⭐3.5⭐ ( )

I NEED THIS IN MY LIFE ASAP
Wish fulfilled.

This was interesting to read. But there was no gripping 'omg what's next???' of the series.
Still, I would recommend this to all the fans of Captive Prince series.
Just remember - this is Jord. ( )

I loved this glimpse into Jord’s head, and at his loyalty and honor at being chosen first for the Prince’s Guard, and then for the position of Laurent’s Captain. He’s so fundamentally decent, and his infatuation with Aimeric is so sweet and, knowing how it all ended, heartbreaking. Green but for a season, indeed.

And good lord, Aimeric. So misguided. I sure as hell don’t defend him, he certainly was old enough to answer for what he did, not to mention how he manipulated Jord for his own ends. But god, such a waste. He had potential, stubbornness, and so much sheer will... And it all got mangled, twisted.

‘I’ll do better,’ said Aimeric, after a long moment. ‘I’ll do better, until it’s good enough.’

Who is he even talking to? His father? The Regent? Neither of them cared, and Aimeric just hurt the only person who saw something good in him. And it also makes me disproportionally sad about Orlant.

Also, this quote:

Jord had never seen him like this, in comfortable, intimate conversation. The Prince did not cultivate companions; had not done so as a boy, did not do so as a young man. Jord felt as if he was intruding on something private; he was startled by their quiet focus, how close they stood together, their shoulders almost touching.

Damen had fallen in love during the midnight chase, between the outrageous hijinks, and I wonder if for Laurent it was like this: talking over maps and planning strategies, having someone like Damen by his side, slowly realizing just how deep he got himself into. It’s such a good snapshot of them. I love it. ( )

Sigh...

..poor poor Aimeric and Jord. A fitting story for Captive Prince. Well written, pulls you back to the world of Akielos and Vere, nice to see Laurent and Damianos through the eyes of someone else.

Sad story if you think about the events in Prince's Gambit.

I didn't feel as annoyed with paying for this extra "expansion" as I was for the Summer Palace. ( )

Updating to 4 stars after a re-read.

The 4 (previously 3) stars in NO WAY reflect Ms. Pacat's storytelling which is, and always will be, deserving of 7 stars on a 5-star scale, in my estimation. This rating only reflects my very subjective opinion of this particular story.

I'll be frank. It's 4 and not 5 stars only because it's the next short story for which I'm waiting with bated breath -- the one which, Ms. Pacat has said, is an epilogue to the story of Damen and Laurent. (shhhh... I'm hoping they get married or become Prince-consorts or whatever the hell it takes to get them to live together:))

This one was beautifully written, as Ms. Pacat's stories always are, but my favourite characters are Damen and Laurent and everyone else, in my mind, serves only to further their story. I am greedy for Ms. Pacat's words about them. So a detour into the lives of Jord and Aimeric was not high on my list of things I wanted to read in the CP universe and, therefore, I don't bemoan the fact that this was a short story.

However, I did enjoy the (all too) brief glimpses of Damen and Laurent through Jord's eyes. And I **really loved** Laurent's portrayal, via Ms.Pacat's characteristically sparse (and still so incredibly evocative) prose, as ostensibly an ice prince but, in reality, a loyal, brave and upright badass from his teen years.

Oddly enough, this story left me yearning for more backstory on Auguste! Wouldn't you want to know more about someone described as: "a memory of gold that never faded; a bright star to guide by, cut down before his time.' How perfect are these Veretians, anyway?

How I wish that the next short story is not quite so short because (come on!) it's about LAMEN in the SUMMER PALACE! ( )