Collette shrank back in her chair as if trying to escape their stares. She reminded Fiora of an octopus folding in on itself to hide in a tight space.
Marquis Corbeau filled the silence by rambling about gala preparations. Something about flowers that matched the cake. Or maybe the flowers were on the cake? Or the cake was made of flowers? Fiora wasn’t really paying attention. She watched across the table, waiting for Princess Collette to look up.
“It sounds like a good plan,” she signed when she finally caught Collette’s attention. “I’m sure the merchants will be grateful, and it will do much more good for your country than a flower cake.”
Collette’s eyes widened with surprise at the praise. Then she smiled and sat a little straighter.
“Thank you.”
36
Gustave hurried through the hallway, late for lunch and hoping that his grandmother had expressed appropriate apologies to his guests when he wasn’t there to greet them. It had taken longer than expected to tailor the suit, and then he had to get dressed and make himself presentable for the day.
He entered the dining room and found Marquis Corbeau rhapsodizing about the refreshments he had planned for the gala.
“Of course, it was difficult to secure the right kind of apples for the tarts. Normally we import them from Gaveron, but the kraken attacks made that difficult. Luckily I-”
The marquis stopped his story when Gustave sat down. The other diners looked grateful for the interruption. Gustave could only guess how long Marquis Corbeau had been rambling about the gala preparations.
He looked around the table and blinked with surprise when he saw Lady Mer.
“Doctor Batiste said you were resting.”
“I’m fine.”
She didn’t look fine. A thin layer of sweat shone on her forehead, and her eyes were strained. Gustave agreed with Doctor Batiste’s evaluation that Lady Mer needed rest, but he suspected she was too stubborn to appreciate his saying so.
She looked different somehow. Her hair was pulled back, and she wore a more elaborate style of gown. As if she was trying to prove she was in good health by looking more polished than normal.
Gustave realized he was staring and looked down at his soup. First he kissed her, then he gawked at her. No wonder she was uncomfortable. It probably had more to do with his behavior than being buried in an avalanche of royal gifts.
He was tempted to comment on the soup to try to make Lady Mer smile, but the predatory gleam in Lady Annabelle’s eyes kept him quiet.
“Has Your Majesty cleaned up after the earthquake? I’m sure you’ll be sorting through the presents to make sure everything is accounted for.”
Lady Annabelle gave Lady Mer a pointed look, and Lady Mer rolled her eyes. Gustave looked between them, trying to make sense of the tension.
“The servants and scribes are working to reorganize the library.”
“I do hope that nothing is missing.”
She seemed to be accusing Lady Mer of something, but Gustave had no idea what.
“Is everything ready for the guests arriving by sea, Captain?” Gustave asked.
Captain Whist nodded.
“There have been no signs of tidal waves, and I’ve posted extra guards and sent out some patrol boats just to be on the safe side.”
Just in case another kraken attacked. He didn’t say it, but Gustave knew that was what he meant.
“Will the patrol boats be on the watch for mermaids?” Dale asked. “If Your Majesty is planning another expedition, I would like to be on the ship.”
“Out of the question,” Marquis Corbeau said. “His Majesty will be too busy entertaining guests and preparing for the gala to search for mermaids.”
Gustave sighed. As much as he wanted to continue the search for his father, he did have duties to attend to. Guests had already arrived, and he needed to be a good host. He hoped the visitors didn’t include more eligible women, but that was probably wishful thinking. Knowing Marquis Corbeau, the list would only include eligible women.
“I’m afraid the search for my father will have to wait.”
Gustave whispered “Find King Francois” to his ring and checked the light’s direction with his compass.
It had not changed. Gustave glanced at Lady Mer and found her smiling sympathetically at him. He returned her smile and told himself that it was all right. He would focus on the search after the gala.
“It is strange,” Captain Whist said. “I sent men to ask around and see how far the earthquake reached. It was weaker in the village. The stable boys said they heard a rumble but felt no shaking.
“Really?”
Gustave frowned. The stable sat just outside the castle grounds.
“You think the castle was the epicenter then?”
“Yes. Possibly the library, judging from the servant’s reports.
“So the earthquake centered around Lady Mer?” Lady Annabelle said. “How very strange.”
She gave a smug smile, as if she had just delivered a scathing accusation. Gustave frowned. He couldn’t wait for Lady Annabelle to leave.
“Perhaps someone was targeting the castle?” Kara said.
“Don’t be silly,” Lady Annabelle said. “That isn’t how earthquakes work.”
“Could it have been caused by magic?” Lady Mer signed.
Thomas translated. Everyone stared at her.
“Magic? What a ridiculous thought,” Lady Annabelle said.
Gustave shook his head.
“I saw a lot of magic in my recent visits to Aeonia and Santelle. It is certainly possible that it has come here. But how? And what can we do about it?”
“You have the most experience with such things, Gustave,” Collette said. “You’ve researched magic while looking for Father.”
Everyone turned to Gustave. He swallowed.
“I read what we have in the library about curses, which isn’t much. And there was no mention of a curse ever causing an earthquake.”
“That would be unlikely,” Elaine said. “If this earthquake was something magical, it sounds more like the work of an enchanted object.”
Everyone stared at her, jaws dropped in surprise.
Elaine took their surprise in stride, neither flustered nor embarrassed. She pulled a book from her skirt and waved it at them.
“Did you think I was reading romance novels this whole time? I accepted your invitation to the castle so I would have access to your library for my research. I’ve read everything we have at home about magic, but you have a much larger selection of texts.”
“An enchanted object?” Gustave said when he finally found his voice.
“Yes, like your ring.”
Gustave looked down at his ring and noticed Lady Mer did the same with hers.
Interesting. Was her pearl enchanted as well? What did it do?
Another question. When would he get answers?
“You think someone used an enchanted object to create an earthquake?” Dowager Queen Bernadine said after Thomas translated the conversation for her.
There was a little skepticism in her voice, but she seemed to take the idea seriously.
“It’s certainly possible,” Elaine said. “There is an enormous pile of gifts in your library. Perhaps some of them are magical.”
“Then we’ll search the gifts,” Gustave said. “Elaine, could you help? I would be happy to loan you any of the books in our library as thanks.”
“It would be an honor, Your Majesty. But I should warn you, I’m no expert in enchanted objects.”
“Do you have any idea how to identify them?” Dowager Queen Bernadine asked.
“I know a few ways. I can’t identify every type of magic, but I can find several.”
“Then you’re the best option we have. I’m glad to hear you have some use. I thought it was odd for Jeanine to have raised such a worthless granddaughter.”
The guests around the table gasped, but Elaine simply laughed.
“I
suppose I was so eager to make the most of my time with the books that I forgot to pay attention to the people. Forgive me, Your Majesty. I meant no offense.”
“And I take none.”
Gustave smiled with relief. Lady Mer raised an eyebrow at him.
“I’m glad she was simply distracted,” Gustave signed. “It’s a little hard on your pride when someone who is supposed to be trying to marry you finds you that uninteresting. I was beginning to worry that I was horribly boring.”
“That’s ridiculous. Of course you aren’t boring.”
Her smiled faded when she saw that Gustave was serious.
“Why would you think that?”
“It takes a lot of time to run a kingdom, and I spend every spare hour searching for my father. I’ve been working so much that I haven’t even practiced dancing for the gala. I’ll probably fall flat on my face tomorrow night.”
“I’m out of practice as well,” Lady Mer signed. “The last time I was at a ball, no one asked me to dance.”
She frowned at Gustave’s shocked expression.
“It’s fine. I didn’t mean-”
Gustave raised his hand to stop her.
“Lady Mer, I don’t know who you associated with before, but they were fools if they could not see your worth.”
To Gustave’s horror, Lady Mer’s eyes filled with tears. By the heavens, what abuse was she used to if such simple praise made her cry?
“What did you say to her?” Lady Annabelle said. “Why is Lady Mer crying?”
She sounded a bit too pleased by this turn of events.
“I’m sure she’s just overwhelmed,” Dowager Queen Bernadine said. “She has had a stressful day. Tomorrow will be better, dear.”
Lady Mer’s expression turned grim. Gustave couldn’t stand the sorrow in her eyes another moment.
“Will you dance with me tonight, Lady Mer? I would like to practice before the gala.”
He said it aloud instead of signing. He couldn’t make up for what had happened at the last ball she attended, but he could make sure it didn’t happen again. And he could make sure that everyone knew he found her a worthy companion.
But most of all, he wanted her to know. That seemed important somehow.
Lady Mer’s eyes widened with surprise. Then she nodded and smiled at him. Lady Annabelle scowled.
“But I’m going to sing tonight.”
“Perfect,” Dowager Queen Bernadine said. “Thomas can accompany you. We’ll need music so they can dance.”
Lady Annabelle’s expression was absolutely murderous. Gustave shared a look with Lady Mer, both of them doing their best not to laugh.
37
He wanted to dance with her. Fiora ducked her head, trying to hide both her blush and her concern at the thought of dancing. Her feet hurt so badly she could hardly stand.
But she would do it. She would do whatever she could to spend time with Gustave. She needed to.
And strangely, she wanted to.
No one had ever actually wanted to dance with her before. The men who had been forced to escort her for political reasons at various functions had always worn tight expressions and hurried away as soon as possible. They hadn’t needed to say how unappealing they found her. Their silence spoke louder than words ever could.
But Gustave had just asked her to dance. Out loud. In front of everyone.
Fiora looked down at her ring. Was it her imagination, or had the bit of color grown wider?
She swallowed the spark of hope building in her chest. This was progress, but it wasn’t enough. She would have to do better if Gustave was going to fall in love with her by tomorrow night.
She needed time alone with him. Or some kind of grand gesture to catch his attention. This was more difficult than the Princess Tests. The competition wasn’t official, and there was no schedule to follow. Even if he liked her, there was no deadline for him to decide that and declare his affection.
“Lady Mer?”
Fiora realized Gustave was speaking to her and frowned at herself. Ignoring him was not a good start. She looked up at him and smiled.
“Sorry. What did you say?”
“I asked if you would like to help Elaine and I search the gifts for enchanted objects this afternoon. I understand if you don’t feel well enough, but-”
“I’d love to.”
Fiora signed the words a little too quickly then scolded herself for appearing overeager. But this was her chance to spend time with Gustave, and she needed to make sure that he didn’t spend time alone with Elaine. What if he discovered he liked the other girl better?
“Lady Mer is coming with me first,” Dowager Queen Bernadine said. “She needs to be fit for her ball gown.”
Fiora and Gustave shared a look, deciding if it was worth arguing with the dowager queen or not.
Gustave gave a small smile, and Fiora nodded. It would be easier for all concerned to give the dowager queen her way.
Besides, she did need a ball gown. And surely Gustave wouldn’t fall in love with Elaine in the time it took to fit a dress.
At least, Fiora hoped not. She watched Gustave and Elaine hurry out of the dining room with a tightness in her throat.
“You’ll join them soon enough, Lady Mer.”
Fiora nodded and turned to follow the dowager queen. Making Gustave’s grandmother angry wouldn’t help matters. She would be as polite and charming as possible, and hopefully the fitting would not take long.
But Thomas seemed in no hurry as he pushed Dowager Queen Bernadine’s wheelchair through the castle. As much as Fiora wanted to get this over with, she was also grateful for the slower pace. She did her best not to limp, although more than once she glanced down to check if someone had lined the marble floor with knives.
It felt like they had. Fiora would not be surprised to see a trail of bloody footprints behind her, but when she looked back, she saw only pristine stone.
Thomas pushed Dowager Queen Bernadine back to the wing of the castle that held bedrooms. Fiora smiled at the portrait of young Gustave as they passed it. Her statue may be cracked and an ocean away, but the painting was fine.
As was the man the boy had grown to be.
Dowager Queen Bernadine noticed Fiora’s interest.
“He’s always been a sweet boy.”
She waited for Fiora’s answer, but Fiora didn’t know what to say to that. She simply nodded and kept walking.
They reached Dowager Queen Bernadine’s suite, and Fiora held the door while Thomas pushed the wheelchair through.
A beautiful gown the color of the moonlit sea hung in the middle of the room. Ruffles of gathered white lace formed waves on the full skirt, while diamonds and pearls on the bodice sparkled in the sunlight that streamed through the windows. A seamstress fluttered around the dress, adding a few finishing touches.
Fiora lifted her hands to say something, then let them drop again. What was there to say? It was the most beautiful gown she had ever seen. She walked closer to study the stitching. As seemed common for Montaigne dresses, the hems were decorated with embroidery rather than straight stitches. This gown had elegant gold patterns of waves and starfish.
Dowager Queen Bernadine smiled.
“This was mine a very long time ago. I had Marie rework it for you.”
Fiora’s eyes widened.
“Your Majesty, this is too generous. You can’t-”
“Don’t tell me what I can’t do, girl. That’s never worked for anyone before.”
There was a gleam in Dowager Queen Bernadine’s eyes. Almost as if she hoped that Fiora would try to refuse the gift so they could argue and see who had the strongest will.
Fiora laughed silently and shook her head in surrender. It would be much easier to win Gustave’s heart in such a beautiful gown, and making an enemy of the dowager queen would not help her cause.
“Leave us, Thomas,” Dowager Queen Bernadine said. “Lady Mer needs privacy to change.”
Thomas left, and the s
eamstress helped Fiora into the dress. She darted in and out, marking places to alter, checking the overall effect, then adding more pins.
“What shoes will the lady wear?” Marie signed, more to Dowager Queen Bernadine than Fiora.
Fiora swallowed. A dress like this was meant to be worn with beautiful shoes. The skirt had been cut long to leave room for heels. It would make attending the ball agony, but she was managing so far.
“I will wear these,” she said, pulling the skirt up a bit so they could see her feet.
“I thought you might like to wear flats,” the dowager queen said.
She gave Fiora a searching look, and Fiora scowled. Apparently she was not hiding her pain as well as she hoped. She shook her head.
“I want to wear the heels.”
She had limited weapons in this fight, and fashion was one of them. She couldn’t afford to look anything less than perfect.
“I understand you suffered an injury in your accident and have pain in your feet,” Dowager Queen Bernadine said. “I see no point in you making yourself miserable for the sake of fashion. Besides, the skirt is so full that no one will see your shoes.”
Fiora looked at her reflection in the mirror. It was true. The dress was an old-fashioned style held out with multiple petticoats that would cover her feet completely. She could go barefoot if she wanted.
Still, it was the principle of the thing that mattered. Proper ladies wore proper shoes. Fiora shook her head and prepared for a fight. The dowager queen got that stubborn look in her eyes again, then shrugged.
“Very well, if you’re sure. We’ll still need to take the hem up a bit. Will you have time to adjust it by tomorrow night, Marie?”
The seamstress nodded and began to work. She circled Fiora, studying the drape of the skirt, then knelt and began to pin the hem.
Bernadine turned her attention to supervising the seamstress and offering her opinions on the ways to gather the new hem. Fiora watched for a while, then studied the room to distract herself from the pain of standing for so long in the heels.
Dowager Queen Bernadine’s bedroom was as tastefully decorated as the rest of the castle, although a bit more cluttered than the other rooms. Mementos covered the tables, and portraits covered the walls. Fiora recognized young Gustave and Collette in many of them.
Princess of Mermaids Page 22
