by Kiera Cass
“She’s right,” Delia Grace agreed reluctantly. “Maybe we should have something altered. The Isoltens do wear different sleeves.”
“I would knock over every single goblet on the table,” I commented with a laugh, which she joined in with rather quickly.
“And look like a jester,” she added.
I shook my head. “I just want to seem regal. I want to look like I belong beside Jameson.”
“I think you need to stick with your signature gold,” Delia Grace insisted. “And then, for the tournament, the rose dress will look nice in the sun.”
Nora agreed. “Rose looks lovely against your skin. And Delia Grace and I can see what we own that will look best behind you. I promise we won’t distract.”
Delia Grace was visibly inhaling slowly through her nose, not looking pleased to have someone speak for her. “I think anything in a cream color will look nice. Or the obvious Coroan red. Whatever you’d like, my lady.”
Some of the anger had passed. But not all of it.
Delia Grace went to answer the knock at the door, and I trailed behind her, knowing it would be Lady Eastoffe. She entered quickly, followed by her daughter, and they both sank into curtsies.
“My Lady Hollis, please allow me to introduce my daughter, Scarlet.”
“Very nice to formally meet you both. Please come in.”
She clasped her hands together as she walked. “Where would you like to start?”
I sighed. “I’m not entirely sure. I . . . I’m not the best pupil, but I just need to learn enough about Isolte to not look like an absolute fool.”
Lady Eastoffe’s face was equal parts sweet and serious as she weighed her words. “Every woman in your position has had a moment like this, when their era, so to speak, began. We will do everything we can to help you shine.”
My shoulders slumped as she broke the tension I’d been carrying ever since I’d woken up this morning. “Thank you.” I held my hand out, gesturing that they should settle in at my table.
Lady Eastoffe took the seat closest to me. “We have very little time, so we need to get to the important things first. I need to tell you about King Quinten,” she said, looking grave as I took my place. “He is a dangerous man. You may already know that the line of the Pardus family is almost as old as the Barclay family.”
I nodded, though I was only sort of aware of that fact. Jameson was the seventh descendant from King Estus, and no one on the continent could boast a direct line as long as the Coroans’. That I knew.
“Like all countries, we have had good kings and bad ones, but there is something . . . dark about King Quinten. He has always been hungry for power, wielding it as carelessly as a child. But fear has made him worse with age, and now he’s old and paranoid. His first wife, Queen Vera, miscarried several times and has been in the grave for six years now. Prince Hadrian is his only living child, and he is of a sickly disposition. King Quinten recently married a very young woman in hopes of producing more heirs—”
“Valentina?”
“Valentina,” she confirmed. “But so far, it’s been fruitless. All of his hopes now rest on Prince Hadrian—who I’ve heard some princess is reluctantly marrying next year. The poor boy looks as if he could die at any moment.”
“Is he really so ill?” I asked. Lady Eastoffe made a face at her daughter, who answered for them.
“He’s managed to live this long, so who can tell?” Scarlet hedged. “Perhaps he was just meant to be a pale shade of green.”
I allowed that comment a little smile before flopping back in my chair. “So your king is worried because his line may end with either himself or his son?”
“Yes,” Lady Eastoffe replied.
“And there is no one to pick it up and maintain peace?”
She hesitated. “He tends to eliminate those who could usurp him.”
“Oh . . . So . . . I don’t think I understand. What good does that do him?”
“None as far as anyone with any sort of reason can see,” Scarlet answered quickly. “But, as we said, fear has made him mad, and the best anyone can do is steer clear at this point.”
Lady Eastoffe continued. “Of course you should obey your king. Shine, be the best you can be. But also stay away from King Quinten if you can.”
I nodded. “What of Valentina?”
“I’m sorry to say that we don’t know her well,” Scarlet began, sharing a concerned glance with her mother. “Few people do. But she’s young, like us, so if you can keep her entertained, that might get you on her good side.”
I turned to Nora and Delia Grace. “Entertaining is generally my strong suit. But I’m not sure how to do that without knowing her interests.”
Nora sighed. “Perhaps we can take her to the town, show her some of the shops?”
“Good. Yes. And we will think of more,” I promised Lady Eastoffe.
“And I will continue to think,” Scarlet added. “If I remember anything, I’ll make sure to tell you. And since plenty of courtiers will come with the king, we can ask some of them when they arrive if they have any ideas.”
I sighed in relief. “Thank you. I’ve been told my whole life that Isoltens were more like stones than people. It seems I was misinformed.”
Lady Eastoffe smiled conspiratorially. “Maybe wait until you meet the king before you change your mind completely.”
I laughed easily, and she and Scarlet joined in. I was grateful that if I had questions over the visit, I had someone I could go to.
“I admire you,” Lady Eastoffe admitted. “So young and so brave.”
I made a face. “Brave?”
“It’s no small thing to become queen. Even Valentina I admire for it, regardless of how I might feel about her otherwise.”
I swallowed. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous.”
“Which is natural. But you are already doing the best thing any of us could: you’re encouraging your king to favor peace.” She shook her head. “No one could do more.”
I nodded, looking down at my hands. Her words were generous, but that didn’t stop me from worrying that I would be the weak link in the chain, causing chaos to break out at any moment.
“King Jameson seems quite taken by you,” Scarlet offered. “How did you manage to catch his eye?”
I saw Delia Grace place a hand on her hip, her smirk saying everything.
“It was mostly chance,” I replied. “The king had been flirting with a few girls at court, though it was clear to most everyone that they weren’t serious. His father had been in the grave about a year and a half at that point. His mother passed maybe three months after King Marcellus.”
“Yes,” Lady Eastoffe said. “My husband and I came to both funerals.”
I noted that curiously. They must have been a very high-ranking family to accompany King Quinten on so many international trips.
“Delia Grace and I, we were dancing together one night in the Great Room. We were holding one another by the wrists, spinning and spinning like tops, when we lost our grip and fell backward. Delia Grace fell into the arms of some other ladies, and I fell into Jameson’s.”
I had to laugh for a moment. It was a bit ridiculous that this was how I’d won Jameson’s heart.
Lady Eastoffe sighed, and Scarlet rested her head on her chin, taken in by the tale.
“I was so overcome with the hilarity of the moment, I was laughing, blissfully unaware of who was holding me. By the time I stood up to thank him, he was laughing, too. Everyone said it was the first time they’d heard him laugh since his parents died, and I’ve been living to make him smile ever since. I think everyone thought he’d move on eventually—”
“Not everyone,” Delia Grace reminded me.
“Almost everyone,” Nora chimed in with a wink.
I smirked at that before turning to Delia Grace. “Well, you’ve always had more confidence in me than I ever have. But it really was all chance. Had it been another quarter turn, we’d have both land
ed on our bottoms. Another half turn, and I’d have been on the floor, and Delia Grace would be hosting you today while I faithfully served her.”
Nora nodded, then spoke again. “Well, if she’d have us.”
She had a fair point, and it made me laugh yet again. Even Delia Grace had an amused little grin on her face. “I suppose I’d be lucky to have you both,” she teased.
“It’s good you have a close group of friends,” Lady Eastoffe said. “It’s wise to know exactly who you can trust. Why, even Queen Valentina only keeps one lady.”
“Really? I might have to ask her about that. I’d prefer to keep my household small. I mean, when the time comes.”
Lady Eastoffe grimaced. “You might have to wait awhile to speak to her at all.”
“Why?”
“Protocol. Only the head of house speaks first. As you are not married, your parents should introduce you, but the king may bypass them and do it himself. Either is fine. But typically the higher-ranked person speaks first, and if that doesn’t happen . . .” There was a long pause. Was I not going to speak to this woman at all? “If you have any doubts, treat Quinten and Valentina like they’re superior in every situation. Even if they’re not, they’ll appreciate the flattery and be more likely to respond kindly.”
“Right. What about meals? I’ve been sitting on the king’s right, but I’m assuming that will go to King Quinten now. Should I try to—”
Without knocking, my parents barged in, my father holding several books and scrolls in his hands.
“You can go,” my mother said briskly to Lady Eastoffe.
“Mother, Father. Lady Eastoffe is my guest. Please show her—”
“The king gave me a job,” my father interrupted. “Are you suggesting I ignore it?”
Lady Eastoffe smiled and rose from her seat. “Call on me anytime, Lady Hollis. If we think of anything else concerning the queen, we’ll send word. A pleasure, Lord Brite. Lady Brite.”
My father shoved my flowers aside, rolling out a map. “Sit. We have a lot to discuss. Great Perine is on the edge of civil war, and I don’t even know where to begin with Mooreland.”
I sighed, looking at the mud-colored maps. It wouldn’t have mattered who was teaching me; about twenty minutes in, and my mind was already full to the brim. Between protocol and current affairs, there wasn’t space for anything else. And what was worse was that I was nowhere close to knowing everything I needed to for tomorrow.
Eleven
AFTER MY PARENTS LEFT, NORA and Delia Grace spent the rest of the day testing me on what I’d learned thus far. For every answer I got right, I got to take a bite of pie, so, naturally, I was starving by dinnertime.
As we walked to the Great Room, Nora whispered over my shoulder. “Try not to look so glum. This is a great honor.”
“I can’t help it. I’m never going to be able to get all this right, not this fast.”
Delia Grace leaned in. “She’s right. Smile. None of this matters as much as you keeping Jameson happy.”
I sighed, pulling myself up taller as we entered to bows and polite smiles. Jameson was, as always, delighted to see me. I thought of his words when he’d taken me back to the jewel room. He’d said himself that all he wanted me to be was exactly who I was. How was I supposed to balance that with the things everyone else expected me to be? Surely if I failed him in front of a not-quite-enemy, his affections would fade.
Part of me wondered if that wasn’t such a bad thing.
I shook my head, trying to get myself together. Only an idiot would pass up a king.
“My own heart,” Jameson greeted me, kissing my cheek in front of the entire court. “How has your day gone?”
“I’m just going to hope that King Quinten’s hearing is starting to fade so he won’t know how little I’ve remembered from my lessons.”
Jameson laughed at that, and I wished I could laugh myself.
“Oh, I suppose you’re right to have a healthy fear of Quinten. Growing up, I did myself. Had to get over it when I took the crown,” he said casually, reaching for his cup.
“What did you, of all people, have to fear? You’re the king.”
He made a face. “Well, I wasn’t when we met. He’s looked like a villain from an old tale since the first time I laid eyes on him. As I got to see him in action, I’ve realized that villain might be too kind a word.”
“Gracious.” I had quite suddenly lost my appetite. “What has he done that made you think that?”
Jameson didn’t say anything straightaway, looking as if he had a hard time choosing his words. “It’s not any one thing. It’s everything. He acts as if the world has caused him some great offense, and he spends his waking hours trying to get his revenge.”
“On what? On who?”
Jameson lifted his cup to me as if I’d made a great point. “No one can ever be sure, my darling Hollis. My father spent his days prepared to make war with Quinten, and if it hadn’t been for my mother, they’d have battled more often than they already did. But if I must go to war, I want there to be clear gain behind it; none of these silly squabbles. I’m sure a time will come when I go after Quinten for a very good reason, but until then, I will strive for peace.”
I smiled at him in complete adoration. “You are a wonderful king. From the bottom of my heart, I mean that.”
He reached for my hand, taking it in both of his and kissing it with fervor. “I know you do,” he whispered. “And I have no doubt that you will make for a remarkable queen.”
The word still sent my heart racing. It was going to be an unimaginable thing, the day I was given a crown.
“That reminds me,” he said, “I have a surprise for you.”
I looked at Jameson pointedly. “I swear, if you’ve invited some king or another to join tomorrow’s festivities and I have to learn a whole other set of protocol tonight, I will go back and jump in the river. I’ll stay there this time, I mean it!”
He laughed and laughed, and I couldn’t tell if he enjoyed seeing me under pressure or if I was just very good at fooling him. “No, it’s nothing like that. Just something to help you. But,” he said, looking back to Nora and Delia Grace, “I think I will need some assistance.”
Then he held up his napkin.
Twelve
“DON’T YOU DARE PEEK,” JAMESON insisted, holding the cloth tightly around my eyes.
I giggled. “So long as you promise not to let me fall!”
“Don’t worry,” Delia Grace whispered, holding my hand. “I’ll keep a lookout for you. As always.”
I gripped her hand a little tighter as we made our way up a curving set of stairs, thankful that, despite our recent ups and downs, I could still count on her.
“Your Majesty, where in the world are you taking me?”
“Just a few more steps,” he sang into my ear, his breath tickling my neck. “Nora, could you please get the door?”
I heard her sigh—a hushed sound of awe—and felt Delia Grace pause, gripping my hand. I reached my hand higher up Jameson’s coat, taking in a handful of velvet as I held on tightly, hoping not to fall.
“All right, Hollis. Step this way.” Delia Grace reached around, positioning me, taking a while before she was content.
With a swift flick of his hand, Jameson sent the fabric flying. The first thing I saw was him. I had turned to see his expression, hoping to find him glowing with contentment. And he absolutely was.
Oh, those sparkling honey-brown eyes that made the stars jealous. Even at the end of a horrible day, just being able to look up at that smile and know I put it there was enough to make it all better.
The second thing I saw was exactly where I was standing. I took in the Queen’s Chambers and my heart very nearly stopped beating. “The last four queens of Coroa have slept in these rooms. Seeing as you will be receiving Queen Valentina and her company tomorrow, it’s only proper they belong to you.”
“Your Majesty,” I whispered. “No.”
“Maybe if you can look at the river you won’t feel the need to go jump in it again,” he commented casually, ushering me over to the window. The moon was low in the sky, fat and full. It was shimmering off the river in the distance and casting light upon the city. I remembered the view Delia Grace and I’d had of the Colvard River one night in empty apartments a floor or two higher than this. We snuck up with a bottle of mead and very thick shawls, talking and waiting for the sun to rise. When it did, the river reflected it back, and it was as if the entire city was covered in gold. I remembered thinking there was no possible way another room in the castle could match it. I was wrong.
“I’ve had new linens put in, of course,” Jameson said, walking me in. “And these rugs on the walls are new, too. I thought they might help with the draft.”
My heart was skipping beats left and right, trying desperately to keep up. I leaned into him. “Your Majesty . . . I am not queen.”
He smiled again, so pleased with himself. “But you will be.” He kissed my hand. “I am simply bestowing upon you what is rightfully yours . . . a few months ahead of schedule.”
I could hardly catch my breath. “You are far too good to me, Your Majesty.”
“This is nothing,” he whispered. “When you are queen, you shall be drowning in jewels and gifts and praise until death. And I suspect for many years after,” he added with a wink. “Look around the room. Settle in. My men will be moving all your things in the morning before Quinten arrives.”
I was still quite stunned. I was to live in the queen’s apartments. They were mine.
“It seems silly to tell the sun good night, but I do it anyway. Good night, Lady Hollis. I’ll see you in the morning.”
The second the doors closed, Nora and Delia Grace shared their first moment of true camaraderie. They clasped each other’s hands, jumping and squealing as if the apartments had been gifted to them.
“Can you believe this?” Delia Grace exclaimed. She grabbed my hands and pulled me back from the entry space, where the queen received her guests, to the bedroom proper. To the right of the large four-poster bed was the sweeping window that looked down upon the city and the river, and to the left along the wall was a passage to an antechamber. I knew from my few visits to the queen’s rooms that her ladies slept in that space. But along the wall behind the bed, there was another door, one I’d never been through.
