The Rose Chateau
Page 37
“Corinna has control over your position,” Alexander finally spoke. “If she suspects you at all, I will banish you from the kingdom.”
“Oh, no worries. Rest assured, if Corinna ever had a need to doubt me, I would most surely die before you could even begin to think of how to word your punishment.” Niviene rose to her feet and smiled in that feline way of hers. She walked to Corinna and placed one of her slender hands on the younger magician’s shoulder. “I look forward to seeing you grow into your gifts. When you are ready to begin, you will find me in here.”
“Yes ma’am,” Corinna said and smiled a brilliant and toothy grin. She felt her feet urge to bounce, but she resisted and instead bowed to her new teacher.
“Excuse us,” Alexander broke in again. “We were amidst a tour. I haven’t shown Corinna where she’ll be staying. I’m sure you’ll be at the gala tomorrow. We’ll see you then.”
“Of course,” Niviene agreed. She smiled something sweet and so much like Veronica. Corinna had to look away.
The witch backed off but kept her eyes on the pair as they exited the room. Corinna could almost feel her stare as they descended the stone steps into the rest of the castle, but Niviene couldn’t possibly see through solid stone. Shaking her anxiousness, Corinna decided to change mental topics and thought instead of her living conditions.
“My family will be arriving for the party today. Will they be staying in the same room as me?” she asked.
Alexander chuckled. “That would be rather awkward seeing as you will be huddled up in my chambers. But they will have a grand room, since there aren’t any rooms fit for less than a noble here. My father does like to show off, after all.”
“I can’t bring myself to hold it against him,” Corinna said. “Though he does get carried away, there’s nothing inherently wrong with enjoying fine things. If I owned a castle, I would probably keep it beautifully decorated too.”
Alexander smiled and stopped them in the middle of the hall. No servants were in sight, in fact not even a rat shared the area with them. Alexander leaned down and captured Corinna’s lips with his own, his hand resting gently at the base of Corinna’s cheek.
“Perhaps one day you will own a castle, if you let me share it with you,” he said. He had a teasing note to his voice and a quirky smile hidden behind his lips. “I know you said you wanted to learn magic and protect the castle as a sorcerer, but I think you’d do wonderful in the queen’s throne as well.”
“Queen?” Corinna asked, knitting her brow together and scrunching up her nose. “You want me to be a queen?”
“I admit, the idea is rather funny.” And Alexander laughed again, lacing his fingers with Corinna’s and beginning to walk again. “You don’t nearly have the graces of a queen. You’re not fluent in the politics or the mannerisms, but you do know something about the passion of a queen. I can teach you everything else you’ll need to know over time.”
“I think you’re the one suggesting ‘forever’ now,” Corinna pointed out. She paused by a window at the end of the corridor and looked down at the much closer square.
Alastar was just reentering the castle with his father. A few steps behind Alastar were Gavin and Isabelle, going in the opposite direction. They were simply walking and talking, cheerful smiles on their faces, and their hands only millimeters from touching. As their hands swung, they grazed each other’s and would glance at those betraying brushes and then flush before looking forward once again.
“And what if I am?” Alexander asked. Gavin closed his fingers in a fist and then released them. His hand slid onto Isabelle’s and she flushed brilliantly as she smiled. Corinna felt the corner of her lips twitch up and she looked back at Alexander.
“I think forever sounds moderately adequate,” she said, nodding her head in agreement. Alexander snorted and pulled Corinna in for a quick and tight hug. Footsteps echoed around the corner and then a serving girl came into view, but Alexander didn’t seem to mind. He leaned down and kissed Corinna in direct view of the servant and the window. Corinna blushed and grinned. She wondered how their relationship would change under the glaring responsibilities of royal life and debated for a moment how they could deal with eloping, but no. This was Alexander’s destiny, and Corinna wanted to be a part of it.
Corinna leaned her forehead against Alexander’s and sighed contently. Somewhere past them, the serving maid dropped her basket of linens and scrambled noisily to collect them all again. There was a rumble in Alexander’s throat that reminded Corinna of how the prince used to laugh as the beast. She hoped that similarity never vanished. Alexander wasn’t meant to be completely refined.
To Corinna, he was the perfect combination of beauty and beast.
THE END
Old English Translations
Æledfýr - flame of fire
Ágælan – to hinder, hold back
Ásælan – to bind, ensnare
Gelácnian – to heal, cure
Líhting – relief, alleviation, release
Pyff byre – Puff of strong wind.
157