by Holly Law
“And it can wait until morning. Elisha doesn’t listen when she’s upset. You won’t be able to say much she’d listen to at this point. I don’t even want to listen to you.”
Chapter 17
Elisha climbed out of the tube at first light. She had a few scraps of machines with her and parts she could use to fix machines. It was nothing compared to the stash that Lenora had given her, but it was better than nothing. She could charge a little more than she had before for the machines and remedy that.
She walked to the market square and found a corner to set up her work. Those who saw her looked surprised and confused. Those who were nobility frowned at her, clearly recognizing her. The merchants knew her from the time she had spent in their shops with the Prince. Elisha didn’t care. She was done pretending to be a lady. It had never been true and made no difference in the grand scheme of things.
And Elisha did get customers. They came to her just as they had before. Elisha fixed the machines, and they did not scoff at her higher price. Within a few hours, she had enough silvers that they jingled together pleasantly. She was busy fixing a scrubbing machine when a pair of Melinkin nobility approached her. The Countess Beliana and her son Carllo stood before her.
“My dear,” the Countess began, looking shocked ,“what in the world are you doing out here?”
“I had a falling out with Lenora,” Elisha said simply. “I left the school and have gone into business for myself.”
“I’m sure if you went back and spoke with her you could resolve this problem,” the Countess said at once.
“Duchess Lenora is very reasonable,” Carllo agreed. “You can’t possibly want to remain out here. You don’t even have a cloak to protect against the cold.”
“I should have enough coin by the end of the day to buy something.”
“This is completely unnecessary. You’ll come with us, and we’ll have you situated in the manor we’ve rented. You simply cannot remain out here.”
“No, thank you all the same. I think I’ve had my fill of pretending to be something I’m not.”
The Countess didn’t seem to know what to say, and Carllo looked just as uneasy. “If you change your mind, please come by. We insist on having you for dinner at least once this week.”
“I thank you again for the offer, but I think you would find my company displeasing. Good day.”
The two left looking a bit wide eyed. They talked quietly to each other, their expressions worried as they continued their shopping. Elisha wished them no ill will and was glad for the kindness they tried to show her, but she knew that part of her life was done. She bent her head back to the machine in her hand.
She looked up again when a shadow fell over her. Four of the Prince’s soldiers stood before her. Their faces were stern and uncaring. “May I help you?” Elisha asked slowly. She felt nervous with their stern demeanors.
“The Prince requires your presence,” the commanding soldier said firmly. “You are to come with us.”
Elisha frowned. That was not the type of greeting she typically received from the Prince. He had never sent soldiers before. The soldiers looked more dangerous than the Sumvale guards. She briefly thought of running and then determined they were much more likely to catch her. She began to gather her materials.
“Leave those here,” the soldier said. “The Prince is not one to be kept waiting.”
Elisha hesitated and didn’t argue. There was nothing there that would hurt if it was lost. She stood and walked with them back to the Prince’s manor. The soldiers flanked her as she walked, and she felt like a prisoner. She was distinctly uneasy and wondered if running would have been the better choice. Once inside, she was shown to a private sitting room.
The room had broad, glass windows that showed some of the garden just below. The Prince was sitting at a table writing. His demeanor was relaxed and calm as it always was. He glanced at them when they entered. “Leave us,” the Prince told his soldiers and dismissed them with a wave of his hand. They left without comment. Elisha stood there, feeling awkward and out of place. She felt completely at odds with her surroundings. The last time she had been there, she had been dressed in the most beautiful dress she would ever own or wear. She felt simple and out of place by contrast.
“Sit and join me, Elisha,” the Prince told her, gesturing to a gold chair padded with blue satin across from him. “I will be done with this in a few moments, and then we will talk.” Elisha carefully sat where he had indicated. He wrote for a few more moments, not acknowledging her presence again until he had folded and sealed the paper. Then he looked at her.
“Why didn’t you come to me when you were having problems?” the Prince asked her. Elisha blinked, surprised by the question.
“My problem was not something that concerned you,” Elisha said slowly.
“Not my concern?” the Prince asked, leaning back and surveying her with her deep blue eyes. Elisha felt very small being looked at in that manner. “How is it not my concern when you completely disappeared from the school and did not tell anyone where you were? It is very much my concern if you were forced to sleep out of doors in this cool weather with nothing but what you have at present. Where did you spend the night? I had my soldiers looking for you since Lenora informed me you had left.”
“In an old drainage tube,” Elisha said with a shrug. “I had a warmer I had fixed there. It wasn’t too bad.”
“I would have given you shelter for the night, Elisha, you needn’t have resorted to that extreme. I would have been glad to have you for my guest. Have you eaten?”
“No,” Elisha said simply.
The Prince summoned a servant and sent him for food. “Now, I had the chance to speak with your brother. He mentioned there was a new girl at the school giving you a hard time, someone who had been at the orphanage.”
“Rebeka, yes,” Elisha said simply.
“Tell me what happened. I cannot solve this if I don’t have the particulars.”
“I…” Elisha began and looked out the window. “It is not worth your time. I don’t plan on going back.”
“And where do you plan to go?” the Prince asked her. “To your drainage tube? That is not a fitting place for a lady.”
“I am no lady.”
“No? I thought otherwise. I refuse to let you go back there. You will remain here as my guest if the school is not an adequate choice for you. I refuse to see you on the streets. But I wish to know what happened. Lenora has been beside herself with worry. She doesn’t understand why you reacted so poorly.”
“I just…” Elisha floundered. She found herself blinking back tears. And she told him everything. She told him of Rebeka’s antics at the school and some of what had been done at the orphanage near the end. The Prince’s face was calm, but his eyes were furious.
“I will have her dealt with and removed from the school. Whether you wish to return at that time is your choice, but you will remain as my guest for as long as you have need.” The servant came back in with a plate of food for Elisha. It was a fancy looking brunch that smelled heavenly. Elisha’s stomach churned hungrily, and she had to force herself to use her best manners as she ate. “Send word to the school and have Lady Elisha’s things sent over here. Have them put in the green room. That should be suitable.”
“I don’t…” Elisha began, and the Prince met her eyes. His blue eyes were firm and unwavering.
“Where will you be if not here? I’m not about to let you go back to a drainage tube,” the Prince said, his tone slightly arrogant. “And why did you take nothing from the school? You had ample clothes, many cloaks I’m sure you would have found useful, even money. I’ve been told you’ve spent none of what you’ve been given.”
“I didn’t feel right taking it,” Elisha managed to get out. She wasn’t accustomed to the piercing look the Prince was giving her. There was disappointment in that gaze, and she felt more out of place.
“It was yours to take.”
“But if I wasn’t goi
ng to work…”
“You had already earned it,” the Prince said bluntly. “It was yours. You really do not know the value of your own talents.”
“I don’t think it is much of a talent.”
“I know one other with your talent,” the Prince informed her. “That is all. Your talent is priceless and rare.” Elisha looked at him surprised. The Prince smiled at her. “Will you excuse me for a bit, Elisha? I have some things I need to take care of. When you’re done, a servant can show you to your room. I will come and find you later.” He took her hand and kissed it gently. He flashed her one more perfect smile and left.
Elisha finished her meal in peace as she looked out the window, simply enjoying the view. When she put down her fork, a servant came up to her. “Do you wish me to show you to your room, my lady?” the servant asked politely.
“Yes, please,” Elisha said. She followed the servant through the sunny hallway and to a doorway at the end of it. The servant opened the door for her, and Elisha stepped inside. She gaped at what she discovered. The Prince’s idea of an appropriate room for her was more than she could comprehend. The room was large with glass windows that stretched from floor to ceiling. They over looked the city, and it was a wonderful view. A fire was already glowing happily in the marble fireplace. But the most shocking discovery was that it wasn’t simply one room, but three. The room she entered was a sitting room. The bedroom was through a door on her left and was every bit as elegant as the main room. The bathroom was larger than the room she had in Lenora’s school.
“Would you like me to draw you a bath, my lady?” the servant asked her.
“Yes, that would be lovely,” Elisha told the helpful servant.
Elisha enjoyed every moment of the bath. It chased away the last of her chill. The bath soaps provided were finer than anything she had been exposed to before, and their fragrant perfumes were soothing. She spent nearly an hour in that wonderful water. When she was done, she wrapped herself in a warm bathrobe and stepped into the bedroom.
Elisha found that there were two servants in there working to put away her wardrobe. Every dress she had was being carefully examined and tended to. There was already a pale pink dress with a creeping flower design laid out for her on the bed. One of the servants helped her into it at once. Elisha felt better in her surroundings with the dress on.
“May I attend to your hair, my lady?” the servant asked.
“You do not have other duties to attend to?” Elisha asked with a faint frown.
“No, my lady, I have been assigned to you.” Elisha felt a bit numb at that statement. She sat in a chair before a mirror, and the servant skillfully saw to her hair. Elisha had felt spoiled at Lenora’s school, but the Prince’s care was an entirely different caliber. The Prince’s expectations were clearly very much higher than Lenora’s. She wondered if the girls at the school were accustomed to such treatment. The servant was very skilled, and by the end, Elisha felt beautiful again.
“Thank you,” Elisha told her.
“The Prince would like to see you when you are ready.”
Elisha nodded and followed the servant to where the Prince waited. He was standing in the entryway giving instructions to another servant. He smiled when he saw Elisha. He took her hand and kissed it. “That fits you much better,” the Prince complimented her. “I was wondering if you would like to go into the city with me. I have some business I need to attend to, and I have noted you like being out of doors.”
“Yes, I would like that.”
“Excellent. Grab the lady’s cloak.”
Chapter 18
Elisha felt overwhelmed by the Prince’s generosity, and it truthfully made her feel a bit uneasy. He was more than willing; perhaps even eager, to shower her with lavish gifts. At dinner she received a gift of a new pair of earrings. When they had been out earlier, he had taken her to the dress shop to arrange for a new party dress for her, feeling she would need another. That was followed by an invitation to join him at such an event in two nights.
She also began to value Lenora’s training. Constant exposure to the Prince was nerve-racking and a constant mental activity. His interests ranged widely, and he was highly observant. His social expectations were not insignificant.
When she returned from their walk in the city she had entered her room to find her servant preparing several different dresses for her for dinner. The servant asked which she preferred to change into. Elisha couldn’t say she thought her dress good enough. Clearly, there was an expectation.
Elisha collapsed into bed completely mentally exhausted after dinner. The Prince’s friendly demeanor towards her did not change, but it was far harder for her to maintain the guise of a lady for such a long stretch of time. A couple of hours had been manageable. The whole day had used every ounce of knowledge she possessed.
Lenora came to see her the following afternoon, and despite her previous irritation, Elisha was glad to see her. Elisha was tinkering with a small machine she had found broken. She didn’t have all the parts she needed to fix it, but she could restore at least some of the function. Lenora had walked in announced by the servant. Elisha had looked at Lenora, startled. She hadn’t expected a visit.
“I’m glad to see you well, Elisha,” Lenora greeted her. “I had worried when you left. I am glad you found your way here. I informed your brother, of course.”
“Being here wasn’t my intention,” Elisha confessed, feeling embarrassed.
“No, I would imagine not. I heard you were sleeping in a tube of some sort?” Lenora asked.
“Yes,” Elisha confessed.
Lenora clucked her tongue. “That wouldn’t do at all. Now, I asked the servant to prepare us tea. Would you join me to see if we could work out this problem of ours?”
“I would be glad to.”
“Wonderful.”
They moved over to a small table. Elisha felt a bit uncomfortable and out of her element. The servant arrived with the tea within a couple of minutes as well as a few light snacks. Elisha sipped her tea nervously. “How are you enjoying the life of a noblewoman?” Lenora asked her. “The Prince seems to have given you comfortable quarters.”
“I feel out of place,” Elisha confessed.
“Oh?” Lenora asked with some surprise. “Why? You look completely at ease, and I would think that assessment would surprise the Prince. He spoke to me of how wonderfully you were settling in.”
Elisha flushed in embarrassment. “I’m not…” Elisha began and floundered. “This isn’t natural for me. I am not a fine lady, and having to constantly remember everything you had taught me is taxing. I feel like I am barely managing what is expected of me.”
“You are still fairly new at your studies. That you are managing so well speaks volumes for your skill and adaptability.”
“I don’t think I am managing well. This is so stressful. I thought the school was bad, but there no one lives like this,” Elisha said, waving at the space around her.
Lenora smiled gently as she sipped her tea. “No one in Sumvale lives like this, Elisha. You have moved into a minor manor house of a very wealthy Prince. To some lesser kingdoms, this would be a palace. You are being treated as a high ranking member of nobility. I do not prepare the girls at school for a life like this. Most will never achieve even half a life as this. This is another caliber of existence all together.”
“And they would fit into it easily I imagine.”
Lenora laughed. “Oh my dear, no, not at all. When I first arrived in Sumvale, I was completely appalled by the manners and society here. No, Elisha, they would adapt no better than yourself.”
They drank tea in silence for several moments. Lenora watched her, and Elisha felt more out of place. “You could return to the school if you wished, Elisha,” Lenora said gently. “We would be glad to have you.”
“But Rebeka…”Elisha began.
“Has been removed from the school,” Lenora informed her at once. “The Prince told me of your discussi
on with him, of course. Hellinsi had already been to see me. She told me she had seen both Rebeka and Demisi in your room. Eldwin also snuck into Rebeka’s room without permission and retrieved this for you.” Lenora took out a handkerchief and unwrapped her butterfly hair clip from it. Elisha took it stunned. She hadn’t even known she had lost it yet. “Neither are at the school, nor will they ever be welcomed back.”
“Their parents must have been angry,” Elisha observed, fingering the butterfly.
“They were mortified,” Lenora told her with a smirk. “They apologized profusely for the problems it caused you. They were even more apologetic when the Prince showed up unannounced to tell them exactly what he thought of their daughters. I believe he threatened that if he heard another ill word about their treatment of you, he would deal with them personally. And no one in their right mind makes the Prince angry.”
Elisha frowned. She had never heard of the Prince being angry. He always seemed so friendly and easy going. “I have not seen him angry,” Elisha confessed. “Is he so terrible?”
“It is difficult to truly anger him,” Lenora said, frowning abruptly. “But even irritated, he is more of a foe than most would care for. He is rarely so angry. He is normally just as you’ve seen him. Very calm and relaxed. But I do feel I should tell you more about Rebeka. She has been returned to the orphanage. Her adoptive parents were very displeased with her. Does that suit your needs for punishment, Elisha?”
“I didn’t want her punished, Lenora,” Elisha said, feeling slightly sickened at the thought. She wouldn’t wish the orphanage on anyone, not even Rebeka. “I just wanted her to leave me alone.”
“And leave you alone she shall. Now, is there no way I could petition you to return to the school? Your current quarters and life are very grand, but you are missed.”
“I think,” Elisha said hesitantly, “that I would like to come back. This place is not me.”
“Wonderful,” Lenora said with a radiant smile. “We shall tell the Prince when we are done with tea. In the morning, all your things can be packed up and shipped back to the school. You will want to finish out the day here, of course. You are settled, and I would enjoy such finery while you can.”
