Chapter 9: The Strawberry Strategist

Sonne watched Caspian's retreating figure, a long-suffering sigh escaping his lips. The theatricality of the gesture wasn't lost on the shadowy figures he knew were observing from a distance. Caspian, he'd realized early on, enjoyed his little games of power, his "tests" of character.

Retrieving a pastry from his jacket pocket – a pilfered treat from the gala's dessert table – Sonne took a bite, savoring the unexpected burst of flavor. Snowfall desserts, he had to admit, held a certain charm. "Chef's kiss," he murmured exaggeratedly, while giving a nod of approval.

With a final shrug, Sonne turned and strolled away from the gazebo, leaving a trail of damp footprints in the pristine snow.

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Caspian strolled back into the bustling ballroom, the opulent chandeliers reflecting off his icy blue eyes, which held a glint of amusement. The encounter with Sonne at the gazebo, while childish on his part, had been… oddly satisfying. The way Sonne, with his stoic demeanor, simply accepted the icy cascade… it was amusing, to say the least.

"There you are, brother! Who was that intriguing gentleman you were whisking away earlier?" Elura appeared at his side, her silver braid swinging as she fell into step beside him.

He feigned ignorance, "Intriguing? Are my diplomatic skills so underwhelming that a simple conversation constitutes 'whisking away'?"

"Oh, stop being coy. He had this aura about him…" Elura trailed off, searching for the right words. "Like a smoldering ember. Quiet, but with so much potential energy."

Caspian suppressed a snort. "You speak in riddles, dear sister. He's a strawberry merchant, nothing more. Quite dull, actually."

He could practically hear Sonne's low chuckle at that, imagining the man's smug expression. The thought sparked a flicker of warmth in Caspian's chest, quickly extinguished by a wave of annoyance. He was not supposed to find amusement in this… in him.

"A strawberry merchant? In Snowfall?" Elura's eyebrows shot up, her skepticism evident.

"He claims to have a farm at the border," Caspian said, a touch defensively. He knew how it sounded, even to his own ears. Why was he even explaining himself to Elura?

"And what, pray tell, were you interrogating him about in the gardens?" Elura's eyes twinkled mischievously. "Or should I say, 'testing'?"

Caspian's cheeks flushed, a rare display of vulnerability. "He claims his strawberries are the sweetest in the land," he muttered, more to himself than to Elura.

"Hmm," Elura hummed, a knowing smile playing on her lips. "Perhaps you should bring me a basket sometime. For, ah, research purposes, of course."

He shot her a withering look. Elura was enjoying this far too much. "I believe I have some diplomatic duties to attend to," he said curtly, already scanning the room for a potential escape route.

"Oh, but brother," Elura chirped, her voice laced with amusement, "don't let your duties interfere with matters of the heart."

With that parting shot, she glided away, leaving Caspian to stew in his own irritation. Matters of the heart indeed. He had no time for such frivolous things. Especially not with a suspicious, albeit intriguing, strawberry merchant.

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The ballroom buzzed with activity, the music shifting from a stately waltz to a more lively jig. Caspian, nursing a goblet of chilled wine that did little to soothe his inner turmoil, scanned the crowd, his gaze unconsciously searching for a familiar figure. He found Sonne near the dessert table, as expected. The man had a nose for the finer things in life, it seemed.

And yet, despite the lavish spread before him, Sonne wasn't stuffing his face like a glutton. No, he savored each bite with an air of appreciation, his eyes half-closed, a subtle smile playing on his lips. It was almost… endearing.

Caspian mentally cursed himself. Endearing? This was the man he'd just drenched with a bucket of ice water not an hour ago. A man he still suspected of being an enemy spy. And yet… there was something about Sonne's presence, an aura of confidence and unwavering calm, that both intrigued and irritated Caspian.

He watched as Sonne exchanged a few words with a passing guest, his smile easy, his gaze direct. There was a natural charisma about him, an effortless charm that drew people in. Caspian had seen it firsthand during their dance. Even Elura, his ever-astute sister, had been captivated.

"He's not even looking at you, brother."

The voice, a low murmur in his ear, startled Caspian out of his thoughts. Words suggesting that Sonne was not interested in reciprocating his attention. He turned to find Elura at his side, her expression a mixture of amusement and knowing mischief.

"I'm observing, Elura." he retorted, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Of course, dear brother. Observing his impeccable taste in pastries, no doubt," Elura teased, her eyes twinkling.

Caspian grumbled something unintelligible under his breath, willing himself not to look in Sonne's direction again. He needed to focus on his duties, on the reason he was at this gala in the first place. He was Prince Caspian Frostheart of Snowfall, a diplomat, a prince of the realm. He did not have time for distractions, especially not in the form of a charming, enigmatic strawberry merchant who could be a potential enemy.

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The chatter in the ballroom seemed to fade into background noise for Caspian as he watched Sonne navigate the crowded floor. It wasn't just the way the man carried himself, a subtle strength beneath the tailored suit, but the way he interacted with others. Each conversation, though brief, held Sonne's full attention. A nobleman, adorned with enough jewels to make a dragon envious, engaged Sonne in what Caspian assumed was meant to be an intriguing conversation. Sonne listened patiently, nodding at appropriate intervals, before smoothly pivoting the discussion towards… strawberries.

Caspian nearly choked on his wine. Did he just hear that correctly? Was Sonne Dial, the strawberry merchant, actually drumming up business at his brother's engagement gala?

A wave of something akin to respect, albeit grudgingly, washed over Caspian. The audacity of it all… to turn a casual chat with a wealthy noble into a sales opportunity. It was audacious, brilliant, and utterly infuriating. And, if Caspian was being honest with himself, a little bit impressive. He watched as Sonne, with a flourish and a smile, produced a small card from his pocket. A business card, perhaps? The nobleman accepted it with a surprised laugh, shaking his head as if unable to believe the sheer audacity of this… this… strawberry peddler.

"He's good," Elura murmured beside him, her voice laced with amusement. "I haven't seen someone work a room like that since…"

"Since I charmed the ambassador from the Whispering Waves into doubling their trade agreement?" Caspian offered, raising an eyebrow.

Elura snorted. "Don't flatter yourself, brother. This is different. He's subtle."

"Subtle? He's peddling strawberries at an engagement gala!"

Elura chuckled. "And yet, no one seems to mind. In fact, I daresay they're intrigued by it."

She was right, of course. Caspian watched as the nobleman, far from being offended, actually seemed delighted by the encounter. He tucked the card into his pocket with a wink, promising to place an order for those "infamous strawberries" soon.

Caspian shook his head, torn between amusement and exasperation. Perhaps Sonne Dial was a spy, after all. A spy for the sweetest, most sought-after strawberries in the land.

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The grand ballroom of the Snowfall Palace buzzed with activity, the rhythmic clinking of glasses and hushed whispers of conversation creating a symphony of sound unique to such gatherings. Caspian, momentarily free from his duties as ambassador and brother-of-the-groom, found himself drawn back to the grand spectacle. His gaze swept across the room, taking in the shimmering gowns of noblewomen, the proud stances of visiting dignitaries, and the ever-present entourage of servants weaving through the crowd with trays laden with delicacies.

His gaze, however, kept returning to a particular figure - Sonne Dial. Caspian observed as Sonne moved through the throngs of people. He wasn't actively seeking attention, and yet, it seemed to gravitate towards him. Whether it was the way he carried himself – shoulders squared, head held high – or the easy smile that touched his lips whenever he engaged in conversation, Sonne possessed an undeniable magnetism.

Even now, as he chatted with a group of merchants from the Whispering Waves, his laughter carrying on the air, Caspian felt a strange pull towards him. He chided himself for the thought. He was Prince Caspian Frostheart, a master of diplomacy, a man of reason and logic. He did not get swept away by charm, especially not the charm of a man he suspected of being a spy.

"Still observing, Brother?" Elura's voice, laced with amusement, cut through his thoughts. He turned to find his sister watching him, a knowing smile gracing her lips.

"He's engaging with merchants from the Whispering Waves," Caspian replied, his tone clipped. "It's my duty to observe potential threats to Snowfall."

"Of course, dear brother," Elura said, her smile widening. "Because a strawberry merchant with a penchant for peddling his wares is clearly our biggest threat."

Caspian bristled at the playful jab but couldn't quite suppress the flicker of uncertainty that sparked within him. He had seen Sonne's merchant ID, had verified his identity through official channels. There was nothing in his background, at least nothing that appeared on official records, to suggest he was anything other than what he claimed to be. And yet…

The lilting melody of a waltz drifted through the ballroom as Caspian watched Sonne navigate yet another social encounter with an almost practiced ease. A group of young noblewomen, their laughter echoing like tinkling bells, had surrounded the strawberry merchant, their eyes sparkling with a mixture of amusement and something akin to…flirtation. Caspian narrowed his eyes, a strange tightness settling in his chest.

He watched as Sonne, with a patient smile, somehow steered the conversation away from giggling compliments and towards… his strawberries. Of course. Caspian should have expected as much. For Sonne Dial, every conversation, every encounter, seemed to be an opportunity to promote his beloved fruit.

"He's very good at what he does, isn't he?" Elura's voice was a soft murmur beside him, drawing Caspian's attention back to his own companion.

"He's a merchant," Caspian replied, his tone clipped. "One would hope he possesses some semblance of skill in his chosen profession."

Elura chuckled softly, her gaze still fixed on Sonne and his gaggle of admirers. "I believe 'skill' is an understatement, brother. Observe."

Caspian followed his sister's gaze in time to see Sonne produce a handful of small cards, offering them to the ladies with a playful flourish. Business cards, Caspian realized, with a mix of annoyance and begrudging admiration. The women, their cheeks flushed with a mixture of delight and something akin to disappointment, accepted the cards as if they were prized treasures.

"He'll make a fortune," Elura whispered, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

Caspian snorted. "He's probably charging exorbitant prices for those berries. I doubt he needs to resort to flirting with wealthy socialites to line his pockets."

Elura raised an eyebrow, her gaze lingering on Caspian for a moment before returning to Sonne. "Perhaps," she said, her voice laced with knowing amusement, "he simply enjoys the attention."

Caspian opened his mouth to retort, to offer some scathing remark about Sonne's unwavering focus on his business, but the words died in his throat. Because as he watched Sonne bid farewell to his admirers, a sly smile playing on his lips, Caspian couldn't shake the feeling that his sister might be right.

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As the evening progressed, the grand ballroom gradually emptied. Guests, their farewells exchanged and business deals sealed, began to depart the Snowfall Palace. Caspian, momentarily caught up in a conversation with a delegation from the Dreaming Forest, glanced around the room, searching for a familiar figure. Sonne Dial, however, was nowhere to be found.

A flicker of annoyance, unexpected and unwelcome, coursed through Caspian. The strawberry merchant was gone. No doubt he had slipped away unnoticed, his pockets lined with orders from gullible nobles and smitten socialites.

"Looking for someone, brother?" Elura's voice, laced with amusement, startled Caspian out of his thoughts.

He turned to face his sister, a carefully neutral expression settling on his face. "Merely observing the room, Elura. It seems even the most persistent of merchants eventually tire."

Elura's lips twitched with a suppressed smile. "Indeed. Though I must say, I'm surprised you didn't try to test him with another bucket of ice water before he left."

Caspian shot her a withering look. "I have more important matters to attend to, Elura, than to engage in childish games with…peddlers."

He couldn't, however, shake the nagging feeling that Sonne Dial's departure, like his arrival, was not as simple as it seemed. And as Caspian excused himself from his sister's teasing, his fingers unconsciously tracing the empty space in his pocket where his handkerchief usually resided, a single thought echoed in his mind: this was far from over.