18
I t took another two days to arrive at Vandil. King Maximus’s sister, Lady Marianna Median, had agreed to let us stay at her estate at the outskirts of the city. It was nowhere near as large as Huntington Abbey, but it had space enough for the guards and cargo. The building was homey, built with dark wood and creamy stones, overlooking miles of flax fields—a fraction of which Lady Marianna owned.
Vandil was known as the capital of Olderea’s textiles. Most of the land was reserved for farming—flax for linen, lavender for dye, and sheep for wool. Some corners were saved for breeding silkworms for silk, or producing luxurious velvets.
This was the place where the textile riots had happened, as most foreign merchants only wanted fabrics from a certain witch-owned store in the city. Ulysses said the shop sourced raw materials from Witch Village rather than from Vandil, despite being on Vandil land. It was no wonder the human civilians were angry.
“We must exercise caution, more so than in Delibera and Coriva,” Lord Frederick had told us the day before. He ordered four guards to follow me and the crown prince closely when we approached the city, two of whom turned out to be Maddox and Flannery. After what happened with the snake, they were decidedly not the most competent guards. But it was comforting to have familiar faces nonetheless.
Lady Marianna met us in the courtyard when we arrived. She was a short woman with a curvy figure and thick, dark brown hair. Her jovial features lit up when she caught sight of us, though it was late and blisteringly cold.
“Bennett! It’s been years since I’ve seen you, dear,” Lady Marianna said, trapping the crown prince in a tight embrace. “And look at you! Handsome as ever. ”
“Aunt Marianna.” The crown prince smiled as she pulled back. Even in the dark, it transformed his face, making him look several years younger.
I stared. I had never seen him quite so happy before.
“And you must be Narcissa,” Lady Marianna said, hugging me as well. Her embrace was warm and firm and soft. I hadn’t been held like that since I was a child. “You two are going to make this old woman very happy. I haven’t had guests in ages!”
“Is Ash not here?” the crown prince asked.
I recalled that Elowyn said he was in Vandil for business.
“He is. But if he’s not writing letters, he’s at the city library,” she said with a sigh, though there was a smile on her lips. “He’ll show up, eventually. Come. Let me show you to your rooms!”
Lady Marianna didn’t have a taste for the extravagant as evidenced by the simple yet elegant interior of her manor, a stark contrast to Huntington Abbey. My suite consisted of a bedchamber with a plush bed, seafoam green furniture, and an adjacent washroom. Gentle winds brought in the scent of the flax fields through the balcony. It overlooked the back of the manor where the city decorated the horizon.
The crown prince was situated at the opposite end of the hall. Pippin decided to take lodging with him, much to Misty’s satisfaction. She claimed she was in a better mood now that we were no longer on the road, though I suspected it was because Lady Marianna had a soft spot for cats and showered both her and Pippin with treats and playthings.
The evening passed pleasantly, and the next morning, Lady Marianna herself knocked on my door.
“Bennett’s busy, so I thought you could join me on some errands in the city,” she said cheerily. She was already bundled up to the neck, basket in hand .
I looked over my shoulder at Misty, who was slumbering peacefully on the bed. She wouldn’t like it if I left without notice.
“You can bring your kitty if you’d like,” Lady Marianna said. “Or rather, if she’d like, since you can talk to her. They do tend to prefer sleep over anything else.”
I woke Misty and asked her if she wanted to go
She meowed. Not a chance. It’s far too early.
“How lovely that you can understand animals,” Lady Marianna said, eyes shining when I informed her of Misty’s answer. “I suspect if I could, the kitten I had as a youth wouldn’t have run away.”
We set out, the sun barely peeking out through thick white clouds. Lady Marianna chatted pleasantly about the land and scenery as we rode down the road on her horse chaise, which was led by Cozbi after the groom proclaimed her a mighty strong horse. She looked much happier in her old role of pulling carts.
“See the lake over there?” Lady Marianna asked, pointing at the body of water to our left. A few reeds stuck out of the surface, swaying in the wind. “The farmers use it to irrigate the fields. It’s large enough that it extends into the city canals. Ah! You and Bennett must have a ride on one of the canoes before the water freezes over. It’s truly a beautiful experience.”
She gave me a sidelong glance, leaning back in her seat after a minute of silence. “It’s Bennett’s birthday next week. Did you know that?”
I fiddled with my gloves. “I was not aware, no.”
Was she testing me? Seeing if I was a suitable niece-in-law? I hardly knew anything about the crown prince, besides his favorite color. And that was only because Giselle told me .
To my relief, she chuckled warmly and patted my hand. “Not to worry, dear. Very few people know because he prefers it that way. He doesn’t like the fuss of it—parades and celebrations and all. I suspect that’s why he’s been so stiff this entire time.”
Lady Marianna continued on about the crown prince’s youth and the scenarios he had gotten into as a rambunctious toddler. By the time we arrived at the center of the city, I knew that he had once soiled himself during an important meeting with a foreign ambassador and that he had a deathly fear of candles.
I couldn’t help but laugh. “Candles?”
She smiled. “Fire, to be exact. He always insists on having the flames contained in a lamp.”
We left the horse chaise and I followed Lady Marianna as she picked out vegetables and a few yards of striped linen.
“I make it a point to buy from human sources,” she whispered, tucking the fabric in her bag with a sheepish grin. “Keeps the peace, somewhat.”
I found it strange that she went about running errands a housekeeper would normally run, especially since she was the king’s sister. But as the day went on, I found there was a certain charm to visiting a mundane fabric shop or a farmer’s market where no one knew who we were. Mother would’ve never stood for it, but I found the smiling faces and polite greetings of civilians more welcoming than a ballroom of nobles stifling in their own perfume.
At last, we reached a gray building with tall pillars framing the doorway.
“The city library,” Lady Marianna said, squinting as we hiked up the steps. “I have a few recipe books I want to find. If anything strikes your fancy, let me know and we can check them out together. ”
I thanked her, but I preferred to keep my fascination for romance novels a secret. When we entered the building, she went off to the recipe books and I wandered about myself.
Civilians lounged at the desks and armchairs, some perusing the books. The shelves were nowhere near as vast as the ones in the palace, but it offered a variety of options nonetheless. I was content with looking around the romance aisle and waiting for Lady Marianna until I ran into a familiar figure.
“Narcissa?” Prince Ash blinked, balancing a stack of books that teetered dangerously in his arms.
I gave a brief nod. “Prince Ash.”
I stood by awkwardly as he set the heavy stack on a nearby table and began sorting through them. The last I saw of him was at the masquerade ball last summer, when all hell broke loose. And before that, he was unconscious in my mother’s chambers along with Amarante. I braced myself for a tirade of questions, but the second prince merely flashed me a polite smile and gestured to the bench next to him.
“Fancy seeing you here. I’m assuming you’re with Aunt Marianna?” he said as if we were old friends.
“Yes. She’s getting recipe books.” I perched myself on the edge of the bench. It seemed his dislike of me had vanished since last summer. Or he hid it well .
Prince Ash gave me a sidelong glance. He looked different since I last saw him—his hair longer and his skin tanner. I wondered how long it had been since he left the palace. “I have to admit, I never doubted that you’d end up marrying Bennett. I just didn’t think it would be good for the kingdom.”
I stared at him.
He gave an uncomfortable laugh. “That was a joke.”
The mess of books formed into neat stacks as Prince Ash arranged them. “I hope my brother hasn’t been treating you too badly,” he said, coughing at a particularly dusty volume.
“His Highness has been nothing but respectful.”
He raised a brow. “Maybe a little too respectful, if you’re still calling him that.”
I bit my cheek. Perhaps I needed to refer to the crown prince by his first name when speaking to others.
“You know,” Prince Ash began, his voice hesitant, “Bennett is a good crown prince, but he’s terrible with people. That’s why he begged me to attend the Season on his behalf.”
Mother had been furious when she found out, claiming that it had been a waste of a Season for me. Her plans were sadly undeterred.
“I reckon this tour business isn’t his strong suit either,” Prince Ash continued, shaking his head. “The poor soul was forced into it, wasn’t he?”
“Not at all. His Highness was the one who suggested it,” I said.
A look of surprise passed Prince Ash’s face, before understanding dawned. “Ah. To speak with civilians and figure out how to reform the witch laws, correct?”
I nodded .
“Makes sense. Father would have never allowed it,” the second prince said with a snort. “Anyhow, do Bennett a favor. If anything goes badly, take over. He always freezes up in front of an audience.”
“I will.” I looked down at my hands, which were pale from the cold. I flexed my fingers to warm them.
It was difficult to imagine Crown Prince Bennett freezing up. He seemed to have a silent confidence about him, a certainty to his words and actions.
Then again, he was afraid of candles. Perhaps I didn’t know him at all.
“Is there...anything else I should know?” I asked. Even if I didn’t consider Prince Ash my confidant, he was a better source than anyone else.
He tapped his chin. “It’s Bennett’s birthday next week. You should give him a gift.”
I furrowed my brows. “Is there going to be a public celebration?”
Prince Ash laughed. “No, he hates that stuff.”
“Then why should I get him a gift?” I asked.
He laughed again, but stopped when he saw my expression. “Oh. You’re serious.”
I waited for an answer.
The second prince gave a dramatic sigh. “I should’ve known,” he said. “You’re not actually trying to woo him, are you?”
“I tried,” I said flatly. “It’s impossible.”
Prince Ash shrugged. “Can’t blame you. Bennett’s never been interested in anything except dusty old books on Olderean history.” He paused and narrowed his eyes. “What did you try, exactly?”
I pinched my lips, having no wish to recount my attempts at seducing his brother. If it could even be called that. The most I tried was smiling at him, and before that, flirting according to Mother’s instruction. Blazing fires, the man wouldn’t even come to my eighth birthday party. Even with my dedication, every attempt was met with discouragement. I saw little point in trying again.
After all, my capacity for humiliation was not infinite.
The second prince shook his head. “Never mind. Listen. My brother doesn’t trust easily. I reckon he doesn’t fall in love easily. But at least try to befriend him. It’ll do the tour some good.”
“How do I do that?” I said.
“The birthday gift, of course.” Prince Ash gave me a strange look. “There’s nothing that extends the hand of friendship more than a gift. Everyone knows that.”
It made sense. After all, I had given William the same advice. But all gifts came with strings, didn’t they? The only reason I was doing this was to win the crown prince’s favor and thereby sway the public’s opinion about me.
“What should I give him?” I asked.
Prince Ash hummed. “Well. Bennett likes clothes.”
“Clothes?”
He nodded, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’m not sure if he wants people to know. A crown prince has to make a certain impression. Clothes help him do that, and he enjoys it. But on the flip side, you know how the press is. Next thing you know they’ll be saying he’s a dandy unfit to rule.”
Mother always told me to take pride in my appearance—a rare lesson that wasn’t nefarious at its core. It was one of the things I was able to find joy in, no matter how frivolous it may seem. For it to be encouraged among ladies and laughed at amongst men was absurd.
Besides, Crown Prince Bennett’s impeccable dress was certainly a part of his allure .
I winced. What business did I have thinking about his allure when the man wouldn’t even hold a conversation with me?
“Ash, there you are!” Lady Marianna appeared around the corner with her basket full of recipe books. She beamed. “Perfect. We can all go home together.”
SQUEEZING THREE PEOPLE into her horse chaise, Lady Marianna eventually realized, was an impossible feat. Prince Ash opted to stay a little longer at the library.
“Don’t mind me,” he said cheerfully. “I still have to finish my letter to Amarante.”
We left him to compose his love poem—for that was what it was—though the glimpses I caught needed desperate work.
I spent the ride back half listening to Lady Marianna talk about beet stew and half pondering about what gift I should give to the crown prince. It was well into the morning when we returned. Lady Marianna split off to unload her purchases, and I took Cozbi from the groom, hoping to have a quiet time tending to her in the stables.
But I was surprised to see Lady Marianna there, her basket still full. She was standing near the stalls in a hushed discussion with none other than Crown Prince Bennett. I stopped in my tracks. Cozbi’s nose bumped into the back of my head.
What is it? she nickered.
“My boot laces are untied. A moment please,” I murmured. They were not, but I bent down anyhow, hoping the two of them would leave. I wasn’t in the mood to face the crown prince–not when I was thinking about how best to woo him. If we exchanged a word I was sure to give up the idea entirely.
“I don’t see why you can’t ask her for help,” Lady Marianna said, putting her hands on her hips. The bottles in her basket clinked. “She’s a sweet girl as far as I can tell.”
I shuffled behind a bale of hay. It was bad of me to eavesdrop, but there didn’t seem to be another choice if I wanted to avoid the meeting.
“She has her own schedule. I mustn’t disrupt it.” The crown prince’s voice sounded fainter. A peek above the hay told me that he had entered his gelding’s stall.
“You’re afraid to talk to her,” Lady Marianna accused.
“I am not.”
“You’re going to have to sooner or later. She’s the only one who can understand animals around here.”
Crown Prince Bennett withdrew from the stall, taking care to brush off his boots before replying, “Lady Narcissa is not to be used for her magic on anyone’s whim. The stablehands will figure it out.”
I blinked, wholly forgetting to pretend to tie my boot laces. The memory of his anger at Huntington Abbey resurfaced. His eyes had flared when Lady Huntington demanded me to clean up her lawn. Had it been on my behalf? My heart inexplicably skipped a beat.
“Since you seem to have a newfound aversion to carriages, Bennett, I recommend you have your gelding fixed immediately,” Lady Marianna said.
He stilled. “I do not have an aversion to carriages.”
She made an exasperated noise. “Oh for heaven’s sake, my boy. You do know that producing an heir is impossible if you can’t bear to be a foot away from your future wife?”
“I beg your pardon!” The crown prince looked positively scandalized .
Cozbi nickered, nibbling at my hair. I stood quickly, wincing when a few strands tore from my scalp. “Cozbi, really!” I hissed.
Our ruckus drew their attention. My stomach clenched when Lady Marianna’s gaze met mine.
“Narcissa! There you are. Bennett has a favor to ask of you.”
His eyes widened. “Aunt Marianna—”
She waved her hand, silencing him. I had never seen the crown prince look more mortified—or disheveled. He had abandoned his tailored coat, the sleeves of his shirt rolled to his elbows. Pieces of hay clung to his breeches and hair.
“Your Highness,” I said, bobbing a curtsy.
He nodded, but said nothing.
Lady Marianna gave him a look I couldn’t decipher. “Bennett’s gelding is misbehaving. Perhaps you can ask him why?” She took Cozbi’s reins from me and winked. “I’ll take care of this one.”
Before I could object, she was off with the mare, leaving me, the crown prince, and his gelding alone. I realized it was the first time we had been alone since the king’s study, though now there was less probability of interruption. Lady Marianna was not likely to come back and the stables were empty of stablehands, no doubt ordered to leave the crown prince to tend his horse in privacy.
The horse in question stuck his great white head out of the stall with a snort.
Seeing that Crown Prince Bennett had not yet spoken, I turned to the horse. “Er...is there anything bothering you?” I wasn’t used to conversing with animals out loud in the presence of other people, but I figured anything was better than silence .
I don’t like my stall, the gelding said.
“He does not like his stall,” I said to the crown prince.
“I see. I will have him moved, then." He reached for the gelding, but the horse stepped back.
The other ones aren’t any better .
A speckled pony poked her head out from the stall next to him. It’s true. There’s mice everywhere. We’ve been dealing with them for a week now.
“Mice?” I stepped into the gelding’s stall, pretending not to notice Crown Prince Bennett jump when my shoulder brushed his chest. I crouched, surveying the space. It was neatly swept, a fresh pile of hay in the corner.
“I don’t hear any mice,” I said, looking up at the gelding. Usually I’d be able to sense animals if they were near enough. I couldn't decipher any rodents amidst the stalls.
Well they’re there. They nip at my hooves at night and eat my apples , he said indignantly. He gestured to a bucket with his nose. An apple sat at the bottom, the skin thoroughly nibbled.
Crown Prince Bennett crouched beside me, running a hand over the far wall. The gaps between the boards were unusually large, mostly from disrepair. I noticed, too, that his fingers were long and elegantly boned. “Perhaps the mice come from the fields. The stablehands will have to repair the walls.”
I sat on my heels. “I suppose that explains it.”
“Indeed. Thank you, Lady Narcissa.”
I cleared my throat. Though the stall was by no means small, it was not meant for a horse and two people, all fully grown. The crown prince’s proximity was unnerving, and so was my realization that his lips were full and pleasingly shaped. As was the curve of his jaw .
“What is his name?” I asked, scrambling to my feet.
Crown Prince Bennett followed suit, though slower. “My horse? He doesn’t have one.”
“Oh.” My mind blanked, hardly knowing what else to say.
Yes, the crown prince was handsome. I had acknowledged it before, but somehow the fact never bothered me until now. And I couldn’t seem to stop noticing things about him.
I curtsied instead, the action awkward in the cramped space. “I must go. All the best with your gelding, Your Highness.”
He nodded and I headed out of the stables as gracefully as I could.
The moment I was out of his sight, I broke into a trot, scouring the building for Giselle.
The seamstress sat in the common area of her chambers, her work sprawled out in front of her. She was mending a pair of dark brown breeches.
“Close the door. Don’t let the cold air in,” she mumbled over the pins between her lips.
“I need a gift for...Bennett,” I said, leaning back into the door. It clicked shut.
Giselle raised her brows. “Oh. Bennett now, is it?”
My throat clenched, punishing me for speaking his name when I didn’t have permission. I schooled my features into composure. “It’s his birthday next week. Did you know?”
“Now I do,” the witch said. She removed the pins from her mouth and gave me her full attention. “What kind of gift?”
I sighed and explained to her the crown prince’s penchant for clothing .
“Huh,” she said, refocusing on her work. “You’d never know from the way he treats his breeches. This is the third pair he’s worn out this month. Must be all the riding.”
I shrunk against the door frame. “If you could make something, I can give it to him and—”
She laughed. “My dear, dear girl, that is what he’s paying me for. It won’t mean anything if I make him something.”
“Who else is going to do it then?”
Giselle’s expression grew mischievous. “You are.”
“I don’t know how to sew,” I protested, but she was busy rummaging through her bag.
“Don’t you society girls embroider all the time?” Giselle asked, voice muffled.
“That is not the same as garment making.”
“Oh, pooh. As long as you know how to handle a needle, you’ll be fine.”
I swallowed, looking askance. The last time I handled a needle, it wasn’t for sewing or embroidery.
Giselle emerged with a bundle of beige wool. “What do you think about breeches?”
I took a step back. “Absolutely not.”
She made a face, tossing the fabric aside. “Fine. A shirt, then.”
I protested again, but Giselle pulled out a mass of ivory linen and spread it over the floor. She whipped out a charcoal pencil and a spool of measuring tape.
“So. The body of the shirt should be roughly twice as wide as his shoulders. As you probably noticed, His Highness’s shoulders are rather broad.” Giselle gave me a sly smile. “We may require extra yardage.”
I thought it proper not to comment. After thirty minutes of instructions and cutting, the seamstress let me return to my room.
“Show me when you’re done,” she called out. “I’ll have to make sure it’s wearable.”
I heaved a sigh.
Why did I let Giselle convince me to do this?