Chapter 43 Cousins Cross Paths Zephyr lingered , curiosity overtaking haste . " How is that white parrot faring ? " 20 Free Coms " My uncle hired a birdkeeper , and the creature is lively enough , " Fiona confessed , " but it refuses to gain any weight . I lose sleep worrying it might die - Emperor Aldric gifted the bird , and letting it perish would be unthinkable . " A bright laugh escaped Zephyr . " That breed is wilful to the bone , almost feral . Ordinary keepers never grasp its habits . Next time you come to the palace , bring the parrot along . I'll look after it for a spell Fiona assumed he spoke only out of courtesy . Her chances to enter the palace were rare , yet she answered with unfeigned delight , assuring him of her gratitude . That gratitude , layered and precise , was itself a gift ; the more surprised Fiona appeared , the greater Zephyr's sense of magnanimity . After Zephyr's carriage rolled away , Fiona turned the conversation over in her mind . Clearly , the bond between Zephyr and Soren was not unbreakable - a fragile seam she might , in time , stitch or sever . In her previous life Soren had bristled whenever Zephyr's name crossed her lips , so their true relationship remained a mystery to her even now . Before the new shop could so much as lift its shutters , Fiona stole away to Clear Sky Pavilion , slipping through its moon - carved gates with the hush of a secret . There she found proof of Harriet's legendary speed . The crude herbal recipes Fiona had handed over only days earlier already gleamed on polished display as Lustre Pills and Softbloom Balm - white pearls of medicine and pale - rose ointment resting inside boxes of red sandalwood that shone like fresh lacquer . One glance at the gorgeously carved lids - crimson veined with gold , hinges discreet as whispers - and anyone would swear the contents must be priceless . In that moment , Fiona finally understood the old tale of the fool who bought the box and lett the pearl behind . Even she , who knew the treasures were inside , had felt her gaze captured first by the box . " So , Harriet asked , folding her arms with light amusement , " is this what you had envisioned when you first sketched your plan for me ? " " Harriet , your design is leagues cleverer than my poor outline ever was . " Fiona's cheeks 18 14:46 Fri , Oct 10 Chapter 43 Cousins Cross Paths : 58 +20 Free Coins warmed . " If you saw the childish drawing I started with , you would laugh yourself breathless . " Harriet's soft laugh spiraled through the perfumed air . " With a silver tongue like that, Fiona , it is no wonder Lord Soren treats you rather differently from the rest . " Differently ? Hardly . Soren only values me because I am useful , Fiona thought , bitterness flickering behind her polite smile . " I still have not worked out , " she confessed aloud , " how to persuade Roxanne to carry these beauty remedies to Penelope on our behalf . " Harriet waved the worry away . " You needn't fret . Lord Soren delivered them to her personally this morning . " Soren's signature carried weight no coin could buy . If he handled the gift himself , the extra share of profit he claimed was a tax Fiona could live with ; ruthless he might be , but his results were iron - sure . For the shop's day - to - day management , Fiona recruited Jonathan , a former Niven estate bookkeeper disgraced for theft . The man had stolen only to pay for medicine that kept his ailing mother alive . Fiona saw that filial devotion and seized it as leverage . She hired the best physician for the invalid , praised Jonathan's devotion to her face , yet let him glimpse the steel beneath the silk - betray her , and those precious medicines would vanish . " The theft at the Zonfrillo Estate has haunted my sleep for years , " Jonathan said , eyes shining with tears . " Ms. Fiona , you trust me still - rest easy . I will never betray you . " With that pledge in place , Fiona finally dared breathe . The shop , at last , felt secure . " I rarely meet Lord Soren myself , " she told Harriet with deliberate sweetness . " If you cross paths with him , please convey my gratitude ." Harriet tilted her head . " He is recuperating alone on Frostenden Mountain . Should you wish to thank him , find a reason to visit . A closer bond with Lord Soren could only benefit the Niven family ." Harriet would never have spoken so plainly had it not been for Vincent's sake , and Fiona knew it . Still , the hint took root . A few days later , Fiona slipped out of the Niven estate alone , clothes disguised beneath a gentleman's brocade robe . She borrowed a carriage from Clear Sky Pavilion and headed toward the snow - draped ridges of Frostenden Mountain . It was her first true venture beyond guarded gates . Powerless to fight even a chicken , she clenched her gloved hands , praying the road remained as honest as Duflana's countryside was reputed to be . 2/3 14:47 Fri , Oct 10 Chapter 43 Cousins Cross Paths 57 +20 Free Coins From the lodge high above , Soren's keen gaze caught the figure at once - a " young man " in ornate robes , stooping to break a single plum blossom before tiptoeing up the serpentine path , every step placed with the caution of a doe on ice . The walk , graceful yet endearingly timid , betrayed her . Who but the Niven family's pampered fourth daughter moved with that softly sheltered sway ? At the lodge door , Soren was practicing his sword skills , his blade slashing the air like a hawk stooping for prey . Each stroke split wind and powdered snow alike , flakes bursting around him in pale explosions . In a blink , the sword whistled toward the threshold - toward Fiona - its icy edge hovering a breath from her throat .