Ferdinand needed to cement his power, and now. If he could finagle Charles into marrying the Princess of Lourdes, her father would reward him handsomely, maybe even insist on making him ambassador to Lourdes. The council would laud him for being the engineer of such a desirable royal union: his legacy would be established, and his power impossible to undermine—even for Charles.
But first, Ferdinand needed an informed report from his sources within. No, “sources” wasn’t quite right. He preferred to think of them as involuntary emissaries.
The first one he would call for would be that doe-eyed servant girl, Cinderella.
Cinderella had a feeling, as the Grand Duke peered at her through his monocle, that he was mildly displeased she did not fear him.
She had dreaded their meeting, to be sure, but she wasn’t afraid of him and she wouldn’t pretend to be. The only person she’d ever been truly afraid of was her stepmother, but those years with Lady Tremaine were over.
“Young lady, I see no point in beating around the bush. I have called you here regarding a matter of critical importance to the state.” The Grand Duke drummed his fingers on the gilded desk. “Have you learned anything of value from Genevieve?”
Cinderella straightened in her chair, lifting her chin so she could meet his eyes. “I don’t understand what you mean, Your Grace. Mostly, I brush Her Highness’s hair and help her dress. She doesn’t talk to me about important matters.”
“She does not need to talk to you. That is why I installed you as her personal attendant.” The duke glowered at her. “You have every opportunity to eavesdrop on her conversations, read her mail, record her comings and goings. Why, when she was away with the prince, you should have been searching her room for indications of treachery!”
“Treachery?” Cinderella repeated with a frown. By that, did he mean magic? “Sir,” she said carefully, “why would the king’s sister be a traitor?”
The Grand Duke leaned back against a plush cushion, steepling his long fingers before answering. “Because of her husband! How else but for subterfuge do you think he obtained his fortune? It is no secret that the Duke of Orlanne passed Aurelais’s secrets to our enemies, weakening us among our allies. All while giving King George poor advice that nearly ruined this kingdom.”
“What sort of advice?”
“What does it matter? She married a traitor.”
“She said she married a businessman,” Cinderella said.
The duke’s gaze intensified. “So she has been talking to you.”
When Cinderella cringed, he leaned forward, his palms pressing against his desk. “She’s trying to charm you the way she’s charmed the prince. Yes, her husband was a wealthy businessman, one who nearly toppled the monarchy with his treason. Everything she’s told you is a lie. What else has she told you about her husband, my child?”
“Nothing,” said Cinderella, determined not to say any more.
Ferdinand let out an exasperated sigh. “I shan’t blame you for believing the best of her. A young, simple servant girl like you couldn’t possibly begin to grasp just how conniving Genevieve can be, so let me explain:
“When the Duke of Orlanne was young, he showed great promise, so much that King Philip, King George’s father, invited him to Valors to be an adviser to the throne. The king even knighted him for being a visionary—and then he betrayed the crown.”
Cinderella couldn’t keep quiet any longer. “Betrayed the crown how?” She had to bite her tongue to stop herself from adding, By supporting magic?
“Why do you think Genevieve has lived outside Aurelais for all these years? It’s because her husband surrounded himself with traitors who corrupted his good judgment, such that he tried to dethrone the king. He should have been executed, but your mistress was able to save him. But in doing so, she, too, was exiled from Aurelais. That is, until last week, when the king called her back to court.”
The duke twirled his mustache, as if he knew he’d succeeded in getting her attention and cooperation. “You will find out for me, Cinderella, why His Majesty has called her back. Should you succeed, I will see to it that your post in the palace is a permanent one. If you fail, well . . .” He paused for effect. “Are we clear?”
Cinderella pursed her lips, emotions warring inside her. The duke’s threat finally did frighten her; she was beginning to feel happy here, and finally the miserable life she’d led before—where she’d forced herself to live in her daydreams to get through each day—was fading in her memory. But then again, how could she live with herself if she went from serving one tyrant to another? Even if she managed to hold on to her position with Genevieve, that would change once the duchess’s visit was over. She would have to find another way to live eventually.
“I don’t think I can do this,” she said quietly. “Duchess Genevieve has been kind to me, and I will not spy on her.”
The duke’s expression darkened. He straightened in his chair, arranging his collar. “I see.”
“Now if you will excuse me, Your Grace,” said Cinderella, starting to rise, “I should return to—”
“Not so fast,” he interrupted. “I advise you to reconsider my most generous offer, young lady. Lest your friend Louisa and her dear aunt suddenly lose their positions in the palace as well.”
Cinderella went very still. “Louisa?”
“Yes,” replied the duke, picking at his mustache. “Though, why stop there? I’m sure she has mentioned to you that her father also works in the palace. He’s a steward, I believe. What a pity it would be if his position were suddenly offered to a younger, fitter man. And her mother keeps a modest dress shop in the garment quarters, a store that struggles to pay its rent. Louisa was so kind as to bring you into the royal household, but that good deed may be her family’s undoing.”
He peered into his monocle, then wiped the lens on his coat before returning it to his eye. “I would suggest you consider your loyalties very carefully.”
Cinderella’s hands trembled at her sides. Everything was starting to sway and spin, and she gripped the end of the duke’s table for support. She couldn’t be the reason Louisa was dismissed.
“Well? Shall you reconsider?”
“Yes, Your Grace,” she whispered.
His mood improved, a bounce returning to the clipped ends of his words. “Very good. Now see to it that you have more to offer the next time we meet. And remember, my dear, if you are caught in the act of investigating the king’s sister, I unfortunately will not be able to come to your aid. So use caution.”
Cinderella nodded mutely.
“I will summon you again in three days.”
Three days.
Cinderella walked mindlessly, her feet automatically taking her back to the duchess’s chambers. With every step, her heart hammered in her ears.
What should she do now?
The answer was clear. She didn’t trust the Grand Duke, in spite of his sterling reputation as the king’s trusted adviser. How could she help him, knowing he’d had a hand in exiling Lenore’s kind?
But what about Louisa’s job in the palace? Cinderella squeezed her hands into fists.