The Realm

by Leigh Walker

  The next scene began with Giuliana finishing my makeup. When I stood at the mirror in my pale-blue gown, Giuliana clapped her hands together. “Just stunning, my lady,” she gushed.

  I carefully made my way down the stairs, blushing when Mira asked me why I was nervous. My voice shook when I answered her. “Well, I really like King Rhys. I’m excited to get to spend some more time with him.” I looked naive and excited—at that point in the competition, I actually had been naive and excited. Oh, what a difference a day makes!

  Next came Rhys and our stilted conversation at the start of dinner. I cringed as I watched. Then everything changed. The other girls and the audience wouldn’t know that we’d taken a break from filming to snog our faces off, but the difference in tone was palpable. Rhys held my hand, and the conversation flowed freely. Watching the tape, I was again struck by the way that the werewolf stared at me—with longing and hope.

  The scene changed, following us out onto the grounds under the darkening sky. Rhys kissed my head and asked, “Ah, Tamara—could you see yourself here? Raising a family?”

  “I-I love it here so much.” I pressed my face against his chest.

  Somehow, I managed to sink lower into my chair. Ugh. He’d been looking for an honest answer, and again, I’d dodged him.

  Watching the dance lesson, I could clearly see that we were having fun. I hadn’t imagined it. We laughed and talked, and the king merrily bumped into me and stepped on my feet then kissed my cheek to apologize. But what was even more obvious was the electricity between us. Neither of us stopped smiling the whole time. It was as though I lit up underneath his attention. After the lesson ended, and he pulled me close against his big body, I smiled up at him. I clearly relished being in his arms.

  It took seeing myself on camera to realize the truth. I might have been lying to myself about my feelings, but as I watched the show, it was obvious—even to me. I’d fallen for the werewolf.

  My cheeks flamed as I watched the rest of the clip. We stayed close to each other on the walk back, the king’s arm thrown happily around my shoulders. When we got to the castle stairs, he bent down and wrapped me in his embrace. Our kiss was deep, tender, lingering. Several of the other girls glanced at me. The scene faded to black, and Joely gaped. “Well, then,” she said, “I don’t feel awkward at all just watching that. Really.”

  “Be quiet,” Maya snapped. “The show’s not over yet.”

  Next was Dae’s date. As with the other portions of the episode, it started with her getting ready in her chambers. She chose a sweeping crimson gown that set off her hair and features perfectly. Her maids clucked and fussed as they smoothed her long hair over her strong, elegant shoulders. “Not one of the other girls can hold a candle to you, Lady Philips. Your beauty is unparalleled, as is your kindness.”

  “Aw, thank you.” Dae blushed. “I wouldn’t be able to handle this competition if it weren’t for you two. You make me look good even when I only feel scared, and your kindness keeps me grounded. The Realm and this show are a bit much for me.”

  “What do you mean?” one of the maids asked.

  “I dunno.” Dae smoothed her dress as she inspected her reflection in the mirror. “I keep hearing that His Highness is kissing all the other girls. It’s hard for me to feel like I belong here, I guess. The other contestants are beautiful and accomplished, and we’re staying in a palace. It’s a far cry from where I come from. I’m not sure I belong here.”

  The older of her two maids put her hands on Dae’s shoulders. “You belong here just as much as anyone else. You have grace and beauty, and more than that, you have class. You don’t have to grow up in a wealthy settlement to have it, my lady. You were born with it. His Highness would be lucky to marry a lady such as you.”

  “Th-Thank you.” Dae looked as though she might cry.

  Rhys treated Dae with a similar reverence during their dinner. “You look very lovely, my lady. I would love to know more about you.” Dae spoke of her family and her life back in Settlement 23, and Rhys watched her with rapt attention.

  “Tell me, my lady, what do you think of the Realm?” he asked.

  “It’s lovely, but I don’t know that I’ve seen enough of it to judge yet. I’m a very cautious person, Your Highness. I’m not someone who jumps into things—I like to take my time.”

  “I appreciate that. But the nature of this competition requires you to take a leap of faith. There’s a possibility that, in just a few weeks, I could propose to you.”

  Dae bit her lip. “I don’t know if I’m ready for that. I don’t know if you’re ready for that. You hardly know me, Your Highness.”

  Her frankness contrasted greatly with the dinner conversations from the king’s previous dates. Rhys looked surprised, but he didn’t seem upset. “My lady, please say more—I would like to hear your opinion on such things.”

  Dae had a healthy sip of wine. “I love the Realm. It’s beautiful, the food is insane, and I’m staying in a castle. What’s not to like? And you’re as handsome as they come. It’s just that… How will I know if I belong here? How will you know who is a match for you? How can you tell if it’s supposed to be forever after a few short weeks?”

  “I think we should take a walk, my lady. The fresh air will clear our heads, and we can speak of such things further.”

  They headed toward the kitchen, then Dae paused before they went outside. “I’ve forgotten my cloak.”

  “I’ll bring you upstairs, my lady.”

  So this is how they ended up in the dark stairwell.

  Rhys went to hold her hand as they ascended the stairs, but she pulled away. “I’m sorry, it’s just… It’s just…”

  Rhys leaned up against the wall. “It’s just what, my lady? Tell me what you’re thinking. That’s the only way I can help you—and I want to help you. I know your life back home has been difficult.”

  Next came the part of the conversation I’d overheard.

  “…I want to stay here in the Realm—with you, my king.”

  The werewolf nodded. “Then you must trust me and give this some time. I need to believe that you mean it and that you’re here for the right reasons.”

  “You can believe it.” She stood before him, jutting her chin out.

  “Is that so?” Rhys asked coolly.

  “It is, Your Highness.” Dae put her hands on his chest and ran them down his uniform. “Let me show you.”

  As Dae kissed him, and then kissed him some more, the camera swerved to me on the stairs. My mouth gaped as I clutched my tote, and tears filled my eyes. Then I spotted the camera and screamed, running up the stairs.

  The next image was of Rhys. He roughly broke apart from Dae and ran after me. “Tamara? Tamara!” But I didn’t answer, because I’d decided I’d never speak to him again.

  The last scene of the episode was Rhys standing outside of my door, looking lost. Then Mira’s voice narrated, “Will Tamara ever forgive the king for kissing Dae? Will Dae ever forgive Tamara for ruining her date? And who will he reveal to be his favorite? Tune in next week to find out!”

  Perspective

  “Well, then…” Thalia cleared her throat as the lights came up. “That was…dramatic.”

  “You think?” Joely fanned herself. “I feel a bit woozy from all the excitement.”

  “The whole thing was fake.” Maya scowled at us. “They edited it to make us look a certain way. It wasn’t real.”

  No one said anything for a moment. Finally, Thalia shrugged. “It did seem like there was some editing, of course, but it was hardly fake. The scenes with me and His Highness were accurate.”

  Maya narrowed her eyes. “You mean, the scenes with you and His Highness were deathly boring.”

  Thalia looked at her in sympathy, not anger. “I know you’re upset, but you don’t have to take it out on the rest of us.”

  “It’s not fair. All of you looked good in the show, but I came off as clingy.” Maya’s eyes shone with unshed tears. “It wa
s mean, what the staff said about me.”

  Mira cleared her throat. “They didn’t say it to be cruel, Maya. They said it because that’s what they observed. No one wanted to hurt your feelings. We put those comments in the show so the viewers at home had a real sense of being included in the action.”

  “Of course they said it to be mean.” Maya shook her head. “People have been jealous of me my whole life—this is often how I get treated.”

  “If you want a shot at staying in the competition, you should let go of your bitterness. Think about what you just saw, and learn from it.” Mira turned to the rest of us. “What other takeaways do we have from these episodes?”

  Joely raised her hand. “That Tamara is the one to beat?”

  Mira chuckled. “Lady Layne and His Highness do have extraordinary chemistry on camera, don’t they? But you also did very well, Joely. I have a feeling you’re going to win the hearts of many fans.”

  “Well, thank you.” Joely beamed. “I thought my date with His Highness went quite well. If I can criticize any part of the show, I’d only say that we each need more time with him. Like Dae said in the episode, one of us will be engaged soon. In order for this to work, we all need the opportunity to get to know him better.”

  Mira nodded. “You’ll be able to spend some time with His Highness this week. We’ll be busy with the final preparations for the ceremony and the ball, but King Rhys will drop in occasionally to take a walk with each of you or share a meal. All of it will be filmed, of course.”

  Dae raised her hand. “Is it possible that I could have a do-over with His Highness? No offense to Tamara, but my date did get cut short.”

  Mira smiled. “I’ll make sure you spend some extra private time with His Highness. Now, ladies, let’s take a break. I’ll see you after lunch to continue with our instructions. Today, we’ll be discussing manners at a formal royal event.”

  After we were dismissed, I hustled from the salon toward my room, but Mira waited outside. “I assume you’re going to your chambers to unpack?”

  “Yes, Mira.”

  “Did watching the tapes make you feel any better about your prospects?”

  “I don’t know that what I’m feeling could be described as better. But I’m staying, at least until Rhys tells me to go.”

  “Good. When you’ve finished in your room, go directly to meet with His Highness. He’s expecting you, as is my camera crew.”

  Apologies were not exactly my strong suit. Plus, I was embarrassed now that I’d seen the tape. He’d rushed away from Dae to chase after me. “Is it possible I could approach this in my own way?”

  She frowned. “What does that mean, exactly?”

  “I’m not sure. I need some time to figure it out.”

  “Don’t take too long. This week is busy, and the ball will be here before you know it. I want you and the king making up on tape for the next episode.”

  “Yes, Mira.” I went to my room before she could bully me further. Once I got there, I paced. The room was still half packed, my trunk open on the bed. I’d promised that I’d undo my work and put everything away before the blasted cameras came back in here. I needed to get busy. Instead, I went to the window and stared out at the grounds.

  The gardens were lovely, and the lush lawns still sparkled with morning frost. But I saw none of it. All I could picture was the way Rhys had looked at me in the episode and how I’d looked back at him. I could see it clearly now. I had feelings for him. The only person I’d been fooling was myself.

  Rhys liked Joely and Dae, to be sure. Thalia I was less certain about, but I was satisfied that he didn’t care for Maya. Rhys was clearly attached to me. But if I didn’t do something to repair the damage I’d caused, he would be sending me home by week’s end.

  Elsa and Beast whined, and I snapped back to attention. I pulled out my tote and motioned for them to roll inside. “C’mon. We could use a bit of perspective.”

  “Why, Tamara, how on earth did you sneak away from filming?” Eve sheathed her sword and frowned at me.

  “I didn’t ask permission. I just left.”

  Eve pushed her blond curls off her face. “What’s going on, then? We’ve heard from our sources that you’ve all been taking turns snogging the werewolf. Was it terrible? You don’t look very happy.”

  “It’s not that I’m unhappy, not exactly.” I let Elsa and Beast out of my tote. They whizzed around the small courtyard where Eve had been practicing her combat moves before I’d interrupted her.

  “Then why does your face look pinched?”

  “I’ve been worried that I’m coming down with something. Possibly a werewolf allergy.” I coughed for dramatic effect.

  “Ha ha. I’ve been paying close attention, Tamara. I think it’s something else entirely.”

  “What do you mean?” I asked.

  “My mother used to be afraid of heights. She would close her eyes and pray if we had to go over a bridge.” Eve smiled. “But d’you know what? She read in one of those old headshrinker books that people who were scared of heights actually have a deep inner wish to fly. Kind of reminds me of you and your ‘werewolf allergy.’” She used air quotes for emphasis.

  I blinked at her. “How so?”

  “Maybe your ‘allergy’ is masking a deep inner wish of yours—to get as close as possible to the canine king.”

  “Uh… Um… Interesting theory.” My cheeks went hot. “Eve, can I ask you something personal?”

  Her brow furrowed. “Are you about to ask me for advice?”

  “Y-Yes.” I hesitated. “Is that all right?”

  “It’s lovely. I intend to gloat a bit. I never expected Tamara Layne to be looking to me for mentorship. Unless it’s about fighting, of course.”

  “It’s actually about men.”

  Eve snorted. “You’re kidding, right? You have every man you meet wrapped around your pinkie finger. Lord Bryson was willing to subdivide his homestead and gift it to you just for a scrub of your attention, remember? What on earth do you need my help with?”

  I twisted a lock of my hair. “When you started seeing Balkyn—”

  “Who said I was seeing him?”

  I groaned. “Eve, we all know you two are into each other. He begged you to turn him into a vampire just so he could dance with you! If that’s not a clear sign of interest, I don’t know what is.”

  “Fine.” Eve jutted her chin. “We like each other. What of it?”

  “When you first started seeing each other, what was it like?”

  “It was…nice.” She shrugged.

  “How did you make it nice? What did you act like?”

  “What d’you mean, ‘act like’?” She looked at me as though I had three heads. “I didn’t act like anything other than myself. That’s who Balkyn wanted to get to know better—me.”

  I scowled and kept twisting my hair.

  “Well, what’s the matter?”

  “I just don’t know what to do. I’m afraid I’m at a crossroads with Rhys. He’s angry at me.”

  “For what?” Eve asked.

  “For a couple of things. Let me see…first of all, he keeps asking me if I want to stay in the Realm and be with him, and I keep giving him nonanswers. Second, I crashed his date with Dae and made a fuss. Third, I told him I never wanted to speak to him again and started packing.”

  Eve shook her head. “You’re a mess. What’s happened to you? You always have a strategy, Tamara. That’s one of the reasons you’ve done so well in the royal court. Are you just going to let it all fall apart over some rogue wolf?”

  “I’m not letting it fall apart—I’m trying to keep it together! Don’t you see? If I keep one foot out the door, it’s my choice. If Rhys doesn’t choose me, it doesn’t matter, because I’m already on to the next thing. But if I go all in, if I commit…” I watched the gnomes whizz across the green grass, happily chasing each other. “What if I lose? I already lost The Pageant.”

  “You didn’t want to win it.
You didn’t want Dallas,” Eve reminded me, “because we all knew he was in love with Gwyn from day one. Who wants someone who doesn’t want them back?”

  “I know—of course. But to be publicly humiliated twice would be terrible.”

  Eve eyed me shrewdly. “I don’t believe that’s what you’re really worried about.”

  “You don’t?”

  “No. I’ve known you long enough to understand that you only care about one opinion.”

  “And whose opinion is that?” I cried.

  “Your own.” Eve chuckled. “Maybe deep down, you’re afraid of your feelings. Maybe your ‘werewolf allergy’ is flaring up because Rhys isn’t the civilized, debonair royal you always pictured yourself with.”

  “That’s putting it mildly.” I frowned. “He’s a beast. He doesn’t know a puffed pastry or a fine pinot from a pig roast. What am I supposed to do with a man like that?”

  “Well, that depends. Do you like him?” Eve asked quietly.

  “Yes.” I sighed. “Of course I do. Otherwise I wouldn’t be whining to you, now, would I?”

  “Then you know exactly what to do, Tamara. You just have to be brave enough to do it.” Eve grinned. “Now, go on with your gnomes. I have important training to do.”

  “About that… Mira said that there’s something going on. She wouldn’t go into details—but she told me the king and queen are coming to the North for the coronation ceremony. She said they might stay for some time.”

  Eve’s face darkened, and her aqua eyes blazed brighter. “They’re coming, but Gwyn and Dallas refuse to leave the settlements. I don’t know what’s going to happen.”