Chapter 10

BELLA WORE A BEAUTIFULyellow and red gown that hugged curves that made Eirwyn wince with jealousy. Whereas Eirwyn wore a matching red, white, and blue dress, she couldn"t hide her petite figure. They went down the grand staircase, Eirwyn breathing heavily with nerves.

Several dozen courtiers loitered at the bottom of the stairs with drinks in hand as they mingled. A string quartet played softly in the alcove under the stairs, but the music stopped as they did.

Bella and Eirwyn stood shoulder to shoulder as the butler stepped forward and introduced them.

"The darling princess Eirwyn Whikin, and the future queen, the honorable and esteemed Bellatrix Bellichek."

They both curtsied, then they moved to either side of the stairs, placing a gloved hand on the railing and descending in unison. Eirwyn felt a blush stain her cheeks at the attention. She"d done this a thousand times over her life, but the nerves never quite went away.

It"s just a performance, Eirwyn. Just smile and nod.

She hoped a furtive glance at Bella would reassure her she wasn"t the only one feeling this way. But Bella smiled coolly and looked every bit the queen.

Eirwyn looked at the bottom of the stairs as the crowd parted. The king strode straight for them, his hand reaching up to Bella.

His smile was easy, but when he looked at Eirwyn, a shiver went up her spine. She"d felt like this at every function because of him. She was constantly afraid she"d mess up, trip and fall on her face, or otherwise disappoint her brother.

There was something cold and calculating in his gaze. She had the same feeling when she used to play him in chess. It was like he knew something she didn"t.

"My dear Bella, you look captivating tonight," he said just a touch too loudly, as if he was speaking for the benefit of those around him. He leaned in and kissed the back of Bella"s hand before tucking it into the curve of his elbow.

He offered his other elbow to Eirwyn and turned his smug smile on her. "So good to have you home, dear sister."

Eirwyn dipped another small curtsy, then took his elbow too. "Now Bella, I understand you might be overwhelmed by your first official ball. We"re going to make the announcement to the commoners, then we"ll mingle with the nobles before going into dinner, alright? Smile and nod. Just smile and nod. That"s it. Well done. See? I told you you could do this," he said to Bella.

Bella chuckled. "I suppose you were right after all."

Eirwyn"s brows rose. Bella must be feeling more insecure than she thought, if she"d confided to Gastone. As a real smile flitted on his face at the sight and sound of Bella"s laugh, Eirwyn"s brows rose even higher.

"You"ll learn in time that I am right on nearly everything." He grinned wider, and Bella laughed again.

Eirwyn began to relax at their easy, flirtatious banter. It was like the tavern, just with fancier words. Perhaps their marriage wouldn"t be a disaster after all. Perhaps she could survive this ball without making him angry.

He led them through the glass doors to the wide balcony that overlooked the courtyard below. He"d opened the courtyard up for the ball. People shopped at the carts along the castle walls. In the center of the courtyard, people danced to the musicians that played on a raised dais.

At the sight of them on the balcony, the music died. The dancing stopped and everyone looked up at where the three of them stood.

Bella looked at Eirwyn and said softly, "Step back. Give him his moment."

Eirwyn frowned but did as she wished. She didn"t want to make Gastone mad and ruin Bella"s big night stepping into the upper crust society. Had she been driving the tension between them all these years by standing just behind his shoulder?

Gastone stepped forward and lifted his hand as all noise quieted. "Esteemed guests, thank you for being here tonight to help me celebrate."

Eirwyn"s brows rose. Esteemed guests? He"d never called anyone that before, much less regular people from town. Perhaps Bella was having a good influence on him after all.

"As you know, Glathen had requested a marriage alliance. However, I couldn"t bring myself to agree. Since meeting this woman at my side, now I know why. I was simply waiting for her." He took Bella"s hand and kissed the back of it, leading her forward.

Bella"s eyes softened, and Eirwyn stood to the side taking it all in. She never in a million years thought she"d hear her brother talk like that. It was disconcerting. Was she the only one who could hear the faint mockery in his voice?

She watched Bella, but her eyes just shone with excitement and happiness. Gastone held up her hand, showing their hands joined.

"It is with great pride that I announce my engagement to one of your very own, the beautiful and talented Bellatrix Bellichek."

He lowered his voice and smiled at Bella. "Smile and wave, my dear."

When the applause quieted, he turned and led them back into the ballroom. They walked around the outskirts of the room as people mingled. The dancing wouldn"t start until after dinner. This was the part that turned Eirwyn"s stomach into knots.

One on one conversation was so much harder than putting on a show for an audience. He led them both around the room, Bella"s hand on his elbow, and Eirwyn slightly behind and to the side of them.

Gastone turned to Eirwyn and smiled tightly.

"I see Chancellor Howe in the corner. Why don"t you go say hello, sister?"

Eirwyn"s face froze, and she stiffened. "I"d rather not. He"s very handsy."

"But everyone in the kingdom knows how free with your affections you are, and the chancellor is in his prime. Perhaps with some encouragement from you, he can get some laws passed about the sky high taxes."

Eirwyn took a deep breath and frowned. This was why she didn"t want to sleep with any nobles. It was too complicated, too political.

"I will not be used for your political gain, brother, not even to help lower the taxes and win you favor with the people."

He narrowed his eyes as Bella gasped again. Eirwyn felt a prickle of fear and awareness race up her spine at Gastone"s flashing eyes. A small curl of white smoke drifted from his nose.

"Eirwyn, that"s enough. You"re going to ruin everything," Bella whispered.

Eirwyn took a deep breath and let go of her brother"s arm. She curtsied deeply, and as she rose, she said, "Pardon me, your highness. I meant no offense. I"m going to mingle before the dinner bell if you don"t mind. Please excuse me."

She didn"t wait on the king"s reply and dismissal, but she figured she had already made him mad. All she could do was hope for escape and that he"d forget. She turned and walked to the edge of the room, hugging the shadows and avoiding the general. Once there, she could breathe much deeper.

It seemed like she only took two breaths before the dinner bell sounded. Chancellor Howe appeared in front of her. He was older than her brother with an arrogant smile that made her skin crawl. He was almost as power hungry as her brother.

He held out a hand. "May I escort you into dinner, your highness?"

"Ah, yes, thank you," she said, taking his hand and raising her head. It was pointless to argue, as the dinner processional was very strict about who sat next to who. It was all about ranking, and as the highest ranking member of the Council, she was used to dinners with him.

The man"s nose twitched as he leered slightly. "I"ve been looking forward to your return, your highness. I was worried about you going through the forest home."

"Not worried enough to accompany me though," she said with an overly bright, false smile.

He shook his head. "You couldn"t pay me enough to step foot in those accursed woods. Truly, I thought you would perish on the road."

She shrugged as he seated her at one end of the table. He took the seat directly on the end, opposite of Gastone down the long table. To her left sat a foppish, young noble.

He grinned and took her hand. "Your highness, what an honor to sit next to you tonight. I"ve been wanting to meet you ever since my cousin, the Duke of Edgemere, told me of your beauty."

Eirwyn smiled coyly, but inside she cringed. The duke had chased her for years, but the man was old enough to be her grandfather. This young one must be his heir to have earned a seat at the engagement ball dinner.

She only hoped he"d get too tipsy at dinner and would be too far drunk to proposition her. There was nothing like nobles trying to outdo one another and get under her skirts. She sighed, already bored with the evening.

Perhaps she could sneak out to the tavern in a few days and get a real feel for the rumor mill. At the very least, she"d be able to breathe.

She sat at the table, her dress too tight and barely leaving her room to eat. All the forks, all the place settings, the rules and social etiquette... it was so very overwhelming.

After a nice, relaxing, simple meal in Olive"s cottage, she felt the weight of her role as princess weigh on her that much more. She smiled at the nobles across the table and tried to bring them into conversation, the easier to manage the advances of the duke"s heir and the Chancellor.