They had a wonderful time, getting reacquainted with one another at dinner that night, and Ari was pleased that everyone was getting along so well. Even her mother had softened a bit, having hit it off with the king. To her surprise, Grayson’s father seemed quite taken with her, too. Even though her mother was younger than the king, they were close enough in age that they could relate to the same eras and share a kinship.

After a while, Ari noticed that Henley was looking too pale. ...