“What are your thoughts of the palace so far?”
“It’s beautiful, but….” I sighed and answered truthfully. “It’s a very lonely place.”
He handed me another chunk of carrot. “It can be lonely, if you don’t stay busy.”
“That’s true. I guess I’ll have to take up a hobby.” As the weight of his words and the promise of a lonely future sank in, my spirits dipped and I frowned.
Gaven must have noticed the change, as he asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong. It is how it is. I can’t change my class or wish for a different future or outcome.”
“You can if you wish.”
“I cannot. I am where I’m supposed to be,” I said simply, but my inner turmoil was running rampant. I should have been happy. I was fulfilling my mother’s wish, and I held a title on paper, but nothing else that came with it. No crown, no duties, and no love in a marriage. The depressing feeling weighed heavily on me, and I was finding it hard to breathe.
My eyes strayed back to the mass of troops that had blocked off the area behind the stables. Gaven saw where my attention had gone.
“You’re not here to see the horses, are you?” His demeanor changed, and I heard the accusation. “You just want to see the body, like everyone else.”
“No! I mean… yes,” I sighed. “I'm here to get answers. I heard rumors of a beast, but what really happened?”
Gaven looked off into the distance and sighed. “Thomas knew the dangers of wandering the woods at night. He thought he was invincible. He was wrong.”
“The last I heard, pride nor rumors were enough to rip out a man's throat.”
“Maybe if he had betrayed a woman,” he chuckled.
“Is that what happened?” I asked.
Gaven cleared his throat and coughed. “No.”
“Then let me help.”
His eyes met mine warily. “He’s dead. There’s nothing more you can do.”
“There is, actually, if I can just see the body. I might tell you who really killed him and set the rumors of a beast to rest.” I cringed, hearing the words come from my mouth. How did I explain my gifts? His face would fill with revulsion once he learned what I had planned to do.
“No.”
“What?” I looked up in surprise, meeting his stern gaze.
“I can’t let his spirit wander aimlessly, haunting the palace. The sooner he’s put underground, the better.”
“What of his family?” I asked.
“He has no family.” His face was pale, his lips pinched, and I knew I had hit a nerve. It was best to leave Gaven and the subject of his dead friend alone.
“My condolences,” I said and bowed my head. I abandoned Wulfbringer and stepped out of the stables into the yard.
As we were speaking, a commotion had come about as a small retinue of men in red uniforms under the banner of a red rose on black rode in through the gates. Gaven’s demeanor changed, and his shoulders stiffened. Those who had been gathered to look at the body ran back inside in fear.
“Who are they?” I asked warily.
Gaven didn’t answer right away, and I could see his hesitancy. “Men from Florin.”
“That’s not good, is it?” I could read the tension in the faces of those nearest us.
“It’s no secret that our relationship with Florin is tenuous.”
“Why is that?”
“My apologies, but I must alert the king of their presence,” Gaven said firmly, his face drawn.
“I will leave, then,” I said and bowed my head, turning to go.
“Wait,” Gaven called after me. “Please, allow me to escort you to dinner tonight.”
“I don’t think it would be wise.”
“Either way, you must eat. I must attend the prince, and you will attend me for dinner tonight. Now with our foreign visitors, it will probably be an even bigger spectacle than the wedding was last night. You will not want to miss tonight.”
“Very well,” I murmured.
“I shall meet you in the library at a quarter mark before seven.” He bowed, brushing his lips across my knuckles lightly. Heat went to my cheeks, and I stared at my hand where his lips had left the barest of kisses.
I escaped, my feet dancing across the yard. Don’t look. He wouldn’t be watching you, and if he did, you shouldn’t care. Nothing will come of this.
Right as I headed up the stairs to the side door of the palace, I cast a glance over my shoulder at him. He hadn’t moved. His eyes met mine, and he tilted his head in a casual goodbye. I spun around, back stiff, and marched inside like I was part of a military parade. A chuckle echoed behind me, and my hands rose to hide the blush that was creeping up.
It took little concentration to change the color and shade of my dress back to that of a servant. I had more freedom in this guise and wasn’t done exploring, but I knew to use it sparingly; if I held on to the glamour too long, the headache it caused would return full force. I wandered back inside the palace toward the banquet hall. In daylight, much of the magic had worn off from the night before. There were still lords and ladies sitting on benches talking, a few with croissants and tea, but the musicians had long gone, and the servants were in a flurry, cleaning and resetting for the week-long celebration.
I passed the outer doors to the gardens and paused as a cool breeze ran across my skin, odd for how warm a morning it was. Turning, I changed course and headed down the steps, studying the landscape and gardens beyond. Tall hedgerows and benches created many secluded sections for lovers and couples to sit and talk in privacy, and by the spare ribbon, hairpins, and random shoe, I knew they used the gardens last night during the wedding celebrations.
Even though we were poor and grew up working hard, Mother had always told us to protect our skin, keep it pure as snow, avoid the sun and its blemishes. We even learned charms to reflect the sun's rays, but now I was married. It didn’t matter. I doubted a few freckles along my nose would be the end of the world. Sitting upon a bench, I lifted my head and smiled, daring the sun to mark me.
An acorn hit my dress, and I awoke from my daydreaming. Seeing no one, I turned and looked up at the palace doors as another acorn hit me in the back. Spinning, I caught the outline of a young girl laughing and running across the lawn to the hedge maze.
She was waiting for me and waved before running to the right down another path.
“Why, you!” I laughed and grabbed my skirts, lifting them high so I could chase after her.
My longer legs quickly caught up, and I followed her turn after turn. When I thought I lost her, I would backtrack and continue searching. Another pelt of an acorn had me circling and heading back in the right direction. The chilly air filled my lungs and my breath caught. I hadn’t run like this in years, but playing with the child made joy fill my lonely heart.
“Come out, come out,” I called and then slowed to listen to her steps. She was one row over, and I had enough glances to know it was the same child who confronted me the night before.
Her breathless laugh came through the thick bushes before turning into a shrill scream.
Chapter Four
My heart thumped in fear as I raced down the row, unable to find the path that would take me to her. I raised my hand, commanding the vines to unfold and the tree to pull back, and a path opened through the hedge for me to pass through. I found her on the ground, her legs pulled up to her and a black-and-white diamond-backed adder raised to strike. Its hood flared in warning, mouth open in a hiss.