The anger in his voice sent a chill down my spine and made every muscle fiber in my body clench tight out of fear. Father wasn’t the kind of person to raise his voice. He normally didn’t need to. It scared me to hear him so upset. I knew I’d stayed long enough, overheard far too much. I needed to leave before I was caught eavesdropping on what was supposed to be a closed-door meeting. Turning quickly, I scurried down the hall back toward my bedroom.
My mind was spinning with questions I had no answers to. Revolt? Mandatory military service? Sabatino’s plan to remove the Crown’s power? Mystery party guests who promised to see me again? What was going on? What had everything come to? Only a nap would calm my confusion.
Before I could stumble through my bedroom doors and flop onto the soft and cool silk sheets, I spotted a familiar face lingering in the hall just outside. The man was dressed in a bespoke suit, dazzling silver cufflinks with set emeralds sparkling at his wrists. His shoes were just as fancy, the soles bright violet—a signature look of the Oliver Smith shoe collection.
“Oliver?” I asked as I approached, breaking into a smile.
He grinned at me, standing a bit straighter before bowing slightly. “Good morning, Princess Marina.”
I wrapped my arms around him, happy to see a friendly face after all the hostile things I’d just heard. “It’s so good to see you again. Did we have an appointment that I forgot about?”
Oliver chuckled. “No, no appointment. I actually wanted to see if you had a moment to discuss a charity opportunity. I’d usually call, but I was in the area and wanted to drop in. I hear that I’m fantastic company.”
“That sounds lovely. I’ll call one of the maids to bring us some tea.”
I led Oliver into my bedroom. It was actually a suite with a large space designated as a living room, an en-suite bathroom in the corner, a walk-in closet next to the giant floor-to-ceiling windows, and a raised step platform nearer toward the back that led to my four-post mahogany bed. We sat on the couch, sprawled out amongst fluffy pillows of velvet and knitted throw blankets.
“I was surprised to see you yesterday at the ball,” I said.
“I’m sorry I didn’t get the chance to say hello. You seemed rather…” He pumped his eyebrows at me. “Preoccupied with someone.”
I unconsciously touched both my cheeks with my fingertips, feeling how warm the skin had become at the mere mention of the knight. “No one can tell me who he is. He wasn’t officially on the guest list, but he had an invite. I don’t know how he got it.”
Oliver shrugged. “Beats me.”
“Now that I think about it, how did you get in?”
He suddenly coughed, attempted to clear his throat. There was something about the shiftiness in his eyes that had me wondering if he knew more than he was letting on.
“The ball committee sent me an invite, seeing as I was your designer,” he said hurriedly.
“Ball committee? What ball committee?”
“Anyway,” he breathed. “I’m actually hoping to team up with you. Brooklandian winters are known to be incredibly cold, and there’s been a rise in homelessness these last few years. More people are going to be spending the holidays out in the streets, so I wanted to see what we could do to deliver warm clothes and blankets to the less fortunate.”
“That sounds wonderful! How can I help?”
“Well, I was hoping you’d spearhead the campaign. It’d be good press for the Crown, I think.”
I thought quietly for a moment. I really did want to help my people. It was no secret that the kingdom’s economy had stalled significantly in recent years, resulting in many layoffs. Nothing would warm my heart more than to be able to give to those most deserving. But the other half of my brain—the more logical side—was also considering the optics of such a project. I thought back to my father’s private meeting and what I’d overheard. It sounded like his most recent decisions were very unpopular with both the people and some members of parliament. Maybe a charity campaign attached to my name could help win the Crown some of its popularity back. As far as I could see, there was really no downside to agreeing to Oliver’s request.
“You know what?” I said. “I think it’s a great idea.”
Oliver clapped his hands and smiled wide. “Excellent. I can’t wait to get started. We’ve got a lot of ground to cover.”
“Maybe I’ll send for some snacks as well. Just in case we get hungry.”
His eyes brightened suddenly, a faint shade of pink coloring his cheeks. “Will, uh… Will Brandon be making them?”
I smirked. “Maybe?”
“Ah, I see. Has he, um… You don’t happen to know if he’s said anything about me, do you?”
I giggled. “Shall I call him up here so we can find out?”
“No!” he exclaimed. He chuckled anxiously. “No, that’s okay. I, uh… I wouldn’t want to disturb him. I’m sure he’s busy.”
“If you insist.” I rose from my seat. “I’ll just give the house attendant a quick list, and we can discuss things further.”
“Excellent. Sounds like a plan.”
I left my bedroom momentarily to find one of the nearest maids just a few meters down the hall. It was very rare to find the palace so empty. I had to assume that the staff were busy decorating for Christmas. After requesting that some chocolate croissants be brought to my room, I returned. Much to my surprise, Oliver was nowhere to be seen.
Looking about the space, a little red envelope sitting upon my pillow happened to catch my eye. My brows knitted together in confusion as I moved to inspect it. Written on the front in beautiful script, it read: Open me!
My normal reaction would have been to call the guards and tell them that someone had left a suspicious package for me. There was no telling what was inside. It could have been a bomb—though its size made that improbable—or it could have been full of toxic powder. As a member of the Royal Family, there was no shortage of enemies who’d wish me harm. What concerned me most was that the letter had been delivered directly to my private chambers. I tried to think logically, tried to keep calm. Was there a chance the sender was still in the room with me? Was Oliver up to something mischievous?
No, I knew Oliver well. He was a sweet, energetic soul who would never dare harm a fly. And it didn’t look like there was anybody else in my room with me.
I flipped the envelope over to find a golden wax seal stamped onto it. The crest was a simple rose, curving slightly to the left to show off its soft petals. Something about this letter intrigued me, left something electric tingling in the pit of my stomach. I held my breath—just in case there really was some sort of harmful powder within—and ripped the red envelope open.
Inside, I found a single card no bigger than my palm. On one side, someone had written a message for me. In the same script that was on the front of the envelope, it read: I look forward to kissing your lips again. On the back, it read: 13 days.
“The white knight,” I realized aloud. It had to be. We were alone on the veranda, and only we knew of the kiss we shared. But what did he mean by thirteen days? Was this some sort of countdown? And how on Earth had the knight managed to deliver his message without getting caught?
My heart was fluttering in my chest like a hummingbird, beating a thousand times in a minute. My cheeks were warm, and my ears burned hot like fire. Was this really happening?
Outside in the hall, I happened to hear Oliver’s voice drift in. I poked my head out to find him casually leaning against a wall, speaking to a blushing Brandon.
“Oliver!” I exclaimed, running to him with the message in my hand outstretched. “Look!”
Brandon looked a little annoyed that I was butting in, but I wasn’t concerned. I had more important things to worry about, and I could always argue that I was a princess and therefore took priority. Oliver took the card and looked it over, frowning in confusion.
“What is this?” he asked.
“I was going to ask you?”
He shrugged. “I have no idea, Princess Marina.”
“You were in my room, weren’t you? Didn’t you see who put it on my bed? Did a maid or guard come in at some point and drop it off?”
“I’m sorry, Princess Marina, I don’t have a clue. I left momentarily to wash my hands. I happened to run into Brandon on my way back.”
My mind was spinning. I didn’t know whether to be concerned or giddy. Judging by the little smile stretching across my lips, I was feeling more the latter than the former. I looked out of the arching window on the other side of the hall and drank in the scenery. The winter palace had been constructed on the plateau. The location was initially chosen as a strategic defense plan. Up here, you could see everyone and everything. If an enemy were ever to make a move on the Crown, the guards would see them coming well in advance. But the position above the rest of the city offered a beautiful picture of tall spirals, charming little brick houses, and a world where the past and the future collided into a beautiful kaleidoscope of colors and shapes. Somewhere out there, my knight was waiting to see me again.
Oliver’s cell phone beeped in his pocket. He checked his screen quickly only to frown. “My apologies, Princess Marina,” he said hurriedly. “I’m afraid I’ll have to reschedule my appointment with you. One of my runway models for a show in two days has decided to elope with her girlfriend, and now I need to find a replacement. I apologize for wasting your time.”
I shook my head. “No time wasted. I was glad for the company. And your project really does sound like something I’m interested in. I’ll have my people call yours.”
Oliver smiled and bowed to me, turning to quickly glance at Brandon. “I’ll see you later?” he whispered.
Brandon nodded, sheepishly looking away. I’d never seen him so bashful and bumbling before. “Um, y-yeah. Later.”
Oliver chuckled softly before turning on his heels to leave.
Brandon shuffled toward me, chewing on his bottom lip. “Did he, uh… Did he say anything about me?”
I giggled and rolled my eyes. “You two are hopeless.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
I took Brandon’s arm, clutching my knight’s message in my other hand. “Come on, let’s go for a walk and gossip. I wanted to take a turn about the gardens.” I could tell by the way the muscles in Brandon’s neck started to tense that he was about to protest, but I knew exactly what to do to shut him up. “If you’re good, I’ll give you Oliver’s phone number.”
Brandon huffed like he was annoyed with me, but he followed my lead regardless.
5
Rodrigo
Package delivered. I think she loved it.
I read and re-read Oliver’s text message again and again. There was something thrilling about playing this little game with Marina, something teasing and lighthearted. It filled my chest with a blooming anticipation to know that I’d be seeing her again, but as myself this time, not as a knight all dressed up and disguised. My heart thumped heavily against my ribcage at the thought of revealing myself. How would she react when she found out the knight was me? Would Marina be happy to see me, her long-lost friend and mystery knight? I prayed that she would. So far, everything was working so well. She hadn’t overreacted to receiving the message like I expected her to, so that was a good sign.
But sitting at the dining table with Father and Mother, I quickly realized how complicated things really were. If Marina found out who I was—and more importantly, who I was related to—would she still feel the same way about me? Could she look past the fact that I was a Sabatino, a member of the family who was trying to take her father down, and her right to her throne along with him?
Father slapped his hand down on the surface of the table. “I’m telling you, that man is on the brink of driving this nation to ruin.”
Mother pressed her lips into a thin line. “No politics at the table, dear.”
Father had apparently been dragged into an emergency meeting with the King earlier that morning. By the sounds of it, things hadn’t ended very well. He was still fuming, the vein at his temple throbbing angrily. “Our economy is tanking, employment rates are rising, and children are starving in our streets. But what does the King want to do? He wants to go to war.”
“He’s simply defending the northern border, Father,” I said calmly.
Father sneered at me. “No bullets have been fired, and no blood has been spilled, but that doesn’t mean the King doesn’t intend to start trouble. He’s gathering his forces in the north so that they’re ready to move in on his command. And the fact that he’s trying to conscript every man and woman able to fight means he intends a long campaign. Only an idiot would think the King’s doing this for the sake of his people. Wars cost a lot of money. He’s going to bleed his people dry.”
“Wars also generate a lot of money,” I countered.
“Whose side are you on, boy?”
“I’m just trying to keep a level head about things.”
Father shook his head, disappointment practically dripping off of him. He jabbed his index finger in my direction. “I’m sending you to live with your cousins in Peytre.”
Something inside me snapped. Where was this coming from? Why was I being sent away again? Why did I have to leave, especially now that I had Marina back in my life to look forward to?
“What? Why? I just got back,” I snapped.
“I’ve got friends at the University of Peytre. He can get you into their law program so that you can study to become a lawyer. Once you learn a thing or two, you can finally come home and help me destroy the monarchy.”
“But, Father, I don’t–”
“And this way, the King won’t be able to place his grubby little hands on you and force you to enlist.”
“It’s for your own protection, son,” said Mother coolly. “The Royal Family is a disease our countrymen can no longer endure.”
“A disease?” I echoed in disbelief. “They’re not like that. Marina’s the sweetest person I know.”
Father scoffed. “The monarchy’s changed since you’ve been gone. They only care about their own interests. You know nothing, and therefore should say nothing.”
Mother cleared her throat. “Enough. Dinner’s getting cold.”
I glared down at the plate sitting before me, jabbing my fork into the pile of mashed potatoes like it owed me money. Dinner tasted bland against my tongue, a weird mix of textures running along my taste buds. I couldn’t focus on how bad the food was. I was too livid to focus on anything other than Father’s vitriol. He’d become an entirely different man. Sitting across from me, he reminded me more of a stranger than a beloved father. Politics had twisted his heart into something unrecognizable. He’d always been a man for the people, but this… This was too much. Father used to collaborate, used to be open to discussion and an exchange of ideas—no matter how different from his own. But the man sitting before me was a ghost of his former self, living off of his hatred for the Crown.
It occurred to me then that they’d never approve of me and Marina. I probably wouldn’t be able to say anything to convince Father and Mother otherwise that Marina was actually a wonderful person. She probably didn’t think about me a lot while I was away, but I thought a lot about her. I kept up with the latest news surrounding her, all the charitable projects she liked to involve herself with. In a weird way, I knew her intimately, even though we’d spent a decade miles apart. She loved working with children, loved being a patron of the arts, and absolutely adored helping animals in need. She wasn’t some greedy, hateful person like my parents seemed to think she and her family were like. I didn’t know what I’d do if Father and Mother didn’t approve of us.
But I had a little under two weeks to work that out. In thirteen days, I promised to see Marina again. If everything went according to plan, I’d know the softness of her lips once more beneath fresh mistletoe.
I finished dinner in a hurry and promptly excused myself, unable to find much c
omfort in my parents’ company. I needed to make my move on Marina before they sent me away. This whole moving-me-around-like-a-chess-piece schtick was getting old really fast. She was already in my heart. Now I just needed to make sure that I was in hers.
6
Marina
Father sent me in his stead to attend the Christmas cocktail party a week later hosted downtown for the members of Parliament and their families. It was a fancy celebration with twinkling lights, red carpets, and golden champagne on every server’s platter. Father normally attended the event with Mother at his side, but he said he wanted me to have a more active role now that I was old enough to conduct myself properly. I was more than happy to take up the offer. Not only was I going to dance until my feet were sore, I was taking on more responsibilities as a princess. I thought of it as training, really. I still wasn’t one for parties, much preferring the adventure romance novel I picked up earlier that day, but a good ruler needed to be sociable, needed to understand the give and take of properly engaging conversation.
And naturally, I brought Brandon as my chaperone. It wasn’t proper for a lady of my social standing to be at a party all alone. It was his night off, anyway. Mainly because I ordered Chef Bonette to give it to him. And my team of bodyguards didn’t count. They wouldn’t stick by my side and gossip with me like Brandon did.
We’d dressed up for the occasion. I was in a simple evening gown made of sparkling silver fabric, golden embroidery flowering up the length of the dress from my right ankle up toward my left shoulder. The dress was luckily long enough to hide the fact that I was wearing a comfortable pair of basic black flats. A delicate string of pearls wrapped around my neck, perfectly complemented by the pearl pins keeping my hair in a loose up-do.
Brandon looked a little stiff in the suit he wore. It wasn’t anything too fancy, likely a hand-me-down from his father or another family member of his. I had half a mind to call Oliver to request an emergency fitting session, but I knew the designer was probably too busy dealing with his missing model situation. Maybe next time, if I wasn’t so preoccupied with my own mysterious love interest, I’d devise some way to lock Oliver and Brandon in a room for a couple of hours. They clearly had a thing for one another, but I was disappointed that neither of them had really made a move yet.
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