced footbridges that crisscrossed above Evangeline’s head in a maze of wonderful patterns. The North made her think of her mother of course, but with a pang, she realized it was also somewhere she would have loved to have explored with her father. The few shops she could see inside looked exactly like the sorts of places he might have found all kinds of new oddities for his shop.
“Get your Daily Rumor!” cried a girl with a satchel full of rolled-up papers. “Perfect if you’re placing bets on who the prince will propose to—or if you want to know who your competition is!”
“We should buy one,” Marisol said, eyeing the papers with curiosity. Given Marisol’s dislike of scandal sheets, her interest was not what Evangeline would have expected. But it was just the kind of adventurous spirit that she’d hoped the North would bring out in her stepsister.
Evangeline reached into her coin purse. Their currency was different, but the empress had generously supplied her with Northern pocket money. “How much?”
“Just half a marque,” said the paper girl. “Wait—” The girl’s brows jumped as she took a real look at Evangeline. “It’s you! And you really do have pink hair.” The girl shoved a mist-damp paper in Evangeline’s hands and winked. “It’s on me. I placed a bet that Prince Apollo chooses you over the others.”
Evangeline didn’t know how to respond other than insisting on paying the girl twice as much as the paper cost.
* * *
The Daily Rumor
LET THE BETTING BEGIN
By Kristof Knightlinger
Tomorrow is the first night of Nocte Neverending. The chancery is now accepting wagers on everything from dancing partners to proposals and, as promised, I have my predictions!
We all know that Prince Apollo has said he might not choose any bride, and once Nocte Neverending begins, it may never come to an end. But I would not place bets on that happening. I have it upon good authority that Apollo has his eyes on several ladies, and I have a few excellent theories as to whom these young women might be.
My first favorite is Thessaly Fortuna, who I’m sure needs little introduction. Given that she’s from one of the Great Houses, I wouldn’t be surprised if Thessaly was Prince Apollo’s first choice for a dancing partner tomorrow night.
However, if our crown prince is hoping to garner favor with those of us who aren’t from prominent bloodlines, he might ask the recently popular Ariel “LaLa” Lagrimas to dance first. LaLa’s family is shrouded in mystery, which is often code for being common. But her beauty is almost mythical. And we all know how much Prince Apollo values beauty.
Unfortunately, I’m not sure I’d place any marriage bets on LaLa. I’ve heard repeatedly that Prince Apollo might already be taken with famed foreign princess Serendipity Skystead of the Icehaven Isles. The pair has known each other since childhood.
“She used to send weekly letters to the palace,” a secret source revealed.
If you’re wagering on whom the prince might propose to, Princess Serendipity may be the safest bet.
Although, if you’re fond of taking risks, like I am, you may want to put your money on another foreigner—Evangeline Fox of the Meridian Empire. Orphaned, cursed by the Fates, and now a darling of the new Meridian empress, the stories that swirl around Evangeline sound a bit like one of our own cursed tales—it’s hard to believe they could be entirely true.
My cousin from the south tells me that Evangeline has shimmering pink-and-gold hair and a bold adventurous streak to match. She once turned down a string of suitors as long as a city street so that her hand would be available if Prince Apollo wished to take it—and I might place a bet that he does.
* * *
Evangeline found herself grinning at the page and forgetting Luc just a little more. She had been trying not to let her hopes fly too high. Even when she and Marisol spoke of Nocte Neverending, it was never just about the prince. They talked of dancing and fashion and what sorts of people they might meet. But Evangeline had to confess that she really did want to believe she had a chance at Prince Apollo’s affections. She knew it wasn’t the most practical thing to imagine marrying someone she hadn’t met yet, but she also didn’t believe it was entirely unpractical.