Song of Moonrise: A Little Red Riding Hood Retelling (The Singer Tales Book 4) by Deborah Grace White

Author:Deborah Grace White [White, Deborah Grace]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781922636676
Publisher: Luminant Publications
Published: 2023-07-13T23:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Emmett didn’t feel nearly rested enough when he was woken less than three hours later by a servant vigorously pulling back his curtains. The man’s knowing glance at the groggy prince made Emmett squirm. Did he think Emmett had been meeting his sweetheart in the woods in the middle of the night? It was humiliating and shameful. He’d almost rather people knew the truth.

His mind flashed suddenly back to the night before, trees whipping past at a dizzying speed, the smell of prey in his nostrils, a true howl building irresistibly in his throat.

On second thought…it was better that they believe him unscrupulous than they discover he turned into a giant, senseless wolf from time to time.

Not senseless, he told himself firmly as he rose and tried to make himself presentable. Not yet.

His mother had ordered breakfast to be brought to his room, and less than an hour after waking, he found himself being chivvied out of the building. The journey across the border to Teren was uneventful. Queen Sula traveled in a carriage, but the princes both chose to ride. The messenger who’d brought the invitation the day before had been accompanied by a groom riding Emmett’s horse. The same groom had ridden back to Terenford on the horse Rosa had left behind. Emmett had seen the creature before it departed. It was a beautiful and well-proportioned stallion. Emmett had no difficulty believing that it belonged to Teren’s crown prince. If only the steward had gotten a better look at it the other day, he would surely have realized Rosa was no low-ranked noble’s daughter.

Somewhat to all of their surprise, they had not been directed to meet their hosts at the castle in Terenford. The message had specifically invited them to meet the family at the sunflower fields. They therefore followed West River eastward once they’d crossed it, bypassing the capital altogether.

After another hour of riding at the carriage’s slower pace, the attraction came into view, and Farrin let out a low whistle from where he was riding beside his brother.

“What a sight. I had no idea these fields were so large.”

Emmett nodded his agreement. The sunflower fields stretched out further than he could see. They were obviously meticulously cared for, and contrary to his expectations, it wasn’t just one uniform field. The sunflowers were arranged in different patterns, one field boasting a spiral of thick, leafy plants, another diagonal rows that increased in height. The tallest sunflowers were higher than Emmett’s head.

The two brothers were admiring the view when someone officious-looking bustled forward to greet the carriage carrying their mother. The princes dismounted, handing their horses off to the grooms who’d ridden with them. They were about to join their mother at the carriage when voices reached them, wafting out from among the nearby sunflowers.

“…thought it would be overwhelming to have so many in one place, but it’s very well planned, isn’t it? Bright and cheerful.”

“I agree.”

Emmett stilled, drawn irresistibly to the first voice. He’d lost all

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