by Katie Ashley
“It seems kinda ridiculous when I think about.”
I shook my head. “No matter how ridiculous it seems, there is meaning in a dream you’ve had several times.”
He sighed. “Fine, my father was in a garden planting some vegetables…vines came up from the ground and choked out the life of the vegetables. Then the vines started in on my father, wrapping around his legs. When I tried to stop them, my hands got torn by the thorns on the roses.
“Your father is in danger.”
Kellan’s eyebrows shot up. “What? Are you sure?”
I nodded. “Someone close to him wants to take his power.”
“But who?”
Closing my eyes, I squeezed tighter on Kellan’s hands. Even though the Abir were a threat to Richard, I knew they weren’t the vines from the dream. A body intertwined in roses appeared before me. Thorns dug into his clothing, and streaks of blood ran from the scratches on his arms. At first, the face appeared blurry, but it started to clear.
My eyes flew open, and I gasped. “Roarke.”
Kellan jumped up from the couch. “No, it can’t be! He’s my father’s most trusted advisor, not to mention one of his best friends.”
“I know it might be hard to believe, but it’s what I saw.”
“So I’m supposed to go tell my father that I’ve been having a weird dream the past few weeks, and oh yeah, his best friend wants to dispose of him and take power of the province?”
“You don’t have to tell him anything,” I said. He cocked his head skeptically, and I shrugged. “It’s the truth. But if you value your father’s power, then it wouldn’t hurt to mention it to him. He does seem to put faith in numerology, so he should in dreams as well.”
Kellan appeared to be weighing in options. Suddenly, he stared intently at me and said, “You know, you were in the last dream, too.”
The comment took me totally off guard, and I fought to find my voice. “I-I was?”
He nodded. “You were on a beach in the middle of a storm.”
My heart sped up in my chest. “W-what color was I wearing?”
“Blue. You were wearing blue.”
Kellan looked expectantly at me for my response. I struggled to find my voice. “Oh, then it just meant I would stand beside you in the raging storm.”
He nodded. “Sounds good to me.”
“Will you do something for me, Cadence?” Kellan asked. In my hesitation, he laughed. “I’m not going to ask you to compromise yourself or anything like that.”
“That’s not what I was thinking, thank you,” I snapped. But that wasn’t entirely true. After he had forcibly picked me and said the things he’d said in front of the reporters, I didn’t want to imagine what he could really ask of me.
“Will you come with me to tell my father?”
“Uh, well, I.”
He took my hand in his. “Listen, if you come with me, it’s of your own volition. It doesn’t mean you’re consenting to being controlled and manipulated, Cadence. I won’t do that do you.”
I chewed on my bottom lip. “And I never thought you would to start with, but you did,” I said, my voice barely a whisper.
Kellan grimaced. “I know. I was a huge ass, and I’m sorry. The only explanation I have is my pride and ego were bruised because you hadn’t worn red like I asked you to. There’s really nothing else I can say for my behavior. I’m a selfish, egotistical ass, Cadence. Maybe you can help me work n that.”
“You promise it will be different? No breaking me like a spirited horse and all?” I asked.
He nodded.
“All right then. I’ll go with you.”
A smile spread across Kellan’s face. “All right. I’ll wait for you outside to get dressed.”
We took an elevator I’d never had access to. It was reserved for family and advisors only, and I noticed if could only be accessed by Kellan’s handprint on the keypad. It felt surreal, if not completely overwhelming, to have an elevated position now. To access Richard’s penthouse suite, we took another elevator to which Kellan accessed with a special key. I assumed this was to protect Richard as much as possible.
As the elevator lurched forward, I asked, “Where is your room?”
A wicked grin appeared on Kellan’s lips. “I thought you’d never ask, Red.”
I rolled my eyes. “Do you ever stop with the innuendo?”
“Sometimes.” The elevator door opened. “Actually, Red, my room is on the next floor down. There are several of my aunts and uncles as well as advisors who live on that floor.”
“I see.” I was momentarily distracted by the opulence of the penthouse entryway. Gold chandeliers lit up the foyer, sending light gleaming off the checkered marble floors. Even the walls had gold encrusted paneling, and I was surprised there weren’t lamps with diamonds hanging off of them.
A pinched face butler appeared before us. “Good evening, sir. Your father is in the study.”
“Thank you, James.”
I trailed behind Kellan through the maze of rooms. Finally, we stopped at a mahogany doorway with intricate carvings. Kellan knocked once, and Richard’s voice bellowed, “Yes.”
Kellan opened the door and stepped inside. “Father, I need to speak to you,” he said. While he crossed the room to stand in front of his father, I hung back, pressing myself against the doorframe.
Richard took off his glasses and pinched his nose. “What is it?”
“It’s about a dream I had.”
Richard’s response was to growl in exasperation. Smirking at Kellan, he said, “In case you haven’t noticed, dear son, it’s been a very tiring week with Venessa’s departure and the pageant. Not to mention, I have a lot of serious matters of state to contend with. I don’t have time for some dream.”
“But it’s something very serious. I had a dream someone was trying to overthrow you.”
At the mention of being overthrown, Richard wiped the smirk from his face, and his tone immediately changed. “A dream, you say?”
Kellan nodded. “It’s the third time I’ve had it—”
“You mean you’ve dreamt of me being disposed three times, and this is the first time I’m hearing it?” Richard shouted.
“Yes, well, I didn’t want to bother you,” Kellan answered, shrinking a little in his seat.
Richard snorted in exasperation. “Sometimes with your complete lack of focus and disregard for the charts I wonder how you can be my son.”
“That’s not fair!” I exclaimed, before I could stop myself.
Kellan and Richard both stared at me in disbelief. Heat burned through my cheeks. “Excuse me?” Richard demanded.
“I-I,” I stammered, desperately trying to figure out how to dig myself out of the hole my big mouth had made. “I just meant, sir, that it’s unfair to make the assumption Kellan doesn’t respect numerology and dream study since he hasn’t been afforded the same opportunities you have.”
Richard’s blue eyes pierced into me as he weighed my words. Before he could respond, Kellan said, “Cadence is a dream interpreter, Father.”
“Yes, I know that.”
“You do?” Kellan and I both asked in unison.
Richard sneered at us. “Do you think there’s one thing that happens at this palace that I don’t know about?”
“No sir,” we both echoed.
“I’ve had wind of Cadence’s abilities for awhile, not to mention a very satisfied client was raving incessantly to me about her.” He toyed with the stem of his glasses. “I, of course, was not so sure about believing him. Besides the fact she has not been schooled, the very fact she is a woman also makes it difficult for me to digest.”
I literally bit my tongue to keep from saying anything. A rush of metallic blood filled my mouth. Kellan noted the effort it took me because he rushed on, “I assure you, Father, she is the real thing.”
Richard rose up from the couch and came over to me. His stare bore into me. “How long have you been interpreting dreams?”
“Since I was five, sir,” I quickly replied.
“And how do you interpret Kellan’s?”
My gaze flickered to Kellan, and he nodded. “Someone very close to you covets your power and will stop at nothing to see you disposed.”
“And just who would that be?”
“It is, Roarke, sir.”
Richard’s eyes widened. “How can that be? He’s my most trusted advisor. He’s been with me for years.”
“It is what I’ve seen.”
Richard exhaled sharply and went back to the couch. “And what am I supposed to do with news? Imprison him?”
I once again clamped down on my tongue so as not to remind him he hadn’t batted an eye when he’d imprisoned Maureen, his own wife.
Kellan stepped forward. “Maybe you don’t have to imprison him right away. Maybe you can have him watched.”
Rubbing his chin, Richard nodded. “Yes, that would probably be best. If he is trying to overthrow me, I would need solid information to hold him.” A cruel smiled curled at his lips. “After all, even in our restyled court systems, a dream isn’t enough evidence to convict.”
I gritted my teeth. Richard rose from the couch to come stand by me. “It looks as if you’ve made a good choice. I have a feeling Cadence is going to be very useful in more than just breeding good looks into the family.”
Kellan’s face paled a little at Richard’s remark. “Thank you, sir,” I replied, in a strangled voice. I quickly ducked my head, so Richard wouldn’t see my seething anger. But it was almost too much when the things he said were so infuriating. With his practically Neanderthal ideas, I couldn’t help but wonder which glacier he had crawled out of. How he possessed the ideas he did when he had spent most of his life working alongside women—seeing firsthand they were more than just breeding machines—was beyond me.
His fingers gripped my chin, and he jerked my head up to meet his eyes. “And she has all that wonderful fire in her, which will serve you well in certain areas.”
Kellan anticipated my reaction and swept over to me. “Yes, yes, she does. I suppose we better be going. We’ve taken enough of your time, and you’ll need to start planning what to do with Roarke.”
Richard turned to Kellan with an amused expression. “I’ll be waiting to see how long it takes you to fulfill what you said in the interview. You know, about breaking Cadence.” I sucked in a breath. Richard shook his head. “She’s in your head too much now, or maybe I should say your heart.” He poked Kellan’s chest.
I turned away, but not before I saw a scarlet flush creep across Kellan’s cheeks. “Goodnight, sir,” I said, tightly and headed for the study door. Kellan was hard on my heels. When I got out in the hallway, I exhaled sharply. I didn’t breathe again until I got to the elevator to go back downstairs.
Kellan appeared at my side and inserted his key. “I’m sorry about that,” Kellan said, his voice small and strained.
When I surveyed his expression, my heart went out to him. I knew he couldn’t help his father was a sexist jerk, but at the same time, I wished he would stand up to him. “It’s all right,” I murmured.
We got onto the elevator in silence. The doors closed, and Kellan turned to me. “I know you’re upset, Cadence, and you have every right to be.” He jammed his clenched fists into the pockets of khaki pants. “I-I don’t know why I let him talk that way to you.”
The elevator opened on his floor. Leaning over, I planted a kiss on his cheek, anything to try to ease his pain.
Kellan’s lips twitched in a small smile. “Hmm, I’ve been reduced to a peck on the cheek. Not exactly the fire I’d hoped.”
“Uh-huh, well, goodnight then,” I said, nudging Kellan off the elevator.
“Goodnight, Cadence.”
Just when I thought he might lean over for a goodnight kiss, the elevator door closed shut.
Sunlight streamed across my face and warmed my cheeks. I popped one eye open and then snapped it shut when I realized I’d forgotten to shut the blinds the night before. Yawning, I stretched, taking in the luxurious feel of the satin sheets and fluffy down comforter. Before I could panic, I remembered where I was—in my suite at the palace. Then I groaned as the events of the previous night flickered in my mind like a bad replay.
A throat cleared beside the bed, and I jumped a mile. When I untangled myself from the sheets, I saw Mrs. Munroe standing at the foot of the bed.
“Good morning, Cadence.”
Griping the sheets closer to myself, I replied, “Good morning.”
“Richard has designated me as your personal secretary.” From her sour expression, I could tell she wasn’t pleased with her new position. “You are to be downstairs for breakfast with the family in forty-five minutes.”
“Oh, okay, I’ll get ready.”
“Naomi and Laurel will be in to do that. You only need to shower.”
“Excuse me?”
“Dressing yourself and preparing your hair and makeup are no longer your concern. As Kellan’s fiancée, those things will be taken care of for you.”
“You can’t be serious?”
Mrs. Munroe stared at me like I’d lost my mind. “Of course, I’m serious. Now run along and have your shower. You are never, ever to keep Kellan or Richard waiting.”
Without another word, she flounced into the bathroom and turned on the water. “Am I incapable of turning on the shower now as well?” I asked.
She chose to ignore me. “I’ll have your clothes laid out for you when you come out.”
I gave her one last look and then stalked into the bathroom. Great, barely twenty-four hours into the palace world, and my life had already changed. What was next? Someone to feed me breakfast?
As I slipped off my pajama top, my tattoo glared back at me from the mirror. Closing my eyes, I said thanks for the fact that Naomi would be my dresser. I wouldn’t have to worry about trying to always hide my shoulder from someone.
Staring into the mirror, I shook my head and said, “Yeah, that’s all fine and dandy, but how am I ever going to continue hiding it from Kellan?”
My emotions ran so out of control I ended up scrubbing my hair until my scalp hurt. When I finished, I wrapped a towel around my wet hair and started to slip on the terrycloth robe on the back of the door. I gasped. My initials were embroidered on the top left hand side of the robe—complete with my soon to be married last name: Quinn. How they had managed to already do that when the pageant finale had only been last night was beyond me.
When I threw open the door, Naomi stood waiting on me. She forced a smile to her face. “Good morning, Cadence.”
“Good morning,” I replied, my voice barely a whisper.
With a curt nod, she then became all business. “Based on your measurements, I’ve got several outfits for your approval.” She started over to a rolling rack she had brought with her. “I’m thinking this would work well today.” She pulled out a strapless emerald sundress with a cream colored sweater with emerald buttons down the front.
“Naomi, I—”
“Then Mrs. Munroe has instructed me to have preliminary designs for your wedding dress ready for your approval by the beginning of the week.”
I sucked in a breath. “My wedding dress? But I thought it was only a proxy wedding—just signatures on paper and that sort of thing.”
Naomi’s face darkened. “Due to the popularity of the pageant, Richard has decided to throw a full wedding and reception. Something the people can get behind and enjoy, considering all the problems the province is facing.”
The room started spinning around, and I sunk onto the bed. “Oh no, please, no,” I murmured. I wasn’t even eighteen, and my wedding was being planned. It was too much, too soon and totally out of control. I put my head in my hands and tried to breathe in and out.
I felt a hand on my shoulder. I peered up to see Naomi staring down at me. “Whatever you’re going to do, whatever you’re going to decide, you’re going to have to do it quickly.�
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Before I could say anything, a knock came at the door. I looked wildly up at Naomi. “Listen to Micah. He’ll know what to do.”
I nodded, and then said in a shaky voice, “Come in.”
Laurel burst through door with her usual smile. “Good morning, sunshine.”
“Good morning,” I replied, trying to force a smile to my face.
She swept one hand to her hip and then pointed at me with the other. “Girl, you better get cracking. You’re supposed to be down to breakfast in thirty minutes, and we can’t have you late on your first day.” When she clapped her hands, I shot to my feet.
“Okay, okay.” I took the dress from Naomi and went to the bathroom to change. When I emerged, Laurel had everything laid out on the dressing table, and Naomi stood by the rack, still waiting for my approval on the clothes. The old me would have been thrilled to have a rack full of clothes to choose from, but at the moment, I couldn’t care less.
As I sat down in the chair, I eyed Naomi in the mirror. “They’re all wonderful, I’m sure. Just hang them in the closet,” I instructed.
She nodded and then disappeared into the walk-in closet that was practically bigger than my house…well, my old house.
Laurel got busy drying my hair and then pulling it back on the sides with sparkling emerald barrettes. After she finished my hair, she peered at me in the mirror. “You’re uncharacteristically quiet today.”
“Yeah,” I murmured.
“Anything you want to talk about?”
I shook my head. “I’m just tired, that’s all,” I lied.
Laurel didn’t press me for anymore conversation. Besides the fact I was so overwhelmed with the events of the last twenty-four hours, I knew there wasn’t anything I could talk to her about. Sure, she knew I had feelings for Micah, but I couldn’t imagine what she would think if I mentioned running away with him. Then, there was also the fact she had no idea I was a Believer and trying to help my brother’s political group overthrow the palace.
“All right then, I’m all finished. Demure enough for Richard, but dramatic enough to get Kellan up and running.”
