CHAPTER 2
Today was going to be perfect. It had to be.
Kaspian paced the length of the hall, chin cradled between thumb and forefinger. Servants flitted in and out of the kitchen doorway. Pots and pans clanged, drowning out the sharp commands of Cook as she directed the kitchen help. The intoxicating scent of roasting mackerel perfumed the air and clung to the clothes of bustling servants, making last-minute adjustments to linens and place settings. He shadowed them as they examined platters and cups for stray water spots, casting a critical eye on the alignment of forks and knives.
Everything had to go smoothly. Mere weeks had passed since his name had been cleared and he’d won the support of his people. It still felt tenuous. His older brother Henryk’s misdeeds—and the lengths to whic
