CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

"Stand down! They are the Queen's special guests." The men obeyed Prince Stephen's command to move away from the group, dispersing in different directions as he turned to face Serena and Adrian with an apologetic smile."Sorry about that; it's a standard procedure for anyone who uses transportation magic to visit the North to go through a verification process before being admitted to the castle."

"It's okay, we understand," Serena said as she watched the guards leave. A few of them were still staring at them, wondering who they were because the Queen had personally accompanied them. But Queen Ella knew this would happen, so she had instructed them to wear hooded cloaks before they arrived to avoid attracting unwanted attention,– particularly on Serena, who looks exactly like the late Queen Tiara, which Serena and Adrian had no qualms about because if someone did recognize Serena, it would cause a lot of problems.

"Welcome to my region; the cottage isn't ready yet, so you'll be staying