Chapter 6

S atisfied that Jack would make far more headway than I would with the records room, I returned to the library for the rest of the afternoon, but once again was disappointed. Even though I asked every assistant to help and examined every shelf, I was unable to find anything that would help me ascertain the necessary course of action when a deceased lord’s estate was being claimed by both his second wife and his daughter. Everything even remotely related to the topic indicated that inheritance of such an estate would be left up to the discretion of the lord in their will and whichever scribe had drafted the will.

Hoping that Jack had better luck, I returned to the spare room to bathe and prepare for the feast. The gown Trista left me was slightly too long but fit well otherwise. It hugged my curves down my torso and hips then flared at the knees, so I felt like some sort of fish or mermaid and was only able to walk in small, halting steps. I leaned closer to the mirror, sweeping a strand of hair back from my face as I did so. The pink in the dress brought out the color of my eyes, even if they weren’t as piercing of a blue as Jack’s were. Though not all mages had those electric-blue eyes, many did. I hummed as I continued to style my hair. People in town often spoke of mage eyes as unsettling, but I found the vivid coloring incredibly attractive in a mysterious, thrilling way. Why didn’t everyone see them that way?

When Jack returned, he stomped the snow from his boots before knocking and entering. His eyes widened when he saw me, exaggerating the shocking blue of his eyes.

“What do you think?” I asked, spinning in a circle as best I could with the dress’s tight fit preventing quick movements.

“You look…beautiful.” Jack stared for a moment longer, then shook himself out of his trance. “I was coming to tell you that the girls are already gathering in the ballroom to mingle before the feast starts. You can go socialize for a bit.”

I pulled a face. “My stepsisters and stepmother will probably be there. I’m not sure what to say to them until I have a record of the will to back up my claim. I may just stay here until the feast starts.”

Jack blushed slightly. “And normally, I would agree, but the thing is…I need to get ready too.”

My eyebrows knotted together until something clunked into place in my brain. “This isn’t a spare room, is it? It’s yours.”

Jack nodded, staring at the floor.

“I thought you would have a bigger room in the castle since you’re an advisor.”

“I requested this one to be closer to the dogs,” he admitted. “The prince said it didn’t make sense either, but I like it.”

I was in his personal bedroom. I had taken his bed and privacy. My mouth dropped open and I began stuttering like mad. “I-I-I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean…I’ll go. This is…this is awkward, and I didn’t mean to impose…” I was babbling as I fumbled for the doorknob. “I thought it was just a spare room.”

Jack, who looked equally uncomfortable, rushed to answer, “No, I don’t want you to feel bad. I just need a few minutes to get ready?—”

I felt so silly from embarrassment that I forgot to ask about what he’d found in the records room. Here I had been leisurely getting ready without a care in the world while Jack had been feeling kicked out of his own room. “I’m just going to go bury myself in a snowdrift now,” I babbled, red-faced as I hurried out the door. “Enjoy your suite room. Like…not the sweet like that you eat. I meant the kind of suite like you stay in… Beryl would think that’s funny. Not that I’m thinking about Beryl, because I’d rather think about someone like—I, you know, never mind. Um, I’ll see you tonight! Goodbye!”

The dress threatened to pop a seam at the knees as I shuffled along with absurd, scurrying footsteps. Now I knew why Trista hadn’t been sad to part with such a dress. I probably looked like Octavius trying to waddle along. I amused myself with trying to picture Octavius stuffed into a too-tight dress, and the image brought a smile to my face that almost erased the embarrassment of a few moments ago from my mind.

The area outside the dining hall was crowded with women milling around, waiting for the doors to open. Just as I began wondering if I’d manage to avoid my stepfamily after all, Valencia appeared and made a beeline for me.

“Well, well, well,” my stepmother tittered. “I see you made it here after all. My girls said they saw you before. You couldn’t resist the temptation of wealth and power, could you?”

“I’m here for the will and to ensure that the school can reopen,” I told her coldly. “If you thought dropping me off would stop me, you were sorely mistaken. Are you going to hand it over, or should I launch an official investigation?”

Valencia tsked softly. “So much hostility. This is a party. You wouldn’t want to make yourself unwelcome if you hope to marry the prince. You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar, you know.”

“I don’t care about marrying the prince. I’m not power-hungry like you are.”

“And yet here you are, demanding a will from a grieving widow to help elevate your position and force children into an institution simply because you’ve decided you know what is best for them. I’m left to wonder if I’m the power-hungry one.”

“Why are you even here? Think you can sneak into a competition for a prince half your age?”

Valencia let out a tinkling laugh. “Such venom. No, I’m planning to meet with Lord Relyn tonight about some important matters that have nothing to do with you. I came to greet him when he arrives as he is my personal guest.”

I turned away from her, pushing my way through the crowd as best as I could manage in my tight gown. Valencia followed, lightly stepping on the hem of my gown as she did so.

“Noelle, there you are.” Jack had appeared. He inclined his head very slightly to my stepmother. “If you’ll excuse us.” He led me away from the crowd to the bottom of the grand staircase leading to the suites where the guests were housed. Though latecomers still trotted down the stairs from time to time, it was relatively secluded .

“I didn’t mean to kick you out of the room earlier, you know,” Jack told me quietly. “And I intend for you to sleep there tonight if we can’t find another arrangement. I’ll speak to Octavius to make sure you get a private room, but I already moved some of my things to the barn, just in case.”

“I’m not going to take your room,” I insisted. “I honestly had no idea—it was so clean that I assumed it was just a spare.”

“I like to be clean, and I want you there.”

I couldn’t resist teasing him. “You want me in your room, do you?”

Jack rolled his eyes. “Not like that . But unless I miss my guess, you need a place to sleep tonight. I know you like dogs, but?—”

I crossed my arms and jutted my chin out stubbornly. “I’m not taking your room.”

“Yes, you are.”

“I’d rather sleep with Cinder again than?—”

“You sleep in cinders? Why does that not surprise me?” Vanessa’s musical voice grated at my ears as I turned to face my stepsister, who was gliding down the stairs with Vallia beside her.

“You always were useless when it came to fashion sense. That must explain the black,” Vanessa went on, looking pointedly at the bodice of my gown. Glancing down, I spotted a few black dog hairs that had somehow managed to cling to the fabric even after I’d done my best to get ready. Had they passed from Jack to me after he dropped his things off in the barn? I brushed them away angrily.

“I think her dress is pretty,” Vallia said quietly, almost as if she hoped to remained unheard. After a deep breath, she looked up at me and went on, “I still have the one you brought that got left in the carriage if you?—”

“She didn’t even ask for it,” Vanessa interrupted her. “She clearly has other options and doesn’t want it.”

“Both of you interrupted our conversation,” Jack told my stepsisters coldly. Then, with a slightly vindictive gleam in his eye, he continued, “I’ll be sure to make a note. What poor manners.”

“My apologies for the interruption. I intended to meet you at the last ball but was unable to,” Vallia told Jack. Her blonde hair was similar to mine in shade, but she always kept it glossed and coiled so neatly that she looked like she’d walked out of a painting. She was the one who looked most like her mother, from the sharp, angular features to the full lips and razor thin eyebrows. “My mother and stepfather always had a special interest in mages. What sort of magic can you do?”

Vanessa pursed her lips but refrained from making any additional comments. I had to hand it to her, both she and Vallia looked beautiful. Vanessa might be cruel and have a propensity for distributing snide remarks, but she also knew how to display herself to her best advantage.

“I don’t discuss personal matters with guests,” Jack answered, his eyes ice-cold. “I’m sure you ladies have friends to meet. Shall we, Noelle?” He offered me his arm.

“Cinderelle,” Vanessa said as she pretended to sneeze. Vallia winced but did nothing to correct her sister as they walked away.

“Your stepsisters, I surmise?” Jack asked in a low tone.

“Delights, aren’t they? Thank you for rescuing me.”

“My pleasure.” Jack looked up at a large grandfather clock. “But I do need to meet with the other advisors before the feast begins. I’ll see you soon.”

“You look—” I broke off. There were people around. I couldn’t tell Jack how handsome he looked in public. “You look very busy,” I amended.

Jack smiled softly. “So do you.” He hurried away and slipped through a side door.

“Ladies, ladies, your attention please!” Octavius, standing on a raised dais, repeated himself several times before he was heard. A chorus of shushing rippled through the assembly as women hushed their neighbors until quiet finally fell.

“The Feast of Stephen shall commence shortly. Name cards have been placed…”

I bit my lip to hold back a laugh and lost track of what Octavius was saying. Feast of Stephen sounded like the prince would be roasted on a spit instead of being the guest of honor.

“—so be sure to behave accordingly,” Octavius finished. “You may proceed.”

The doors groaned as they were pulled open, and all the young women glided over the threshold as smoothly as if they were rolling on wheels.

“Good luck, my dears,” I overheard Valencia saying to her daughters. “This is your time to shine. I’ll tell you later how it goes with Lord Relyn, and I will want to hear all about the feast.”

Women flocked around the long table, searching for their name cards. It seemed that Prince Stephen hadn’t taken Jack’s advice of sitting me next to him. Vallia had that honor, which she looked thrilled about. I, on the other hand, had been placed as far as possible from Stephen, on the opposite end of the table and next to several girls who frowned and complained about the seating arrangements anytime an advisor wasn’t near .

Other than feeling the pressing need to make a good impression on Stephen so he would keep me around longer, I wasn’t upset at all by the arrangement. Once the girls I sat with got over their immediate disappointment of being so far away from Stephen and ate, they were pleasant to talk to. We chatted about our families, hobbies, and as always happened when people asked about my life, I ended up talking about Kodiak. I gushed about how smart he was, how he had protected me from an enormous wolf on the way here, and how he was the best dog anyone could ever wish for.

Periodically throughout the meal, advisors would pass us and jot notes down after listening to snippets of our conversation. Each time this happened, the girls around me would stiffen, taking extra care to cut the tiniest portions of food possible and lift them daintily to their mouths.

I kept watching the time, eagerly counting down the minutes until I could take Jack ice skating on the lake. He passed several times, jotting down notes just like the other advisors, but I caught him stealing glances my way anytime he could. At one point, he actively stared at me buttering a roll before heaving a dramatic sigh and shaking his head, scribbling on his pad of paper before walking back down the table again, hiding a smile. If we’d been alone, I would have thrown my napkin at him.

“I wonder what they’re all writing,” Jasmine said anxiously. She was seated to my right and moodily poked her fork at one of the seven dishes of butter in the center of our table, all shaped like swans gliding across the tablecloth. “The advisors make me so nervous.”

“It looks like they’re making almost everyone nervous,” I agreed, looking down the long table. Vanessa had leaned across the table to place her hand on Stephen’s arm, smiling so hard at him that each of her perfectly white, even teeth showed. Vallia, seated beside Stephen, stared at her plate and bit her lip. I wished I could inject some of my own confidence into her so she would stand up to her mother and sister.

“I’ll never get a chance to speak with him,” the girl seated diagonally from me lamented.

“I’m sure we’ll all get an opportunity,” I said, and Jasmine nodded. There were still twenty women here. Stephen would have to budget his time meticulously to get to know each of us individually. When dessert was brought out, the girls around me straightened and I felt a gentle tap on my shoulder.

It was Prince Stephen. “Will you walk with me?” he asked politely, then inclined his head to each of the others seated around me. “Please excuse us, ladies.”

“Of course.” I delicately wiped my mouth with my napkin, then rose and took the arm he proffered. As we walked out of the dining hall, several of the women, Vanessa included, glared at me. Jack, on the other hand, was wholly engrossed in his notes, staring hard at the same spot on the page without his eyes moving at all. His smile from before had faded.

“One of my advisors recommended that I get to know you better,” Stephen said as we stepped into the empty hallway. “And I thought a walk would be a better environment for it as opposed to the feast where everyone is talking at once.”

“That’s a good plan. It looked like you had about ten women talking to you all at once during the meal.”

“Yes, it’s been a lot,” Stephen said, not quite sighing, but I heard the exhaustion in his voice .

“Women and their emotions can be a lot to handle,” I commented lightly. “How are you managing?”

Stephen looked sideways at me. “Well enough.”

“Did your advisors tell you to say that, or are you actually doing well?”

A little of Stephen’s formality dissolved. “It’s a lot of pressure to know that I’m expected to find a woman to marry in such a short period of time.”

“I would be concerned for you if you didn’t feel pressured in such a situation. A week isn’t much time to get to know someone.”

“I’m glad to hear someone say so. I think only you and one of my advisors has expressed such a view.”

“What are you hoping for by the week’s end?”

“To find someone I’d like to form a relationship with, but I don’t know of anyone who would be ready for marriage to a stranger within seven days. Not intending any offense to you or any of the women here, of course.”

“Well then, let’s set aside any expectation that others may have for us and simply enjoy this time as two friends on a walk together. Tell me your favorite food and”—I thought for a moment—“a time you got into trouble when you were young.”

Stephen brightened. “I can see why Jack recommended you so highly.” He went on to tell me his favorite dish and about an experience he had in which he had practiced his jousting in an empty hallway with a spare broomstick and ended up smashing a tall vase. “My mother and nursemaids scolded me something fierce,” he said with a laugh. “Now tell me about your family.”

“My father passed away recently,” I told him, sobering. “And I’m not on good terms with my stepfamily right now, but Kody is always there for me. He’s my highest priority. ”

The prince shot me a curious expression, one of surprise mingled with concern. “How old is Kody?”

“He’s five, but after having him in my life, I can’t picture a single day without him.”

Prince Stephen nodded slowly. “I’m sure he misses you when you’re away.”

My heart warmed. “Oh, he does. He has so much energy. I wish I had more time to play with him in the evenings, but I’m often so tired that I can’t do anything but play catch with him for a few minutes.”

“And yet, I’m sure he appreciates it every time. You’re the most important person in the world to him, after all.”

I smiled. Jack wasn’t the only one who understood the pivotal role dogs played in my life. “Kody lights up every time he sees me walk through the door,” I told him. “He runs to me and is so excited. He’s so intelligent too; I feel like I can tell him anything and he’d understand.”

“I’m sure you teach him as much as possible.” We were nearly back to the dining hall.

“He’s gotten very good at rolling over.”

Stephen laughed. “Young children are so funny with the habits they pick up. He’s lucky to have such an attentive mother; I can tell you love him very much.”

Oh.

Oh dear.

He thought I’d been speaking about a human. My thoughts raced back to everything I’d said so far. Kody could easily be interpreted to mean a human, and when I said that I cared for a five-year-old who I couldn’t picture life without…

“No! No, Your Highness. I didn’t mean?—”

The prince took my hand, and my mouth went dry. “I’m glad you have your son, Noelle. Everyone needs someone important in their life. I would love to meet him someday.”

“But, but the thing is…”

“Lady Noelle!” Octavius puffed as he jogged up to us. He gave a bow to the prince. “My apologies for interrupting, Your Highness, though if you’re planning to walk with another woman tonight, you need to begin now. Besides, Jack said this was of the utmost importance and wouldn’t give me a moment’s peace about it until I agreed to speak with Lady Noelle immediately.”

“No trouble at all. Noelle, I look forward to speaking with you again tomorrow. I’d like to hear more about Kody then.” He stooped to kiss my hand and took his leave.

“But you don’t understand—” I called after him. Before I could explain, Octavius inflated himself once more.

“Don’t talk back to the prince!” he squawked, flapping one of his hands so that he briefly looked more like a chicken than a rodent. “Have you no sense of propriety?”

I neglected to point out that Octavius had committed a similar breach in protocol himself when he’d interrupted the prince.

“Jack insisted that you want to be moved to a private room.” Octavius wrinkled his nose, and I couldn’t help but imagine whiskers poking out from his cheeks. “I can do so, but not until tomorrow, assuming you’re invited to stay an additional day. Until the next round of women leaves, I simply do not have any available lodging.” He flipped through the sheaf of parchment he always had with him and added under his breath, “I don’t see why it is so difficult for you to simply get along with your family for a few more days, but no, it is Octavius do this, Octavius change that . If it weren’t for Jack insisting…” He let out a frustrated huff. “If you see me tomorrow, I can see what is available.”

“Thank you,” I said, wishing I had Jack’s meekness and patience in such situations. I wanted to set a cat on Octavius.