“We are not,” I answer.
“Oh.” Her brow crinkles when she turns toward me. “Why not?”
“There’s been a security breach,” I answer. “King Theodore will offer more of an explanation when we arrive at our destination.”
“And what is our destination?”
“Harrogate, the summer castle on the southern peninsula.”
“Oh, sounds dreamy,” she says before turning back to the window. “I’ve never been to a castle before, but I’ve seen plenty of pictures. Does it sit on a hilltop?”
“No, it’s at the edge of the peninsula.” I fail to mention it hasn’t been visited in years. Or that it’s covered in lifeless vines and has the great chance of smelling like dead fish.
“Cool. Is, uh, King Theodore meeting us there?”
“Unfortunately, no,” I answer.
“Really?” she asks, her face falling. “Why not?”
“He will explain when we get there.”
“Seems like he has a lot of explaining to do,” she says before turning back to the window.
Yeah, he sure does.
“You’re kidding, right?” Lilly asks, clutching my suit jacket that she’s drowning in over her shoulders. Staring up at the castle, she has a worried look on her face. “We’re supposed to live here?” She points to the pile of stones in front of us.
Hell, I remember this place being bigger. Then again, I haven’t been here since I was a kid. The castle is on the smaller side—four bedrooms in total with two bathrooms. It was once a painting sanctuary for Theodore’s mother during the summers. Not at all ostentatious, or large like Strombly Palace, it settles more on the earthy side, with its natural, unkempt stone with moss growing all over the perimeter. The backdrop is the vast ocean, one of the reasons Queen Miah loved it here, but the wind whips through the plains, creating at times a chilly vortex. The castle resembles more of an old stone cottage with two separate wings, one tower that leads to the roof, and a gravel driveway.
“Yes,” I answer her. “This is Harrogate.”
“What does that even mean? Pile of rocks?” she asks.
“Actually, it translates to heap of stones.”
“Well, that is quite accurate.” She shivers and bounces in place. “Please tell me there is heat in there. Electricity?”
“Harrogate was modernized in the fifties. It is quite capable of keeping you warm and comfortable.”
“Okay.” She lets out a deep breath. “I’m sorry. I sound ungrateful, I just . . . I wasn’t prepared for how cold it was going to be or for not seeing my grandparents right away. I had a vision of what it would be like when I arrived, and this is not it.”
“Trust me, my plans were thrown off too.” I pick up her suitcase as well as mine and head toward the front of the castle.
“Where did Brimar go? Is it going to just be you and me?”
I shake my head. “He headed into town. He’s picking up his girlfriend, Lara, who’s been doing some shopping. She’s been instructed to find warmer clothes for you.”
“Oh.” Lilly pauses on her way to the entrance. “That was nice of you guys. Whose idea was that?”
“Mine,” I answer. I reach the castle door and open it.
“You thought of that? Fitzy, does that mean you care about me?”
“Please don’t start,” I say as I hold the door open for her.
“But you do.” She walks up to me and pokes me in the side. “You care about me.”
“No, I just don’t want to hear your constant jabbering about how cold you are.”
“Ahh, smart man. Also, can we talk about how you just walked in here? No key or anything?”
“Once Brimar and Lara arrive, they will be securing the castle appropriately.”
“Well, that’s reassuring.” She pauses in the entryway of the castle. “Wow, it’s, uh, it’s drafty in here. Isn’t it?”
I glance around the stone walls. There’s not a thing hanging on them, not a piece of furniture in sight. Drafty is one way to put it. “The rooms are more comfortable,” I say, hoping that’s the case. “We’ll be on the second floor.”
“We?” she asks. “As in, we’ll be sharing a room?”
“No,” I say sharply. “There are two rooms upstairs, joined by a bathroom. For security purposes, Brimar and Lara are taking the downstairs bedroom while we will occupy the upstairs.”