x
We set out again the next morning, but the doctor insisted on stopping after only two hours of travel. I didn’t bother trying to argue with him, knowing that he wouldn’t change his mind after what happened yesterday. Prince Nokto assured me that Obsidian, Benitoite, and Jade had already signed the treaty, so I didn’t need to worry about endangering Rhodolite’s alliance by delaying Belle’s decision for a few days. He wouldn’t say why Belle’s decision had to wait until I got back to the palace, though, and I wondered if it was just so I could say goodbye to her. Clause Ninety-Nine of the Belle Covenant said she couldn’t return to the palace or have any contact with the chosen king after she signed the King’s Proclamation. It was the newest clause of the Belle Covenant, added by Sariel and Prince Jin to prevent the heartache caused by the last king’s relationship with the Belle who chose him. As if adding a rule could prevent two people from falling in love.
Belle wasn’t the issue this time. It was me.
She would leave and return to her previous life as a commoner who worked at a bookstore, and I would stay at the palace, trying to navigate my new life as Prince Chevalier’s maid and lover. I half-hoped Belle wouldn’t name him as king. She’d worked hard to spend roughly equal time with each prince so she could give due consideration to everybody, not just the faction leaders, but Prince Chevalier and Prince Leon hadn’t reached their positions of authority over their brothers for nothing. The last I’d spoken with her, she’d narrowed her choices to the two faction leaders. If Prince Leon became king, there wouldn’t be as much pressure for Prince Chevalier to marry well.
Although Prince Chevalier was the better choice, in my opinion. But I was more than a little biased.
“We just crossed out of Kloss territory into the palace district,” Prince Yves said a few days later. He’d been acting as my tour guide since he met us at his estate, talking animatedly about the land and people under his jurisdiction. It was clear he took his responsibilities seriously, and he truly cared about the people in his charge, even though they greeted him with stiff, forced hospitality at each stop. Whispers of the half-Obsidianite prince followed him around, making my heart hurt for him. He’d been trying his entire life to win acceptance within Rhodolite, and if it weren’t for Prince Nokto’s murmured reassurance in my ear that it used to be worse, I would have thought he’d made no progress.
Then there were the whispers about the twins, muttered words that made them both stiffen and exchange glances. I didn’t understand those, and I didn’t want to ask when Prince Nokto was so clearly trying to ignore them and Prince Licht still wouldn't even look at me. It all made me wonder what kind of reception we would have received had Prince Chevalier not arranged everything for us. His correct family line clearly meant more to the nobility than his violent reputation.
Which meant either they didn’t know about my relationship with him, or he’d threatened them into submission. Or both.
“When we leave the forest, we’ll come out on the road that runs north of the village you lived in,” Prince Yves continued. “It’s less than half an hour to the palace once we cross the bridge.”
The mention of the bridge brought to mind the sound of hooves pounding against wood, only a little louder than my heart pounding in my ears, and then the blow to the back of my head that plunged me into darkness. Suddenly, my heart was pounding out a frantic rhythm all over again.
“Miss Ivetta?” the doctor asked.
“Sorry,” I said, giving him a forced smile. “I’m fine.”
His furrowed brow didn’t relax. I turned back to the window, watching the browns and grays of tree trunks passing us by, colored with shades of green leaves above, crawling vines throughout, and patches of moss below. The twittering of birds among the branches, the chatter of squirrels running up and down the trunks, the rustling of something crawling through the underbrush - and sunlight, trickling through the canopy, dappling everything with rays of warmth that said that miserable night was long in the past and everything was okay.
Until we emerged from the forest and I saw that bridge up ahead. My stomach was immediately churning as my eyes followed the path from the bridge through the grass and up the hill to my house, out of sight from this angle. That spot, right there, halfway up the hill, that was probably where they threw me down on the ground and removed the gag long enough for me to vomit so I didn’t choke. I saw the sightless faces of the guards lying in their own blood in front of my door, their slashed throats-
“Ivetta,” Prince Nokto said.
Did my neighbors discover that gruesome sight in the morning before somebody could clean it up? Did Rachel?
“Ivetta.”
“Prince Licht?” I asked, leaning forward in my urgency to get his attention. His dark crimson eyes flicked to mine. “Who found the guards?”
His eyes darkened further, but he didn’t look away from me. “Their replacements. The changing of the guards happened before dawn.”
“So, my neighbors didn’t see…that.”
He shook his head. “No. They kept everybody inside until Chevalier and I got there to search the area, and we didn’t let anybody out until we’d removed the bodies and cleaned up the blood.”
I sat back in the seat and let out a sigh of relief. Mr. Stotts could have handled the sight, and probably Mrs. Stotts, too, but Rachel was often the first out the door, and that was something a five-year-old girl should never see.
A rough, callused hand rested gently on mine, prying my white-knuckled fingers loose from my skirt. “It’s alright now,” the doctor said.
I shook my head and looked away, back to the hill and the house I could see just beyond its crest, the one next to mine. It wasn’t alright, but at least the Stotts were still alive. Too many people died that night because of me.
“They said they killed the patrol, too,” I said, looking back at Prince Licht. He nodded.
“It wasn’t your fault, Ivetta,” Prince Yves said earnestly.
It was my fault. Not completely my fault, but the decisions I’d made played into what happened, and I couldn’t help thinking that if I’d just gone back to the palace with Prince Chevalier, those men would still be alive, and I wouldn’t be so broken that the simple motion of leaning forward sent a dull pain through my hips.
“They’re buried on the Hill of Remembrance, if you want to pay your respects,” Prince Licht’s quiet voice volunteered.
I let my eyes drift back to him and nodded. We hadn’t spoken at all over the past few days, since he’d been avoiding me and I hadn’t known how, or if, I should say anything to him, but it seemed only natural to talk to him about this. The guards who died were his men, assigned by him to protect me, and I knew he felt as guilty as I did. Even though none of this was his fault.
“Licht, have you sent someone ahead to let everybody know we’ll be there soon?” Prince Nokto interrupted.
“Yes.”
“Then the Hill of Remembrance will have to wait until after the party,” Prince Nokto continued, his crimson eyes flicking to the doctor as a sly grin played across his lips. I knew he was just trying to lighten the mood, and I appreciated the attempt. The doctor, it seemed, did not.
“She is not going to a party,” the doctor said firmly. “When we arrive, she’s going straight to bed. After she’s rested a while-”
“A brief stop at the throne room to see Belle sign the King’s Proclamation first won’t hurt anything,” Prince Nokto replied smoothly.
“And it won’t hurt anything for Belle to wait a few more hours to sign,” the doctor retorted.
The hill and the bridge fell away behind us as the carriage continued around the north side of the village to the main road. Packed earth bordered by pasture and wildflowers gave way to cobblestone streets and the hustle and bustle of the city. It was late morning, so business was well underway at the shops on either side of us. Other carriages passed us by, along with the occasional wagon carrying wares and supplies. The weather had been consistently pleasant throughout our journey, and it looked as though the clear blue skies would continue today. That miserable night was long gone. In just a few short miles, I’d be back at the palace, where Belle, Rio, and the princes were waiting to greet me. It had been almost a week since I’d seen Prince Chevalier, and since I started working at the palace, I’d never gone that long without seeing him.
The butterflies were back.
“That’s better,” Prince Nokto said. “I like that smile much better on you.”
“If we’re going to have a party, we’ll need something for dessert. Anything you’d like?” Prince Yves asked.
“Everything you bake is amazing, Prince Yves, but you don’t have to make anything. You’ve baked something for me every day,” I replied, smiling at the two princes across from me who were determined to keep me in a good mood. They’d even toned their bickering down over the past few days - at least around me.
“I don’t mind. It’s always a pleasure baking for somebody who appreciates the effort I put into it,” Prince Yves replied, blushing faintly.
“Really? Then why don’t you bake for me more often?” Prince Nokto teased.
“Because you’re a pervert who cares more about using my baking to lure some poor, unsuspecting woman into your bed than about eating it yourself,” Prince Yves retorted.
“That only happened once, and she wasn’t unsuspecting,” Prince Nokto replied. “If anything, I was the unsuspecting one. She had some interesting suggestions-”
“Stop right there! There is a lady present!” Prince Yves interrupted.
Of course, they couldn’t stop bickering entirely.
The city fell away behind us as the carriage climbed the hill to the palace. Anticipation bubbled in my chest and up to my throat, and then we were driving through the front gates and pulling up in front of the main doors. They were all there: the princes, Sariel, Rio, and Belle, who was bouncing up and down like an excited bunny rabbit. Prince Chevalier stood at the back of the crowd, leaning back against a pillar with his arms crossed over his chest, as cool as a statue except for the ghost of a smile on his lips. Belle darted toward the carriage as soon as it stopped.
“Ivetta! You’re back!” she squealed.
“Okay, Belle,” Prince Leon laughed, putting a hand on her shoulder and pulling her back. “Let her get out of the carriage.”
“Hello, everybody,” I said, smiling so hard my cheeks hurt. I wished I could wave.
“Let’s see, who hasn’t had a turn carrying her?” Prince Nokto asked, stepping gracefully down to the cobblestone courtyard. “Not you, Evie. We don’t need you dropping her.”
“I would not drop her!” Prince Yves protested, blushing furiously as he stepped out of the carriage - and tripped. He gave a surprised yelp as he went down, only to be caught by Prince Clavis.
“You were saying?” Prince Clavis asked with a sly smirk.
“What is a banana peel doing out here?” Prince Yves asked accusingly.
“Sorry. I must have dropped it,” Prince Jin said with a shrug and a wink at Prince Clavis. I didn’t see Prince Clavis’ response, thanks to the doctor blocking my view as he scooped me up, but I heard the next spoken word loud and clear, and it set the butterflies aflutter again.
“Move.”
“A little impatient, aren’t we, Chev?” Prince Clavis teased.
Prince Chevalier was waiting right outside the carriage when the doctor turned around, and I knew I had to be beet red as the doctor handed me down to him, but it was hard to focus on my embarrassment when I was just so glad to see him again.
“Straight to her room. She needs her rest,” the doctor instructed. “I need two strong men to get her luggage.”
“Not me,” Prince Nokto said as Prince Chevalier carried me through the grinning crowd. “Once was enough. Careful with her, King Highness. She’ll say she’s fine and then pass out.”
“I will not,” I said obstinately.
“Hm? Need I remind you what happened a few days ago?”
“I didn’t pass out,” I insisted, my blush spreading to the tips of my ears.
“That was scary,” Prince Yves chimed in. “You’re not feeling bad again, are you? The bridge wasn’t too much?”
“I’m fine, I promise,” I said. “Please stop worrying about me.”
“Hey, why don’t ya bake a honey cake for the party?” Prince Luke shouted from behind us.
Prince Chevalier hadn’t said a word to me yet. His long strides left the courtyard echoing with excited chatter and jovial laughter behind us before I heard if Prince Yves said yes or no to the honey cake, although I probably wouldn’t have heard him anyway over Belle and Theresa squealing each other’s names in unison. Everybody was so happy. It warmed my heart so much that I didn’t pay attention to the direction Prince Chevalier was taking us at first.
“Um, there’s a more direct way to the servants’ quarters,” I said hesitantly, biting my lip as I looked down the main hall with its marble floor reflecting the sunlight filtering through the many windows in the vaulted ceiling.
“I’m aware,” he said, his smile making my heart do a somersault.
“The doctor said to take me straight to my room.”
Prince Chevalier’s chuckle rumbled through his chest, into my ear, and directly to my knees, turning them to jelly. If I’d been able to walk before, I would have lost the ability.
“You’re not staying in the servants’ quarters, Ivetta.”
I stared up at him, wide-eyed. He couldn’t expect me to stay in his room. Could he?
“But-”
“You have your own room,” he said, the corner of his lip lifting into a teasing smirk. “But you can’t continue being my maid.”
“Then what am I supposed to do?” I asked incredulously.
“For now, you need to rest and heal,” he replied.
“And after that?”
His crystal blue eyes sparkled. “You don’t look like you want to rest.”
I shook my head, wondering where he was going with this. “The doctor has been a little overbearing since the first day on the road. I didn’t pass out, but the pain got out of control, and he makes me rest for a while every time we stop.”
“Then you won’t mind a surprise.”
The butterflies did a few cartwheels in my stomach. “I wouldn’t, but you’d have to check with the doctor.”
He chuckled again. “I don’t take orders from him."
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