I woke up around noon the next day, as usual, and pushed back the covers and stretched. The room was bathed in sunlight, illuminating the empty spot at my right side. The spot where Ivetta had been the one morning I woke up next to her, the spot where she had been last night in her room. The spot that was made for her. I sat up, and my eyes immediately landed on the books on my desk. Whether she was a maid, a princess, or just a bastard child of a prostitute made no difference to me, but, as Jin said, it would matter greatly to others. Of course, that wouldn’t be an issue anymore. I grinned and got out of bed, heading to the bathroom. She was a princess. That had to stay a secret, for now, but I knew. And Sariel needed to know, too. If he started planting rumors about Ivetta’s mother being an escaped noblewoman from Garnet, and the Emperor heard those rumors, he may put the pieces together.
I’d rather go to war with Obsidian than give her up.
Sariel often worked through lunch, and today was no exception. He looked up with mild irritation as I walked in and dropped the books on his desk.
“Prince Chevalier, to what do I owe this pleasure?” he asked, scanning the titles of the books as I took my seat across from him.
“Send your servants out,” I ordered. I didn’t see any in the room, but I knew they were there. He had them trained to blend into their surroundings, ready at a moment’s notice to attend to his every command.
He smiled, as he always did when I made him nervous. “You heard the prince. Go.”
Several servants emerged from the woodwork and draperies and exited the room. I waited until the door latched closed behind them before I spoke again.
“Are you familiar with this language?”
He nodded. “It’s the language of Garnet. I assume this has something to do with Ivetta.”
“You will not have to construct an acceptable background for her,” I said, unable to contain my smile. “She is the heir to Garnet.”
He chuckled. “Now, really, you don’t expect me to believe that?” He opened the journal, and his smile immediately vanished as his lavender eyes widened.
“Gilbert has confirmed it,” I added.
Sariel exhaled slowly. “Does she know?”
“No. And this will have to remain a secret until the Emperor signs the treaty. Ivetta was promised to Gilbert before Garnet fell.”
Sariel looked back up at me, his eyes narrowed again. “And you don’t think Gilbert will tell the Emperor?”
“I know he won’t,” I replied firmly. “If you would like to study those, you may, but I want them back.”
“Of course.” Sariel closed the journal and deposited both books in a drawer of his desk. “When will you tell her?”
That was the all important question.
“She talks in her sleep, so probably not until it’s safe to reveal to everybody,” I mused. The doctor was trustworthy, but I didn’t want to take any chances of this getting to the Emperor until the treaty was signed.
“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that,” Sariel said coolly, narrowing his eyes further. “As a princess, and with no parents to defend her honor, I will assume that role along with that of her tutor, when she is well enough to begin lessons.”
I chuckled. “Her honor is intact, and her doctor has already assigned himself to its defense. Do you foresee any further difficulties?”
Sariel sighed and pushed his glasses up. “There will be those who suspect we concocted her story to suit our needs, and those who think less of her for being raised as a commoner. Nothing too serious, I should think. But there is another matter we need to discuss. Belle is leaning heavily toward selecting you as the next king.”
“Naturally,” I said with my usual smug arrogance. I’d been working toward the throne my entire life, after all.
“She has had the odd distinction of seeing the princes during a crisis very early in her stay here, and she wants more time to consider so she can fully evaluate them in their usual day-to-day life, but I suggest you make preparations.” He stopped and smiled. “You may have to reduce how much time you spend with our new princess.”
That title had a very nice ring to it.
“In that case, it may be best for Belle to stay the entire month she is allotted, holding the announcement until Beauty’s Time drops its last petal,” I replied. “Ivetta will appreciate the company.”
“I’m glad to know that you have not entirely lost all sense,” he said. “If that will be all, I must begin my own preparations for the coronation ceremony.”
“As do I.”
Although not today. Today, I had other preparations to make.
I stopped into the round table room for a quick lunch, where Jin was regaling my brothers with a recounting of his visit with Ivetta, and then I accompanied Leon to a training session with his knights. Julius’ skills were clearly apparent, and we pulled him aside for a brief discussion. Neither Leon nor I directly stated that we knew of Julius’ connection to Obsidian, but we heavily implied and mentioned Gilbert’s name enough to put Julius on edge. He was only mildly relieved when we didn’t punish him as a traitor but instead gave him his new assignment as the head of Ivetta’s guard detail.
I wouldn’t be relieved, either, with the clear knowledge that any failure to protect Ivetta would result in retribution from three princes and two countries.
My next stop was the stables and Blade. I could have taken a carriage into town, but my business there would be brief, and a quiet ride in the country afterwards held great appeal.
“You’re looking much better,” I commented as I saddled him up.
I hadn’t seen him since returning to the palace, both of us covered in the blood and grime of battle, and I’d been far too consumed with worry for Ivetta at the time to bother about caring for Blade. Fortunately, though he would allow nobody except me to ride him, he tolerated the attention of the stableboys. His white coat once again shone in the brilliant sunshine as he stamped the ground impatiently.
“The next time you see her, she’ll be looking much better, too,” I continued, mounting up and kicking him into motion.
And she would be seated in front of me, not clinging to life in my arms. The doctor had permitted me to carry her back to the palace, persuaded by my reasoning that the hospital wagon would jostle her unnecessarily. Blade did give a smoother ride than any other horse I knew.
Of course, there was another reason for me to bring her back myself. I’d promised I wouldn’t leave her.
Blade covered the distance between the palace and town in very little time, and soon I tied him to a hitching post outside the most reputable jeweler in town. It would still be some time until I proposed, but I’d already sketched out my ideas for an engagement ring, and I saw no sense in delaying the inevitable. The jeweler and I discussed the sketch and finalized the design, to be delivered to the palace when the ring was complete. I’d only guessed at her size, but it could be stretched or shrunk easily enough at a later date.
Next door to the jeweler was a boutique advertising fragrances and toiletries. Innumerable scents immediately assaulted my senses upon entry. The young woman who waited on me was prompt and helpful in spite of her obvious anxiety in my presence. I ordered a lilac-scented bath set to be gift wrapped and delivered to the palace.
I spent the rest of the afternoon lazily riding around the countryside, letting Blade choose the path. My mind was very much elsewhere. The dress I’d ordered before Ivetta’s abduction had been delivered while she was still unconscious, and it was hidden in my bureau. It would be some time yet before she would be wearing that. Of course, when the news of her background was safe to reveal, she’d have to be measured by the palace seamstresses for a new wardrobe befitting her title. That dress was too informal for a princess. The ball gown I’d envisioned at the goodwill gala, however, was entirely appropriate for a princess attending a coronation ceremony.
Everything was falling into place.
Gradually, under strict doctor supervision and with plenty of rest breaks in between, Ivetta was able to see everybody. She enjoyed the visits, but she didn’t realize what a relief it was to each of my brothers to get to see her with their own eyes, to hear her voice, to know that she was going to be okay. Belle stopped in to talk to her at least once daily, and often more frequently than that, as the doctor relaxed his restrictions with Ivetta’s continued improvement.
Meanwhile, Beauty’s Time was gradually losing its petals, and the month that was allotted to Belle to choose the next king was rapidly passing by. To her credit, she took her role seriously. Sariel kept her busy with lessons regarding everything about Rhodolite, royalty, and politics. She took all her meals with the princes, and she was careful to spend time alone with each prince individually, without partiality to one or another, so she could learn everything possible in order to make the best decision.
Which was me, of course.
Ivetta remained conflicted regarding me. She clearly looked forward to my daily visits, but she still resisted my affections except when she was at her most vulnerable. It was becoming harder to keep the truth from her, as I knew full well that the barrier she thought was insurmountable was her social class. I wanted to tell her, and, at the same time, I didn’t. She knew how I felt about her, and I’d made it clear that her station meant nothing to me. Why couldn’t she let that go?
Another matter of concern was her steadfast refusal to talk about the abduction, even to Belle. I knew very well what happened to the bad memories she hid away, and, although the doctor assured me he’d seen no signs of nightmares, he also admitted that could be due to a masking effect from the pain medicine. She wouldn’t be on pain medicine forever. The nightmares would eventually return.
The turning point came about two weeks into her recovery. Belle was visiting with Ivetta when I arrived one evening, and, instead of leaving for the library, I decided to wait in the doctor’s room. The time for his usual examination came and went, and he grumbled and muttered under his breath for a while. Finally, he jumped to his feet and charged into Ivetta’s room impatiently. Belle exited shortly after. Her face was wet with tears, her eyes red and puffy.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, immediately alarmed.
She shook her head. “It’s okay. She’s fine. She just…she finally told me.” A choked sob escaped, and Belle dabbed at her face with her already soaked handkerchief. I handed her mine without a word.
“That was horrible. I just can’t believe-” She choked again, and she collapsed onto the sofa next to me. It took her a moment to get herself back under control, and then she started again.
“Prince Chevalier…she’s planning on leaving. As soon as she’s well enough to go.”
I frowned. “Why?”
“Because she’s a maid, and she doesn’t want to cause you any more trouble. I tried to tell her that it doesn’t matter, but…she’s really convinced it’s what she has to do.”
I sighed heavily and sat back on the sofa. After all this time, all that happened, she still didn’t understand. I’d known that, but I hadn’t expected her to devise such a drastic solution.
“You’re not going to let her, are you?” Belle asked, her brown eyes wide. “I mean - she thinks it’s best for you, but if she leaves - I think it’ll kill her.”
“It is her choice whether she stays or goes, but no, I’m not going to let her go easily,” I said quietly.
“Good,” Belle said. She hesitated, and then she said, “She asked me to send you away, but I think you should see her.”
The doctor emerged from Ivetta’s room as Belle spoke.
“How is she?” I asked.
“Miss Belle is right,” he confirmed. “She needs you right now.”
That was all I needed. I entered the room, taking my place on the bed next to her and removing my gloves before I took her hand. She looked pointedly away from me. The swelling and bruising were finally gone, with no permanent damage to her face. Now, only the redness and puffiness from crying marred her beauty.
“Belle told me,” I said quietly, brushing a stray tear away.
“What…what did she tell you?” she asked.
I didn’t answer immediately. It was as if she stood at a crossroads, and the wrong word would send her running away from me instead of toward me.
“You talked about the capture. Was there something else?” I asked, my thumb moving back and forth over her hand.
“Prince Chevalier…” She looked down at our hands, and then up to my face, finally meeting my eyes. There was so much anguish in her beautiful green eyes. “Prince Chevalier, this isn’t right,” she said, choking on the words. “You and I can’t be.”
“Let me worry about that. You just need to get better.”
“But-”
I laid a finger over her lips, quieting her. “That’s an order.” I smiled and lightly traced my finger around her soft, pink lips, tempted once again to abandon all caution and kiss her. I hadn’t done so since that first day she woke up, though the desire ate at my insides. But, right now, she was wavering on the precipice, the longing in her eyes battling with the denial. Fragile. Not just physically, but emotionally and mentally.
I never felt so incompetent as when I was with her. She made me second-guess everything.
“Would you like me to read to you, little dove?”
She nodded. I reached over to the nightstand, picking up the book I’d left there, and then I found my place and began. When I glanced over at her a few minutes later, her eyes had closed, and her face had relaxed. Reading to her was always a safe option. Especially since I still couldn’t tell her. The kings of Benitoite and Jade had already signed the treaty, but there had been no word from Obsidian yet.
Time continued its relentless march. My daily visits continued, and she didn’t try to dissuade me again. She was healing quickly, thanks in large part to her young age, but the doctor was insistent that she stay in bed. I continued bringing books to keep her busy. It was rare for me to read a book more than once, and rarer still for me to enjoy it the second time through, but sharing these familiar stories with her reinvigorated them for me. Once she was well enough to read for herself, we would sit together in silence for hours, reading. When we did talk, it came easily. Slowly, gradually, she was coming around to me. I knew she was still conflicted, but my ‘order’ seemed to give her some measure of peace about the situation.
Which was good, because my patience was growing thin - with Obsidian, with Gilbert, with the doctor, and even with her.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNP9QczobT2
