She refused breakfast, taking only a bowl of warm milk, but it roused her spirits to the extent that she found the strength to move among her entourage with the necessary dignity and poise.
Soon they rode on in the same formation as the day before. The sun warmed her face, she smelled the wild scent of pine resin and black earth, and her mood improved noticeably. As she did so, she pondered various things.
Her father had contacted Amon of Grauemfall, and he must have agreed to accept her as his bride. But how could he do that without ever having seen her? Had they shown him a picture of her and described her nature? Or did the King of Grauemfall not care about all that, because he was so disfigured that he could not choose much among women? That, too, was beyond Lilli’s imagination. How ugly could he be? There was always an impoverished prince’s daughter who would marry a king, no matter what he looked like. One did not marry a king, but a country. A title, a fortune. And that was just it, for Lilli already possessed all this. What reason could there have been to consent to a marriage and set down her path of life? Indeed, Lilli could not think of a single reason.
So, she tossed her thoughts back and forth, hardly paying attention to the road, leaving that to her companions. Conversation did not come up, everyone seemed to avoid her. Whether out of respect or other reasons, she didn’t care.
They rode most of the day, taking breaks, and around dusk they stopped at an inn again. The landscape had changed, there were more rocks and the path seemed to go steadily slightly uphill. It struck Lilli that she had no idea at all about the land of the Grauemfalls.
That night she slept a little more soundly, but with exhaustion, and when she awoke the next day there was nothing, she longed for more than a full bathtub and scented bars of soap. Her limbs ached from the uncomfortable journey on horseback, she just wasn’t used to it to that extent. She wanted to slip into hot water and close her eyes, but instead she was back in the saddle shortly afterwards.
As the ascent became steeper and steeper from now on, their progress was comparatively slow, and when Lilli felt she could go no further in the early afternoon, they reached a rocky plateau where they took a rest. For the first time since their departure from Aurenbrunn Castle, Lilli approached a guard from the entourage about how much further they had to go.
“Not much longer, Your Highness. Look!” The man pointed across the forest and Lilli had to shield her eyes from the sun with her hand to make out anything, but yes, there was the silhouette of a castle standing out against the wooded mountain. Vapour rose from the forest and enveloped the building, fogging it.
It was a strange feeling to know that an unattractive man was waiting for her behind those walls. What would he think of her? That she had agreed to this “trade”?
After a while, the captain of the guard gave the signal to mount. And to Lilli’s relief, they didn’t continue uphill, but moved along the rocky track along the mountain, on the same level as the castle, which was now getting closer and closer.
Small waterfalls splashed down the mountain beside them and at one point the water even washed over the path so that the horses had to wade through it. One packhorse was startled and spooked when the water washed over its legs, causing it to lose a chest that crashed onto the path, where the contents scattered on the stones. A small wooden box was caught by the rushing stream and swept away, over the edge of the cliff and into the depths.
Lilli let out a cry, whereupon her own horse leapt forward.
“My paints! Those were my paints!” She tried to restrain the horse, which she succeeded in doing shortly afterwards. Nevertheless, the captain brought his horse to a halt beside her on the path and grabbed her reins.
“Your Highness, the things are lost, we can be glad they were only colours. Keep your horse steady, the path is dangerous at this point.”
“ONLY colours? Are you aware of what you are saying?” Lilli snatched the reins from the man’s hand. “Tell my father he can buy new colours directly and send them up to me! I don’t care how he does it!” She spurred her horse and took the lead, while the captain anxiously called after her to wait. But Lilli rode ahead without turning around, heading straight for the castle.
Lilli was annoyed when she was first stopped at the gate. She had expected the guards to let her pass, no questions asked. Didn’t they know she would arrive?
It took men from her entourage to catch on, before, after some explanation, they let her in, and they rode into the spacious courtyard of the castle.
They called the horses to a halt and Lilli took a look at the surroundings. The castle, which seemed almost like a fortress, with incredibly thick walls, high towers of black-grey stone, actually manned by guards ... and around them people were moving about, engaged in their day’s work, carrying baskets, crates, and sacks, and seemed to be oblivious to Lilli and her entourage. What had she expected? She did not know. A frighteningly ugly king who greeted her with a lustful grin and a kiss on the hand? A decorated archway, carpets laid out all the way into the courtyard, flanked by servants offering her a welcome drink?
The image blurred in her mind. No, she did not know what she had expected. But certainly not just nothing! No one seemed to be interested in her here and Lilli wondered whether she should be pleased or annoyed.
Someone grabbed her reins, held her horse and she dismounted. She landed on the hard, damp ground. Yes, there seemed to be a mist hanging over everything here, uncomfortably soaking into her clothes.
“His Majesty has instructed me to escort Her Royal Highness, Princess Lilliana of Aurenbrunn, to her chambers.”
The lean man in the grey clothes of a senior servant had appeared before her quite abruptly. In vain, Lilli searched for further greeters behind him, or even for the king himself. The king apparently did not think it necessary to welcome his bride-to-be. Or was he so ugly that he never left his fortress? Lilli looked up at the black-grey walls. Most of the windows were closed, many even with an additional shutter. One thing was certain: the first thing she would do in her room would be to tear open all the windows. Lilli suppressed the impulse to wipe her hands on her cloak. Instead, she just nodded slightly once to signal her agreement.
“My luggage shall be taken inside immediately then,” she said.
“Of course, Your Highness,” the grey said, waving to the side, probably for porters, but Lilli no longer cared. Indeed, she only wanted one thing now: to get inside the castle and take a warm bath.
The walk seemed endless to her. Grauemfall Castle was not one of those residences that showcased pomp and valuables. In fact, she hardly noticed any ornaments, there were neither tapestries nor statues or the usual paintings in gold frames that she knew from other castles. Rather, the misty grey seemed to continue within the walls.
The scrawny man led her up to the first floor and down a deserted dark corridor to a double door, which he opened for her. Lilli stepped into the room and took in the objects in the room with a glance. A large bed to the left against the wall, wide enough that four people could have slept in it. Grey cords held grey-blue velvet curtains. There was probably a draft from every crack here at night, that they needed such curtains. Next to them were several chests for clothes.
To the right she saw a relatively simple desk with a candlestick on it, a solid, moderately decorated chair. There was a fireplace and a door in the corner that hopefully led to a bath-room. There were thick rugs on the floor, the only decoration for this sparse room.
Very well, she would not have to stay there for long.
Behind her she could already hear footsteps and rumbling. Her luggage was being taken. The first servants dragged in a chest and set it down, groaning. Lilli turned to the gaunt grey-robed man, who hadn’t even introduced himself to her, she just realised.
“Send a maid to me and someone to unpack my things.”
The man stared at her as if she had demanded that the king himself come and do it.
“Your Highness?” he asked politely.
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“Did you not hear me?” Lilli looked him in the dull eyes. “You are to send the servants assigned to me here!”
“I ...” He opened his mouth and closed it again immediately afterwards. With a curt bow, he moved away and briskly left the room while the chests piled up in the room.
Lilli went to one of the windows and pushed it wide open. The damp, cool air rushed in and she took a deep breath. The people who worked here would have nothing to laugh about with her. But after all, that was part of her plan. In a few weeks she would be sent home, or her father would come for her. And that would surely be his last attempt to get her married. Unless, of course, he felt like embarrassing himself in front of yet another ruler.
“Your Highness? Excuse me ...”
Lilli turned around briskly and saw a middle-aged woman standing in front of her. She wore a grey servant’s dress with a white apron and a bonnet that exposed her blonde hairline.
“I am Sophia, and I am to inquire about your wishes.” She curtsied awkwardly, as if she had never done anything like this before. Irritated, Lilli eyed the slender woman. She didn’t have much of a maid, she seemed more like an ordinary servant who now looked at her helplessly.
“There doesn’t seem to be any decent furniture or proper servants here. So be it!” Lilli strode past the woman and glanced at the fireplace. “I wish it to be lit. Also, I want you to run me a bath and bring me a hot meal.”
The woman behind her was silent to this and Lilli turned to her.
“What are you waiting for?”
“Pardon me ... Your Highness ... but His Majesty has ordered that the kettles of hot water are always fired by evening.” The woman looked pale as she said this, and fear stood in her eyes.
“I don’t care about that,” Lilli replied. “Then you will see to it that the boilers are fired up now. I want a hot bath – and as soon as possible. You may go.” Then she turned to one of the servants, who had just placed one of her pieces of luggage beside the other chests. “You! See that shelves are put up here. For my books. And have someone unpack my things, or am I expected to do that myself here?”
The man gave her a quick glance, nodded curtly and Lilli thought she saw an expression on his face that she didn’t like at all. What were these people thinking? They had no right to look at her like that! They didn’t even have the right to think about her at all!
Lilli decided to ignore the servants and wait until they had prepared her bath.
After more than two hours, she finally dipped into the hot water, sighing. Luckily, she had packed her own soaps and nourishing oils. She would never have asked these people here for bath additives, after all she had seen here yet, they would probably offer her perfumed pig fat. Lilli leaned back in the warm steam and closed her eyes. Slowly she felt better. Strictly speaking, she could even be satisfied if not everything went her way here. All the more reason to complain when she returned home.
Only when the water had cooled down considerably did Lilli rinse out her hair and got out of the tub. It was unusual not to have Margarita around, but she was no longer a child to be bathed. She took her time drying off and getting dressed while the light outside slowly faded. Since her hair still felt damp and she had no one to do her hair, Lilli twisted a hip-length round braid into which she worked a red ribbon. Not a hairstyle for a ball, but, nonetheless. She had chosen a dress of fine red velvet. Light silk seemed too cool for her in this weather. At least the fireplace in her room had been lit and the crackling of the logs, the warmth of the flames, all that did her good.
Finally, she felt ready to leave the room. The food she had ordered was still not here. How long could something like this take? Lilli decided to first explore the castle a little, complaining about the undelivered meal. The best thing to do was to report it to the king himself, who had the nerve not to welcome her. After all, he had agreed to marry her and then didn’t even show his face.
She opened the door and looked out into the empty hallway. Nothing to be heard. The floor seemed to have been cleared of all occupants. Lilli slipped out on her velvet slippers and then ran down the stairs almost silently. No one lingered here either and she moved slowly through the corridors that seemed to suffocate her with their gloom. The doors on either side seemed massive, dark, and forbidding, as if they would resent Lilli trying to open them.
Suddenly she heard footsteps behind her, and immediately she turned and ran towards the sound. A servant dressed in grey was coming towards her, carrying a tray of dishes.
“You! Wait!” shouted Lilli, and sure enough, the man stopped.
“Where is His Majesty?”
A little puzzled, the servant looked at her, but then he spoke.
“His Majesty is in the study at this time of day.”
“Good, take me there.” Lilli smoothed the sides of her dress once more.
“That is not possible, Your Highness. His Majesty does not wish to be disturbed in the afternoon.”
“It’s almost evening. And I am his future fiancée! You will take me to His Majesty now. At once.” Lilli knew her effect with this tone of voice, she had perfected it over the last few years. And it was working now too. The man showed signs of uncertainty, then nodded and walked back down the corridor, still carrying the tray. Lilli followed him. In a moment she would see Amon of Grauemfall for the first time, and she was already eager to see if he really were that ugly.
The servant led her along corridors and up two flights of stairs to a completely different part of the castle, so that Lilli was already wondering whether she would be able to find her way back on her own, when they stopped in front of a large door that was richly decorated with carvings and looked magnificent. The man with the tray nodded once at her, then turned to go and simply left her alone. Lilli looked after him, somewhat irritated. Then she turned back to the door and felt her courage leave her. What was she doing here? Actually knock, disturb the king, and complain about the food she hadn’t been given? That seemed childish to her now. But leaving again was also out of the question, so she looked for a door knocker. When she couldn’t find one, she knocked herself, which hurt her knuckles.
She listened. Nothing. Lilli reached for the doorknob and pushed. It was surprisingly easy, and she managed to open the door a little without a sound. Then a little more. Now she looked into the room. It was clearly furnished to a higher standard than her own room. Everything seemed to be in grey and blue, there was heavy furniture, many bookshelves, carpets lay on the floor, it smelled of candle wax, wood, and paper; a scent that Lilli had always loved. And there, in front of the window, sat a person, bent forward, at an elaborately crafted desk. She could only make out his silhouette in the backlight; he was just dipping a quill into the inkpot. She stood there silently, trying to get a first impression of him. His hair seemed to be a little more than chin length, dark brown or black. It fell into his face, from which she could make out nothing. His stature seemed slender, and the way he moved his hand as he wrote, the way he found the inkwell precisely without looking, told a lot about him. Lilli took a few steps into the room and waited to see if he would notice her, but the King of the Greyfall continued writing as if he were alone in the room.
“A good day to you, Your Majesty,” Lilli said emphatically, just managing to restrain herself from putting her hands on her hips.
The king actually paused and turned his head in her direction. The low afternoon sun was shining through the window and again she saw him only as a shadow, not recognising his face.
“What is it you wish?” he asked, and Lilli felt, to her astonishment, that his voice did surprise her. It did not sound unfriendly, young yet masculine, with a certain polite disinterest in it, and at the same time Lilli sensed that he was used to giving orders. It felt strange, she couldn’t say what it was, but it touched her, almost shook her. So, she stood there and couldn’t get a word out. An unfamiliar situation for her. As she remained silent, the king turned back to his papers as if nothing had happened
. Lilli took a breath, then caught herself.
“Have you been informed that I have arrived?” she asked.
“Yes.” The king put aside a paper and picked up another.
“You were not out to welcome me.” Lilli felt a little stupid. What was she doing here anyway?
“I didn’t actually expect you to come here,” the king replied.
“Is that so? And why not?”
“Well, you are here. Have you got everything you need?” The king stopped writing for a moment but did not look over at her.
“I ... yes, I do.” Lilli felt like a child who wanted something from her parents and couldn’t find the words.
“Good.” The quill scratched over the paper.
“Don’t you want to talk to me at all?” probed Lilli.
“For what reason should we talk? Is there something to discuss, Your Highness?” His voice gave her goosebumps on her arms. Perhaps it was also the draft. The door was still slightly open.
“No. Nothing. Except for the fact that your fiancée is standing in the room and you’re not even looking at her ...”
“You are of medium height, quite slim, have black hair and green eyes. Your hair still seems slightly damp, I assume you have had a bath. Your cheeks are flushed, but that could also be due to your excitement. As you can see, I was indeed looking at you.”
Lilli stared at him and only then realised that her mouth was slightly open. She closed it again, turned without a word and went out. Briefly she considered closing the door as loudly as she could, but then she let it go. A sign of her anger would only play on him, he would consider that a success.
Success at what?
Goodness gracious! If only she had kept her mouth shut, she wouldn’t have gone to that man in the first place! In fact, he had managed to expose her with those few words, to make her speechless.
The Scar-Faced King Page 3
