Ever After (Unfinished Fairy Tales Book 3)

by Aya Ling

  Kat

  My hands are cold and clammy as I sit in a special Gallery in High Court. There is a thick wall in front of me, built of a special, reflexive glass material that allows me to witness the proceedings, but no one can see me except the glass. Edward had arranged that I can attend court without the hordes noticing and recognizing me. Elle sits next to me, holding my hand in both of hers, as though trying to offer me strength. Poppy isn’t here, as she had to take care of Sébastien and Little Katherine. I decide that I'll visit her after the case. She’s over stressed from taking care of her babies; plus, I’d like to see my adorable godchildren.

  Today the court is going to decide whether to grant Edward his application to divorce Katriona Bradshaw. Already, I could see reporters swarming to get the best view in the front row. The Common Gallery is packed—as though they are here to see the premiere of a popular play, and even high up here, I could hear them making noises of complaint. Some of them glance at Edward with contemptuous expressions, as if they condemn him for succumbing to the witch’s seduction, while others cast Katriona Bradshaw sympathetic looks. My heart sinks; even if the judge grants Edward the divorce, we will not receive the public’s blessing. I’m used to slurs and complaints, but I don’t want Edward enduring the censure as well. I’ve seen how the people cheered him when we were married. I’d hate it if the people turned their backs on him because he wanted a divorce.

  “Kat,” Elle whispers. “Are you sure you want to sit through the case? I could stay here and tell you the… the results afterward. You look so pale.”

  I shake my head. “I’m fine. Okay, not really, but I have to be here. If I go outside, I’d be a mess of nerves. Maybe I’ll even suffer from a mental breakdown.”

  “There won’t be any justice if His Highness cannot be separated from Lady Katriona,” Elle whispers. “If His Highness did not arrive in time, you could have suffered deeply in prison.”

  There’s a rare bitterness in her tone when she talks about Katriona. I smile weakly, but I can’t bring myself to speak ill of Katriona Bradshaw. She was transported to Moryn and forced into marriage to survive. She didn’t deserve this, though on the other hand, it certainly doesn’t entitle her to be princess.

  Speaking of Katriona Bradshaw, I search in the rows of seats for her. She is easy to spot, as her hair is the same color is mine, a dark auburn red. I can’t see her expression, but she appears calm. If the magistrate isn’t amenable, Edward would reveal the existence of Jacques. I really, really hope it won’t be necessary. Moreover, I doubt her secret husband will help my reputation either.

  Next to her is Bianca. I can’t see her expression either, but I can see her arms folded and lip curled back in displeasure. My hands ball into fists, and I wish I could punch her face. Unlike Katriona, I do have a deep resentment for Bianca. Edward would have dearly loved to incriminate her for the harm she inflicted on me, but legally there is no way he could do it. My best option is that in the future I’ll be able to avoid her as much possible.

  The magistrate takes his seat. There’s a weary look in his eyes; I’d bet he lost in a round of cards when the other magistrates had to decide who should preside over the prince’s divorce application.

  “The court recognizes His Royal Highness Edward,” an official reads out. “He submitted an application for a legal separation from Katriona Bradshaw, Her Royal Highness of Athelia.”

  “Your Highness,” the magistrate addresses Edward. “According to the application forms you submitted earlier, you have indicated your intention of divorcing your wife, Katriona Bradshaw, after four hundred and twenty-one days of marriage. Is this correct?”

  “Yes, Your Honor.” Edward stands straight. So straight that I wonder if the king had made him balance a book on his head like a fashion model when he was a kid.

  “You have indicated on the forms that your reason for applying for divorce is due to an irrevocable mistake.” The magistrate pushes his glasses up his nose. “That does not constitute sufficient means for a divorce. Unless your wife has proved to be unfaithful or neglected her wifely duties, we cannot proceed.”

  Edward does not raise his voice, but every word is clearly enunciated, like he wants to convey this is not a choice he made on a whim. “I understand that the reason is unheard of. However, allow me explain.”

  A shout rises from someone in the Common Gallery. “Because you lost your head to that witch!” The shout sets off more commotion from the crowd, and the magistrate has to bang his gavel on the wooden desk again.

  “Katherine Wilson is no witch.” Edward’s voice is deadly calm. “As a matter of fact, she is the woman I married last June. Katriona Bradshaw did not enter the palace until this February.”

  Elle gasps; my jaw falls. I did NOT anticipate Edward revealing the truth in public. As for the audience, let’s just say the reporters are having a field day. The Common Gallery has exploded; people are on their feet, shouting and pointing. A young lady in the Noble Gallery has fainted, probably so shocked that she could no longer stand her binding corset. Even the magistrate is so stunned that he doesn’t reach for the gavel until a short while later.

  The magistrate clears his throat and pauses, as if he doesn't know how to respond. “Your Highness. This is felony—however, it is not within my duty to deal with it. For now let us remain with your case. If you married another woman, why did you let everyone believe she is Katriona Bradshaw?”

  Edward glances up in my direction; there is a gleam in his eyes. “Two years ago, I had the fortune to make the acquaintance of Katherine Wilson, the adopted granddaughter of Raymond Wellesley, the owner of a bookstore named The Bookworm. I was accompanying my cousin, Henry, while he visited an impoverished family. The mother was ill with cholera. Incidentally, the mother is the same woman who adopted Elle Bradshaw, the current heiress of Earl Bradshaw.”

  This time the court is in complete silence. Everyone is riveted to Edward’s story.

  “At that time, I was aware that she was a commoner, but I could not deny my powerful attachment for her. Yet because she is not of noble blood, I knew a union with her would not be favored, or even forbidden.” He turns and sweeps an icy gaze in the direction of the person who yelled ‘witch.’ “And so I came up with a scheme, of which I fully take responsibility for. I convinced Katriona Bradshaw to switch places with Katherine Wilson.”

  More gasps from the court.

  Stop, I want to yell at Edward. I realize what he’s doing now...he’s trying to take all the blame on himself so that neither Katriona nor I will be blamed. But by admitting to this so-called ‘arrangement,’ he is admitting that he lied to the entire nation. King Leon will be furious. All the time he’s been warning Edward to cultivate a faultless image, and today his son is completely ignoring the advice.

  But I can’t erase the words that have already been spoken. Edward moves not an inch; he continues speaking in that clear, unaffected tone.

  “They were reluctant to accept the arrangement in the beginning. Katherine did not want to steal another’s identity; she would rather give me up than pretend to be an aristocrat. Nor was Katriona Bradshaw inclined to agree, but I compensated her with a substantial amount to leave Athelia and begin a new life in Moryn. Everyone thought it was Katriona Bradshaw I was courting, but in fact it was Katherine all the time.”

  Elle squeezes my hand. “His Highness is so devoted to you,” she whispers.

  “He is,” I say, feeling like weeping. So many times I’m deeply touched by his affection, but this takes the cake.

  The magistrate asks Katriona Bradshaw to step forward. “Do you confirm His Highness’s story?”

  She’s pale and most likely nervous, but she does not hesitate. “I do.”

  “Katriona!” Bianca hisses, making a move to stand up, but as the magistrate did not summon her, she sits down again. “You...you idiot! There was never an arrangement!”

  “Control yourself, Lady Pembroke, or I must ask you leave the court,” the
magistrate says, and I could kiss him.

  Edward smiles. “I believe that many nobles present can testify that Katriona Bradshaw had behaved in a peculiar manner before we married. Such as losing her balance when she was presented to the queen. The explanation is pure and simple. Since Katherine was not formally trained as a lady, she would naturally make mistakes.”

  “However…” the magistrate seems immersed in the story, just as the crowd is. “There was a trial several months ago, when Lady Pembroke brought a woman and called the princess a fake.”

  “Lady Pembroke later found out that her real sister was not on the throne. She was furious and wanted Katherine to leave. Hence the trial. It was then we also discovered that Katherine had contracted a serious disease. We were unsure if she could survive. Because we did not want to alarm the public, I asked Katriona Bradshaw move into the palace and pose as the princess. Katherine went back to her old home up north, and much to our amazement and relief, recovered her health by a miracle. Perhaps she was allowed to live because I was in deep depression without her. However, Katriona Bradshaw was unwilling to relinquish her position as princess, and also Katherine did not want to continue assuming an identity that was not rightfully hers. Hence I applied for this divorce.”

  Bianca looks simply furious when Edward said it was her fault for bringing in the trial. Whatever. Anything that riles her up is a plus to me.

  But Edward isn’t done yet.

  “Katherine Wilson is qualified to be princess, more than any woman of my acquaintance. She may be unable to perform a perfect court curtsy, but she can do so much more that can be of actual benefit to our nation. She is the one responsible for passing the Eight-Hour Act for child workers. The article I published on compulsory education was adapted from her work, and influenced the passing of the recent Education Act.”

  Edward spreads his hands and for the first time, raises his voice. “Why must the princess of Athelia be of noble blood? Katherine Wilson has accomplished more in one year than any previous queen has managed in a lifetime. And compare what she did to many nobles in this country, who are idle and do nothing more than hunting and gambling.”

  This time, there are several aristocrats in the Noble Gallery who look furious. On the other hand, the people in the Common Gallery are elated. One man in a checkered shirt shouts, “Damn right!”

  Oh my God. What should have been a simple divorce case has turned into a critique of the aristocracy.

  “When she fell ill and I thought she might not survive, it was the darkest hour in my life. To lose someone you love with your whole heart and being…” Edward pauses. His voice has grown hoarse, but whether it is from the lack of water or he was overcome with emotion, no one can tell for certain. “Words fail to describe my elation when I learned that she recovered from her illness. And therefore I entreat Your Honor to consider my case carefully. Let Katherine Wilson return to my side.”

  Someone sniffs. A second later, I realize the noise did not originate from only one person, but several. Elle is wiping tears with her handkerchief, and a few other women, both in the Common and Noble Gallery, are emotional as well. No one had expected that Edward would make such a shocking revelation.

  “Pardon me, but I must clarify that I am not unwilling to relinquish the title,” Katriona speaks up, which comes as a surprise. “In the beginning, I did enjoy the privileges of a princess, but after spending more time with the prince, I came to believe I could never be happy with him. He was not unkind to me, but his strong attachment to Katherine Wilson never wavered, nor diminished with time.” She raises her voice. “You may imagine how damaging that is to my pride. I am tired of this charade and want it to end.”

  Gasps of surprise from the court. For a moment, my heart is filled with gratitude for Katriona Bradshaw.

  There is nothing more to say. Both parties have voiced the desire to be separated. When the magistrate bangs his gavel three times and announces his decision, I am no longer nervous.

  “The court grants His Royal Highness Edward an official separation from his wife. However, the law stipulates that both parties may not remarry until three months later, when the decree absolute will be issued. If there is no objection during this period, they will be free individuals. This case is dismissed.”

  I could almost faint with relief. Edward has successfully achieved the divorce! Well, there are still three months and the Royal Marriages Act, but this is a huge step forward. And he saved my public image as well, though at the cost of his own reputation. But seeing the crowds stand up and cheer, I think the king won’t be too harsh on him.

  Elle takes my hands. A tear glistens in her eyes. “Congratulations, Kat. Soon you will be back in the palace, back to your rightful place.”

  “I know,” I say, fighting to contain my emotions. “I can’t wait either.”

  37

  Kat

  I wanted to rush out and meet Edward at his carriage, but it’s impossible. The building is surrounded by the hordes who have come to hear the divorce case. I barely have a glimpse of Edward before he is swallowed by an army of hungry reporters. After his moving confession that brought tears to the audience, the headlines tomorrow will definitely paint a positive light of Edward and I.

  “Princess Kat.” Bertram’s huge frame seems to take up half of the Gallery. He gestures at the exit with a meaty hand. “We got to go.”

  “But what about Edward?”

  “His Highness ordered I take you back to the duke’s house. Said he’ll return later. Something about needing to go to the palace first.”

  Somehow he manages to hustle me to the carriage, using a hidden stairway. I keep my head down, my hair hidden in the bonnet. Elle arrived using her own carriage, so we part ways as soon as we leave the building. She holds my hand, congratulates me again, and drives off.

  When we arrive at Henry’s house, Amelie is waiting in the parlor, along with Thomas, Cook, and the scullery maid. They cluster around me when I enter the sitting room; all of them intent and expectant.

  “The court granted the divorce,” Amelie says. I’m sure my face says it all.

  “Yes.” I flash them a bright smile. “Edward did it. We have to wait three months until the divorce can be finalized, but if no objection is raised, we’ll be able to marry and move back to the palace.”

  “Oh, thank goodness.” Cook gives me a bear hug. She has been more like a maternal aunt since I occasionally help out in the kitchen and and praise her cooking.

  Thomas opens a bottle of wine and passes around the glasses. “Will you tell us the details, Lady Katherine? The odds have been great against you.”

  I relate to them the entire process; Bertram fills in a few details now and then. I don’t know if it’s the alcohol or he's too exuberant, but when I finish telling them the story, Bertram reaches for Amelie. He picks her up and swings her round and round, until she yells at him.

  “Bertram! Put me down this instant! I am not a sack of potatoes!”

  “I love potatoes,” Bertram says inconsequentially.

  Amelie crosses her arms and gives him an exasperated look. “If you had to express your joy, do it in a different way. You made me dizzy.”

  “A different way?” Bertram looks uncommonly sly—an incongruity with his normal cheerful, smiling self. “Like a kiss?”

  Amelie blushes; the pink flush spreading over her cheeks makes her look even prettier. “Just because we have gone driving in the park a few times does not mean you can take liberties whenever you want, you idiot.”

  Bertram looks crestfallen. The next second, Amelie rises on tiptoe, pecks his cheek, and hurries off.

  Oh my God. Amelie might as well have cast a stunning spell on Bertram. He looks like his brain had stopped functioning, and his face is so red, it’s adorable.

  “Do you have a pocket watch?” I whisper to Cook. “I need to calculate how much time will pass before he snaps out of it…I mean, regains his senses.”

  However, I’m not
much better than Bertram. I’m so happy about Edward’s success that I keep daydreaming of the day when we’ll remarry. As a consequence, I burned the eggs and broccoli and Cook had to turn me out of the kitchen.

  “You go change into something nice when His Highness gets back,” she says, shoving me out of the door. “That charcoal gray gown ought go into the bin. A future princess ought to dress better.”

  I don’t bother to point out I wore a nondescript gown on purpose, as I didn’t want to attract attention in court. Anyway, I bound to the fourth floor, where Amelie shares a room with Cook, and ask her to help me dress up.

  When Edward (my hero!) returns, I’ve changed into a apple-green dress trimmed with white lace. Pearls are attached to my ears and twined in my hair. By the time dinner is cleared, everyone else automatically disappears into the kitchen and other rooms, leaving us alone. I follow Edward to his room and remove the silken wrap around my shoulders, revealing a good amount of bare skin.

  He sucks in a deep breath and looks away. Unperturbed, I stalk towards him, wrap my arms around his body, and press my forehead into the back of his shirt.

  “Let’s ditch that rule of no sex before marriage,” I say, my fingers tracing his abs. He may not be a pro sportsman, but he definitely has a well-toned body. “We’re going to be married in three months.”

  Silence. I start unbuttoning his shirt, but then his hands close over my wrists in an iron grip.

  “Anything can happen before the decree absolute is issued,” he says. “Marriage is not to be taken lightly. There is a reason that the rules allow a long period of time before finalizing the divorce. It needs to be absolutely sure that the couple will not want to reunite.”

  “But Katriona Bradshaw made the statement in court already. She doesn’t want to be married to you any longer. You have settled a tidy sum on her, on the condition she raises no objection after the three months have passed.”

  “True. And yet…” Edward faces me, though he’s careful to maintain his distance. “I’ve found that every time when I feel optimistic of our future, something disastrous happens. I cannot feel secure until we obtain the register with our signatures.”