He stopped and looked thoughtful for a few seconds. “I did not want to remain married to her for I was young at the time and had many years ahead of me. I was prepared to offer her a divorce.”
He took a long sip of his red wine and continued. “I loved my second wife. She was a half-vampire like me and my sister; however she was nothing like Emeley. Whereas Emeley is a strong warrior, Lillian was gentle and delicate. To make a long story short, we suffered several miscarriages. Half-vampire pregnancies can be difficult, especially if the mother is a half-vampire herself. At last we had a healthy pregnancy, however it was difficult for her and . . .” He paused for a moment. “She and the child died during the birth.” He paused longer this time. “It was heartbreaking for me.”
“I’m sorry, my lord,” I said compassionately.
“After that, I swore off marriage. I have not even considered another relationship until recently,” he said looking up at me.
I did not know what to think of his statement. There was a time that my heart would have leapt at what he was hinting of, but the fact remains that it has all come too late. I let it go, at peace with myself, comforted that I would not be around long enough to regret it.
The royals really weren’t trying to kill me. Princess Emeley knew how I felt about him. She set us both up. This was a blind date and it had her name written all over it. I smiled casually at him, picked up my fork, and started eating again.
After a few minutes we were again chatting informally, just as we used to before the night I tried to show him how I felt about him. It felt good, but I knew it was not the same. It was bittersweet. I could never be with him; I was an outsider, a penniless wayfarer, a servant. He was a prince of a prosperous kingdom, someone who must marry for politics, not love. He asked me to tell him more about my life back home and in turn he told me some stories of adventures he had been on. Even after another glass of wine, I was pleased with myself that I had not said anything that could have given away my companion’s plans to open the portal.
“I will be away for several days. I leave for Westercliff tomorrow morning,” he announced.
“Westercliff?” I repeated curiously.
“Yes, I have some business there that I must attend to. They are still trying to negotiate me into marrying another one of their princesses, and to maintain diplomacy, I must refuse in person. I shall return in a little over a week.”
He had my undivided attention now. The prince was leaving in the morning and would be gone until the following week. By then I would be long gone back home. It suddenly hit me that tonight might be the last time I would ever see him. My emotions clashed within me and all I could do was smile and wish him well on his journey. Inside, I felt a pang of sorrow.
As we finished lingering over dinner, he rose and offered me his hand to do the same. “Will you stay a while please?”
“If you wish,” I replied softly, staring up into his eyes. I took his hand to rise, for it was the polite thing to do, but then I pulled my hand out of his as soon as I was standing. We were so close together that if I didn’t know better, I would have thought he wanted me near him. I did not allow myself to believe this was true. I knew in my bones I was resolved to leaving this kingdom. I could not do anything that would jeopardize that. As much as I wanted to stay and spend more time with him, and help him defeat Hadreah once and for all, I needed to stay grounded in reality.
The prince led me in to another adjacent room where I heard the music from a banquet going on somewhere nearby in the castle. He stopped and held out his hands to me as he usually did on the dance floor. I paused and gave him a shy smile as I stepped up to him and took his hands in mine. He waited a beat or two before he stepped into the dance at the appropriate moment. It was another Basse, a slow dance. Together we moved as one, not missing a beat into time with the dance as we had done before, only this time it was just him and me. There was no audience to distract or judge us. There were no disapproving courtiers glaring at me, and I felt oddly comfortable dancing with him this way.
As I spun in time with the beat of the music, his arms wrapped around me with my back to him as per usual with the choreography; only this time when I began to pivot out of his embrace he stopped the dance with us frozen in place with his arms locked around me and his fingers intertwined in mine. My breath hitched as I realized he meant to hold me. He gently squeezed my hands before he unlaced his fingers from mine and slid his arms around me, pulling me into him. I closed my eyes and tried to remain calm. How I had wanted a moment like this so badly last winter, I could not believe it was happening now, after I had promised myself I would never feel anything for him again. He brushed his lips lightly over the back of my neck before he gently planted a kiss there, sending pleasant tingles all through me. My heart raced and my breathing sped up as he continued to kiss me slowly, moving more towards the front of my neck. He paused briefly to turn me to face him.
I looked up at him, my eyes questioning him with uncertainty. I was unsure of what was allowed here. We were entering a gray zone of proper and improper behavior for a royal prince and a wayfarer servant like myself. I kept my resolve and slowly took a few steps back from him. That did not seem to please him for the crestfallen look he gave me made me stop.
“I have missed you, Evie,” he said softly with a desperate look in his eyes. “You have not been to court, nor to banquet in a long time.”
I continued to stand there looking into his otherworldly eyes. I wasn’t sure what to do or say.
“I have missed seeing you,” he whispered as he took a step closer. “I have missed dancing with you.” He took another step closer. “I have missed touching you,” he admitted as he took me in his arms again, pulling me in against his lithe body. His demeanor told me that he was being sincere.
I closed my eyes as he pressed his lips gently against mine for the first time. My lonely, broken, iron heart began to swell and beat violently against the cage I had slammed it into with emotions I had trouble even describing. It broke free inside of me and rampaged wildly as he continued to kiss me. I surrendered to it, letting my instincts take over and I reached my arms up and around his neck enjoying every second of it. He was such a wonderful kisser; he knocked Henrik right out of the ball park. They weren’t even in the same galaxy as far as I could tell. I let myself go and we kissed fervently with a passion I did not know that either of us possessed. At that moment, I didn’t care who or what he was or who or what I was. It no longer mattered to me. I was in love with him and I had wanted this for so long. I didn’t want it to stop. This won’t change anything, I told myself . . . I was still going home in a few days. This is good-bye, I thought with a pang of sadness. I let my emotions pour into our kisses as I began to wonder what else Prince Eythan was good at when we were interrupted.
A few quiet taps on the door paused us. Apparently a prince’s job is never done, even late in the evening. A few moments passed as we relinquished our hold from one another and stepped apart. I smiled shyly at him while I smoothed my hair back. I stepped back from him and had a seat on a nearby chair while he answered the knock.
“Yes?” he said authoritatively.
The door eased open slowly. “I am sorry to disturb you, Your Highness. The king would like to speak with you.” It was Sir William. He did not enter the room, but instead hesitated at the door, surveying us. I’m sure he had no doubt as to what we were doing.
“Of course,” he said absently before turning to me. “I must go over some of the details of my journey with him. I must bid you good evening, Evelyn.”
I nodded and rose to my feet. We walked towards the doorway where Sir William waited in the hall.
“Sir William will see to it that your belongings are returned to you and then escort you home,” he explained.
“Thank you,” I replied.
“I will return in a week, . . . stay close to my sister,” he said softly to me, looking directly into my eyes.
Nodding again, I
took his hand in mine. “Good-bye, Your Highness.” Not good night. Not see you later. This was it, and I couldn’t let him know that I would not be here when he returned.
He kissed my hand and released me, turning and walking away. I turned and followed Sir William in the opposite direction. Something inside me started to ache and I realized I was already missing him. I had wanted him for so long, and now it was never to be. I wanted to cry, but I suppressed that by taking a few deep breaths. I turned my head to glance back just to see him one last time as we continued on only to find him looking back at me. I let the reality sink in as I realized that I would never see him again.
Chapter 26
“So tomorrow is the big day, huh?” Sam asked me as we closed up the clinic for lunch.
“Yes . . . are you sure you do not want to come back with us?” I asked gently.
Sam looked down. “No, Evie. I have nothing to go back to except for a mountain of credit card debt and a difficult life.”
“You don’t know that, Sam. What about your parents? What about Sarah?”
“They don’t need me, Evie. Sir William loves me . . . I can’t explain it. All I know is that I want to be with him for the rest of my life. I believe he feels the same. Please do not tell my sister. It’s better if she doesn’t know.”
I nodded, sensing there might be more to the story, but said nothing. I could understand how she felt and so I would respect her wishes.
“What about you, Evie? The prince cares for you. Anyone who isn’t blind can see it. What about your promise to help him and the princess end the war?”
“I have to go back home, Sam. I don’t belong here and although I would like to help them . . . I’m not even sure I can.”
“But you love him,” she said imploringly.
“Yes, . . . I do. I have since first saw him. I just can’t be certain he feels the same. I need more proof and unfortunately, I haven’t got it,” I replied resolutely.
A knock at the door hushed us as I went to the window to look out. It was one of the royal messengers. I unlocked and opened the door, allowing him in. He set a large garment bag on the counter. “For you, Miss Evelyn,” he said as he presented me with a sealed note. He bowed and left. Sam closed and locked the door behind him.
Recognizing Princess Emeley’s handwriting, I immediately lifted the seal and read the note. I took a deep breath as panic flashed through me.
“What does it say?” Sam asked as she returned to my side.
“It’s an invitation. Princess Emeley is having a costume ball tomorrow evening and she requires that I attend.” This wasn’t her usual style of an invite. I had never been “required” to attend any of her parties but this time she apparently wasn’t taking no for an answer. “What am I going to do Sam? I need to leave with the others . . . and Paul! He will most likely have to be there too!”
Sam looked at me with concerned eyes, knowing my predicament. “What’s in the bag?”
I set the invitation down and opened the garment bag. My eyes widened as I looked upon a beautiful deep red ball gown with elegant gold and silver embroidery on it. Shoes and a few other accessories accompanied the dress. Clearly Madame Elise had been at work here. Despite the beauty of the gown, my heart sank.
“It’s breathtaking, Evie!” Sam gushed.
“Yeah . . . it’s just perfect!” I said angrily, slamming the note down on the counter. “Do you think it is just a coincidence that the princess is hosting a huge party on the night we are going to open the portal? And do you think it is by chance that she sent me a bright red dress to wear! This practically kills any opportunity that I have at slipping away!” I ranted with exasperation.
“The prince is out of the kingdom . . . can’t you just fake an illness?”
“No, the message is clear. She expects me there no matter what. So that’s what I’ll do. I will go and show my face and as soon as she has seen me, I will come up with some reason to leave or slip out.” The wheels were already turning in my mind on how to do this. It was hard enough for me to make the choice to try to leave with my friends over an opportunity for romance with the prince, but my mind was made up.
“I thought I would join you and the others for lunch at the cookhouse.”
“We would love that,” I said as I donned my cloak. I didn’t have the heart to tell her she would look out of place dressed in the fine clothes Sir William provided for her while the rest of us looked like what we were . . . servants. My guards trailed us as we talked together towards the gathering.
“Oh, Wayfarer!” A jovial voice called.
I recognized it as Lord Beaumont’s voice and stopped to turn to see him. “Good afternoon, my lord,” I greeted him politely and formally, as both Sam and I curtsied. He had kept his distance from me since that day Prince Eythan revealed his engagement. I had heard he was married not long afterwards.
“Good day, Miss Evelyn, and Miss Samantha,” he said cheerfully from atop his horse. I suspiciously wondered what he wanted. It was times like these that I did not mind the presence of my two royal bodyguards who sized him up.
“I am so looking forward to the ball tomorrow evening . . . will you be in attendance?” he asked casually. As a married man now, I’m shocked he even asked.
“Yes, my lord. We will both be there,” I replied smiling at Sam.
“Then I shall look forward to seeing what your disguise will be,” he said amiably before he trotted off.
Sam and I glanced at each other and continued on. I marveled at the strange, random encounter and then moved on.
Our “dinner” with our friends, Sarah, Kennedy, and Josh was bittersweet. We could not discuss any plans for tomorrow night, but it was evident by everyone’s mood and the shine in their eyes of their excitement. Going home was something we all desired . . . save for Sam. I wondered if she was making the right choice. I simply hoped it worked . . . for I had a feeling we would all be executed if we were caught. I tried to relax and enjoy the company of my friends, perhaps for the last time. I pushed away all thoughts of the prince and princess, as well as Lord Beaumont, Lord Crievan, and Queen Hadreah. Sam and I said our good-byes, farewell in her case, and we meandered back to the clinic.
The next day passed by in a flash. The long awaited night of the twilight star approached. I walked around the clinic, taking it all in as I closed it for the last time. It definitely looked more organized and functional than when I first arrived. Everything was neat and in place. I had recorded as many notes on herbs as I could for Sam or whoever would succeed me when I disappeared tonight.
“Are you ready for your short stint as a princess?” Sam asked enthusiastically.
“Let’s do this,” I said as we headed upstairs. I needed her help to put on the elaborate gown, with all of its underskirts, laces, and ties. When I was finally dressed, Sam set to work braiding my hair into a softly coiled bun. I had decided to take advantage of her artistic skills and have her paint a black, tragic, tribal looking butterfly on my face making sure to cover my eyes, leaving the wings trailing down my cheeks. I hated masks, you could never see in them and they just got in the way. I figured that almost full face paint would suffice. To finish, she applied some red color to my lips and applauded.
“Evie, if this were a competition, I bet you would win!”
“Thank you, Sam,” I said to her as I hugged her. “I will miss you. Promise me you will take care of yourself.”
“I will, Evie . . . I am making the right choice.”
Just then there was the sound of a carriage outside. Sam went to peek out the window while I slipped a dagger in the deep pockets of my overskirt.
“It’s yours,” she said returning to me. “Sir William and I will be there soon. I will do what I can for a diversion, if you need one. Just let me know. I’ll miss you!” She gave me one final squeeze before I headed out the door. I couldn’t linger over a good-bye; I would start crying if I did.
I forced slow and steady breaths to control m
y nerves as I was taken to Silverstone, already promising myself to stay far away from the wine punch. I needed a level head. The sun had not yet entirely set, but I could already see the twilight star faintly, reminding me what I needed to do. I would not have much time after the sun set to escape and meet up with my friends.
My bodyguards melted into the background and the courtiers gasped as they witnessed my arrival. My face paint was already causing a stir. Everyone wore some kind of mask, but I could tell who most of them were. I greeted them and moved about the room . . . searching for Paul. I finally spied him serving punch at the far end and began to maneuver over when I was stopped by the princess making her grand entrance. Everyone cheered as she entered, dressed in a shimmery pale turquoise and purple gown fashioned to look like a Nevalth eel complete with an elaborate head-dress and makeup. She looked ethereally beautiful as she glanced at me and nodded. It was hard to miss me in my vibrant red dress compared to everyone else that seemed to be costumed in more muted tones for a nature theme of animals, flowers, and such.
I noticed that the princess wore a long flowing cape matching the rest of her ensemble and I could have sworn I saw the strap of the super soaker gun from my world over her shoulder beneath it. I wondered what that was about. Maybe since she was dressed as an eel she might squirt water on people for the fun of it? Before I could greet her, King Edreyan arrived, dressed in his usual elegant black uniform with slivery embroidery. Apparently he wasn’t participating in the costume portion of the party. I continued to meander to Paul. I noted Lord Beaumont in the corner of my eye with his wife. A blur of black swam off to one side. It was the horrible Lord Crievan dressed in a long black cape with a mask fashioned in the shape of a skull with long sharp horns attached. I had to play the game of pretending not to know he was behind my murder attempt.
The Twilight Star Page 30
