The Betrothed

by Kiera Cass

  Nora and Delia Grace followed in hushed awe as I pushed the heavy door open. The apartment went on and on. There were desks for writing and rooms for private meetings and, in another antechamber, a collection of armoires for my clothes.

  I felt faint, like the floors were set upon the river itself, lilting with the tides.

  “Delia Grace, will you walk me back to the bed?” I asked, holding out an arm. She came and grabbed it quickly, concern painting her face.

  “Hollis?”

  “Here.” Nora pulled back the drapes on the bed and I settled down, slowing my breathing.

  “Aren’t you happy?” Delia Grace asked. “You’re getting what every girl in the kingdom wants!”

  “Of course. It’s just . . .” I had to stop to slow my breathing. “It’s so much at once. I’m to entertain a queen, take all of these lessons, and move to new rooms? In a day?” I lamented. “They’ll be here tomorrow!”

  “We’re here to help you,” Nora offered.

  I shook my head, starting to cry. “I don’t think I want this.”

  “You need sleep,” Delia Grace said before turning to Nora. “Get her shoes.”

  “I don’t even have a nightgown,” I sniveled.

  “I’ll go and fetch one. Just stay calm.” Nora was gone in a flash, and I was left with Delia Grace, who had moved on to the task of taking off my shoes.

  There was no water in the pitcher, no fire in the hearth. Linens had been brought and candles had been lit so the room would be suitable for presentation, but the apartments weren’t quite ready to be lived in.

  “Let’s go back to my room tonight,” I murmured. “We can do this in the morning.”

  “No!” she insisted, pushing me back onto the bed. “The king will see it as a slight. You’ve been given the second-best lodgings in the entire palace, and you want to leave them for a handful of personal items? Have you lost your senses completely?”

  I knew she was right, but it felt like I’d gone from spinning out of Delia Grace’s hands to the right hand of the throne overnight, and I did not know how to handle it.

  I lay on my side as Delia Grace made short work of loosening my dress. Within a few minutes, Nora was back with a nightgown, robe, and slippers. She also had my brush and a small vase.

  “I thought you’d appreciate seeing something of yours in here,” she said. “Shall I put it on the vanity?”

  I gave a small nod, managing to get out a smile as she set it in place. Delia Grace sat me up as Nora pulled back the curtain to see into the antechamber. “Space for four or five, I think, should you want to go ahead and choose your ladies.”

  “If it goes beyond the two of you, you can choose. But not today.”

  “Nora, see if you can find some maids,” Delia Grace commanded. “I’m going to get her in bed and get the trimmings—firewood, flowers.”

  “Should we go back to her room and move some more of her belongings?”

  “The king said he’d do it in the morning. It can keep until then.”

  They planned around me, like I wasn’t even there, like this wasn’t all happening for and because of me. And because I couldn’t bear to think of anything more for the day, I let them. The drapes were closed around my bed, making for a cozy and quiet space, but it didn’t entirely block out the sound of them moving around the apartments or the maids building a fire.

  I didn’t go to sleep. But I heard when Delia Grace and Nora finally did. And that was when I found my shoes and quietly slipped out of the room.

  Thirteen

  BY THIS POINT IN THE night, I knew the moon would be shining through the stained-glass windows of the Great Room. I passed corners where couples whispered and giggled, and I was bowed to by guards and servants working at even this late hour.

  In the Great Room, the fire from the wide hearth was down to glowing embers, and a lone servant was stoking it, getting the last bits of heat where he could. I stood in the middle of the archway, looking at the explosion of color on the floor. Nothing, of course, could match the way the colors danced in the roaring light of day, but there was something other, something almost sacred about the way they fell by moonlight. Still the same designs, the same patterns, and yet quieter, more deliberate.

  “Is that you, Lady Hollis?”

  I turned. The person I’d thought was a servant at the fire was actually Silas Eastoffe.

  Of course he was here. In the moment when I was wondering if it would be worth abandoning my king, I ran into someone who’d done something similar to his. And who could say which of us was a better criminal?

  He might be the worst person I could have come upon. Not just because he too had been tempted to the life of a traitor—tempted and succumbed—but because there was something about those blue eyes that made me think . . . I couldn’t even say what they made me think.

  I tried to look dignified, as if my night robe was the same as a gown in my eyes. It was difficult under the weight of his stare. “Yes. What are you doing up at such an hour?”

  He smiled. “I could ask the same of you.”

  I stood taller. “I asked first.”

  “You really are going to be queen, aren’t you?” he said in a teasing tone. “If you must know, someone thought it would be a good idea to make two matching pieces of metalwork for two great kings in a single day . . . Sullivan and I only stopped working about twenty minutes ago.”

  I bit my lip, my attempts at being aloof vanishing before my guilt. “I’m so sorry. When I said that, the date of the visit had completely slipped my mind. It’s taken me by surprise as well.”

  “Has it? My mother said you were quite a willing student today.” He crossed his arms and leaned sideways against the wall, as if this were an everyday meeting, as if he knew me so well.

  “Willing, yes, but good? That remains to be seen.” I pulled my robe a little tighter. “I’ve never been the brightest of the girls at court. If I ever forget that fact, Delia Grace reminds me. Or my parents. But your mother and Scarlet were quite patient with me today. I may need them to come by again tomorrow. I mean, today, I suppose.”

  “I can tell them if you like.”

  “You’ll also have to tell them I’ve moved.”

  “Moved? In a day?”

  “In an hour.” I brushed my hair back and swallowed, trying not to sound as irritated as I felt. “King Jameson moved me into the queen’s apartments tonight. I don’t think my parents even know about it yet. I have no idea how the privy council is going to take it once the news becomes public.” I rubbed at my forehead, trying to smooth the wrinkles of worry away. “He wanted me to look the part before King Quinten arrives. I have jewels coming. He mentioned some new dresses. And suddenly, I have new rooms. . . . It’s all a bit much,” I confessed.

  “Isn’t this what you want, though? You will be the best kept woman in the kingdom.”

  I sighed. “I know. So I’m not sure what . . .” I paused. I was telling this boy far too much. He was a stranger and a foreigner. Who was he to ask about my life? But in that same moment, I realized I’d rather talk to him about my troubles than anyone else, even the people who were truly meant to know everything about me. “I suppose it’s not the gifts I’m receiving, but the pace at which they’re coming. You’re quite right, I have everything I could ask for and more.”

  His smile didn’t seem as genuine as it had before. “Good.”

  I could sense an ending coming that I wasn’t prepared for, so I quickly changed the subject. “How are you settling in? Are you enjoying Coroa so far?”

  He smiled. “I knew the food would be different, and the air would smell different, and that the laws are different. It’s just, in the past, when I’ve visited, I’ve always known I was going home. I don’t mean to seem ungrateful. I’m thankful His Majesty let us stay for more reasons than I can even list. But there are times I’m sad, knowing I won’t ever see Isolte again.”

  I bent my head down and softened my tone, coaxing him to be mo
re positive. “Surely you’ll go back to visit. You have family there still, yes?”

  He gave me a very thin smile. “I do. And I’ll miss them. But when we see King Quinten tomorrow, I hope, with all of my heart, it will be the last time I ever lay eyes on that man.”

  Something about his words sent a chill through me, and I realized they were strangely similar to what Jameson had said.

  “If he’s so awful, then I shall wish for that myself. And for your family’s happiness for as long as you live in Coroa.”

  “Thank you, my lady. You are the gem everyone says you are.”

  I wanted to tell him that, to my knowledge, no one but Jameson thought I was a gem. But it was such a kind thing to say, I didn’t want to spoil it.

  He tucked a loose strand of hair behind his ear. The rest of it was tied back with a cord, and I realized that must have been the piece that Jameson cut, and now Silas was left with a section of hair that would not obey. I also realized now that when the sword was brought near Silas’s face, he did not flinch.

  “I guess I’ll be on my way, then,” he said. “Don’t want to keep you.”

  “What were you doing here, by the way?” I threw out quickly. I wasn’t ready for him to leave, not just yet. “It’s quite a distance from your corner of the castle.”

  He pointed up. “Like I said, we’re great thinkers in Isolte, but not great creators. The art here, the architecture . . . there’s something about it. I’d describe it if I could, but I don’t have the words.” He looked back to the windows. “I like watching the light in the glass. It’s . . . calming.”

  “It is, isn’t it? All the light cast down looks broken, but if you look up, you can see there was a plan all along.”

  He nodded. “And you say you’re no student. I admire how you think, Lady Hollis.” He bowed. “I’ll tell my mother to come see you after breakfast. We’ll probably need Scarlet to stay and help us finish the pieces.”

  “I really am sorry.”

  He shrugged, his expression easy again. “It was a good idea. Especially given the kings’ tumultuous past. But could you give me some more notice next time you have a stroke of brilliance? A boy can only do so much.”

  I giggled. Without thinking, I reached out to reassure him, taking his hand. “I promise.”

  Caught off guard, he looked down, staring at our hands. But he didn’t rush to pull his away. And neither did I.

  “Thank you, my lady,” he whispered, nodding quickly before vanishing into the corridors of the castle. I watched until he became another shadow of Keresken, blending into the night. And then I looked down at my hand, stretching out my fingers as if I could remove the warm feeling in them.

  Shaking my head, I brushed the sensation away. Whatever had just happened, it was the least of my concerns right now. I turned back, looking at the explosion of color on the floor.

  If I wanted to, I could walk across the room and knock on the door to Jameson’s apartments. I could tell a guard I needed to speak with the king, urgently. I could tell him how I needed more time, how, as someone not born to the position, I was struggling to keep up.

  But.

  I looked across the Great Room, considering. I cared for Jameson. I really did. That alone made me want to try harder, to look like I could handle it all, even if I wasn’t quite there yet.

  The love of a king could drive one to attempt anything. And there was nothing as intoxicating as being adored by him, and by the people who adored me for his sake. Tomorrow, I would have the privilege of telling my parents about my new rooms. I would get to see the lords as they conceded to Jameson’s desires, knowing that I had been raised not only above every girl in the kingdom, but also above every available princess on the continent. I would, very soon, be queen.

  I gazed up at the window one last time, then walked back to my new rooms. It was a bit of a thrill, walking up the stairs to a room that wasn’t just made for royalty, but was also a space independent from my parents. That alone was something to be grateful for. And all those things combined made me ready for anything.

  Fourteen

  THE FOLLOWING MORNING WAS A bustle of activity as all of my worldly goods were brought up to my new rooms. Amid the chaos, a page arrived carrying a box. He was flanked by two guards who watched as he carefully placed the box on a table. Nora and Delia Grace exchanged a confused look as I gave the page a nod saying he could open it. I thoroughly enjoyed the collective gasp from the girls as they took in the blinding sparkle of the rose-colored necklace.

  “My goodness, Hollis!” Delia Grace said, coming to peer over the edge of the box but not daring to touch it.

  “This was what was happening that day in the king’s chambers. He was letting me choose something for today.”

  “You did a spectacular job,” Nora commented.

  “I know that necklace,” Delia Grace said, awestruck. “That was made for Queen Albrade herself, Hollis. That was made for a warrior.”

  I smiled, thinking I could use something made for going into war. I was reaching over to pick up the necklace when another page carrying a box walked in. “Forgive me, Lady Hollis,” he said. “His Majesty thought this would go well with your necklace.”

  He didn’t wait for instructions to open his package, presumably acting on the king’s orders to shock me. I reached over, clutching Delia Grace’s hand when I took in the headpiece that Jameson had picked out. It was breathtaking, tipped with the same gemstones as the necklace, fanning out like the sun bursting over the horizon.

  Like the sun. He’d chosen this with care.

  “Help me, ladies. It won’t do if we’re late.” I sat down at my vanity as Delia Grace took the headpiece and Nora carried the necklace.

  “You will be exhausted by noon! It’s so heavy.” Nora set the clasp, and once the weight of it was fully on me, I thought she might be right. But, tired or not, I wouldn’t take this thing off my neck until sunset.

  “Here,” Delia Grace said, setting the headpiece in my hair and securing it with a few extra pins.

  I sat at the vanity, looking at myself. I’d never felt so beautiful. I wasn’t sure if I looked like myself, but I couldn’t deny that I looked like royalty.

  I swallowed. “I’m counting on you to rescue me if you catch me about to do anything foolish. I have to be poised and beautiful so King Quinten doesn’t have anything to critique.”

  Nora brought her face next to mine, meeting my gaze in the mirror. “I promise.”

  “Obviously,” Delia Grace added.

  I nodded. “Then let’s go.”

  I kept my hands gracefully clasped in front of me as we took the short walk from the queen’s apartments to the Great Room. I could feel myself growing more and more confident with every gasp and bowed head we passed. I could see in their eyes that my goal had been met: with my best gold dress, and the headpiece Jameson had chosen, I looked like a radiant queen.

  Toward the head of the room, the Eastoffes waited, front and center as Jameson had requested. Lady Eastoffe gave me a warm smile, mouthing the word beautiful and touching her hand to her heart. Beside her, Silas stumbled as he went to bow, trying to keep his eyes on both the floor and me. I suppressed a smile, then worked to give myself a steadier expression as I continued up to Jameson.

  His mouth hung slightly open and it took him a moment to remember to extend his hand to receive me.

  “Goodness, Hollis. I forgot how to breathe.” He shook his head, staring at me as I blushed. “For all of my life, I shall never forget you in this moment: a rising queen and a rising sun.”

  “Thank you, Your Majesty. But you must take some of the credit. This is beautiful,” I said, touching the headpiece. “I love it.”

  He shook his head. “I’m glad you enjoy the jewels, but I assure you, there isn’t another woman in this room who could have done them justice.”

  We were still staring into one another’s eyes when the fanfares sounded in the distance, announcing King Quinten was near.
Jameson signaled for the musicians to be ready, and I moved my gaze to Delia Grace, who motioned for me to straighten my necklace, centering the largest jewel.

  By the time King Quinten and his party arrived, we were prepared, looking like a painting as he walked down the red woven carpet laid up the center of the great hall. I’d last seen him when he came for Queen Ramira’s funeral, and I desperately wished I’d taken note of him then. All I remembered was that my black dress was scratching my arm, and I spent the majority of the service trying to fix the sleeve. But that didn’t matter, as I felt I knew him now; he was everything Lady Eastoffe had told me.

  His hair was thinning and though there were hints of yellow to it, most of it was gray. He walked with the assistance of a cane, his shoulders slightly hunched, and I wondered if part of the difficulty was the weight of so much fabric. But it was his expression that chilled me: as I looked into his eyes, I felt my heart go cold. There was something about him, as if he had both everything and nothing to lose, and the power accompanying those notions made him fearsome to behold.

  I looked away as quickly as I could, training my eyes on Queen Valentina. She truly wasn’t much older than me, and that made the gap between her and King Quinten very great indeed. She smiled without showing teeth and kept her right hand settled protectively on her stomach.

  On the king’s other side, Prince Hadrian was unmistakable. Yes, most Isoltens looked like they needed to see the sun, but he was closer to a ghost. I, too, wondered if he might be one soon. He kept his lips pressed tight as if to hide the effort all this movement was taking, but the line of sweat across his brow was obvious. That man ought to be in bed.

  With these three before me, I realized I should have no fear. Coroa may have been a much smaller country than Isolte, but our king was far greater.