by Kiera Cass
He shook his head. “I know that boy was trying to do something clever, but he ended up causing a big mess.”
“This is so ridiculous! Whatever the color, wasn’t this meant to be entertainment? A diversion?”
“Yes, of course, but—”
“And doesn’t one person desperately seeking middle ground set a great example of something we should all aspire to? Why does everything have to be a competition?”
“Hollis!”
Jameson had never raised his voice to me before. I was stunned into silence.
“You don’t have to worry about this. You don’t have to think so hard. All you need to do is show Coroa how good a queen you can be. And upstage that girl of Quinten’s.”
I swallowed. “Surely considering how to better our relationship with the largest country on the continent is part of being a good queen.”
“I’ll do that, Hollis.” He shook his head. “That foolish boy. Let’s hope this can be undone.” He kissed my hand and went on his way.
I was left feeling small. Jameson had never been unhappy with me before. He’d never corrected me before. Then again, I’d never really shared my opinion before. Was . . . was Etan right? Was I an ornament?
I couldn’t bring myself to believe that. If I was to join a long line of magnificent queens, shouldn’t I be following in their footsteps? The footsteps that led to the homes of the poor? The footsteps that led to a battlefield?
I’d spent so much time being afraid of measuring up to them. Now the thought of not even trying to come close was unimaginable.
I marched over to where the competitors were milling about, hoping I’d be able to find a particular family in the mass of people. I pushed through the crowds until I, unfortunately, saw a familiar face.
“Etan!” I called.
He turned, and I waved, trying to get his attention. He tipped his head in acknowledgment.
“Where’s Silas?”
Sighing, he walked over and grabbed me from the swarm. “Do you not have eyes?”
“I’m not as tall as you. Is he all right?”
“Yes, Uncle Dashiell tucked him away near the tree line while things calmed down, and most everyone is going in the opposite direction now. Here, this way.”
I followed as best I could, trying to keep up with his long strides. We finally came upon them, Silas sitting on a barrel, talking to his parents with a bewildered expression on his face. Once he saw me, he stood and began attempting to atone for his mistakes immediately.
“Lady Hollis, I’m so sorry. You have to apologize to the king for me.”
“Slow down,” I insisted.
He took my hands, pleading. “If King Jameson revokes our permit to settle because of me . . . Hollis, my family.”
His hands were rough, but those blue eyes were so gentle.
“I know.” I sighed. “Please tell me you finished making the pieces I mentioned when we first heard about the king coming to visit.”
He nodded. “We stayed up late to make sure they were done before he came, but no one gave us instructions on when to present them.”
“Perfect,” I said. “I need to get a letter to Queen Valentina.”
Seventeen
I STOOD STILL AS DELIA Grace repeatedly laced the gown, trying to get it to sit right. “This is so strange,” she said. “How do your arms feel?”
“Heavy,” I admitted.
Delia Grace went back to the parcel and pulled out one more thing. “For your head. We can use something of yours if you prefer.”
Valentina’s things were quite beautiful. The craftsmanship was not nearly so detailed as the work done in Coroa, but the gemstones were bigger, more substantial.
“If she sent it, I will wear it.”
I walked around my apartments carrying books and acclimating to the weight of the sleeves and headpiece. In the middle of my seventh lap, Silas and Sullivan came in, dressed in their best and carrying their work on black pillows.
Sullivan fell behind his brother, taking in Nora and Delia Grace with trepidation. Though I longed to speak to Silas, I went to his brother first.
“These ladies are all my friends,” I said, placing a hand on his arm. “And tonight, you needn’t say a word. Only lift the pillow so King Jameson may take your gift.”
He nodded, giving me the tiniest of smiles.
“And what are you smirking about?” I asked, turning to Silas.
“Nothing. It’s just amazing to see you in Isolten blue. You could almost pass for a girl back home.”
“If I grew an inch or two and spent less time in the sun, perhaps?”
“Perhaps,” he replied, and then lowered his voice. “I don’t know if this will mend anything, Lady Hollis.”
“I know,” I answered, fidgeting with my heavy clothes. “But we need to try.”
After a quick knock, Valentina walked in, her single lady-in-waiting behind her. I had chosen the palest red dress I could find for her, almost bordering on pink, and as I’d hoped, it worked nicely with her skin.
“What do you think, my lady?” she asked.
“I think you should keep it. It looks far better on you than it ever has on me.”
She smiled, loving the praise. Valentina was a new person when she smiled.
“My arms feel so free,” she said, lifting them above her head.
“Can you please tell me why it is that the ladies in Isolte wear so much fabric on their sleeves?” I asked in exasperation.
She laughed. “One, it’s a sign of status. It says you have the means to afford the extra fabric, and that you don’t have to work with your hands. Ladies in the country don’t wear them, or at least, not so long. And two, they keep you warm. It’s much cooler in Isolte.”
“Ahh,” I said. It made sense, though it wasn’t a practice I was planning to adopt, whether I could afford it or not.
“When she smiles, you two could pass for sisters,” Delia Grace whispered beside me.
When we met, I’d been too nervous to think about anything more than making a good first impression, but she was right. Between our hair and the angle of our chins, we could pass for relatives at least.
“I was told dinner began fifteen minutes ago, so everyone should be seated,” she offered. “I am ready when you are.”
“Excellent. Delia Grace, Nora, if you will please take the queen’s lady with you now so you can all be seated.” They obeyed, and the very confused woman walked with them out of the room. “Sullivan, if you will please walk behind Queen Valentina, and Silas, please stay with me.”
He nodded. “Of course, my lady.” Then he lowered his voice. “It may be easier for my brother if he is with you.”
I ducked my eyes before summoning the courage to answer. “But I need you with me. Please?”
He stared back at me for a long moment, as if he wanted to say something in return. In the end, he simply nodded and our little party exited the room.
The hallways were all but empty—everyone wanted to attend the feast if only for the lavish meal.
“What are the chances your king is still mad?” I asked Valentina.
“High. He doesn’t forget much.”
“Do you think this will do anything?”
She considered. “Your king seems more reasonable than most, so having him back in good spirits will help. And I think if those beneath us can see our behavior, they will try to model it. A lamb will only go where its shepherd takes it.”
“A very good point, Your Majesty.” I looked up at Valentina. She really was quite pretty, with hair almost the shade of mine but skin closer to milk than honey. And she was so statuesque that even in my highest heeled shoes I didn’t quite come up to her height. “Thank you so much for agreeing to do this. I realize I misspoke when we met, and it got everything off to a bad start. I didn’t mean to offend you, and I’m so grateful to have your help.”
She brushed her hand lazily at me. “You didn’t offend me. Sometimes it’s easier, you k
now? To just be silent.”
I giggled. “Silence is not a skill of mine.”
She pressed her lips together, seeming to already have gathered that much about me. “A few years with a crown on your head might change that.”
I wanted to ask what she meant by that, but we were already at the entrance of the Great Room. A knot of dread settled in my stomach, and I feared that, just like Silas, we would mean well but make things worse. Valentina must have sensed my trepidation, because she reached out, and we entered the hall holding one another’s hands.
No one noticed us at first, but I heard gasps and whispers as whole sections of the room fell into a hush to see what would happen when we reached the head table. Once the change in sound reached Jameson’s ear, he looked up, eyes going straight down the center walkway. I watched as his eyes settled on the red dress, a smile almost spreading across his face before he realized the girl in it wasn’t me. His eyes flicked immediately to her right, and his mouth hung slightly open as he took me in.
He spoke quietly to King Quinten, who eventually looked up from his food, grumpy as ever. Thankfully, the sight of his wife in Coroan red and me in Isolten blue was enough to stun him into silence.
We approached the dais and curtsied before them, and, as Valentina held the higher rank, she spoke first.
“Your Majesties. We come here tonight to appeal for peace between our two great kingdoms,” she said.
“While the missteps of your people may be great, you are both better than your subjects, and we look to you for guidance.”
“I wear red, because I have made a friend in Coroa.”
“And I wear blue, because I have made yet another friend from Isolte.” I gestured for Sullivan and Silas to come forward. “These crowns of gold, shaped like olive branches, are for you, Your Majesties. Made by a family born in Isolte and living in Coroa. May they be a model of our brotherhood for years to come.”
The crowd behind us applauded, and I turned to pick up the first crown.
“It’s so light!” I exclaimed.
“I did my best for you,” Silas said quietly.
My gaze on him lingered a moment longer than I meant for it to before I reached across the table to place the crown on King Quinten’s head as Queen Valentina did the same with Jameson. He was smiling, speaking to her, and King Quinten focused on me.
“I see you’ve become close with the Eastoffes,” he remarked.
“I try to be an excellent hostess at the castle for His Majesty’s sake, regardless of where our guests are from.”
He nodded. “I’d suggest you take care. People in Isolte tend to keep their distance from them these days.”
“I can’t imagine why,” I snapped before remembering I was here to mend bridges, not take to them with an axe. I swallowed, starting again. “They have been humble and most helpful since their arrival.”
The look in his eyes was more of a warning than his words. “If you wish to stand next to the fire, by all means. You’re the one who’ll be burned.”
I curtsied again to him, as I knew I must, but I hated pretending to give any level of respect to that man. I nodded to Silas and Sullivan that they could go, mouthing my thanks before turning to Queen Valentina.
“You are wiser than anyone has guessed. We will talk more tomorrow,” she said into my ear before we crossed paths and went to go sit by our kings.
“What do you think?” I asked Jameson as I settled into place.
“I think if you fell off a boat in that, the sleeves would drag you straight to the bottom.”
I laughed. “I had to practice walking,” I admitted.
He smiled. “Teasing aside, you look beautiful in anything you’re ever in.” He sat back, sipping his drink. “I hear it’s the fashion for brides to wear white these days. Won’t that be something?”
I looked down, blushing. Of course, I was glad he still found me pretty in Isolten blue, but I wondered how he felt about what Valentina and I had done, if he appreciated our strategizing and hard work. Before I could ask, King Quinten tapped Jameson’s shoulder.
“There’s no point arguing. We need to get back to that contract,” he urged. Out of his sight, I let out a sigh. I had no idea what they were working on, but I was pleased they weren’t abandoning it over a single battle at a tournament. Even if Jameson said nothing in thanks, at least this moment had been a success.
Around the room, people were chatting and eating and laughing, and though Valentina and I hadn’t walked the borders or pulled a king back from war, we’d made steps toward peace. I hoped the queens before me would have approved. Judging by the smiling faces and relaxed shoulders around the room, it seemed most people in the court did.
From his table, Silas caught my eye and lifted his glass to me. I did the same in return and took a drink. No, that boy was only good, and nothing about him could leave me burned.
The center of the floor where Valentina and I had walked down was now filling with people dancing as the meal came to a close and the music changed.
I watched with trepidation as Silas rose from his table and walked up to the dais.
“Your Majesty,” he said, bowing before Jameson. “I can see that you and King Quinten are busy. I was wondering if I might ask the Lady Hollis to dance.”
Jameson smiled slyly. “Only if she wishes it.”
I took a breath. “Well, if I can’t dance with you.” I kissed his cheek and walked down to meet Silas, standing beside him while the song came to a close.
“I wanted to make good on what I said, that I’d dance with you if you ever invited me to,” he whispered.
I spoke softly. “But I never got that far.”
“I couldn’t wait. Hope you don’t mind.”
I smiled. “Not at all. I’ve been dying to dance, and Jameson has been more interested in watching lately. I’m just so thankful to have someone ask me. None of the other gentlemen at court will now.”
“Ah, I see. Well, for one song, let’s forget about kings and colors and all the rest. Let’s just have a lovely dance, yes?”
“Yes,” I sighed.
The music began, and we lined up across from each other, moving in time with the other couples.
“I don’t know how to thank you for this,” I said. “You and your family saved us tonight.”
He rolled his eyes. “But only after I got us into trouble.”
“Nonsense. I think we all know who the real problem here is.” I swung in, placing my hand in Silas’s. His rough skin held my hand so delicately, and I could see the remnants of a gentleman in the gesture.
“All the same, it was the least we could do.”
“Has the king compensated you yet?”
He shook his head. “We agreed there were no kings for this dance.”
He was right. “Very well.”
We crossed arms and spun in circles. He wasn’t the best partner I’d ever had, but he was steadier than Jameson.
“I’m not sure there would be much occasion after this, but I do hope we can speak more soon,” he said.
“I agree. It’s been nice to have someone to talk to. Another thing I need to thank you for.”
He smiled down at me, the unrestrained admiration in his gaze making me forget that there were other people in the room. “I am here whenever you need me. If anyone is in debt, it’s me. You offered my family a home. You defended my actions publicly. You are quite a remarkable lady, Hollis.” His face grew a little darker when he added, “You will be an unforgettable queen.”
The song ended, and I curtsied to him. I turned to look at Jameson, to see if he was pleased by the dance. He wasn’t even looking.
I flicked my eyes to Silas and nodded that he should follow me from the Great Room.
I went from the room and waited a ways down the hallway. I heard as the next song began, and I saw Silas’s shadow before he arrived where I was standing.
“The dance is over, so now I have to say it again—if the king has
not compensated you for your work, I want to make sure that happens.”
Silas looked down, shaking his head. “You needn’t worry about that. They were gifts.”
“I insist! This whole moment tonight wouldn’t have happened without your family, so I am in your debt.”
“You gave us a place to live. We’re in yours.”
I placed my hands on my hips, which was a surprising struggle given the sleeves. He noted it and laughed at me.
“Stop! I’ve been trying so hard!”
“I know,” he said, wiping the smile off his face. “And, wardrobe issues aside, you’ve done a wonderful job.” He gestured toward the Great Room. “They’re not just whispering about how gracefully you’ve behaved tonight, Hollis. They’re saying they’ve known all along what a great queen you’d be.”
The word came out a hopeful whisper. “Really?”
He nodded. “You’ve done beautifully.”
I stared at him, at the glimmering hope in his blue eyes. There really was something extraordinary about that blue. And the way his hair shifted when he dropped his shoulder. And how he smiled, as if he wasn’t holding anything back, saving his worry and care and affection for anyone else.
“I feel so fortunate to have met you,” I confessed. “Since you’ve arrived, I’ve felt . . . different.”
“I feel different, too,” he said, his voice dropping to a whisper. “When you’re near.”
It suddenly became clear to me that we were very much alone. Footsteps in these vast hallways were unmistakable, and there was no such sound.
“I should probably get back,” I breathed.
“Yes.”
But neither of us moved. Until we both did, meeting in the middle of the hallway for a stolen kiss.
Silas cupped my cheeks, holding me with such tenderness that I felt everything inside my body melting. I could feel the calluses on his fingers as they traced the edges of my face, and I couldn’t help but compare the feeling to that of Jameson’s perfectly smooth hands. There was something about the awareness of Silas’s hard work, the labor that earned him those calluses, that made me treasure his touch.
I could have stayed lost in it for ages, but I heard the sound of distant footsteps.
