“This was her marriage portrait. Even Ilarean royals don’t wear mourning clothes to weddings.” He glanced at me. “Father knew he should marry a Varenian woman. But he’d already fallen in love with my mother, whose family had been at court for generations. It’s a rather romantic notion, to marry for love, don’t you think?”
“I suppose so.”
“Of course,” he continued, “it didn’t work out so well for them. Mother died in childbirth, and Father ended up marrying Lady Talia anyway. But I suppose I should be grateful he chose love first. Otherwise I would never have been born.”
How lucky for me. I took in the room, pretending to be fascinated by its contents while I sifted through possible topics of conversation. As I scanned the oil paintings and tapestries, my eyes landed on a small glass dish piled with pink pearls. Varenian pearls. They were what would be considered inferior in quality, unevenly shaped or too small. We got very little for them at market.
“Ah yes, my pearls,” Ceren said. “I take one every day for my health. Such powerful little things, aren’t they?”
My mouth fell open. “You swallow them whole?”
“Sometimes. I prefer to grind them up into powder and drink them. I feel the effects much more rapidly that way. Surely you understand.”
I nearly laughed. “No, Your Highness. We don’t eat the pearls.” I remembered the broth Nemea had made for Zadie, but I knew that was a rare occurrence. I’d never seen it before in my seventeen years of life.
He pursed his lips. “Please, my dear, be honest. It’s all right to confess. I won’t punish your people for it.”
“Punish us for what?”
“For eating some of the pearls yourself.”
I blinked, incredulous. “I assure you, no one in Varenia can afford to keep the pearls for themselves, and certainly not to eat.”
“Is that so? Then how do you explain why the Varenians live for over a century, whereas my father is dying at forty?” There was a sharp edge to his voice, the kind that meant I was treading in dangerous territory.
“I’m afraid I can’t explain it. Perhaps it’s the lack of sunlight that causes it. The mountain—”
“The mountain is none of your concern.”
I recoiled at the growl in his voice. “Of course not. I’m sorry.”
He had turned away from me, back toward the portrait of his mother.
“Queen Talia was the one who introduced me to the pearls, you know,” he mused. “She told me about their healing powers. She said the village doctor sometimes used them in creams when people were gravely injured.”
It was hard to say how much of Zadie’s fast healing had been due to the fact that all Varenians healed quickly and how much was the result of Nemea’s ointment.
“Yes, I’ve heard of that being done,” I told him, trying to sound nonchalant.
Ceren continued to gaze up at the portrait.
“Queen Talia was always trying to help people. She often took me into the sun because it was supposed to be good for me. All it did was burn my skin.”
It had likely been an innocent mistake. Exposure to sunlight did make people healthier, I was sure of it. But for someone as pale as Ceren, I imagined direct sunlight could bring on a nasty burn quickly. “That must have been painful.”
He took a seat on a settee and gestured for me to join him. “It was. But I couldn’t deny that the pearls made me feel stronger. And when I am injured or unwell, I take several pearls and feel better almost instantly.”
“Does the king use them, as well?”
His eyes darted to mine. “No. I’m sorry to say they didn’t have any effect on him.”
Had the king even tried them, or was Ceren keeping all the pearls to himself? Clearly it wasn’t the king who was lowering the value of the pearls. It was Ceren, and he was doing it to make himself stronger. If he ate one every day...that was nearly four hundred pearls a year, roughly eight times what my family had gathered last year, when the oysters had been particularly scarce. And those were just the ones he was consuming. I thought of the bowlful in his lab, of the creams and ointments he’d probably made, not to mention the rest of the market’s demand. Once he started using his devices, the pearls would be gone within months.
Things here were so much worse than Sami and I could have ever imagined. And it might already be too late to turn back the tide that Ceren had set in motion.
“I heard you spoke with Lady Melina,” he said, tearing my thoughts away from the pearls.
He has spies everywhere. “I did, briefly, in the library.”
He clucked his tongue. “A future queen shouldn’t associate with her kind. If it were up to me, I’d have been rid of her years ago.”
“Rid of her?” I asked in disbelief. “She’s a person. You can’t just toss her out like a pair of worn slippers.”
He flashed a brief, wolfish grin. “Thank you for putting that so eloquently, my dear. That’s exactly what she is. Damaged. Used. Worn.”
Heat flamed in my cheeks. “If you despise Varenian women so much, why did you bring me here? Why not marry an Ilarean woman, like your father and grandfather? It’s obviously worked out very well for them.” I immediately knew I’d gone too far, and the way his features slowly hardened frightened me. I rose and stepped backward, but he quickly closed the space between us.
“Do you think I want you? Do you think I find you beautiful? I could have any woman in Ilara if I wanted.” He took my chin in his hands, squeezing it between his thumb and forefinger. “My father was a fool to marry for love. My mother was beautiful, perhaps, but she was also frail. Her family had spent too many years at New Castle, just like my father’s. Their love, and this cursed mountain, have put our kingdom in jeopardy. As far as I’m concerned, you’re a vessel for the future king, and nothing more.”
I tried to struggle free, but his grip was like iron. Finally, the truth was out. I had been brought here to bolster the royal bloodlines. My beauty had never mattered to Ceren at all. He only wanted a Varenian bride for her strength.
“How terrible it must be for you,” I said through gritted teeth, “to marry someone you despise.”
His hand dropped to my throat before I could scream, the hate in his eyes unmistakable. How could I have ever thought he was emotionless? I clawed at his chest, my feet scrabbling against the stone as he lifted me off the floor. I could feel my strength starting to go, and with all my remaining effort I lashed out with my right foot, sweeping one of his legs out from under him.
He fell to the ground in a heap, and I dropped back to my feet, leaping out of his reach. I gasped for air, my hands on my knees, my throat raw and searing. I moved toward the doorway, wanting to run, but afraid to take my eyes off him.
Ceren climbed slowly to his feet. “If you ever do something like that again, I’ll have you thrown off this mountain.”
“I would rather die than marry you,” I spat, and gave in to my urge to run.
* * *
The marks Ceren’s hands left on my neck faded quickly, but I still felt their crushing weight on my flesh. I went to Melina’s chambers late that night, despite Ebb’s protests and Ceren’s threats. I needed to find a way to delay his progress, at least long enough to warn Sami.
Melina’s room was far down in the mountain, where it was even colder than the main floor. I pulled the hood of my cloak over my head as I passed a guard and eventually came to the room Ebb had described. A maid answered the door, her knit cap pulled low over her ears.
“Lady Melina is sleeping, milady. I can’t disturb her at this hour.”
“It’s urgent,” I said, sliding past her into the small antechamber. “Please wake her.”
The maid wasn’t lying. When Melina finally emerged from her bedchamber, her long braid was half unraveled and her cheeks were puffy from sleep. “What is it, child? It must be c
lose to midnight.”
“May we speak in private?” I said, indicating her maid, but Melina waved off my concern.
“My maids can be trusted. I pay them well to be sure of it.”
“Is that how you know so much of what goes on within the castle?”
A faint smile lifted the corners of her lips. “Ceren isn’t the only one with spies.”
I sat down on a settee and motioned Melina closer. “I followed Ceren yesterday to the lake. I saw the device. I believe you now.”
She nodded, as if she’d expected this.
“Ceren also threatened to kill me, and he made it clear he harbors no love for you.”
“I told you he was dangerous.”
“He’s going to test the device on Tuesday, outside the castle. He’s invited me to go with him. I believe he means to conduct the test himself.”
She shifted her weight, impatient. “And how does this concern me?”
I lowered my voice further. “If I can tamper with the device somehow, ensure that his test fails, perhaps it will delay his plans.”
She arched a brow. “And possibly kill the prince in the process?”
While a part of me knew the easiest way to put a stop to all this would be to rid the kingdom of Ceren himself, I shook my head. “I’m not a murderer.” Most likely he would run out of air and swim to the surface. I couldn’t imagine any of the lakes here were that deep. And as much as I would have liked to destroy the device, doing so would mean I never had a chance to leave the castle in the first place.
“Is there a way to get a message to someone in the port market on Friday?” I asked.
Melina eyed me shrewdly. “What are you up to, child?”
“The Varenians need to know of Ceren’s plans. I intend to warn them, even if I can’t stop him.”
“If you can get to one of the villages, you can pay someone to get a message to the market. But I have no idea where Ceren is conducting his test, and I highly doubt he’ll take you to a village.”
“I have to try.”
“The prince does not make idle threats, Zadie. You need to be prepared to face the consequences of your actions.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat. “I am.”
“Then I will help you in whatever way I can.”
19
In order to sabotage the device, I needed a better sense of how it worked, which meant I needed Ceren to show it to me. But after our last encounter, I wasn’t sure if he would even speak to me.
To my surprise, he greeted me with a “Good morning, my lady,” as he sat down at breakfast. His eyes didn’t meet mine.
“Good morning, Your Highness.”
“Sleep well, did you?”
So he was going to pretend last night hadn’t happened? Fine. I almost ignored him, but Mother’s voice came to me then, reciting one of her lessons about men. Like most of her advice, it was rooted firmly in manipulation. The key to a man’s heart is his pride, followed closely by his appetite. Flatter a man, and he is yours for the taking.
Ceren claimed he didn’t find me beautiful, but I could see I’d managed to wound his pride nevertheless. I picked at a piece of honeyed fruit. “I was wondering if you might show me your device again,” I suggested tentatively. “I’m so curious to see how it works. You’ve said only that it’s an underwater breathing apparatus, but I don’t understand how such a thing is possible. It sounds miraculous.”
He spared me a brief glance from under his pale brows. “You’ll see it for yourself on Tuesday.”
I sipped my water to hide my annoyance. If flattery wouldn’t work, perhaps another insult would. “I’ve heard that the Ilareans are afraid of water. I gather you’ll test it in a shallow pond?”
He raised his chin. “My device can be used at far greater depths, I assure you.”
“But how is that possible? A snorkel only works a foot or two below the surface.”
Ceren set his fork down and leaned on one arm. “You really do have an interest, don’t you?”
I ignored the patronizing tone in his voice. “Yes.”
“If you’re so curious, I’ll show it to you now. Come with me.”
I didn’t like the idea of being alone with Ceren again, but I had to take any opportunities that were presented to me. I followed him to his study, where he unlocked the door with a heavy iron key kept somewhere in his tunic. I had no idea if there was another one, but I’d need it to get back into the study later.
“Here we are,” he said, indicating the device. “It’s relatively simple. This bag is filled with air, supplied by a double bellows. The hose is connected to the bag, and the diver breathes through the end of the hose.”
While Ceren went into more detail, I inspected the hose itself. It was nothing more than a hollow, flexible tube. A hole or kink would cut off the diver’s air supply. It seemed that everything depended on the integrity of the hose. Of course, at a depth of only ten or fifteen feet, it wouldn’t be a problem to go back up to the surface for air. But at fifty feet or more, where we found many of our oysters? An inexperienced diver could easily run into trouble.
I had no idea how often Ceren inspected his device, but if I returned Monday night and cut just a small hole in the tube, perhaps that would be enough. At the very least he’d have to find more supplies, and maybe that would buy me the time I needed to warn Sami of Ceren’s plans. Whether or not Governor Kristos would act on the information was out of my hands.
On Monday evening, I received an invitation from Lady Hyacinth to have tea in her room after dinner. I hadn’t yet managed to get a copy of the key to Ceren’s study, and I wasn’t in the mood for gossip and knitting, but Ebb insisted I go.
“Tea is a euphemism for wine,” Ebb explained. “And other beverages. It might help you sleep. Besides, you need to get out of your rooms more,” she said as she retied my corset with more force than seemed possible for such a delicate woman.
“Why?” I asked between breaths. “My odds of running into Ceren are a lot lower if I stay here.”
“Ah, but so are your odds of running into other people.” She tied the laces firmly and turned me around to face her.
“Other people? Like who?”
She smoothed the front of my dress and smiled. “You’ll see.”
Confused and a little annoyed, I made my way to Lady Hyacinth’s room. I didn’t have time for knitting. I had to find a way to get into Ceren’s study.
An idea struck me as I walked, and I made a quick detour down another hallway. I hummed quietly to myself, pretending to look distracted as I fished a pin out of my hair. If I couldn’t get the key itself, perhaps I could pick the lock.
I cut through the hall of Varenian portraits and paused before Zadie’s just long enough to say a little prayer for her and Sami. I felt the eyes of every woman as I passed, and I reminded myself that I was doing this for them, and for every young girl in Varenia who would spend her life wondering if she was beautiful enough. The story of Princess Ilara was just a convenient excuse to prop up a dying royal dynasty, and all of our hard work was merely a means to supply one man with pearls that would never cure a corrupt heart.
I was rounding the corner to Ceren’s study when I saw someone emerge from the door. I ducked back, but it was too late.
“Who’s there?” a male voice asked.
I turned to run and nearly screamed when a hand clamped down on my shoulder.
“Zadie?”
I looked up to find Talin’s blue-green eyes peering down at me. “Prince Talin!”
His grip loosened, but his hand remained on my shoulder, and I could feel the warmth of his touch even through my knit shawl. “What are you doing out here alone at this hour?” he asked.
“I’m on my way to meet Lady Hyacinth. For tea.”
“Tea? Shouldn’t you be in bed?”
I dropped my gaze, and his hand slid away, leaving a burning trail as it went. “My maid thinks I need to socialize more. I’ve been spending too much time alone.”
“Come now,” he said. “Surely my brother has kept you occupied.”
“Your brother and I had a little fight.” I didn’t expect sympathy from Talin—Ceren was his brother, after all, and I was a girl he hardly knew. But I also didn’t want him to think that Ceren and I were in any way friendly.
“I thought I told you to be careful,” he said, but there was concern in his voice. “What happened?”
“It’s nothing,” I murmured, but my eyes flicked involuntarily to the door of Ceren’s study.
He glanced behind him. “You shouldn’t be here, my lady. Ceren doesn’t appreciate interruptions when he’s working.”
My breath caught. Ceren was in there now? What would have happened if I’d picked the lock with Ceren inside? “Were you helping him?” I asked.
“No, no. Ceren doesn’t like help with his inventions. I only came to tell him that our father wishes to see him. And that I’ll be accompanying him to test the device at one of the Linrose Lakes tomorrow, on the king’s orders. He may be my brother, but he’s also the crown prince.”
“And are you an inventor like your brother?”
“Nothing like Ceren. He’s been tinkering since he was a small boy. He claims this is his greatest invention yet.” He smiled conspiratorially. “Though I must say, my favorite was a tube he filled with mirrors and colored glass. He gave it to me for my tenth birthday because I loved color and light, something we are in short supply of in New Castle.”
I couldn’t help returning his smile. “So there is kindness in your brother after all.”
The smile faded. “Of course, my lady.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean... I should get to Lady Hyacinth’s room. She’ll be expecting me.” I tried to edge around him. “I’ll see you tomorrow, at the lake.”
He frowned and placed his hand on my lower arm. “I know what it’s like to lose the person you love most in the world,” he said suddenly. “I understand what it’s like to be forced from your home. But please, for your own sake, keep your head down.”
Crown of Coral and Pearl Page 20
