Ashes of Roses (Tales of the Latter Kingdoms Book 4)

by Pope, Christine

  The moment passed, and he seemed to find his voice, to speak quite normally to the girls to either side of him, some commonplace about being glad that the day was not too warm, and that he hoped they found the iced wine to their liking. They giggled and simpered and hastened to say that everything was just so, and how kind of him to be so concerned for their comfort. And I found my hand tightening around the stem of the silver goblet I held as a wave of irritation passed over me. Did they know how foolish they sounded, how empty-headed and silly?

  I was surprised at myself, for I had never been the jealous sort. Then again, what opportunities for jealousy had ever presented themselves to me? Oh, I envied my stepsisters their warm beds and their pretty clothes and new shoes, but that was different. Some might say I had only been desiring things that should have been mine as well. After all, it was my father’s wealth, the rents from my father’s estate, that paid for their gowns and shoes and hair ribbons.

  This feeling, though — this was different. I wanted to be the one talking to him, although I hoped I would not tilt my head in such a silly way, nor giggle and blush, if I should be lucky enough to exchange words with him.

  He passed through the crowd, smiling as he went, although as he drew closer I thought I could see some strain in his face, some weariness at having to maintain so many conversations at once. And I thought of how many other such exchanges he must have had this afternoon, in all the other pavilions, before he ever came here. The poor man must want nothing more at the moment than to get away from all of us, to be someplace where he could have some peace at last.

  But then he was there, standing only a few feet away. Immediately I dropped a curtsey, and hoped it did not look too clumsy. I had been practicing, but without a mirror or anyone to give me any direction, I had no idea whether the honor was passable or not. “Your Majesty,” I murmured.

  “Ah, I had told everyone that we might dispense with such things, but it appears you all are determined to maintain the proprieties.” His voice was warm and rich, with an edge of amusement to it. “Your name, milady?”

  “Ashara Millende, Your Majesty.”

  He nodded. “A lovely name for a lovely young woman.”

  I could feel a flush rise in my cheeks, and I saw several of the girls in my vicinity shoot dagger-sharp glares at me. He had been universally pleasant and charming so far, but this was the first time I had heard him utter a compliment to anyone. And for it to be directed at me —

  “I thank you, Your Majesty.”

  “And have you been enjoying yourself, Ashara?”

  Of course I could not tell him the truth, that I had been alternately bored and uncomfortable for most of the afternoon. It was not his fault — if I had not been so late, then perhaps I could have been in the group included in the first pavilion, and therefore not had to wait until the very last to see him.

  A pleasant lie seemed the best response. “Yes, I have, Your Majesty. Everything has just been lovely.”

  “Excellent.” He paused, and it seemed as if he intended to say something more, but then he smiled at a pair of girls standing a few paces away from me, and turned to them to ask how they fared.

  Disappointment flared in me, but I knew he simply could not spend any more time with me than he already had. I would have to be satisfied with that brief exchange — and really, it was far more than many of the other girls had gotten.

  Indeed, it appeared I was not the only one who thought so, for as soon as the Emperor was out of earshot, two girls turned on me with sour expressions, the taller one demanding, “How is it that you should command so much of his attention? For I have never seen you at court.”

  Her tone was imperious, and, judging by the matched set of rubies around her neck and hanging from her ears, she was clearly from a family of some importance. For a second or two I wanted to cower, sure that she would catch some whiff of the kitchens about me and turn me in for the impostor I was. But then I reminded myself that I certainly appeared to all watching eyes to be as well-dressed as she, and she could have no idea of my true situation.

  “As to that, my lady, I cannot say. I would not presume to second-guess what His Majesty does.” I shrugged, and I could see the strange girl’s eyes narrow as she took in the richness of my gown. “Perhaps you will be luckier tomorrow, and he will wish you a good day then.”

  Her mouth tightened. Under most circumstances I would have said she was pretty enough, with her long-lashed dark eyes and rosy cheeks, but her expression was anything but pleasant. “Do you have any idea who I am?”

  “As to that, I do not…although I am sure you are about to enlighten me.”

  She drew herself up. Standing thus, she was perhaps an inch or two taller than I, although I did not care too much for such minor differences. “I am Brinda Aldrenne, daughter of Baron Lhastir Aldrenne. And who are you?”

  I made myself shrug, although inwardly I found myself glad that she was the daughter of a baron, and not a duke. Yes, she outranked me, but not by as much as I had feared. “If you did not hear me when I gave His Majesty my name, then I shall repeat it for you if I must. I am Ashara Millende, and my father was Allyn Millende, a baronet.”

  A little light of triumph gleamed in her eyes. It seemed she thought the difference between baron and baronet to be somewhat greater than I did. She sniffed. “I have never heard of him.”

  “No, I suppose you wouldn’t have. He was never overly fond of town, and so we did not travel here often.” I paused, then looked her up and down before adding, “And now I am beginning to see why he did not care to spend much time in the capital. If you will excuse me.”

  I sketched a curtsey and hurried away, moving to the refreshment table as if that were the sole reason for my leave-taking. In truth, though, my heart pounded, and I could feel my hand shaking as I extended it to one of the servants so he might refill my goblet.

  Whence had come such boldness, I could not say. Certainly I had not been trained to stand up for myself. My existence heretofore had depended on staying in the background, on never uttering a word that might seem forward, let alone impertinent. But I found I did not much care for how Brinda Aldrenne had addressed me, and it seemed quite a natural thing for me to stick up for myself. Here there would be no consequences; indeed, it might have been a wise move for me to assert myself early on, so that those watching would know that I was not some meek milksop to be trodden upon in their quest to catch the Emperor’s eye.

  Even so, I took a large swallow of wine to steady my nerves, and was glad then of the crush around me, so I was hidden from Brinda Aldrenne’s no doubt narrowed eyes.

  “Nicely done,” came an unfamiliar voice, and I turned to see a girl with tip-tilted dark eyes and quite beautiful curly black hair grinning at me.

  “I beg your pardon?” I replied. My tone was probably sharper than it should have been, but that exchange with Brinda had put me on edge.

  “The way you put Miss High-and-Mighty Aldrenne in her place. That’s something a good number of us have been longing to do for years.” Another quick flash of a smile, and she dipped a hasty curtsey. “I’m Gabrinne Nelandre, daughter of the Earl of Kelsir — but I promise I won’t mention it again after this. And you said your name was Ashara?”

  “Y-es,” I said uncertainly. True, the girl seemed friendly enough, but after witnessing Brinda’s hostility, I did not know quite what to expect.

  “Splendid,” Gabrinne replied. “And that hair of yours! I saw how he was staring at you — the rest of us might as well pack up and go home. Not that I care. I’m only here because my father said I must, but I certainly don’t want to marry the Emperor.”

  “You don’t?” After seeing him, I could not understand why anyone wouldn’t wish to be his wife.

  “No, I have far better prey in mind. But — ” She broke off then, for there was some commotion in the pavilion, and we both paused to see what was happening.

  It appeared the Emperor, having made his circuit, was no
w taking his leave of us. A low murmur of discontent ran through the crowd, and he raised his hand and said, “It has been quite the afternoon for all of us, but we will all meet again soon — tomorrow evening at the palace, for a great feast. But until then, my ladies.” And he bowed, then smiled, his features illuminated so by that smile it seemed as if the very sun itself shone within the pavilion.

  Then he was gone. Almost at once the exodus began, everyone eager to be out of the stuffy tent, now that the reason for being there had left. Gabrinne turned to me and said, “Well, it appears that is that. But I will look for you tomorrow night, and you must look for me, so we might sit together. It will be amusing to have someone new to talk to. I am so dreadfully bored by most of the girls at court. You, however — you seem different somehow. Until then!” She reached out and gave my hand a quick squeeze before making her way through the crowd.

  I stared after her, a little startled by her brash comments, then shook my head. At least she was friendly, and had not seemed to notice anything terribly out of place about me. It would be good to face a grand dinner in the palace itself with an amiable companion at my side.

  For now, though — now I would have to get myself home, where I knew the atmosphere would be far from amiable.

  * * *

  My aunt had left instructions with the coachman to wait until I had emerged, and so he was still there when I approached, in an area off to one side of the tourney field choked with other carriages and open hacks and the odd horse, apparently belonging to some young women whose families had not the means to maintain a coach. Whence mine had come from, I did not know, but I was glad that my aunt had foreseen that need and managed it somehow.

  The man handed me up into the carriage, and I settled myself on the worn leather seat, at last allowing myself a sigh of relief as he shut the door and went forward to take up the reins. I had survived my first day, and no one had called me out as a fraud, or indeed found anything particularly exceptional about me.

  Well, save perhaps the Emperor…

  A shiver went over my body as I recalled the warmth in his dark eyes as he had gazed at me, thought of the rich timbre of his voice and the easy courtesy with which he had treated everyone. Truth be told, I had not expected that of him. Somehow I had thought an Emperor must be haughty and cold, certain of his position, his utter superiority. That notion had some basis in fact, for I had heard he could be short of temper at times, hasty with those who displeased him, with little patience for fools. But I had seen none of that today.

  Well, of course not. He would be on his best behavior, wouldn’t he, when seeking the young woman who would become his wife?

  True. Somehow, though, I thought it was more than that.

  And while Brinda had been anything but kind, Gabrinne had seemed as if she might be someone I would enjoy spending time with. It had been so very long since I had a friend. There had been Alysse, many, many years ago, before my father died, but I had not seen her these ten years and more. Of course I could never tell Gabrinne the truth about myself. Even so, it would be enough to have someone to talk to, to help me face the next four days. I did not flatter myself that I would be the Emperor’s eventual choice — yes, he seemed to have found me pretty, but I was not quite so unworldly as to believe he would not eventually choose someone of higher status, the daughter of a duke…or perhaps an earl, no matter what Gabrinne might say to the contrary.

  In the meantime, though, I could at least enjoy wearing fine gowns…even if they were no more substantial than my hopes of an imperial match…and also enjoy being away from my stepmother’s house. The smile that had been playing about my lips faded then, as I wondered what my poor aunt had been forced to suffer while wearing my guise. Not too much, I hoped; with both my stepsisters out of the house for a good portion of the day, the workload had to have been reduced somewhat.

  That led me to wonder what would be the best way to sneak back in and trade places with my aunt, so she might slip away without anyone noticing that aught was amiss. At least now dusk was upon us, and the dimmer light would afford me a better opportunity to enter the property. Through the back gates, I decided, which were latched but never locked. It would be close enough to suppertime that Janks should be indoors, and not out in his room next to the stables. Since that was where we had met this morning, I guessed it was also where my aunt would attempt to see me…if she were allowed a free moment.

  Well, I told myself, she seems to have planned all this out more or less, so you will have to hope that she has her own means of knowing when you are back.

  More magic, no doubt…

  The carriage stopped more or less where it had picked me up earlier in the day, around the curve of the street from the house, in a spot where I would not be easily seen. The coachman came around to help me out, and said, “I’ll be here again tomorrow evening, my lady. Your aunt said an hour after dusk. Is that correct?”

  I nodded, hoping the time was right. I had no real idea, since the Emperor had not given an exact hour for his dinner. Everyone seemed to know; perhaps there was always a set time for formal dinners in the palace, something all those noble-born girls would already be aware of. How my aunt had access to that information, I was not sure, but as she seemed to know a great many things, once again I would have to trust her intelligence on this matter as well.

  After that, the coach clattered away, and I was left to huddle in the shadows along the wall, and move quickly and quietly to the back gate, my shaking fingers finding the leather thong that would lift the latch. All the while I feared this would be the one time Claris sent Janks out back to fetch something, and he would find me, and all would be lost.

  But he did not come, and I was able to make my way without incident across the uneven flagstones of the courtyard and into the stables, where I shut the door quietly and then leaned against the wall, taking in deep breaths of air that still smelled faintly of straw, and wondering how on earth I could possibly go through all these machinations four more times.

  “You look so wearied, one would think it was you who had been scrubbing floors and beating rugs all day,” came my aunt’s wry voice.

  I started, and turned to see her standing in the doorway, her arms crossed and an amused expression on her — on my — face. Even as I watched, however, I saw her features seem to shift and melt, and then it was my aunt looking back at me, now in a simple but well-made gown of dark grey silk…silk which now appeared to have several fresh spots on it, though I could not tell for sure, with only the faint light from the kitchen windows to keep the rapidly approaching night at bay.

  She seemed to notice where I was looking, and reached down and spread her stained skirts. “Oh, bother,” she said in rueful tones. “I hadn’t even stopped to think about that. I shall have to make sure I wear my oldest gowns the rest of this week. But never mind — how was it? Did you meet him?”

  I nodded. “Yes, and you were right, for he was so very handsome — and kind, too — and he even said I was lovely, when I did not hear him give a compliment to any of the other girls!”

  Her face lit up at my words. “Oh, that is excellent news, and precisely what I was hoping for. I can only imagine that it will get even better from here, for now he seems to have noticed you particularly, and will no doubt seek you out tomorrow as well.” She went past me and into one of the empty stalls, where apparently she had hidden her cloak, for she plucked it off a hook there and placed it on her shoulders, then pulled up the hood. “I will be back tomorrow just before dusk. I know it will be difficult, what with the way your stepmother manufactures work for you where there is no need, but do what you can to preserve your strength, for a dinner at the palace can go quite late.”

  None too sanguine at the prospect of avoiding my stepmother’s innumerable tasks, I nonetheless nodded. “I will do what I can. Truly, just the thought of being able to see him again will be enough to keep my energy up, I am sure.”

  My aunt patted me on the shoulder. �
��That’s my girl. Then, until tomorrow — and do take what care of yourself you can.”

  With that she drew the hood even further over her face and hurried out of the stables. I went to the doorway and watched her as she seemed to melt into the shadows — seemed almost to become one of the shadows. Perhaps it was more of her magic. A useful trick, one I wished I might be able to employ myself.

  No such luck, however. I heard Claris calling my name out the kitchen door, and looked down to see that my rich russet gown was now gone, and the familiar greyish-brown linen, much faded and patched, in its place.

  Sighing, I shut the stable door behind me and hurried toward the kitchen, calling out as I did so, “Coming, Claris!”

  Truly, it would be a very long night, and day, to follow. I would have to hold his face in my mind, and hope it would be enough to help me through to tomorrow evening, and my next chance to see him again.

  Chapter 6

  Torric

  “So who was this paragon?” my sister inquired, setting down her goblet of wine and slanting me an amused look.

  “Her name is Ashara Millende, and she is the daughter of a baronet. I cannot say if she is a ‘paragon’ upon such short acquaintance, but I do think she is certainly the loveliest of the girls I met today. Her voice is sweet, too, and there is something in her eyes that tells me she has a quick mind as well.”

  “A paragon indeed!” Lyarris sat back in her chair, ignoring her roast pheasant for the moment. “I am surprised you did not send all the other girls home at once, since it seems clear that you have already made your choice.”

  Of course I knew she was teasing, but even so I frowned a little. Would that I had such an option! However, even an emperor must follow the rules…especially if they are rules he invented in the first place.

  My sister and I dined alone — or as alone as we could be, with no fewer than five servants waiting to accommodate our every whim. But I had already decreed that I wanted a quiet supper this evening, as such an elaborate one was planned for the following evening. By the good grace of the gods, my mother pleaded a sick headache from being out of doors for too long, and retired to her rooms as soon as we entered the palace. Her absence meant that Lyarris and I could more or less converse freely; I had long since stopped worrying about whether the servants would gossip. Of course they would, amongst themselves, but over the years enough servitors with loose tongues had lost their positions…or worse…that they knew better than to spread their stories any further than the palace walls.