Chapter 5
Chapter Five
It took one look away for Roderick to vanish, and I wished he had taken me with him.
After he had transformed the burden I’d been locked in with, I was left in the room for the rest of the night, leaving me no choice but to wait for the sun to rise.
Alone with my churning thoughts, I curled on the lone couch and went through the details of the past day like I was underlining sections of a book.
I wished I could just flip to the back and see how this story ended.
Why hadn’t I asked Roderick to put Gertrude and I back in our places? Probably because he knew she wouldn’t be as agreeable to his terms as I was. Why had I agreed to this in the first place? Because I’d been desperate to be relieved of my prior position.
But instead of being ushered into a life of ease, I had been flung over a cliff. Now I had to wait and see if I’d land on the sharp rocks, or in the deep sea.
At some point, a harsh knock came at the door before it burst open. I groaned as I sat up from my awkward position, my gown sticking awkwardly to my cold, damp skin.
King Wilhelm marched in, not even bothering with a greeting as he headed to the table holding all the sacks. I watched him dig his hands in and pull up handfuls of gold coins before he raised them to his face, and breathed deep.
He was sniffing them! As if he could confirm their authenticity through scent alone.
Dropping the handfuls back with their brethren, he rounded on me with a scowl. “Do you know that lying to your king is considered treason?”
I wanted to remind him that he wasn’t my king yet, but years of service had taught me how to hold my tongue. Instead, I stood and remained quiet, waiting for him to continue.
He stalked towards me, finger pointed at me. “You tried to lie about your abilities, and here is proof that you can pay back your kingdom’s debts to us.”
I lowered my head, neither confirming nor denying.
“Despite your treason, I will let this go this time and this time only,” he warned. “The next time you lie to me, you’re going to the dungeon.”
What would he do to me if he knew that I myself was the lie?
“Do you understand me?” He yelled as he took a stomping step towards me.
As I stiffened, bracing myself for being backhanded, a knock at the open door interrupted my response. Heinrich stood with one foot over the threshold, more casual in a pair of cream trousers tucked in ruddy boots and a brick-red sweater that went with his fiery mane.
“Father, if you are done with the princess,” he said quietly. “I would like to take over now.”
“Fine,” the king grumbled, dismissing me with a disdainful wave. “Go.”
Relief flooded my lungs, but I tried not to run to the prince, and to maintain the illusion that I had been raised with courtly etiquette. I first curtseyed to Wilhelm, then did the same as I approached Heinrich.
He held out his arm and I gladly took it, hoping he’d lead me anywhere far away from his father.
“I apologize for him,” Heinrich said once we were out of earshot. “He can be quite intense.”
“You don’t need to apologize for him.” I let out a ragged exhalation. “I just wish I knew what awaited me before I arrived.”
“Then you wouldn’t have come, and then where would I be?” he joked feebly.
“As you were before, marrying some noblewoman from your court.”
He laughed softly. “True. But I’m glad I’m not, now that I’ve seen you.”
My heart skipped as I gave him a sideways glance. “Why is that?”
He shrugged. “You’re nothing like what I’ve been expecting since the engagement was announced. Now I’m very curious about you. Would you care to indulge me with a few answers?”
Nerves started to bubble in my gut, but I couldn’t refuse him. I gave him a reluctant nod.
“What was your life back home like, so I can attempt to provide you with the same comforts here?”
I had to remind myself to respond as if I were Gertrude, no matter how much I wanted to trust in him and vent all my troubles.
“I believe it wasn’t that dissimilar to yours,” I said. “Lots of rules, lessons, practice, and time in the gardens.”
“You enjoy sitting in gardens then?”
That was one of the rare things I enjoyed about life in the castle besides the warmth during the winters: the majesty of its grounds. Gertrude would lounge in her gazebo with tea and cakes while I read to her. Those moments were almost peaceful, especially if I liked the book.
“Yes, I liked spending time outside,” I answered wistfully, now wishing I was back there. “Listening to musicians play for me, and reading for most of the day.”
“You like to read?” He asked, surprised.
I realized that I’d answered as myself. But it was too late to take it back, so I nodded. “Very much.”
“I thought once you were done with your lessons, you’d never want to read another line again. I know I don’t,” he said, tone exhausted. “I can’t imagine reading for pleasure.”
“Have you tried it?”
“No. I don’t want to even see books at all once I’m done with my tutor’s requirements.”
How disappointing. I’d hoped to bond with him over something this important to me. Though I supposed I was asking too much. The most important thing so far was that he wasn’t like his father.
He took us across the hall and to a double-doored room lined with gold paint. “These are your quarters. I’ve taken the liberty of speaking to your maid, and having hot water brought up for a bath.”
“Thank you, Heinrich, truly,” I said, grateful for the kindness.
Smiling, he bowed his head. “I will see you at breakfast then.”
When he walked out of sight, I entered my new quarters—and was greeted by a shoe flying at my head.
Gertrude, her blonde hair unbound and messy, hobbled to take off her other shoe as she screamed, “Where have you been?”
Not in the mood for her nonsense, I kicked the door shut behind me. “Not now, Gertrude.”
She flung it at my head, missing by a good three feet. I merely stared at her dully.
“Are you quite finished, or are you going to toss the rest of your possessions at me, in the hope you’d suddenly develop good aim?”
With a scream of frustration, she rushed at me, hands out for my throat.
“Stop!” I ordered.
Immediately, she came to a complete halt and dropped her arms.
I sighed dejectedly. “I have no patience left for your stupidity after the night I just had. The night I spared you from.”
“Don’t act like you did this for my sake, you traitor!” She hissed furiously. “I can’t talk to anyone, or tell them the truth of what happened to me. And it’s all your fault!”
Tired and hungry, I began to undress, making my way to the adjoining bathroom as I shed layers and shoes. “So, you’d rather have the king take his delusions out on you?”
“Yes! That’s what I’m here for!”
I stopped unlacing my corset, realizing she had no idea what the king demanded of me. I didn’t feel like explaining to her.
“I am the real princess,” she argued vehemently. “If the king mistreated you, then he must have sensed that something is amiss. He would have never treated me badly if it were me.”
I gave a disbelieving scoff and mumbled, “Keep telling yourself that.”
I shut the door behind me and rushed to finish undressing and then get into the porcelain tub. The warm water embraced my stiff muscles and soothed my cold body in a way I hadn’t felt in so long, I almost drifted off to sleep where I sat.
I didn’t trust Gertrude to do for me what she couldn’t do for herself, even under orders, so I took my time lathering up the expensive soaps and cleansing myself.
After drying myself off, I reentered the room, bracing myself for another pair of shoes, and instead found her sitting on the bed with her head in her hands. I ignored her and went about preparing what I would wear to breakfast.
I chose an emerald-green, long-sleeved gown, matching jewelry and arranged my damp hair into a crown of braids. As soon as I was done, someone knocked and Captain Grunewich announced himself as my escort.
“Don’t do anything stupid while I’m gone,” I warned Gertrude as I headed out the door.
The captain led me downstairs to the morning dining area, a circular room half-surrounded by long windows that poured in enough daylight to make my eyes water.
Seated at the head of the table was the king, to his right was Heinrich and next to him were two princesses, who had their father’s darker red hair.
Heinrich stood when I entered., whereas the king continued eating his glazed pastry. The prince gestured for me to sit across from him on the king's left, and I chose a seat down from there, putting as much space between myself and Wilhelm as possible.
Thankfully, Wilhelm made no comment.
My stomach growled at the scent of the food as my hungry eyes took in the platters of cold meats, cheese, bread rolls, scrambled eggs, and brown bread, and the pots of fragrant cocoa and strong coffee.
I piled my plate with everything, not caring how gluttonous I looked, and poured myself coffee that I doused with cream.
We ate in silence, with me occasionally catching the eyes of the princesses until I did the unthinkable, reaching my hand across the table. “Hello, it’s lovely to meet you. What are your names?”
The eldest, around fourteen, took my hand. “I’m Matilda, and this is Katharina.”
“I’m Gertrude.”
They giggled to each other as the younger sister, who looked about ten years-old, shook my hand. “That’s an old lady’s name.”
“I know, it’s my great-grandmother’s,” I lied smoothly, though that part was true. I learned the royal family tree, probably far better than Gertrude.
Quiet returned as they finished eating.
As I barely held back the urge for a second helping, Heinrich cleared his throat, before announcing, “You ought to get some rest after breakfast since the ball has been pushed up to tonight.”
I blinked at him. “What ball?”
Wilhelm chose that moment to speak. “The party celebrating your arrival and your engagement to my son.”
My bemusement deepened. “I thought we were already engaged, and that we’d now be married.”
“I decided to hold off the wedding until you prove yourself further,” said Wilhelm offhandedly, pouring himself another cup of cocoa.
Worry twisted my insides like they were a pit of snakes. “Haven’t I already proven myself, Your Majesty?”
“You’ve proven that I was right about you, but you’ve yet to settle the entire debt.”
I gawked at him. “But the coins—”
“—were just a fraction of what was owed, and earned you enough freedom to attend the ball tonight,” he said intensely, hard eyes boring into my own. “Afterwards, you will continue turning whatever I give you to gold, until I consider the debt repaid.”