“Answering the crown princess consort, his highness is with the monarch.”
“Oh yes, I remember he said he was going to be there for a while. I guess I should just go back to my room until he’s finished.”
I looked back at the woman who was still standing there watching me walk away in shame. I wanted badly to ask Millicent; that was the servant’s name, just who she was, but didn’t want to seem even more gauche that I already did. I’ll just ask Lucien later. That is, if he didn’t get an earful from her before then.
I hope I didn’t get myself into too much trouble my first day here. What a way to start things off. “And you, where did you run off to?” The black lion, a very rare breed indeed and thought to be extinct from the earth realm sidled over to my side looking sheepish.
“He likes the flowers princess. Whenever he walks in the garden he goes into a daze and it’s hard to get him out.”
“Oh really? You know him pretty well huh.”
“My sire is the one tasked with taking care of him when the crown prince isn’t in residence. I always come along with him when he’s here to take care of the beast.”
She smiled prettily and patted his head before hanging her head. “I’m sorry princess, I didn’t mean to overstep.”
“Overstep? Whatever do you mean?” Is this place so stuffy that the poor girl can’t even speak on something so trivial without fearing retribution?
“I’m not allowed to speak in your presence unless spoken to.”
“Who says? Never mind, I’ll get the hang of it. In future you may speak whenever you have something to say. Now tell me about this kingdom…” She almost fell over when I linked my arm through hers. My sisters would love it here.
SABRINA
I laughed all the way back to my rooms in the palace feeling lighter than I have in days. What a scared little rabbit, I can’t believe I actually felt threatened by her. “Did you see that Drusilla? Looks like my work isn’t going to be as hard as I thought after all.”
I felt a smug smile widen my lips in pleasure as I relived that little episode in my mind. My sense of superiority had been confirmed and now I’m sure that Lucien had only shackled himself with the mousy little nonentity because of forces beyond his control.
“Yes princess I saw.”
“Shh, don’t call me that, not yet at least.” I looked around to make sure that no one else had heard her slip-up. It’s no small matter to feign the identity of one of the royal house, it can mean certain death if heard by the wrong ears. I was still pleased by the address though all the same, as I always am.
I am so glad I took a chance and snuck over there. Once I’d heard that Lucien was back I was dying to see him. I’d planned to just drop in under the guise of welcoming him home, but this was almost as good. “See, I told you milady that you had nothing to worry about.”
“Yes you did, oh this is going to be such fun. I can’t wait to put her in her place to let her know that she doesn’t belong, that no one wants her here.” As someone who’d felt the sharp pain of that type of rejection before I knew only too well how it stung. Now I can’t wait to make her feel the same. How dare she think she could so easily take what’s mine away from me? Someone as undeserving as her, hah!
I was so excited, so thrilled in fact by the way things had gone that the appetite I’d lost earlier upon learning that she was here came back full force. I sat down at the table and servants came bustling with trays of my favorite foods.
As excited, as I was though to see the meal I had more pressing matters to discuss with dear Drusilla. “You may all leave.” She, knowing me very well, dismissed the others as she poured my first glass of nectar into the crystal goblet.
Soon, very soon I will be sipping from the diamond goblets reserved for the royal family, something else I’ve been denied because I am not of their blood, or married to one of them. Something I had begun to think well out of my reach but not any longer. I have renewed hope once again and this time I will not let it go so easily.
“Has everything been set in place? I trust that you’ve chosen our best people to do the job. I want to know everything about her, everything she does while she’s here, from the moment she wakes up in the morning…”
“About that, the crown prince did not choose any of the people we sent to watch her…”
“What? How could he know…?” Her look, made my stomach ache in that now familiar way it does when something is not going to be to my liking. And when she started wringing her hands I was doubly sure. “What is it? Tell me!”
“She wasn’t in her palace when the chosen maids were sent over.”
“Where was she?” I stopped with the goblet halfway to my lips in confusion.
“It seems she slept in his bed last night…milady don’t panic.” She rushed over to soothe me but the damage had already been done. What little joy I’d just felt was now gone.
I knew they had already consummated their union, who didn’t, what with the monarch making such a big deal about it. But that was there, on earth, away from everyone here. Here is where the people we knew would be watching. If it’s known that they share such closeness as to be sleeping together in the east wing of all places…
I flew up from the table and ran to the bathroom to lose what little I’d just eaten. “Why? I don’t understand why.” I’ve seen her now, and though she’s pretty enough, there was nothing outstanding about her. She was certainly no match for my unblemished golden beauty.
She looked like any other fairy in that flowing gown they’re so fond of and her hair tied up in knots with flowers strewn throughout it. There was nothing remotely overwhelming about her looks.
Whereas I, when I looked in the mirror now, saw the incomparable beauty in my own face. But he’d kept her in his bed, even here, where he didn’t need to. Here where it was customary for men and women to sleep in their own chambers.
“It’s nothing milady, maybe she was scared to be alone her first night here. You know our crown prince he’s always been kind and thoughtful. And it’s early days yet, who knows what they’re truly like with each other, it could all be for show.”
Her words pulled me back from despair once again. It’s one of the reasons I keep her around, she always knows just how to keep me from losing faith in my abilities. She’s the only one over the years who I’ve allowed to see the real me, who I’ve shared my inner wants and dreams with. Now we were close, so close to achieving all that I’ve ever wanted.
“Don’t forget that the only reason he’s been paired with her is to mend the breach between the kingdoms. If he treats her poorly her first time here and it gets back to the others think of what that would do. The uproar it would cause. And look, he’s already left her side their first day here.”
“Yes, you’re right, I’d almost forgotten.” It was my own reasoning sure, but what else could it be? There’s no way Lucien would’ve chosen of his own free will to marry a fairy, not when there were so many of us among his own kind to choose from.
And she was right once again, what man madly in love with his new love could bear to leave her so soon and this early in the day? The time when lovers should be wrapped in each other’s embrace before getting ready to face the new day.