“Nice room,” she said.
Ava looked at her and wondered whether she was being truly complimentary or subtly judgmental. She was used to being able to read people but Evelyn had seemed different since the fight in the clearing and she hadn’t yet put her finger on the change.
“I’ve always liked it,” she said eventually. “I used to feel safe here. That turned out to be an illusion, of course, but it was a comforting one for many years.”
“Well, you’re safe now,” said Evelyn. “Or as safe as you possibly could be. Hans and I won’t let anything happen to you.”
Her voice was matter of fact but Ava felt pleased at the progress her words represented.
“Thank you for sleeping in here with me,” she said, adding as much warmth to her words as she could. “It means a lot.”
“Anything to get away from Sarah’s snoring.” Evelyn flashed the tiniest of smiles and Ava was surprised into a laugh. She knew from experience that Sarah didn’t snore.
Definite progress then, she thought as she smiled back at her new guard.
Both girls took the opportunity to get some rest and were only woken by a servant bringing them lunch on trays. Hans followed behind the servant and after she had left, he insisted on testing Ava’s food.
“Don’t be ridiculous, Hans.” Ava crossed her arms as she watched him. “I’m not going to let you become my poison taster. You saw Konrad’s face and after all these years you must know him almost as well as I do. He’s not going to try to kill me with so many international witnesses present. Besides, he doesn’t need to poison me, he’s confident he can win. He’s probably busy plotting some unfortunate accident during the Trials.”
Hans nodded his agreement with everything she was saying and calmly continued tasting her food.
Ava sighed, leaned around him and took a hunk of bread. Dipping it into the aromatic stew, she took a big bite. He glared at her but she just smiled up at him.
“Since you’re not exactly an expert on poisons, I suppose we’re just hoping that it’s nothing slow acting?” she asked in a compliant tone that was contradicted by the twinkle in her eyes.
Now it was Hans’ turn to sigh.
“You’re impossible!” he said, and then belatedly added, “Your Highness.”
“Not at all,” said Ava. “I can assure you I have always been entirely possible. It’s one of my greatest strengths.”
Hans just rolled his eyes at her nonsense and took his own tray.
“Our strategy is sound,” he said sternly, once they had all settled into eating, “but that doesn’t mean you should take unnecessary risks. The danger is very real and if you present Konrad with enough of an opportunity, he might find himself unable to resist taking it.”
His words sobered Ava and she meekly nodded her agreement.
When they had all finished their lunch, Hans placed their trays out in the hallway and firmly shut her door.
“If someone knocks,” he warned her, “don’t answer it. Let Evelyn or me do it.”
Ava reluctantly agreed to this plan and he retreated into his own room although he left the door between them open. Ava instantly had to fight the overwhelming impulse to peer into his space. She determinedly kept her eyes pointing in the opposite direction and was congratulating herself on her self-control when she met Evelyn’s eyes.
The other girl was looking at her with an amused half-smile and Ava instantly felt herself begin to blush.
Pull it together! she told herself. You are not some besotted child. And you’ve been trained to hide your emotions. It was one thing for Evelyn to see her feelings written on her face but in a couple of hours she would be facing the court and she would need her old control back. She took several deep breaths and managed to restore her calm expression.
“We should probably start preparing for the musicale,” she said. She had barely gotten the last word out of her mouth when her door burst open.
In the space of a single breath Hans was back in the room. But when he saw who had come in, he relaxed, sighed and returned to his own room.
It was Sarah who had burst in and she seemed oddly pleased with herself.
“Hi Eve, hi Ava,” she said, a big grin on her face.
“Here we go.” Evelyn rolled her eyes. “What is it this time, cousin of mine?”
“Well,” said Sarah, “I was sitting in my room – it’s a lovely room by the way, Ava – and I got to thinking about the musicale this afternoon. And I realised that I don’t have a single appropriate thing to wear. Sound familiar, Ava?”
“How could I ever forget?” Ava laughed. “You helped me in my hour of need and I would be honoured to return the favour now.”
The dance she had attended as Anna felt like it had happened in another lifetime. For a moment she remembered the sensation of Hans’ hand as he placed a rose in her hair but then she shook the feeling off. This was no time for distractions.
“Yes!” crowed Sarah rushing to Ava’s wardrobe and throwing it open. “Yes, yes, yes!”
“You are utterly ridiculous!” said Evelyn as she watched her cousin with amusement.
“She is a princess, Evelyn,” said Sarah as if was explaining it to a simple child, “a princess! Which means that I am about to wear a dress made for a princess.” She ran her hand along the dresses with a dreamy smile. “I always knew I was meant for better things.”
Evelyn snorted loudly, snapping Sarah out of her reverie.
“You did not!” Evelyn said, bringing a healthy dose of reality back to the situation. “At least not all those years that you were getting into trouble for wading in the creek or coming home with skinned knees and dirt and rips and who knows what else from the crazy games we used to play with the boys.”
“This is the problem with having a best friend who’s also your cousin and has known you since you were born,” said Sarah to Ava. “She’s always trying to stomp on your dreams.”
Evelyn snorted again, more loudly and Sarah got a cunning gleam in her eye.
“Don’t think you’re getting out of it, Eve,” she said. “You’ll have to wear one of these dresses too.”
“Absolutely not!” Evelyn looked horrified. “I’ll wear my guard outfit. I wouldn’t fit any of Ava’s dresses anyway.”
“I’m sure I could find something that would fit you.” Ava’s offer earned her one reproachful glare and one grateful smile.
Deciding this was one conversation she would do best to stay out of, she left the two cousins arguing next to her wardrobe and walked over to Hans’ open door. Carefully keeping her eyes from straying around his room, she informed him that she was just popping across the hall to talk to Mathilde and Aldric.
“I’ll come with you,” said Hans.
“You don’t have to do that. It’s literally across the hall.”
“Nevertheless, I’m coming with you.”
“Alright, thank you, then.” Ava’s capitulation won her a surprised smile. Hiding a satisfied grin, she led the way to the guest suite.
Mathilde at first protested against the offer of a dress to wear but Aldric reminded her that she was in Rangmere as a representative of King Henry and Queen Eleanor and the way she looked would reflect on Arcadia. She quickly yielded once it was put to her in that light.
Returning to her room with Mathilde in tow, Ava informed Hans that the girls would need some privacy.
“I’ll be ringing for a servant and then sending for a seamstress so don’t come bursting in here if you hear the door opening and closing a few times.”
Hans opened his mouth to argue but she shook her head sternly. “We need time to get ready and Evelyn is here to protect us. We’ll call for help if we need it. With so many of us in here, I hardly think we’ll be taken by surprise.”
Reluctantly Hans agreed and retreated from the room.
The following two hours, spent with the assistance of three seamstresses and two maids, turned out to be a surprising amount of fun. Except for the dance
at the merchant caravan, Ava had never prepared for a party with other girls before and she discovered that is was a great deal more enjoyable than preparing on your own.
There was lots of chatter and laughter and many compliments from the admiring servants who seemed to readily pick up on the atmosphere of merriment. Only Evelyn resisted, loudly declaring that she would stick with her guard outfit.
After listening to her protestations, one of the seamstresses declared that she had the very thing and disappeared from the room. She returned nearly twenty minutes later, reverently carrying a large parcel.
She unwrapped it and held up a long dress that had been made for a taller person than Ava.
“I had almost forgotten about this,” the seamstress said. “It was made on commission but the lady in question decided it wasn’t what she wanted after all. It should be a good fit for you, Miss Evelyn, I think.”
Ava could understand why the lady might have lost her courage, it was a dress unlike any she had seen before. It had been modelled on the uniform of a guard and the severe bodice managed to look flattering and feminine while still clearly suggesting the tunic of a Rangmeran Royal Guard. The long skirt fell in graceful folds but had several long slits added for freedom of movement.
The seamstress showed them how the two layers of petticoats underneath had been slitted in different places to ensure that no flash of skin showed through as the wearer moved. It was a rather incredible garment and it looked like it had been made for Evelyn.
Ava looked from the dress to Evelyn and was satisfied to see a gleam of desire in the other girls’ eyes.
“It’s perfect,” she said. “You have to wear it Evelyn. I’m making it a royal decree.”
Evelyn put up a token protest and then agreed. Ava caught her stroking the fabric and smiled to herself. They would make an impressive group at the musicale, an effect that would only help Ava’s cause.
When they were all finally ready, the servants broke into applause.
“Beautiful!”
“Stunning!”
“Magnificent!”
Ava couldn’t help but smile at their dramatics. It made her a little sad, though, to acknowledge that she had cut herself off from this warmth for so many years. It reminded her of Hanna and the many laughs they had shared when Ava was a child.
The other girls felt none of her slight melancholy. Sarah, in particular, was lapping up the excessive praise like a satisfied cat. Even Evelyn allowed herself a large smile when she saw her reflection in the full length mirror. She looked elegant and deadly, a perfect combination on the tall girl.
The servants were sent back to their usual tasks and the girls went into the corridor to meet Hans and Aldric. Aldric was dressed rather severely in his Northhelmian diplomatic attire and Hans was wearing his formal guard uniform. Ava had seen him wear it at many balls and royal functions but it was the first time she had seen him in it since they had fled Rangmeros and she had to fight another flush. He looked handsome and striking and even more deadly than Evelyn.
Ava had chosen to wear the most regal of her afternoon gowns, a full length dress of deep purple and gold. The purple made her blue eyes shine and her hair managed to look more gold than the golden thread woven into the fabric. She had also placed a simple diamond tiara in her hair.
Hans came up beside her and spoke in a low voice.
“You look like a queen,” he said, his voice slightly husky.
She looked up and met his eyes. “Let’s hope the court thinks so, too.”
“They will.”
Chapter 23
Whether or not they thought she looked queenly, the waiting court certainly seemed impressed by Ava and her retinue. They had arrived at the musicale slightly late, a purposeful move by Ava, and a hush fell over the crowd as they were announced. It held slightly longer than normal as the assembled courtiers took in the appearance of the group in the doorway. Then someone clapped and it unleashed a hubbub of noise and movement as everyone began to chatter amongst themselves and a large part of the room surged forward to greet them.
Ava smiled a welcome to each person who approached them and had soon introduced her companions to a full two thirds of the Rangmeran court. Word of her return had obviously travelled quickly – she didn’t remember musicales being so well attended in the past. She suspected that word of the Monarchy Trials had travelled equally quickly but no one mentioned it to her.
Konrad had smiled and waved when she entered the room, effectively giving the impression that the siblings had already caught up and were on excellent terms. Ava wondered how many of the courtiers present were convinced. She noticed that Princess Clarisse, her sister-in-law, was absent. She tucked the information away for further consideration.
She noted also that the Arcadian and Northhelmian ambassadors had chosen to attend and were among the first to greet her. Clearly Aldric and Mathilde’s visits had been a success.
When the steady flow of greeters had dissipated, the group separated to mingle, eat and listen to the music. It felt good to have a team and to know that she had extra eyes and ears working for her. Already she found herself wondering how she had ever managed alone.
As she made her way around the room, Hans followed her, always a couple of steps behind. They hadn’t discussed it but she knew it was a strategic move on his part and she was impressed. She should have instructed him to do so.
Usually at such an event, Hans would have accompanied her and then stood against the wall, observing the party and watching for any sign of danger. The many personal guards of the musicale attendees were ringing the party in exactly such a way. Only the personal guard of the king followed him around an event, trailing two steps behind. Hans’ initiative strengthened Ava’s presence at the party.
Konrad, his own guard trailing behind him, hadn’t responded to the sight of Hans. He’d obviously spent the morning regaining control over his emotions. It was a reminder to Ava about the strength of her competition. She would need every bit of her own strength and cunning to beat him.
She spent over an hour circulating through the event, mingling and regaining a feel for the Rangmeran court. The nobles were no more eager to mention the mystery of her survival than the servants had been. The less subtle amongst them were obvious in their avoidance of the issue. If the conversation strayed in that direction they looked nervously towards Konrad and then steered the topic down another track.
Overall, she thought that the tone of court was more tense than it had been under her father’s rule. The Rangmeran courtiers had always known to tread carefully but many of them seemed more fearful than cautious. It made Ava feel hopeful and she was careful to ensure that the group around her was always the most light-hearted and lively group in the room. Her best chance was to show them that life under her rule would be a great deal less nerve-wracking than life under her brother’s.
After two hours she grew tired. She had forgotten how taxing it was to interact with such care all the time. She excused herself from the group surrounding her and stepped back into a shadowy corner of the room. From her secluded vantage point she watched the ebb and flow of the event, paying careful attention to who sought out her brother and who avoided him.
After a couple of minutes, a servant approached her bearing a tray with a drink. She expressed her appreciation but the servant demurred, pointing towards her benefactor. Aldric was standing next to the buffet table and smiling in her direction. Somehow she wasn’t surprised that he had been the one to notice her hiding spot and to know that she was in need of refreshment.
The drink was cool and sweet and reminded her that there were advantages to not being on the road. She was musing on the many other differences between life at court and her life for the past couple of months when a voice spoke behind her.
“Death becomes you, Princess.”
She turned around slowly and nodded a greeting to the man who was hidden even further in the shadows than she was. He was tall and thin a
nd dressed with understated elegance. His outfit proclaimed that he was wealthy enough not to have to advertise his affluence on his person.
“I thought everything became me, Lord Adelmar,” she said, smiling with mock flirtation at the noble who was old enough to be her father.
“Forgive me, Your Highness,” he said with a small bow and an amused smile, “you are, as always, entirely correct.”
“And you are, as always, entirely too kind, my lord.”
He grinned at this sally and she felt pleased with herself.
“On the contrary,” he said, “I’m beginning to fear that I have never been kind enough. I must be losing my touch. Your,” he paused, as if searching for the right word, “resurrection, has taken me entirely by surprise.”
“Oh come, Lord Adelmar,” said Ava, “you’ll have a hard time convincing me that anything has ever taken you entirely by surprise.”
He conceded the point with an elegant gesture of his head. “The Monarchy Trials, at least, were an inspired move. I almost begin to believe you might have a plan to win them.”
Ava’s senses heightened and she felt her mind launching into a higher gear. He was the first person to mention the Monarchy Trials and his choice to do so was as telling as everyone else’s omission had been.
“I always play to win, Lord Adelmar,” she said lightly. “You should know that.”
“Indeed, but it seems I’ve underestimated you and that’s not something I’m prone to doing.” His eyes strayed from hers and followed Aldric’s progress around the room instead. “One day you’ll have to indulge an old man with the story of how you won over the Arcadians. I confess I wouldn’t have believed even you were capable of such a thing.”
“Why, only a moment ago you confessed to underestimating me.” Ava gave a small laugh. “And you always struck me as someone who learns from their mistakes.”
The noble’s eyebrows rose and she continued in a harder tone.
“I have also learned from my mistakes and it has made me stronger. I will achieve what I set out to achieve.”
The Princess Fugitive: A Reimagining of Little Red Riding Hood (The Four Kingdoms Book 2) Page 19
