The solarium had been a battlefield, but Caroline had left it unscathed.
She walked the golden corridors of the Summer Palace with slow, measured steps, her mind turning over the conversations from the morning. Every word had been layered, every glance a silent calculation. She had stepped into a court that thrived on warmth and light—but its power plays lurked in the shadows.
And she was determined to learn its secrets.
The palace itself was breathtaking—a labyrinth of gilded halls and towering arches, sunlight spilling through stained glass windows of reds, oranges, and golds. Unlike the Winter Court, where fire was a necessity, here it was an aesthetic, displayed in roaring hearths and golden sconces that never seemed to dim.
She turned a corner, descending into one of the lower courtyards.
Here, servants moved quickly, bowing their heads as she passed. Guards stood at their posts, their armor less obvious than her father's men, but no less deadly. And the courtiers… they whispered. Watching. Weighing.
She knew she had gained some ground in the solarium, but one victory was not enough. She needed information.
As she passed a set of open archways leading to a secluded garden, she caught sight of a pair of noblemen deep in discussion.
They didn't see her immediately, giving her a moment to observe.
Lord Callan, the graying noble from the morning, stood with a younger man dressed in deep green velvet, his expression tense.
"…You think the King truly means to keep her?" the young lord muttered.
Callan exhaled. "He wouldn't have taken her if he didn't. But whether she lasts… well, that remains to be seen."
Caroline stayed perfectly still, hidden behind the curve of a pillar.
The young man scoffed. "It's foolishness. The nobles of the Winter Court won't let their princess be ruled by a Summer King. There will be retaliation."
Lord Callan's voice was lower now, edged with something sharper. "That depends. If she bends, they may accept her fate. If she fights… then we'll see."
Princess Caroline's fingers curled into fists.
So that was their game. They were watching, waiting to see if she would yield—or if she would break.
Not if she had anything to say about it.
She slipped away before they could spot her, walking with careful, deliberate grace as she returned to the upper levels of the palace.
But she wasn't alone for long.
She felt the presence before she saw her.
Lady Seraphina.
The woman stepped into her path with the ease of a lioness, her golden gown shimmering in the sunlight filtering through the high windows.
"I see you've been exploring," Seraphina said smoothly, her lips curving in a smile that held no warmth. "Adjusting well to palace life?"
Princess Caroline met her gaze evenly. "As well as can be expected."
Lady Seraphina tilted her head, amusement flickering in her sharp hazel eyes. "I must admit, you surprised me this morning. I half expected you to shiver in your chair and wilt under the heat."
Princess Caroline returned the smile. "I don't wilt easily."
"No," Lady Seraphina mused. "I suppose you wouldn't."
She took a slow step closer.
A predator testing its prey.
"The Summer Court is not like your Winter Kingdom, Princess. We don't hide behind walls of ice and distant etiquette. Here, power is seized. Controlled. If you don't take it, someone else will."
Princess Caroline didn't flinch. "Then I suppose I'll have to take it."
Lady Seraphina laughed softly. "Bold words." Her gaze drifted over Caroline's golden gown, the way the fabric skimmed her frame. "But I wonder… how long will it take for you to shed your Winter ways? How long before our King melts the frost in your veins?"
It was a taunt, a carefully placed blade meant to unsettle her.
But Princess Caroline did not give her the satisfaction.
Instead, she stepped forward, so close that only a breath separated them.
"I don't melt," Princess Caroline whispered. "I endure."
Lady Seraphina's amusement flickered—just for a moment.
Then, she smiled again. "We shall see."
Without another word, she turned, walking away with the same measured elegance she had approached her with.
Princess Caroline stood still for a long moment, her pulse steady.
Lady Seraphina was a threat.
But she had faced threats before.
And she would face this one, too.