After many days of brutal training, Renit decided my power was strong enough to move on. My reward? A morning off. After every morning of working in the kitchens, dealing with the people along with Darius and his countless pursuits, I had started to look forward to training.

The mood is lightened now that I've figured out how to control the power of ground. Renit doesn't need to scream at me anymore for doing something wrong and instead of hovering over me like a hawk, he's taken the time to work on his own power. While I train myself, he shifts the clouds and creates small storms in the palm of his hand. Once, he showed a hint of humor by creating a storm cloud big enough for my head and had the cloud follow me around for the rest of our training session.

I dealt with it because, well, his humor is easier to deal with than his wrath. Especially since it's short-lived.

Now, for the first day since arriving, I've been given time to explore the gardens. My company is Celestine and Silas, who offered to show us around when he saw us trudging down the stairs after I completed my kitchen duties. I had asked Dalis if she wanted to tag along but the poor girl was dragged back by Mills, the cranky old man being the master of all dishes.

He's a witch of herbs and spices for a reason—the meals understand him and only the richest flavors are taken out on those dishes because his power speaks to him the way mine whispers destruction. I've never seen someone work so fast when chopping ingredients and cooking them, giving me only seconds to take out tray after tray.

The way he chopped up carrots, peeling them like ribbons and cutting them into identical circles nearly made me sick. Even with the best spices in the kingdom and the best chef cooking them, I still don't find their taste to be anything likable. He has forced me to eat more than one just to make sure but my position still stands.

Dalis, after fifty years of working with the aging, mortal man, is used to the fray. He's a father to her, not her real father but the man who took her in and raised her in the castle as his assistant in cooking and cleaning since her power revolves around that. Every day, Mills says being a witch of water is very versatile. The world is their oyster.

My sister walks in the middle of us, wearing a silk gown to her knees, covered in lace flowers and faint glitter spots. Mani curled back her hair and twisted half the strands into a knot on the back of her head. For the rest of her long, auburn locks hanging down her back, they bounce with every step she takes.

Silas looks utterly uncomfortable and refuses to stop fidgeting as he walks next to her. For an engaged man and one with hundreds of years of experience dealing with beautiful women, he does not know how to behave around one he cannot have. Silas could have her but Celestine offering herself as someone's mistress isn't her cup of tea. She always frowned upon the subject and for a girl raised in a village, her sophistication is too high for such a thing. Silas would be disappointed to know his chance is gone before it even began.

"This is the fountain my ancestors built his castle around," Silas explains. He points towards the stone fountain in the middle of the rounded hedges. Water spouts from the top and flutters down the many stone tiers until landing in the large pool down at the bottom. The surface of the clear water is covered in water lilies. Gold coins twitch in the subtle waves. I frown. What a waste. "That was hundreds of years ago."

"It's beautiful," Celestine says sweetly. "This is my favorite spot to eat lunch at, right on the ledge." She pats the stone lip as we pass into another section of flower beds, this time filled with hydrangeas of all different sizes and colors. "This is my own personal flowerbed, the one I've been working on."

She loops her arm with mine so I don't move by too quickly. I've never cared for flowers, even back in Arego I did everything I could to get away from her little presentations about the flowers she could create.

Silas traces his fingers over one of the flowers. The petals bow against his fingers and as Celestine wills it, the flower perks up to meet his touch. Silas pulls back his hand quickly, shocked, then he realizes she's messing with him and lets out a quiet chuckle, barely audible for me to hear. I can't believe how nervous he is around her. He's like a child with his first crush.

I turn away and rub at my forehead to hide the embarrassment. The crown prince is already glaring at me, fists tight, when I turn back towards them. Our silent conversation is short-lived when Celestine realizes no one has spoken in a few, too long moments.

"You have a real talent," Silas compliments.

"Thank you, that's high praise from the crown prince." She straightens and looks down to her flowers with nothing but love in her eyes. "I have my father to thank for my skill today. He taught me everything I know."

Silas's mouth quirks to the side as he nods, keeping his eyes on the range of colorful flowers. My father's face hangs in the air, his smile, his frown, his laughter, and his voice—especially the way he told stories in the middle of the night when we couldn't sleep. Around the fireplace, when the rest of the village was asleep, my father told us stories that either made us want more or to fall asleep. Either way, Celestine and I ended the night, curled up next to each other on the floor. "I think your father would love to see this. The gardens have brightened since you arrived."

And suddenly, just like that, I'm no longer part of this little stroll. They're looking into each other's eyes, Silas with one purpose and Celestine with the other, and they've completely forgotten about me. Maybe Celestine wouldn't mind being with someone who is already taken—

I clear my throat and say, "Yes, they certainly have. I love these...what did you say they were?"

Celestine turns back to me and nudges my shoulder. "I refuse to tell you because you weren't paying attention. If you really cared, you should have listened."

I groan after nearly mouthing the words with her. In Arego, I heard those exact words thousands of times, every occasion I've stopped paying attention and turned back to my book before she had the chance to grasp me. Now is no different, every flower is the same.

My sister's power is at the bottom of the list in terms of immortality. So much so that not every witch of the gardens is solid with that security. Some grow old and some do not.

My hope is that Celestine is part of the former.

Over Celestine's shoulder, Silas mouths 'hydrangea' and I smirk. "They're hydrangeas, selfish sister," I tell her.

She narrows her eyes at me but can't hold back her smile. As she begins to retort, a guard strolls around the corner and says I'm due back at the castle for training. That wasn't the full morning, Renit.

"I'll walk you back," Silas offers immediately.

"Are you sure? Celestine wouldn't mind the company," I mock. He frowns at me but there is pleading in his eyes so I don't continue.

"I have work to attend to, Celestine does too. We'll reschedule for another day." Silas takes my sister's hand, kisses the back of it and then turns to me. I arch my brow at him, waiting for my kiss on the hand, but he shoves my shoulder, pushing me forward until we're a safe enough distance away.

"You could have stayed with her," I hiss.

"I don't know her well enough, what are we supposed to talk about?" He hisses back. It's then I realize he's still pushing me and we're walking too fast to be considered natural. So I pry his hand off my back and interlock my arm with his. Finally, he unclenches.

"All you have to do is talk to her. She's very easy to hold a conversation with," I advise.

Silas takes one last glance over his shoulder at her. "I don't understand. I've been with many women, I can talk to all of them just fine but there's something about your sister I can't figure out." He drags a hand over his face and lets out a groan quiet enough so no one else hears. He's going over what he did wrong in his head, playing the scenarios over and over.

"Do you feel the same way when you're talking to me?" I ask. Neither option would please me.

"No, you're...you."

I snort. "That doesn't sound like a compliment."

He's quick to place a hand over my own, wrapped tightly in the crook of his elbow. It takes all of my effort to not run my hand over the hard muscle underneath. The prince's strength is marveling. "That's not what I mean. I mean that Celestine is different somehow and I think it's because she doesn't want me. She doesn't see me as anything other than a friend. I've brought her dinners, I've recommended books—even brought them to her chambers. We've had tea before, in my chambers, and even after all that, she still doesn't see me as a prince. I'm...normal to her."

His words come too fast and I try to keep up. I've been so wrapped up in training that Celestine hasn't told me a single thing about what they've been doing in their chambers. But they're close enough that it would be normal for anyone, even Celestine, to see the crown prince on a regular basis. To be alone together, in the same room with his betrothed in the next—is baffling.

"What does Hallie have to say about this?"

The guards open the castle doors and Silas leads me inside, towards my chambers instead of one of the training rooms. If my hand was in the crook of his brother's arm, Renit would be dragging me to the training room right away instead of allowing me time to change.

"She sees Celestine as another one of my lovers. We both share our beds with different people so our personal affairs don't matter. By now, I've usually gone farther with a woman like your sister but she's so different." He slaps his hand against his forehead.

I scrunch up my nose, realizing we're talking about my sister and not some random courtier. Silas notices the awkward tension at the same moment because he doesn't beg for my response nor does he try to further his point. I've heard the rumors about the crown prince and his popularity with women and my sister could become another one on that list. Celestine would laugh if she knew others were thinking of her that way.

Silas leaves me at my chambers, departing with a reassuring embrace that training will go well. I hope that is the case. Today is the day we fully test each other underneath the limits of our power and I will know Renit in a way I've never known before.