He glanced away, his face tightening and my curiosity rose. “Dominic?”
He looked back at me. I don’t want to make you angry with me on today of all days.
“Angry with you?” I put my hands on my hips. “Well now I’m really curious. And it’s my birthday so you have to tell me anything I ask. And do whatever I say, too,” I added for good measure.
Dominic raised both eyebrows. Is that how birthdays work in Arcadia?
“Oh, absolutely,” I said. But I couldn’t quite restrain my smile, and I could read in his eyes that he knew I was teasing.
Well, in that case…But the amusement dropped from his eyes as he continued to speak. When I returned from my ride yesterday, I knew I had behaved badly. I returned to my chambers, but my thoughts of you had made me curious. I wanted to see your sister, this other Sophie who might have won the Tourney and come in your place. So, I asked the mirror to show her to me.
I gasped, but he didn’t stop.
Its logic sometimes works strangely, and I thought that, given our betrothal, it might see her as one of my family, despite her not being Palinaran. And it worked. He paused. I didn’t expect her to look so much like you. But at the same time, she seemed different, somehow.
She was with Prince Jonathan of Marin and another girl I didn’t recognize. They were discussing how the other girl had decided to delay a visit to Princesses Emmeline and Giselle of Eldon.
“Celine! So, she’s still with Lily? I’m so glad!”
Dominic looked at me questioningly.
“Princess Celine of Lanover,” I explained. “One of our allies from the Four Kingdoms. She and the Lanoverian delegation came on the same ship we did.”
He looked at me curiously. You’re going to have to tell me more about your home and how you came to be a part of the Tourney. It still seems like a great mystery to me.
I bit my lip. We had avoided talking about our families previously, keeping our conversation to less personal ground. Did his sudden interest mean he also intended to finally tell me what had happened with his family?
“But how did you know about my birthday?”
He shifted uncomfortably. This Celine apparently doesn’t want to leave while you’re still in danger. Your sister was pleased that delaying the trip meant Celine would still be there for Lily’s birthday ball the following night. Tonight. She was angry…” He coughed. “…with me. That you couldn’t be there.
My tears welled again at the thought of Lily and my shared grief. But I also felt a tiny pang as I thought about the sorts of things Lily had probably said about Dominic. Still…if he hadn’t been spying on my sister, he wouldn’t have heard horrible things about himself. How else would she be likely to feel?
I realized that it was your birthday today, and that you would be sad without your sister and your family. So, I spent the night setting this up. I thought forgoing sleep was the least I could do after all the rest you lost for my sake during my illness. He frowned. There wasn’t enough time to set up a ball, but I wanted to mark the day for you. And we can still have a belated birthday ball on another occasion.
I felt such a swirl of emotion that I didn’t know what to say. Grief to be parted from Lily and denied the celebration I always expected to have. Pleasure at this beautiful room. Anger that Dominic had seen my sister only yesterday while I was not permitted to see her myself. Embarrassment that I had been upset when he canceled our meal the night before. Astonishment that he had gone to such lengths. I kept trying to remember when I had ever seen him show such understanding and consideration toward another’s feelings. Weeks had passed now, and yet he kept surprising me.
I swallowed and looked down at the table. “How about we have a slice of cake? If it’s anything like the pastry chef’s other creations, I’m sure it will be more than delicious.”
Dominic looked almost as torn as me, and I suspected he felt relieved I wasn’t angrier but also disappointed I wasn’t more whole-heartedly happy at his gesture. But he only nodded his agreement.
So, we sat down together, a Beast and a foreign princess, in a flower-filled library and discussed the smallest and most inconsequential of things while we ate the most incredible cake I had ever tasted. For all Lily and my wild ideas, I could never have imagined such a birthday.
Chapter 21
I spent the rest of the day in the library, determined to enjoy it as much as possible before the roses wilted. Dominic kept me company, more accommodating than I had ever seen him before. He showed me a whole section of fairy tales and even, for the first time ever, read to me instead of the other way around. His deep growly voice turned out to be surprisingly perfect for the task.
After a delicious lunch which the servants set up on the table that had held the cake, I even dozed off in a large padded armchair. I woke disoriented and experienced the wonder of the room all over again. I had intended to ask Dominic if I might see Lily in the mirror as a birthday present—I desperately wanted at least a glimpse of her birthday ball—but he was gone when I awoke.
Tara waited for me instead. What do you think, Princess Sophie? She sounded as if she were bursting with excitement. Is it not the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen? And the most romantic. She giggled.
I smiled uncomfortably. There was no question of romance between Dominic and me despite our betrothal. The prince was hardly the thoughtful, romantic type. Or, at least, he had never been before. And surely everyone knew I wasn’t here by choice or with any dreams of love. I was still determined to break the engagement and return to Lily. The only change was that now I knew Dominic needed rescuing along with his kingdom.
Tara didn’t seem to notice my discomfort, continuing to chatter away. I was so worried that Lottie would give it all away last night. She’s terrible at keeping secrets. Did you notice how awkward she seemed?
Oh. I didn’t want to tell Tara that I had noticed but attributed it to a different cause. “Where is Dominic now?”
He’s down at the stables. He left me here to ask if you would join him. He wants to take you on a sunset ride. I could tell from the way she said the final two words that she considered this more evidence of romance.
I grimaced slightly. But I had to admit it was another unexpectedly thoughtful gesture. Some fresh air and time with Chestnut would be an ideal accompaniment to my day spent indoors.
Dominic already awaited me in front of the castle, walking Spitfire and Chestnut up and down. The ride was beautiful, the oranges, reds and purples reflecting off the clouds to color the snow beneath.
By the time we returned to the castle, the evening meal had been laid out in the dining hall. It was the most magnificent meal we had yet eaten, with a full ten courses followed by an even more extravagant cake than the one we had eaten in the library. I insisted that all the servants I knew join us for the cake, including Tara, Lottie and Gordon, and they all sang for me so enthusiastically I blushed. Dominic didn’t seem comfortable with their presence or the casual way I made them share the cake, but he restrained himself admirably.
When they all finally left, he walked me to the door of the dining hall, and my heart sank as I anticipated the inevitable question. But when he stopped in the doorway and looked down into my eyes, he merely whispered, “Happy Birthday Sophie”.
I had meant to take the opportunity to ask to see Lily as a birthday gift, but Tara’s earlier comment about romance flashed through my mind. I couldn’t ask to visit Dominic’s bedchamber after dark. I just couldn’t.
That night I lay awake for a long time reflecting on a great many things. I had already had more adventures in my eighteen years than many people had in a lifetime. And I wished, as I had many times, that Lily and I had never left Arcadia. Only, this time, when the thought ran through my mind, I couldn’t quite decide if I meant it.
I could no longer imagine a life where I had never left home. Who would I be? Who would Lily be?
Mornings walking in the rose gardens, afternoons reading in t
he library and sunset rides became part of our daily life. Dominic still ordered me around thoughtlessly at times and occasionally growled or roared at someone who attempted to cross him, but I could see he was making an effort. And a month after my birthday he even laughed when Matthew remonstrated with him, which I took as a sign of progress. It wasn’t only toward me that he had softened.
Every now and then I would ask him about my ball, but I mostly did it to tease him. I suspected he kept putting off setting a day for it because he didn’t like dancing and knew I would have no one else to dance with.
When Dominic had business to attend to, I spent time in the kitchens, just listening to the servants going about their day, or I continued my tour of the castle with Gordon. Despite my explorations, I could find no further information on the curse, and—incredibly, unbelievably—I might have begun to feel complacent about my life here if it were not for two things.
The first was the niggling emptiness always present in the back of my mind. The place usually occupied by my awareness of my sister. Somehow, as the days progressed, it never seemed the right moment to ask to visit Dominic’s bedchamber, and so I had not even seen her for many weeks. I knew that no matter how comfortable I became, I would never fully adjust to a life without my sister.
The second was a change I began to observe in the servants. An underlying tension started to permeate the castle, and I often heard snippets of cut off conversations that reminded me of Connor’s comments from before my birthday. Time was running out.
Every question about their meaning, however, no matter how direct, was deflected. Even Gordon remained quiet on the subject. After overhearing several comments, I tried asking Dominic, but he shrugged it off as some nonsense of the servants. I couldn’t help questioning his disinterest and dismissal, but I didn’t want to break the trust we were building by calling him a liar.
He had returned to asking me every night if I would marry him in the morning, and I still said no. But he had started bringing me a rose from the garden each evening and presenting it with his question. And despite my refusal, I accepted the flower. It sat in a thin vase beside my bed, and every night I saw it as I drifted off to sleep and as I awoke, its perfume flavoring my dreams. I told myself I accepted it because I did not wish to see such beautiful blooms go to waste.
But gradually this predictable life began to change. Looking back, I realized that it was a month after my birthday when Dominic and I first began to notice a change in the weather. At first, we merely commented to each other on the pleasantness of the conditions as we walked and rode. The balmy days seemed almost idyllic among the wintry landscape, and we noted it only as an enjoyable variation. It wasn’t until a week later that I noticed, with shock, a wilted flower. It was the first blemish I had seen in this magical garden.
Two days later I rode along the orange grove and saw that all of the fruit and many of the blossoms had fallen to the ground. Several days after that we were riding through mud, the melting snow turning the ground into a churning brown pit that splattered across the stomachs and flanks of the horses. One of the stable boys groaned when we returned them, and I could sympathize with his sentiment.
Soon most of the plants in the garden had wilted and withered. And yet, even now they didn’t look natural. Impossibly, they had taken on a bleached look as if wilted by the summer heat rather than killed off by frost. Each day the weather grew warmer, too, as if the castle and grounds were returning to the proper late summer season. Only the rose garden seemed untouched, the melting snow doing nothing but making the ground there damp and springy.
Dominic and the servants all professed astonishment at the change, but I still couldn’t shake the feeling that everyone knew something they were carefully avoiding telling me. Was this what the servants were referring to when they talked about time running out? Did this signify the enchantment around the castle was breaking down and, if so, what did it mean for us all? I only hoped we weren’t going to be left unprotected against the wolves.
Dominic told me repeatedly that I had nothing to fear, but considering he also claimed not to understand the change in the state of the grounds, it was hard to take his assurances seriously. And yet, when I was actually in his presence, I found it almost impossible to be afraid.
Although the mud soon dried, we began to limit ourselves to the rose garden, the only part of the garden that still retained its old vibrancy. As I walked there one morning, the wolves once again crept through my mind, and I looked up, almost reflexively, to be calmed by the sight of Dominic beside me. But I could see only the top of his head, several rows of bushes away. He must have wandered off to look at something while I was distracted.
I took a single step toward him when a strong arm encircled my waist, jerking me backwards. A hand clamped down over my mouth. I struggled wildly against the unexpected restraint, my mind racing. None of the servants were capable of grabbing me in such a manner.
As my unknown assailant dragged me backwards, I kicked at his legs and tried to wrench my arms free. Nothing I did broke the iron hold around me. I tried to bite at his hand, but couldn’t get a good grip. My attempts to scream for help came out so muffled as to be almost inaudible.
Terror coursed through me at the unexpected attack, all sorts of horrible scenarios running through my mind. I tried to think of anything I had ever been told about escaping such a hold, but nothing I tried worked.
A sudden roar broke through the air. I went limp with relief, and a moment later was pulled from my captor’s hands and shoved into the safety of a bush. For a moment, all I could see was green foliage as my ears filled with the sounds of a scuffle.
The arms of the shrub proved less challenging than the arms of my assailant, and I managed to fight my way free to face the source of the chaos. The sounds of struggle had died away, and only the low rumble of Dominic’s growl remained.
The man he gripped looked small in comparison to the hulking prince, so it took me a moment to recognize him. When I finally did, I gasped. Dominic’s hands tightened at the sound, his prisoner wincing.
You recognize him?
I nodded. “It’s Cole.” I had long ago confided my fears about the escaped nobleman’s son to Dominic and told him what I had seen in the mirror. It had just never occurred to me to fear for myself.
“I don’t understand, how did he get here?”
And more importantly, what was he trying to do to you? I had never seen such a deadly expression on Dominic’s face, and I shivered.
“Princess Sophie! Please!” Cole’s face looked confused and a little desperate, but less calculating than I had remembered. “I meant you no harm. I came here to rescue you.”
By abducting you? Dominic’s low background growl rose in intensity as he shook the other man, who seemed powerless to resist the prince’s strength.
“Stop!” I held up my hand, glaring at Dominic until he stilled. “I won’t have you shaking him senseless or losing your temper and killing him or something.” Cole paled at my words. “You have him in custody, and now he must be secured somewhere. Do you have a prison cell of some sort here at the castle?”
He snuck in here and attempted to snatch you from the garden. He does not deserve your consideration.
I put my hands on my hips. “Perhaps not. But we need to know how he got here. Or have you forgotten that last time we checked we were surrounded by an impenetrable wilderness full of vicious animals?”
Dominic’s expression changed, and I could read the reluctant concession in his eyes. I looked around, wishing yet again that I could see the servants. Surely Dominic’s roar had brought at least a few running to our location.
“Let the servants know where you intend to put him. I will go to the kitchens and have them prepare some food for him. I’m sure news of his location will have made it there by the time they have a tray ready.”
Food? Dominic sounded outraged, but I shook my head.
“He must be fed. I shall tell them
to keep it to bread and water, if you prefer?”
I prefer to throw him out and let the wolves find him. Dominic’s words were punctuated by another, deeper growl.
“He made it here, didn’t he? For all we know, such a course of action might allow him to go free. Or return to attack us again.”
Dominic’s eyes widened at the suggestion, and for a moment I feared he meant to dispatch Cole on the spot. I held his gaze, however, and his grip slowly loosened again.
“Matthew,” I called without taking my eyes from the prince.
Aye, my lady.
So someone had fetched the stable master, just as I hoped. “Could you please assist Dominic in getting this man to a suitable location?”
I don’t need assistance, from Matthew or anyone. Dominic almost spat the words.
“You need assistance in keeping your temper.” I knew I should probably stay with them myself, but I needed a moment to myself to think through this astonishing development.
You can rely on me, Princess Sophie, said Matthew, and I smiled gratefully in his direction.
“I’ll see you soon.” I turned to leave but stopped short when Cole called my name.
“Princess Sophie!” When I wheeled back around to face him, he met my eyes, his own warm. “Thank you.”
I stared at him. “Don’t mistake good sense and common compassion for a short memory,” I snapped. “I haven’t forgotten what you attempted to do a moment ago, or what you did in Marin, either. I will bring you some food, but I will expect some answers in return.”
His face fell, and he said nothing. After eyeing him warily for another moment, I hurried toward the kitchens. As I strode into the castle, my mind raced. What did Cole mean by coming here? And how had he managed it? Surely this must be evidence that the changes we had observed in the grounds stretched further into the kingdom.
When I arrived, I found the kitchen abuzz. Clearly someone had beaten me here with the news. Questions bombarded me from every direction, but I shook my head until silence fell. “I need bread and water for the prisoner. I won’t know the answers to your questions until I have a chance to interrogate him.”
Beyond the Four Kingdoms Box Set 1 Page 46
