Avila still wasn’t sure she agreed, but she let it drop as the queen had already changed the subject. The next half hour was spent going over the woman’s plans for the gardens now that spring was just around the corner.
When Lorne finally stood to leave, Avila was still unsure of her choice, but she kept it to herself as the woman walked toward the door, a decision she was grateful for when the queen turned back with one last smile. “I am glad you chose to go. I look forward to seeing you there.”
Avila had a response on the tip of her tongue, but it was cut off when Lorne turned to her guards. “Please give me a moment.” The two of them bowed before they stepped out.
When Angelo gave Avila a questioning look, she nodded. “Please.” She wasn’t sure what the queen wanted to discuss that needed so much privacy, but she trusted her.
Once they were all gone, Lorne took her hand again, and her smile brightened. “I won’t keep you long, but I also wanted to tell you one more thing. I am happy that you and my son seem to have worked through your issues. Whatever comes of this, know that I will not object. His happiness is all I want.”
Avila was stunned into silence. With everything else, she had forgotten her earlier fears about the queen’s opinion about her and Galdren. Her response was the last thing Avila had expected. She was still too stunned to say anything when Lorne patted her hand before she let go. The queen gave her one last beaming smile before she walked out. It was several minutes before Avila was able to move.
―
Galdren was frowning as he made his way toward his father’s office. The news about their upcoming guest had just passed his desk, and he wanted to talk to his father about keeping Avila away. He wasn’t worried about the incident at the last ball, but he also did not want her to have to dredge up painful memories. The idea that her nightmares were twisted fragments of her past had already occurred to him, and he did not want them to become worse.
He had just raised his hand to knock on the door but stopped when he heard his mother’s voice. He was loath to leave, but didn’t want to interrupt. She seldom visited his father when he was in his office, so it was surely important. The internal debate on whether to leave or wait came crashing to a halt when he heard something that caught his attention.
While he knew eavesdropping was impolite, he had realized they were speaking about Avila. His feet became glued to the floor upon hearing his father’s next words. “Do you believe this is a wise decision? Things could go horribly wrong.”
His mother’s dismissal was quick. “Of course. No matter what happens, she will need to face this. Besides, she has no memory of what happened. So many years have passed that it is unlikely they will come back.”
“And if they do?”
The king’s voice had a hard note to it that was rare. It had Galdren’s nerves on edge. His mother’s response did not help. “Then you have already made your decision on what should happen. I have faith that she will make the best choice.”
After that, their voices dropped low enough that Galdren could no longer hear them. Not that it mattered. What he had heard was enough to make him worry. He was also fighting a mix of curiosity and disappointment. It was evident that his parents knew more about Avila than they had shared with him. The thought that they felt they couldn’t tell him made him wonder what about her could possibly warrant that level of secrecy.
Unfortunately, he knew it was something he would have to discover another day. He could not interrupt, especially not after having heard that. Instead, he turned to go back the way he had come, his mind now full of possibilities and more than a little worry. One thing he had garnered was the fact that somehow, his mother had already convinced Avila to attend the coming ball. He only hoped the ominous words he’d overheard turned out to be nothing.
40. Ambassador
Saturday evening, Avila was once again standing in her room as Meru helped her finish dressing. Savanah and her crew had already left. Despite the pretty azure dress, Avila was still distracted. She was thinking back to Galdren’s objections later the same night that the queen had visited.
He had been adamant that she should not go to the ball. He didn’t want her to be hurt. Part of her had agreed. She still wasn’t sure she could face whoever was coming and not either break down or lose her temper. Just thinking about the people from Talamh that she had already met made her angry on their behalf. She understood why the king had chosen to host the ambassador, but that didn’t make her happier about the situation. Unfortunately, despite her reserve and Galdren’s objections, she knew this was something that had to be done, if for no other reason than to get closure.
Once Meru clasped the vine necklace around her neck, Avila glanced once more at her reflection. When she verified nothing seemed amiss, she thanked the girl and followed her out. She stopped in shock as soon as she was out the door. “Galdren, what are you doing here?”
He held out a hand as he smirked. “You sound as though you do not want me to escort you.”
Avila nearly stumbled over her words. “That’s not it at all! It’s just—” She cut off as he took her hand and tucked it into the crook of his arm.
He waited until they were near the outer hallway before he spoke again. “I am aware that you may be hesitant, but I had planned on escorting you no matter the reason. I am tired of caring about what others say. Besides, I am still not convinced this is a good idea. I would rather be nearby tonight.”
Avila felt her cheeks heat at his declaration, and though most of it was from the warmth his words caused, some was from thoughts of the probable fallout from his actions. Still, if he refused to let it bother him, then she could follow suit. It wasn’t as though she didn’t have plenty of other things to worry about that night. Plus, his mother’s words were still ringing through her memory, and she felt much better about their prospects.
When the two of them walked into the ballroom and were announced together, the silence that fell was eerie. It was broken only a moment later, and the murmur of the crowd was louder than Avila had ever heard. She felt her nervousness pick up, but Galdren placed his hand over hers as they descended the steps. That comforting gesture helped to calm her. It was made better when she looked toward the dais to see the queen smiling at them. Avila’s brow furrowed when she noticed the king was not there, but she did not let it hold her attention. There were too many other things to worry about.
As soon as they stepped off the platform, they were surrounded by a throng of people. Avila was grateful for Galdren’s presence, as he deftly led them through it. Unfortunately, they had to stop often to listen to people wishing the prince well or for other small talk. She had no doubt that some had many other things to say, but they kept it to themselves. Not even the typical horrid whispers could be heard.
Instead, she noticed that most of the crowd surrounding them consisted of councilors and their families. Given that, it was no shock that much of the talk revolved around the ambassador and their hope to gain a powerful ally. Avila was curious as to why they hadn’t met whoever the person was yet, as the ball was supposed to be in their honor. Though, when she remembered that the king wasn’t at his throne either, it made her wonder if other talks were going on behind the scenes. Not that it had anything to do with her.
She brushed those thoughts aside as one of the councilors’ wives turned to ask about her necklace. Avila was a little uncomfortable telling anyone that it had been a gift from the queen, so she kept that part to herself, but she was more than willing to admit it was her favorite piece. By that point, there was a lull in the men’s conversation that Galdren took advantage of. He excused them both before he turned and led her toward the refreshment tables.
He stopped a short distance away and dropped her hand so he could face her. His voice was low enough not to carry when he spoke. “How are you?”
Avila could not hold back her smile. “I
’m fine. With you here, there will not be any trouble. Don’t worry. Besides, even if you step away, they can all see you will be back. No one is going to cause any issues tonight.”
He didn’t look entirely convinced, but he finally nodded. “Would you like something to drink?” He paused, and a sparkle lit in his eyes as he smirked. “Though, I will not fill any requests for something alcoholic.”
Avila had to clamp her lips shut on the laughter his words evoked. As embarrassed as she had been over that night, she knew he was teasing. Still, now wasn’t the time or place to say what was on her mind. Instead, she gave him a nod. “Yes, please. All I ask is that it not be something too sweet. I don’t care for syrup.”
He chuckled when she wrinkled her nose and ignored the look she gave him as he stepped away. “I will not be far, but it may be a few minutes. They do look rather busy.”
Avila waved him off. “I will stay right here, don’t worry.” He only hesitated for another moment before he turned to get them both refreshments.
Once he was gone, Avila could tell that several people considered approaching her, but most of them looked to see that Galdren was not far away and turned to mingle again. She could not hold in her smile. It was nice to attend one of these functions and not be harassed.
Then she heard a familiar voice on her other side. “I cannot believe you dared to show your face here again after what you did. Especially not on the arm of the crown prince. Have you no shame?”
Avila didn’t bother holding back her sigh as she turned to face the Lady Dunoire. At least this time, she only had two other girls with her, and they were both looking around nervously. Avila smiled coldly at them all as she answered, “I do believe you have that backward. It isn’t me that was caught disrespecting my peers and causing problems. You are obviously the one that needs to learn a bit of humility. Though, it does seem like you don’t learn from your mistakes. More’s the pity.”
The girl looked like she was about to have an apoplectic fit. Still, before anything else could be said, a foreign male voice spoke up behind Avila. As different as it was, it was also familiar, and it had her frozen in place. The rest of the room seemed to disappear as he spoke. “Princess Avila Treunmhor.”
Time slowed as she forced her feet to move and turned to face the man that had spoken. What she saw had her breath locked in her lungs. The man was older than she remembered, but there was no mistaking who he was. His bald head and cold eyes were just as terrifying as the last time she had seen them.
The sight of this man from her nightmares caused a cascade of locked memories to rush through Avila’s head. She wanted nothing more than to drop where she stood and scream as they threatened to tear her apart from the inside out, yet she somehow managed to lock her knees. Her voice was colder than ice when she finally spoke. “You.”
Avila was shocked when, instead of attacking her, the man bowed respectfully. “Your Highness, it is a . . . pleasure to see you alive and well. We had long thought you dead.”
Despite her terror, Avila took a step forward. Her rage allowed her to bury the fear. Before she could say anything, she was pulled back into the present by a condescending female voice beside her. “I believe you have the wrong person, sir—there is no one worthy of that title here.”
Avila looked over at the young blonde and didn’t bother to hold back her disdain. “Be silent.”
Before she could turn back to face the more critical threat, Lady Dunoire huffed and practically yelled, “You have no right to speak to me with that tone! You are far too full of yourself. You think yourself my peer, yet you are a nobody.”
Avila’s eyes flashed, and her voice became hard as she glanced over at the younger woman. She didn’t care that others had gathered as she said, “I said be silent. You are correct that I am not your peer, yet it is you that speaks above your station. Your incessant prattling is of no consequence here. You have no idea of the wider Alliance and how insignificant your part in it is. If you have nothing better to go on about than your petty jealousy, then find another nobody to speak to. I have no time for it.”
She ignored the girl’s sputtering as she turned back to the man. He was smirking at the scene, though he also ignored the younger woman. His eyes were entirely focused on Avila. “Your Highness, don’t you think it would be prudent to be kinder to these people, who are protecting you?”
Despite the stream of varied emotions she was still fighting, Avila felt a rush of dread. She understood implicitly the threat he had not spoken. Her fists clenched by her side as she answered, “No one here is protecting me. To them, I am no more than another refugee.”
The man smirked at her answer, but the look in his eyes caused a chill to go down her spine. He glanced over her shoulder before he answered. “Oh? Are you sure they feel the same way?”
Avila didn’t want to rise to his bait, but she could hear a ruckus behind her. She was shocked to not only see Galdren making his way through the crowd, but both Zachariah and Nathan as well. Despite the crush of people, once everyone realized who was coming through, the crowd parted, and it was only a moment before all three men were by her side.
Galdren sent a glare to Lady Dunoire that had the younger woman backing into the press of people, but his gaze was instantly back to the stranger as he said, “What is going on here?”
The stranger gave Galdren a bow and a polite smile when he stood to answer. “Your Highness, it is a pleasure to meet you. I must beg your forgiveness for my tardy introduction, but I had a few last-minute things to attend to.”
Galdren glared at the man before he glanced at Avila. She knew he had to see how upset she was, but she couldn’t find the words to reassure him. Thankfully, she didn’t need to. His voice was clipped when he turned back to the stranger. “That does not tell me what has happened here.”
The man never lost his smile as he gestured toward Avila. “Pardon, I was merely letting the princess know how worried we have all been for her. No one had seen her in so many years that we feared the worst.”
Avila vaguely heard several gasps and Nathan’s frantic whisper, but she was too focused on the man in front of her to care. “How dare you? How can you stand there and say that with a straight face when my family’s blood stains your hands?”
The man’s eyes flashed, but his voice was still cordial. “My apologies, Your Highness, but I’m afraid I had nothing to do with their deaths.”
Avila was shaking so badly that she was afraid she would fall. Or punch his nose. His perpetual smile had her seething. “Perhaps not. But we both know you did kill every other person I ever loved. Your solicitous attitude is as false as your premise for being here. I am no longer that child who hid in terror from you.”
The man’s smile slipped, but he managed to keep from losing it. However, they were interrupted when the king arrived. He stepped in between them, but faced the man. “I must beg your pardon, Ambassador. I will have this sorted out shortly, but please stay and enjoy the rest of the party. My wife will be here to help in any way she can.”
The stranger gave him a nod, but the king had already turned to the rest of the group. “If you would join me in my office, please. I believe we have things to discuss.”
Avila had no doubts that they did. She was still too rattled to fully grasp how tenuous her position was, but she knew that this was not good. She gave the king a nod and finally turned to the others. She saw the queen standing a short distance away. The woman gave her a worried look, but Avila didn’t know how to respond. She wasn’t even sure what to say to Galdren. The look on his face was shocked and maybe a little hurt. Zachariah and Nathan were not much better.
Instead of trying to figure out what to say to any of them, she turned and followed the king out. She was surprised when the three men followed, but she couldn’t focus on it. The ambassador was still giving her that cold smile as she left.
―
The walk to the king’s closest office was silent, but that changed as soon as the small group was behind closed doors. Galdren turned to his father immediately. “What happened back there? You know what is going on already, yet you have told me nothing.”
The king looked at his son blankly for a moment before he finally responded. “I will not object to your presence here if you will keep silent. I asked Princess Avila here to speak with her about what happens next, and I will not tolerate interruptions.”
Galdren took a shocked step back. Before he could respond, his uncle stepped forward and pinned the king with a stern look. “I am aware that this may be a matter of state. I will even concede that we should not be directly involved, but no matter what the outcome is, you cannot expect us to stand idly by. Especially not after what I heard out there.”
Before Zachariah was even done speaking, Nathan had stepped up to Avila’s side. He looked over at her with confusion, and his voice was low as he asked, “So, it’s true then? You really are the missing princess?”
Avila had to look away. She had wanted to mend things with Nathan, but she couldn’t face him now. Not that she didn’t think he deserved an answer. They all did. However, she could barely keep her frantic thoughts in place long enough to think straight. She merely nodded before she looked over at the king. “Your Majesty, I imagine you asked me here to give me an ultimatum. I understand that Aril has always been neutral, and I do not expect you to change that on my behalf.”
Galdren gently grabbed her arm and turned her to him, but she couldn’t meet his eyes either. When she wouldn’t look at him, he turned back to his father, though he didn’t let her go. “You cannot be sending her away. No matter who she was, she is a citizen of Aril now. She has a place here.”
For a moment, the king’s eyes reflected his heavy heart, but he hid it again as he answered, “You are both correct. Now that Her Royal Highness, Princess Avila Treunmhor, has regained her memories, there is a choice to be made.”
Shattered Dreams Page 38
