My Unchosen Ex Chases Reborn Me (Soren and Fiona) novel Chapter 94

10:31 Sat, Oct 11

Chapter 94 Unexpected Encounters

Chapter 94 Unexpected Encounters

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Praise from such a breathtaking woman delighted Fiona, yet a pang of inadequacy slipped in; beauty, she realized, came in more than one shade.

“Fiona, what a surprise! I never thought I’d meet you here,” Florence exclaimed. After a rare day outside the palace, she had visited the Zonfrillo Estate, then came to Scarlet Boutique for her dress, only to stumble upon Fiona.

Fiona dipped into a graceful curtsy, the folds of her pale–green skirt sweeping the polished floor. “A peaceful evening to you, Your Highness.”

Florence caught Fiona’s elbows and drew her upright, a soft laugh brushing the quiet corridor. “Fiona, spare me the hollow formalities. Tell me, have you also come to ask Luna for a new gown?”

“Five months from now, I shall turn sixteen and stand before everyone as a woman. I am here to settle on the wide–sleeved dress for my coming–of–age ceremony,” Fiona replied.

For any young lady, the ceremony is rivaled only by her wedding day; prudent families start preparing months in advance, unwilling to leave a single ribbon to chance.

“Then you must be sure to invite me, Fiona. I would be honored to lend the occasion a bit of royal splendor.”

“The moment Your Highness graces the guest list, I should count myself the lucky one,” Fiona said, eyes arching with delight; it is nice to be seen.

“Speaking of guests,” Florence mused, remembering a promised game with Naomi, “I am hosting a kickball match in the palace in a few days and find myself short a player. Will you join my side, Fiona?”

“I fear I might be the very reason you lose,” Fiona confessed, palms rising in protest.

Florence shook her head, braids tinkling with tiny pearls. “My sixth brother swears your riding is superb–that kind of balance is half the sport. Besides, it’s only a game. If we lose, we lose. I would never make victory a condition of our friendship.”

“Aunt Meryl, do coax her for me.”

Meryl was the daughter of Helen. Though Florence shared no blood with her, she still called

her “aunt.”

Fiona could scarcely refuse a royal invitation; strengthening ties with Florence was, after all,

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Chapter 94 Unexpected Encounters

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Back at the Niven estate, she spent several quiet afternoons drilling alone. Years of riding had honed her balance, and the rhythms of hoof and ball soon merged; by the end, she played a respectable game.

When she entered the Imperial Palace this time, there was no grand banquet. The avenues were hushed, marble walls rising like cliffs toward a pale sky, their austere dignity forcing her to place each step with care.

A neat–faced chamberlain–Florence’s own attendant–met Fiona at the gates of Splendor Palace. He bowed low, then walked beside her, naming each princess and noble lady who would join the match as though reciting a poem.

The sides had already been drawn: Florence would captain one, her sister Jasmine the other. Naomi, ever quick on her feet, had taken her place beside Jasmine.

As Fiona crossed the threshold of Splendor Palace, a shrill, oddly formal cry of “Prosper and be rich” echoed overhead. She looked up to discover the words came not from a courtier but from the white parrot standing on a lacquered perch just in front of Zephyr.

“Beauty has arrived! Beauty has arrived!” the bird cried again, wings thrumming. Zephyr had fed it well; its plumage gleamed like fresh milk, and it cocked its head to examine Fiona with unsettling intelligence.

Fiona could not help but laugh. She dipped her chin in greeting “Zephyr.”

Zephyr turned, surprise softening his sharp features. Today she wore a short riding jacket cinched tight at the waist; her ears were bare, free of the usual jingling gems. “Fiona.”

Since Matthew’s downfall stripped the Fourth Prince of many pawns, Zephyr’s own star had risen. Every gesture now glowed with a confidence that bordered on bravado,

“This parrot is thriving in your care. I can scarcely believe it is the same scrawny creature I remember,” she praised.

Soren and Zephyr were both handsome enough to invite comparison–polished jade cut from different veins. Soren seldom smiled; even when his lips curved, the chill of a mountain spring clung to him. Zephyr, by contrast, radiated warmth, the very picture of a gallant lifted straight from a love poem.

“I’m keeping it for you, so of course I give it extra care.” Bending, Zephyr ruffled the bird’s feathers until it chirruped with bliss.

Zephyr’s off–hand remark left the air oddly brittle, as though cold steel had been set between

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Chapter 94 Unexpected Encounters

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