The enthronement, p.19
The Enthronement, page 19
“At lunch.” The prince nods as he stands with me. “Enjoy the rest of your morning, Miss. Kascia.” He bows to me. “I believe we have a grand adventure ahead.”
Chapter 15
I hug myself tightly as Godwin sees me out. He gives me a gentle smile. “You did perfect,” he says. “And I’ll be asking about that other night for sure.” I flush, forgetting he heard all of that and didn’t know about our first meeting.
He doesn’t press as he brings me into a different sitting room. The other girls who went ahead of me are frittering about. I look at them all, then frown. Something is wrong.
There should be five girls. I only count four. I think it through and realize the one I didn’t know well, the first on the list after the princesses, was gone. I see Bella, Dahlia, Jonquil, and Lilly, but Emmalina is gone. Why isn’t she here? The prince told me I wasn’t going yet so...
“Oh, she made it.” Dahlia sighs as if disappointed. Lilly on the other hand beams.
By the time all is said and done, ten girls have been eliminated. At least the prince seems to know what he wants. Though it makes me nervous. What if it’s over before the Harvest Ball?
We’re taken into the main dining hall for lunch which is on the north side of the entrance hall. The head table is at the top of the room with a seat for each member of the royal family. Long windows line the right side of the room, opening to the front gardens.
There are two long tables in the center of the room with room for ten people on either side of it, two tables, twenty girls each. They are perfectly set for how many girls are left.
We all filter in, trying to be proper and princess-like. The born princesses don’t bother though, chatting as normal.
I’m sitting across from Princess Rose with Azalea next to me.
Azalea is beaming and looking around in delight. She takes her seat and a servant pushes her chair in as another does for me. I turn and nod thanks to my servant.
I hear a slight whisper to my right and look over to see how close I’m seated to the high table. I don’t hear what the prince whispers to the king, but the king’s chuckle I couldn’t miss. He sits at the center of the table with his son on his right and queen on his left, making the queen the next closest person to me apart from Azalea.
As the other girls settle in, I notice the royal family may have been open to chuckles, but I can tell from the crease on the king’s and queen’s brows they’re a little concerned, whispering in low voices, so the girls can’t hear. I notice the queen glancing over us in worry and catch the king doing the same under the pretense of coughing into his handkerchief. From the tone of the whispers, the king is grilling his son with questions. They must be surprised by the quick drop off too. The prince is smiling as if amused as he replies casually.
I look a bit behind the prince and jump to see his guard, Sage, looking right at me as if trying to catch me. I give him a smile, unsure what else to do. I distract myself by looking down at the table. Bella is now sitting beside Princess Zelda. The former number one common girl is already gone.
I wonder if that’s what the king and queen are worried about. If she was their top pick for a non-born royal, they must have thought highly of her. I wonder what she lacked that made the prince dismiss her. Didn’t yell at him enough? I fight to stop myself from flushing at the thought.
We finally are all seated, and the king welcomes us. “It will be nice to have a home full of happy voices for a while,” he beams widely. “Princess Zelda would agree.” He winks at her. She smiles and nods. “We can finally pretend to have a big family.” I and a few others laugh.
The king takes the chance to stifle a cough and sit. Few girls look at each other with narrow eyes. They just see competition. Others, though, look like friends already, like Azalea and Bella who are chatting every time they are together.
I look at the princesses. They are eating properly, and none are talking to each other. Princess Zinna is trying to catch the prince’s eye, but he’s still talking with his parents.
After the king offers devotion, the meal starts. I glance at the royal table. The prince is sitting up, no longer turned to his parents and is looking at us.
Oh flames, he’s judging still. He’s looking at table manners. He spots me looking at him, and he smiles. I return it and go back to my meal.
I look down at the table at Lilly as a distraction. She’s shrinking in her seat. The poor thing is perhaps too young for this. It doesn’t help Jonquil, who sits on her other side, is a bit loud, chatting away with anyone and everyone who’ll talk to her. She’s talking about her twin brother and how odd it is not to have him here.
The other girls eventually relax as the meal goes on and start chatting. Azalea starts asking me about the interview, well more like telling me about her interview.
“Isn’t he just the gentleman?” she asks me. “And the way he looks at you...” she stares off into space.
“I suppose he has a way about him.” I admit, trying to hide the storm inside my chest. I am glad it’s just soup today. Not sure I could stomach more.
I glance at the prince. He’s still looking at us. I wonder if he’s trying to remember names or is looking to see who doesn’t eat enough like a princess. Perhaps he is as shallow as I thought. My stomach knots, and I take another bite of soup.
After lunch, the guards take us back to the Ladies’ Chamber. We are free to do as we like the rest of the day, even to change out of the uniform. Many girls do, but I decide I’m alright in this for now. I take the chance to observe the girls in a more relaxed state.
“Kascia!” Azalea’s call makes me jump. “Come, join us,” she laughs at my jump.
I hesitate. Do I dare get close? Then again, wouldn’t I stand out more if I didn’t? I glance around the room. Not a single girl is sitting on her own. I get up and join the group.
“Jonquil was just showing us her sketches,” Bella beams at me. “They’re really neat.”
I look down and see the drawing book Jonquil is holding. There are beautiful sketches of butterflies, moths, dragonflies, beetles, and more. Normally, I don't care much for bugs. I’ve never seen them as beautiful. Not until seeing how Jonquil sees them. Even a creepy crawler looks beautiful in her artwork.
“These are all the same species, but depending on where they live, their color and power changes,” she explains. “And this one even changes with the weather. If there’s lightning in the air, they get yellow along these lines. And if you freeze them in that state and you make the potion, it will help you resist electrical magic. Though having to kill them is a bit of a bummer.”
“That’s amazing,” Bella says. “That’s amazing detail.”
“It’s for my reference. I never thought of it as pretty.” Jonquil shrugs.
Bella smiles. “I like it. It would be a good decoration in an office or in your family shop.”
Jonquil tilts her head. “I’d never thought of that. My brother would laugh me silly.”
“Elder brother?” I guess.
“Only by about seven minutes.” She smiles. “He’s my twin. No one realizes as he doesn’t look much like me, but he and I would hunt bugs together. It’s actually really weird to be away from him so long.” She frowns. But after a minute, her face lights up again. “But... if I get to marry the prince, it’s worth it. It will be amazing to get further. If I don’t make it, at least, it hopefully will help me move on. I’ve never managed to like other boys. Isn’t that horrible?” She flushes.
I laugh. “I can’t imagine.”
“So why did you try out?” Jonquil asks me.
My face falls. Why does everyone ask that? I try to be honest, but I also don’t want to talk about my Jake problems or daddy issues. “Honestly, my mother thought I needed a life change. I was with one guy for a long time, but then he did something that proved he didn’t mind losing me. And I’d like to help my people. So I thought, why not try?”
“Wow. Now that’s sad and amazing.” Jonquil smiles. “A real princess reason.” She nudges me playfully. I roll my eyes.
Azalea tactfully changes the subject. “I heard you're a world-famous performer,” she says with a smile.
I force a smile and nod. I don’t like to say I’m that famous, but it’s true.
“You do ballet, right?”
“Yeah.”
Azalea beamed wider. “I wonder if you’d like to let me do something I’ve always dreamed of.”
My brows draw together. “What?”
“Well, I play the flute,” she says. “And I always wanted to play for a dancer to dance to. It was something I wanted to do when I was little. I don’t know why. But maybe we can try it sometime.”
I smile. “I’d like that.”
“Do you need certain songs you know the set steps to?” Azalea asks.
“I don’t need it. I can improv." I chuckle. It is one of my favorite games to play.
“Can I watch?” Lilly asks.
“Sure,” Azalea beams.
“Can I join?” Jonquil proffers timidly.
“The more the merrier,” Azalea laughs. “If you don’t mind,” she adds to me. I smile and nod. “We’ll make a party of it!” Azalea beams.
“I love a good party,” Bella adds. They all giggle. I wish I felt as giggly about anything.
We decide we can try it out tomorrow morning, and we chat for a while, watching the other girls and trying to get to know them. Bella and Azalea are social butterflies, or they’re flowers that attract the social butterflies. Soon Isla, Florence, Violet, and Bellatrix have joined us.
The days pass by without much happening. The prince starts asking girls out one on one pretty much right away, but he doesn’t ask me, adding to my nervousness. And what Yarrow makes for me is even worse than the other dress. I wince as I look at another “Burn me orange” piece he’s made.
“Are there any other options?” I ask timidly.
“Um... not really,” Vivian says and nods to Flur to show me the other five dresses I have to choose from. Alright, one of them is a softer orange. The lighter orange is much better. I opt for that dress instead.
The bad color might have been more tolerable if it was better designed. All the dresses are one fabric all the way through with no variation, not even a lighter or darker color for contrast. They all tie around my middle and the only unique features apart from varying shades of orange between dresses are the sleeves and collar.
At least I’m not the only girl with bad designs. Some girls are clearly not well matched. Perhaps it’s just that there are only so many good designers who will work for this contest and bad pay.
The Ladies’ Chamber is always interesting. The three self-named celebrities have formed a clique and like to bully anyone they can. The princesses sit to themselves. Though, Princess Zelda is mostly playing with that odd tablet of hers. I’ve never seen anything like it. I thought it was a gaming system at first, but it’s clear hers does more than that. She writes on it like paper, takes impressions, and reads off of it. But I don’t dare try to ask more about it.
On the Service Day of rest, my maids slip me into a nice white dress that’s better than anything I’ve been given yet. I doubt my attendant approved the dress. There’s no orange. I notice Vivian, Ro, and Flur are trying to make sure no one sees me in them. I suspect they picked out this dress without Yarrow’s permission.
The group devotion is small. It’s just the royal family, a handful or two of servants, and the Chosen. I try to see if they’re all here, but I can’t quite tell. I mean, for a rest day, it’s a bit early at nine in the morning, but it’s not that bad.
To my surprise, the prince runs the service. It must be something they do to help him prepare to be king. Sage is there as well, helping with the proceedings. I thought a royal meeting would be different, but it’s not that different from what I’m used to.
My maids accepted my offer to sit on my left, and soon after, Lilly, Jonquil, Isla, Bella, and Azalea sit with me. I notice the rest of the cliques sit together too.
We then go to lunch with the royal family. When we get there, I frown. The other table isn’t full, but there are no extra place settings. Two girls are missing. That makes only thirty-eight left. Apparently, true princesses attend services. I swallow, glad I was brought up religious.
But another week goes by, and the prince still hasn’t asked me out. Two more girls are eliminated, none I know. Some girls are boasting two dates now. I’m the only one not to have had a date yet. Why hasn’t he just eliminated me?
On top of that, I fear what happens to the girls if I let the rebels in. Jake's friends might hurt them. That fear creeps into my dreams and wakes me up, and I hug my knees until my maids come in to get me ready for the day. I can’t let them get hurt, but what else can I do?
I write Mom at the end of each week, but don’t mention the prince being the apprentice and pretend the evening meeting never happened. I write Dad too, but much more general updates at first, pretending all is well while fearing I’ll be eliminated any moment. But in my last letter, I decide to ask him to promise not to hurt any of the Chosen girls still here. They are victims too after all. Once I get that message back, I’ll feel much better.
I try to pretend all is normal, using the day to play games. I am distracted as Azalea shows us her talent today, explaining how her flute works.
We’d taken it in turns after I showed them my pointe shoes to teach other about our old jobs. It’s Lilly who notices my mood first.
“What’s wrong?” she asks.
“Nothing,” I promise with a small smile. “I haven’t slept well.”
“Is this about the prince not asking you out yet?” Jonquil asks.
“He will,” Azalea says confidently, “He’s just getting the others out of the way. I’m sure he is looking forward to it.”
“Best for last, like I said,” Jonquil reminds me with sympathy in her eyes.
“Yeah, and maybe he thinks you’ll have the most fun,” Lilly says. “We had fun. I think he likes fun. And as we know, you’re always fun. He even calls you pigeon too.”
I had noticed he addresses many of the Chosen girls as “pigeon”. None of us know what it means, but we all presume it was a good thing as it sounds like a sweet pet name.
I flush as the girls agree it’s sweet name.
Isla puts her hand on top of mine. Her eyes meet mine. “Sometimes, those with the greatest blessings coming have to wait the longest,” she says. “Think of the old writ. How long the Merlin waited for a child. How long the people waited for him. The greatest blessings take patience. You’ll have your time.”
“Thanks, Isla.” She is quiet but so full of faith. I admire that faith. I wish I was more like her.
“You’re welcome.” Isla smiles. “Don’t forget it. I think you will make it almost all the way. Just watch.”
Chapter 16
I go to my room as soon as I can get away. I thought I knew the way by heart, but in my depression, I get lost. I frown, hugging myself and looking left and right. I spot a window and walk over, hoping to see where I am.
A voice stops me short. “No, I told you, just because I’m here, doesn’t mean you get a quote,” the voice says. It seems familiar; I can’t place it. It’s a man’s voice, that is certain.
I rush over to a door and slip inside the room, cracking the door so there isn’t a sound of me closing it, but I’m also hidden behind it. The voices are getting closer. I glance out the gap and spot two shadows.
“Aw, come on, cuz.” A second voice, also male, begs. “I’m heading up there now. Just one comment on the events, just one small comment from the royal family.”
“I don’t give comments. I told you that before I even came here,” the first insists. “How did you even get in?”
“I’m nobility like you, remember?” The second voice sounds amused.
“Lovely.” The first sounds annoyed but amused. “So no tossing you out then?”
“Oh, come on, cuz, a small bite.”
“Honestly, I don’t even know what event you’re talking about.”
I glance out the crack to see if I can see them, but all I can see are shadows, two men for sure about the same size.
“Oh, so the prince is clueless.” The second man sounds excited.
“I didn't say that. I thought we had an agreement it’s off the books unless I say otherwise.” The first voice still is a bit playful, but I hear a serious note of warning in it too.
“Ah, come on, I need something.”
The first person sighs tiredly, “So what even is it? Just because I don’t know about it, doesn’t mean he doesn’t. I told you, he’s still warming up to me. He doesn’t like me around all the time. How do you think I have time for this?”
“Alright, alright,” the second dismisses his worry, “but you aren’t even in on their meetings?”
“No. What do you want a quote for?”
“Oh, just the thousand plus refugees evacuating over the latest rebel attack on Nerine,” the second man says as if it’s nothing.
I freeze in horror.
“E-excuse me?” the first finally says while I’m still reeling.
“Yeah, and that’s the lower estimate.” The second voice is now business-like. “I’m just about to cover it. Just one little bite before I go. The royal family can’t keep quiet.”
“There’s a reason you aren’t allowed to go to them to get it. They don’t give quotes for the begging.”
“Alright, fine, but the prince has to have a reaction, something, anything. They can’t keep quiet.”
“You have the press representative. Ask him. I'm not your personal information booth.”
“You’re saying the royal family has nothing to say to these people driven from their homes when the camps are already full?”
“They don’t share their thinking with me,” the first sounds tired of repeating himself.
“Not even the prince?”
