Chapter 42 Sunlit Rivalries : 58 +20 Free Coins Both women she named were minor teachers at the academy - cultured , curious , and on cordial terms with Yolanda . " Don't trouble yourself , " Fiona said , genuinely touched . " Naomi and I are hardly enemies . Her pride is simply bruised . " She told Yolanda everything - how Roxanne's family preferred their heir apparent , how the proposal had been politely declined , every uneasy silence that followed . " The Thankerton elders may favor their heir , but Roxanne has more than one suitor , " Yolanda huffed . " Nothing is settled . Everything remains in play . Acting as if you snatched him away only makes them look foolish . " That , precisely , was the thorn beneath Fiona's calm expression . " Why not marry into the Wagner clan instead ? Look at Rita - every soul under this roof spoils her rotten . " Rita's good fortune was not owed to the Wagners kindness alone . She herself possessed a gift for winning hearts - forever comparing , observing , adjusting her words until affection became inevitable . Fiona laughed . " That would never do . People would say our two families kept the best fish for ourselves . " Already beloved , Rita now carried a child , and Elijah shadowed her like a diligent footman , refusing to let her lift a finger . Fiona grinned . " Elijah has sharp eyes for chores ." Rita squeezed Fiona's hand . " First - time fathers are always like this . Wait until the fourth or fifth child - they forget the poetry of it . " She pressed a bowl of the finest broth into Fiona's and Yolanda's hands . She might have been showing off , but Rita trusted her sister more than distant in - laws ; if generosity must overflow , better it flood family first . The three young women basked in the afternoon sun until the shadows stretched long , then offered parting bows and took separate roads home . Not long into the journey , Fiona's eyelids drooped . The carriage lurched to an abrupt halt , jerking her fully awake . 1/3 14:46 Fri , Oct 10 Chapter 42 Sunlit Rivalries : " Insolence ! How dare you get in the royal carriage's way ? Clear the road at once ! " [ 58 +20 Free Coins Fiona's heart thudded . She stepped onto the roadside , skirts brushing dust . An officer of the Imperial Guard regarded her with a blade - cold stare . The driver had already collapsed to his knees , trembling . Across the way stood a coach she recognized - lacquered black with gilded phoenixes : the Sixth Prince's personal carriage . " Zephyr , is that you ? " she called softly . Zephyr had just left Soren's quarters , his temper coiled tight . The cautious sweetness in Fiona's voice drained the heat from his chest like snow dropped in hot iron . Zephyr lifted the carriage's velvet curtain . Beyond it Fiona stood at perfect attention , as though every etiquette lesson she had ever absorbed now crystallized in a single poised breath . He noticed at once that she had sprouted another inch since their last encounter , the extra height only sharpening the brilliance she already carried like a halo . Simply occupying the space in front of him , she dazzled . Fiona , for her part , studied Zephyr with equal care . The family resemblance to Soren was unmistakable - same straight nose , same decisive brow - yet Zephyr's features tilted toward a quieter refinement . Soren , taller by half a head , would always command the first glance in any crowd , a reality that had once planted the earliest seeds of rivalry between the two princes . " And what made you so certain it was me ? " Zephyr asked , one eyebrow rising with playful skepticism . " Among all the princes in the palace , you're the only one I truly know ," Fiona answered , her tone light yet earnest . " So I gambled on the hope that the voice behind the curtains belonged to you . " Zephyr's mouth curved into a half - smile . " Fiona , you may want to reconsider your coachman . Had the carriage belonged to that young lord of the Zonfrillo Estate , you would not have slipped away so easily today . " He meant Soren , of course , and the moment the name hovered unspoken between them . Zephyr's eyes darkened , a flicker of grievance rippling beneath his calm . " Thank you for the warning , Zephyr , " Fiona said , lowering her gaze in polite gratitude . Zephyr tempered the bite in his voice - this was hardly the time for moonlit pleasantries - and signaled to the guards nearby . " I'll let you through first ." Fiona noticed the anger he forced behind clenched teeth and , guessing its source , ventured 2/3 14:46 Fri , Oct 10 Chapter 42 Sunlit Rivalries gently , " Has something troubled you , Zephyr ? " : 58 +20 Free Coins " Nothing serious , " he replied , the words clipped . " Soren and I exchanged a few heated words , that is all . " " He and you are family ," Fiona reminded him , voice soft but firm . " A quarrel between kin means little , but harmony means everything . My mother always says the only people who truly spare no effort for us are our own . Losing that harmony would be a costly mistake . " The advice cooled Zephyr's temper like water poured over hot iron . She's right . At the end of the day , Soren is blood , and I am hardly about to side with Cornelius . Nursing this grudge would hand Fourth Prince the advantage . Realization loosened the knot in his chest , and he found himself genuinely grateful for Fiona's clear - eyed counsel . Life in the palace had schooled Zephyr to doubt even his own sisters , yet Fiona's sincerity felt untainted . He allowed his posture to relax . " You're right , " he conceded quietly . " Among our own , there is nothing worth counting so carefully . " " You have a thousand duties awaiting you , " Fiona said , stepping aside . " Please , go first . " 3/3