A servant spotted the twins as they crested the hill to the palace. The woman shouted to get their attention, then ran to them. She bowed as she neared.

"I'm glad I've found you."

Helenus pulled away from Cassandra, and his body stiffened. "Why? What's occurred?"

The servant inclined her head to the prince. "The High Prince is looking for you, my Lord." She looked at Cassandra, and her mouth pursed. "The King would like to see you in the throne room, my Lady."

"Should I change first?"

The servant considered the question. She shook her head. "There's no time, my Lady. The King has been waiting for some time."

Helenus pecked Cassandra on the cheek. "It'll be fine, I'm sure."

"Easy for you to say," Cassandra mumbled.

Her brother nudged her toward the servant. "Just charm the King with your smile. You used to do it all the time."

Yes, back when he liked me, Cassandra thought but didn't dare say. Over the years she'd grown very suspicious of the palace staff. None of her actions went unreported.

At first, she'd believed The King or Deiphobus had ordered the staff to watch her, but Cassandra realized the staff did it to entertain themselves. They considered her a pathetic creature to be mocked. Since they couldn't do it to her face without repercussions, they found pleasure making her feel forever under inspection. She had to second-guess her every action.

Cassandra sighed. "I'll try."

Helenus waved as he turned. "I'll see you."

Cassandra wished him well, and watched her twin race away, though she couldn't afford to.

The servant fidgeted, and Cassandra quite liked the woman's discomfort.

No, she didn't want the servant to suffer for her bad behavior, and Cassandra would vouch for her if her father acted cruelly, but she felt she exacted revenge on all those who thought her nothing more than gossip fodder.

"My Lady?"

"You're dismissed."

"But the King wanted me to ensure you went to—"

Cassandra set off for the throne room at a quick clip. She didn't check to see if the servant followed her, and she didn't care. She just wanted to get past the audience with the King and head to her bedchamber.

At the throne room doors, two guardsmen who hadn't been there before the war bowed to Cassandra. She acknowledged them each with a tight nod, and the right guard opened the doors. He reclaimed his post, and Cassandra entered the throne room.

Priam stood before the dais' steps, for once free of his hovering advisors. He'd been conversing with two strange men before Cassandra's arrival, and now all three men eyed her in silence as she approached the throne.

Before the King, Cassandra bowed. As she did, she noticed her father's slight frown as he took notice of her crumpled appearance. His gaze held a tired annoyance he reserved for her.

"Sorry for the delay, my King," she said, her voice almost void of emotion.

The King's features relaxed, and he chuckled. Only his eyes betrayed his true feelings. "To the young, what importance does time hold?" he asked the strangers.

Neither man answered though the older of the two laughed with Priam.

Her father gestured for Cassandra to get closer to the trio. She did as he wished and stood beside the King as he introduced the men—her newest suitors—to her.

The older one was Coroebus, the son of King Mygdon, the ruler of Phrygia. He had prominent features and black hair he wore in a series of braids. His bronze-colored eyes evaluated the princess. He grinned but didn't seem impressed.

The second man, named Othryoneus and the only son of the prince of Cabesos, didn't have as handsome of a face as his rival, yet he held all Cassandra's attention. He had the oddest yellow-brown eyes and short hair that didn't know if it wanted to be brown or blonde. With every tilt of his head, different strands caught the light and changed the color.

He wore an easy-going expression that, despite her best efforts, put Cassandra at ease.

Each suitor bowed before Cassandra, then took her right hand and kissed it.

Coroebus went first and left a bit of spittle on her knuckles. She almost giggled when Othryoneus placed his lips on the spit and grimaced.

"Nice to meet you both," Cassandra said with the poise befitting her rank; she betrayed none of her amusement.

The unhappiness lessened from the wrinkles around Priam's eyes. He returned the suitors' focus to him. "I've had a meal prepared for the occasion. I say we adjourn to the dining hall."

"Is there wine?" Coroebus asked.

"Of course."

Coroebus' grin widened. "I can't wait to try Troy's best offerings."

"Uh," Othryoneus started, and the King's gaze bored into him. "I'm not very hungry. I was wondering—" He glanced at Cassandra. "If your intriguing daughter would care to show me the palace, to awaken my appetite?"

"I'd love to," Cassandra said. She saw her father nod his approval.

"Keep it short," the King ordered.

"Yes, my King." Cassandra held her arm out to Othryoneus. "Shall we?"

Othryoneus took her arm, and Cassandra led him to the throne room doors.

After she'd called for the guards to open them for her, she evaluated how being near one of her newest suitors made her feel. He didn't make her nervous by trembling as the previous man had. Nor did her skin crawl like it had when the horrid Larciss had touched her.

No, Cassandra discovered she didn't mind his brief company. Othryoneus stood proudly but didn't radiate a rotten ego. His firm grip on her arm remained respectful. He never drifted lower than her chin.

"Where will we go first?" Othryoneus asked when the guards had cleared a passage for them.

Cassandra thought for a moment.

For reasons she couldn't grasp, she wanted him to see her section of the gardens. Since she'd shown Larciss it, Cassandra had never considered taking another suitor there. Most of the men hadn't seemed the type to appreciate the beauty of plants.

Plus, the gardens had become one of the few places Cassandra allowed herself any internal peace.

"I've done a lot of work in the palace gardens. Would you... like to see it?"

Amusement brightened Othryoneus' face. "You work with flora?"

Irritation burned Cassandra's cheeks. "In fact, I do."

"Explains your appearance."

She hadn't thought she'd ever mention it, especially to a suitor, but Cassandra blurted, "I look this way because I'd just returned from a hunt with my brother when I received the King's summons. How unfortunate for you I couldn't change before upsetting you with my unsightly presence."

Othryoneus smirked. "You hunt, too?"

Cassandra untangled herself from him. "I speak the truth, regardless if you believe it or not."

Othryoneus studied her. Then his teasing expression left him. "The King allows you these pursuits?"

The awe in his voice surprised Cassandra, and she didn't answer at first. "Well, he doesn't have a problem with the gardening. The hunting—I'd appreciate it if you didn't repeat what I just revealed to you. The King thinks I've learned to behave."

Othryoneus shook his head. "I wouldn't betray your confidence."

Cassandra managed a slight smile. This suitor meant well, and his shock at her revelations was understandable.

How many noble women, especially princesses, bothered to dirty their hands, and for fun?

No wonder he had first considered her words to be lies.

"So, would you like to see the gardens?"

"Yes, I would."

Othryoneus offered his hand, and Cassandra placed hers atop it. Then she steered him toward the gardens.

While they walked, he asked her questions about hunting, though Othryoneus admitted he didn't know much more than what he overheard his father and his friends talk about. When he was younger, Othryoneus' father had tried to get his son interested in the sport, but, though Othryoneus respected the skill required, he didn't have the stomach for it.

The ease with which Cassandra spoke with her suitor reminded her of her time with Apollo. She felt she could reveal her most earnest secrets and Othryoneus would listen and understand. His interest in her words appeared genuine and not just a ploy to gain favor over Coroebus.

Just before they reached the gardens, a ridiculous thought came to Cassandra.

Could Othryoneus be the sun god in disguise?

After all these years, could he want to rekindle what they'd once shared?

Would he go through all this trouble for her?

Bitter sense shredded her hope.

Of course, Apollo wouldn't. It'd been too long. If the sun god had wanted to be a part of her life, he would have shown an effort before now.

With her destroyed optimism came sudden anger at Othryoneus. The poor man didn't deserve her rage, but that didn't stop her from stepping away from him like he'd just sprouted horns.

"Is something wrong?"

"Look, I'm not interested in becoming anyone's wife. You wasted your time coming here."

Othryoneus' lips pursed. "I just—Why don't we—I would like to the gardens."

"See it by yourself. Keep going forward, and when you reach the patio's end, take a right."

"And you?"

"I need to rest." Then, because she liked him more than she would let herself believe, she added, "I'm sorry. I was having fun. You're—You can do better than me."

She turned before he could comment and ran for the safety of the palace.