Crown of Coral and Pearl

by Mara Rutherford

  Without thinking, I stripped off my nightgown and plunged into the tub, forcing my head under the surface. The water was freezing, but that actually seemed to help. For a moment, I just sat there, my hair fanning out around me, my heart rate instantly slowing. I counted out the beats. One. Two. Three. Four. All the way to one hundred.

  I had started counting from one again when I heard muffled shouts from above and opened my eyes. It was Ebb. I lifted my head from the water and pushed the dripping hair off my face.

  “What’s the matter?” I asked, barely out of breath.

  “You were down there for ages! I was afraid you were drowning.”

  Now that my senses had come back to me, I realized just how cold it was in the water. “Can you bring me a towel?”

  She brought over several and helped me out of the tub. “How did you do that, milady?”

  I smiled as I wrung my hair out over the tub. “It’s easy for me. We do that from the time we’re little in Varenia. I’m sorry for worrying you. I just needed to calm down, and I couldn’t think of another way.”

  “I understand. At least, I think I can imagine how I’d feel if I was taken from Ilara to live in your home. All that open water... From now on, I’ll make sure you have a warm bath prepared every morning and evening, if you’d like.”

  I couldn’t imagine having access to so much fresh water, but the bath had helped immensely. “That would be nice, Ebb. At least until I’m settled.”

  She helped me dress in a silky black gown that flowed behind me as I walked. Ebb said that everyone here was in mourning for Princess Ilara. Did that mean no one had worn anything but mourning colors for hundreds of years? I thought of my red dress, of how I must have looked to Talin in such a bold color. That alone must have been shocking.

  Ebb pinned up my hair in the same half-up style, which I quite liked. It wasn’t as messy as wearing it all down, but it meant my neck wasn’t bared to the chill.

  “Everyone is talking about you this morning, how lovely your complexion is. One of the cooks said it’s all the sunlight that makes you Varenians so healthy. We don’t get much sun here in the castle.”

  “So I’m learning.” I felt guilty for thinking Ebb looked ill when I first met her. I appreciated the loveliness of her white-gold hair now, her fair skin. She would have burned to a crisp in Varenia, but it suited this place somehow. It wasn’t her fault she had no access to light and fresh air.

  My stomach growled loud enough for both of us to hear it. It was impossible to keep track of time here in the mountain.

  “What time is it?” I asked as Ebb fastened a long gold chain around my neck. A heavy black jewel hung between my breasts. It was cold and uncomfortable, but I didn’t want to seem ungrateful. I’d never worn jewelry before.

  “Nearly midday. I’m afraid you slept through breakfast, but I figured you needed your rest after the journey you’ve had.”

  I gasped and nearly knocked over my stool as I rose. “Midday! Is the royal family expecting me?”

  “Not to worry. The king was a little overwhelmed by the commotion last night and has decided to keep to his bed today. I’ll take you down for luncheon, and then you’ll have a tour of the castle.”

  “And the prince?” I asked, checking to make sure that the stain was still covering my scar completely as I passed the mirror.

  “I’m not sure, milady.”

  As Ebb led me back through the corridors, I tried to memorize our route. I noticed channels cut into the stone, with trickles of water running through them, and looked questioningly at Ebb.

  “Rainwater from above,” she explained. “It collects in the channels and gathers in wells throughout the castle.”

  Clever, I thought as we walked past the great hall and down a flight of stairs to a smaller hall with a long table stretching nearly half its length.

  “This is the dining hall,” Ebb said. “You may take meals in your room if you prefer, unless the king or prince requests your presence, of course.”

  She gestured for me to sit next to the chair at the foot of the table, presumably where the prince sat, though I had the room to myself at the moment. Servants brought me six different courses. Some, like the olives and grapes we’d had in Varenia, were familiar and delicious, but others, like the cubes of bloody red meat on a silver platter, made my stomach turn. There was enough food for several families here, and I hated wasting it, but I couldn’t eat this much food in a week.

  “Ebb,” I whispered when the server had left. She hurried toward me.

  “Is everything all right?”

  “This afternoon we need to go over a few things. Like how to address people, and what the three different sizes of forks are used for. And what are those little round white things that jiggled when the man set them down?”

  “Quail eggs, milady.”

  “Yes, well, I need to know how to eat them. If they’re any good.”

  She smiled. “We will begin your lessons this afternoon.”

  “Oh, and I was wondering when I’ll be able to meet the queen. I would love to speak with her.”

  The door at the far end of the hall slammed closed with a bang, and Ebb and I looked up to see a young man in black walking toward us. Ebb dropped into a curtsy before I’d even had a chance to stand.

  “You must be Zadie,” the man said. His skin was the whitest I’d ever seen, even paler than Ebb’s, and his straight blond hair, which was pulled back into a ponytail at his nape, had more of a silver cast to it than Ebb’s did. His eyes were a steely gray under elegantly arched brows. I couldn’t stop myself from staring.

  Ebb cleared her throat lightly.

  “Y-yes,” I stammered. “And you are?”

  I thought I heard Ebb groan a bit next to me.

  “I am Prince Ceren,” he said with a chuckle. “Your future husband. And I’m afraid it will be impossible for you to meet the queen, my dear.”

  This was the prince? I could have imagined the exact opposite of Talin and still wouldn’t have come close. “Why is that?” I asked, my voice trembling like the little white quail eggs.

  “Because, my lady,” he said, his eyes never leaving mine. “The queen is dead.”

  A nervous laugh slipped out of me, and I turned to Ebb, sure that the prince was joking. But Ebb only gave an apologetic shake of her head. I faced the prince again. “I’m sorry for my confusion. I was told everything would be explained to me once I arrived. Is your mother the queen?”

  “She was. She died in childbirth.” His voice betrayed no hint of emotion.

  “Oh, I’m so sorry.” Why hadn’t Ebb explained all of this to me? I didn’t even know if Talin’s mother had been married to King Xyrus. “And the last Varenian girl sent here?” I asked, hoping that sounded diplomatic enough.

  “My father’s second wife is also dead. It doesn’t go too well for queens around here, I’m sorry to say.”

  I wanted Ebb to tell me he was making some kind of sick joke, but she seemed as cowed by this man’s presence as I felt. I forced myself to stand and dropped into a curtsy. “Your Highness.”

  I almost recoiled when he reached for my hand. His fingers were long and as white as a ray’s belly. He wore a dark metal ring on his right hand, set with a small red stone. I shivered as he brushed his lips across the back of my hand. There was something unnatural about him. His features were handsome, like his brother’s: a straight nose, a strong jaw, and a sensuous mouth. But his smile was cold, and his pale eyes revealed no feelings at all.

  I pulled my hand away and tried to smile at him. He helped lower me back into my seat and settled into the chair next to me. “How did you sleep, my lady? Was the room to your liking? Was the bed large enough?”

  My cheeks colored when I realized how foolish I’d been to wonder why one person needed a bed so big. “Yes, thank you.”

 
“Good. I thought I might show you around the castle today, seeing as my dear father won’t be making it out of bed himself.”

  My eyes darted to his. “You must have better things to do than give a tour of the castle,” I said softly.

  “Nonsense. It’s the least I can do after you’ve come so far to be my bride.”

  I couldn’t help squirming in my seat. I suspected he knew he was making me uncomfortable, and he was enjoying it.

  “How old are you?” he asked.

  “Seventeen.”

  “Ah yes, precisely the age of Queen Talia when she came twenty years ago. I was only a babe at the time, so I have no recollection of it. But she is a part of many of my childhood memories. As is my brother, Talin. He was born just a year after they were married. Father didn’t waste any time.” His smirk held none of the amused charm of his brother’s. Beneath my gown, my skin crawled.

  “When did Queen Talia die? No one in Varenia has heard this news.” Or if they had, they hadn’t bothered to tell me.

  “It was four years ago now, I believe. When Talin was just fifteen. He was made commander of the guard not long after. At my request.”

  Something about the lack of emotion in his voice told me Ceren hadn’t done this because it would be best for his brother, though perhaps it was. I couldn’t imagine Talin in this place. “Can I ask how she died?”

  “Murder.”

  I gasped and clapped a hand to my mouth. He’d said the word so casually, as if it meant nothing, the death of a woman who must have been like a mother to him in some way.

  “It was a servant,” Ceren continued. “The queen’s blood was found all over her room. The carpets were drenched with it, though Talia’s body was never found. We suspect it was hidden away in one of the many abandoned chambers in the castle. The servant was beheaded the next day.”

  My meal began to climb its way up my throat. Everything I’d learned since coming here had been far worse than I’d imagined, but to discover that the last Varenian woman sent to Ilara had been murdered frightened me in a way I couldn’t describe. As children, Zadie and I had spent hours pretending to be the queen of Ilara, making crowns out of seaflowers and draping ourselves in Mother’s dresses, a game she’d actually encouraged. She would lift our chins with her fingertips and help us practice our curtsies. They’d been lessons, I realized now, not games. I should have paid better attention.

  I swallowed when Ceren brought his hand up and placed two fingers under my chin, just like Mother had. I was suddenly conscious of my scar, knowing if he looked close enough, he’d be able to see the raised skin under the stain. He slid his fingers down my throat and rested them in the hollow at the base of it. It was the strangest gesture, but I forced myself to meet his gaze. His enlarged pupils were as black as the mountain that surrounded us.

  His fingers trailed farther down, until they rested just above my heart, near the black jewel. I heard Ebb’s sharp intake of breath behind me.

  “Oh, don’t sound so scandalized,” the prince said to Ebb over his shoulder. “She’s going to be my wife soon enough.” His eyes flicked back to mine. “Your heartbeat is strong and steady. That’s good.”

  I swallowed the bile in my throat.

  “How does it feel, knowing you’ll be queen of all of this soon?” His voice was soft enough that only I could hear it, his fingers still resting above my heart. Could he feel how fast it was beating now? “I’ve never seen your home, but I can’t imagine it can compare to the beauty and splendor of Ilara.”

  I should have sunk my teeth into the flesh of my tongue to stop myself from speaking, but I didn’t. “On the contrary, Your Highness.”

  Something flashed in his eyes, but he smiled. “I see. You’ll have plenty of time to tell me about it over the next... Well, I suppose how long you’re with us remains to be seen.”

  Terror coursed through me as he ran his fingers back up to my throat. He was so much bigger than I was—he could probably snap my neck with his bare hands if he wanted to.

  Finally, Ceren lowered his hand and stood, wiping his lips on a napkin even though he hadn’t eaten anything. “I’ll be at your room in an hour to take you on your tour. Perhaps you’ll find something here to your liking after all.”

  14

  Back in my room, I paced over the scattered carpets, my mind racing. Ceren was cold and cruel. How could I marry someone who spoke so lightly of murder, who seemed to relish other people’s discomfort?

  A small part of me wondered if the truth about my identity would get me sent home to Varenia. But I knew deep down that he would likely kill me, and worst of all, punish my people. I couldn’t risk that. The only silver lining I could find in any of this was that at least I was here instead of Zadie. The thought of that man touching my sister made me want to destroy something. I settled for pummeling one of my eighteen pillows.

  “Milady,” Ebb said quietly, placing a light hand on my shoulder when I’d finished my tantrum. “The prince will be here soon.”

  I looked up. “I can’t marry him, Ebb.”

  Her eyes were soft and sympathetic. “Be careful,” she whispered, glancing around the room as though someone might hear us. “Sound carries strangely in this mountain.” She placed a finger on the wall next to a small hole carved into the stone. No doubt it led through to another chamber, where someone could listen if they chose.

  Let them hear me, I thought. What was the worst they could do? Stick me in a cave and force me to marry the most disagreeable man in history? Oh wait, they’d already done that.

  I smacked another pillow for good measure.

  “How could you not tell me the queen was dead?” I asked, resuming my pacing. “Didn’t you think I had a right to know? She was one of my people, Ebb. The only person here who might have understood me.”

  “I am sorry, milady. But I was expressly forbidden to speak of the late queen.”

  “By whom? The prince?”

  “By the king himself.”

  I folded my arms across my chest, remembering the way Ceren had touched me there as though it were nothing, and sat down on the bed. “He probably knew I’d never come if I found out the previous queen had been murdered. How did she die?”

  “They believe she was stabbed, because of all the blood. That’s what I heard, anyway. I was still living in the village then.”

  I patted the bed next to me, inviting her to sit. Ebb bit her lip, hesitating, and then perched at the edge of the mattress. Perhaps this was not an appropriate way for a lady and her maid to interact, but I was used to confiding everything in someone else. Right now, I didn’t need a servant; I needed a friend.

  “We could send word to the prince that you’re too tired for the tour, put it off for later.”

  “What good would putting it off do? I’m supposed to marry the man, remember?” I shuddered at the thought of his cold hands on my bare skin. “Do you know when the wedding is planned for?”

  “They’ll want to have it before the king passes, I imagine.”

  I raised my eyebrows. “That could be tomorrow.”

  “He’s been in a similar condition for six months, at least.”

  I turned to her fully, forcing her to meet my gaze. “When will I be allowed to leave the castle?”

  “I—”

  We heard footsteps just before a heavy knock on the door. My stomach plummeted like a stone.

  “Will you come with me?” I asked Ebb. “Please?”

  The door flew open before she could respond, and we both jumped to our feet. Ceren stepped forward, but he had the decency to pause on the threshold at least. “Are you ready, my lady?”

  I nodded and glanced behind me at Ebb.

  “Your maid can wait here. I’m sure she has plenty of work to keep her busy.”

  My mouth opened and closed like a fish, but Ebb only bobbed
a quick curtsy and handed me my wrap. “Very well,” I said, pulling the black fur capelet around my shoulders. “Lead the way.”

  “After you. I insist.”

  I hated the idea of having my back to Ceren, but I didn’t see much of a choice. I began to walk down the hallway when a guard stepped up beside me.

  “Milady.”

  I turned and smiled at the familiar, boyish face. “Grig, you’re here.”

  “I hope that’s all right.”

  “It’s wonderful.” He offered me his arm, but I was too conscious of Ceren’s presence behind me to accept.

  “You’re one of my brother’s men, aren’t you?” the prince asked.

  Grig turned to bow. “Yes, Your Highness.”

  “Don’t you have work to be doing? We have plenty of guards here at New Castle.”

  “Prince Talin asked that one of us remain here with the lady.”

  Ceren raised his eyebrows. “I’m surprised he could spare you. He says there aren’t enough men at Old Castle these days, that we’re ‘vulnerable’ to attack.”

  I thought of the guard at the bridge, of the woman king to the south. Was an attack on Ilara really so out of the question?

  “Shall I leave, Your Highness?” Grig asked.

  Ceren waved a hand at him. “No, no. You’re here, you may as well stay. Wouldn’t want to anger dear Prince Talin, would we?”

  Prince Talin. At the sound of his name, my mind went back to yesterday, to when he’d dismounted his horse and taken my hand. I blushed at the memory of his gaze holding mine. I couldn’t imagine Talin taking sick pleasure in tormenting me the way Ceren did.

  Of course, Talin was also the only person in Ilara who might be able to guess my secret. I should be grateful he lived far away and that our chances for interaction were limited.

  I should be. But I wasn’t.