Chapter 22 A Scarcity of Carnal Mischief #2
All day, she had tried to recover from the awkward and heated exchange with Edmea … but it was useless. Flykra walked right past her. Heka pretended not to hear her question. Zoraya looked at her pitifully, but made herself scarce whenever Demelza approached her.
At lunch, Demelza stared at Talvi and Ursula. Neither of them had quite met her eye after the exchange in the winter courtyard.
“You believe me, don’t you?” asked Demelza. “You don’t think I’m a spy?”
“No,” said Ursula.
Talvi shook her head. This should have comforted Demelza, but she could sense they were holding something back.
“But?” she prompted.
Talvi and Ursula exchanged a look.
“Love, Demelza?” asked Talvi. She grimaced. “I mean … I have to admit, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you alone with the prince. Or even seen you seek him out.”
“Have you seen Ursula alone with the prince?” asked Demelza.
“Well, no,” admitted Talvi.
“See!” said Demelza, triumphant.
“But he also mentioned sampling cloud berries with her the other day,” said Talvi. “I heard him mention it to Begonia.”
“What did you do when you were alone with the prince?” asked Ursula. “Where were you?”
In my room, she thought.
“On the grounds,” said Demelza, vaguely. “And we didn’t do anything. We just talked. Mostly about books.”
Talvi nodded, so at least the conversation seemed a fitting one to have with the prince.
“Keep your secrets, my friend,” said Ursula. Even though Demelza still felt like the whole day had her cornered, a part of her thrilled at the mention of being someone’s friend. “But just know that we can’t defend what we don’t know.”
The rest of the day had passed in a blur. And it was only when Arris waved a hand in front of her that she came back to herself.
“Does it look revolting?”
Demelza looked at the table and saw a slice of sugar beetle pie. It wriggled in a congealed, iridescent mass and Demelza felt a pang of homesickness.
“You mentioned this was a favorite of yours at home,” said Arris. “I must admit, I have no desire to try it, but if you say it’s a delicacy—”
Demelza picked it up and bit down, smiling when the beetle legs tickled the inside of her cheek. Arris had added pond nettle, which gave the flavor a peculiar brightness. Her sister Corisande would love this.
Arris walked across the bedroom to fix a silencing charm to the doorknob.
His brown hair was mussed and dusted with sugar.
There were faint signs of sleeplessness under his eyes, but his gaze was bright as always.
When he plopped into the chair across from her, he immediately launched into conversation.
“Do you think Begonia meant it when she said that her future husband not liking the color green was a matter of life and death?” he asked.
“I would imagine so, considering I confirmed it for you,” said Demelza.
”But what kind of death?” pressed Arris. “The death of the flush of new love? The death of the dream of finding a partner who shares your every preference?”
“Your death, Arris,” said Demelza.
“Pity. I fancied myself a bit in love,” he said.
“You’ve said that about every contestant!”
“Considering I’ve got to marry one of them, I can’t imagine that’s a bad thing,” he said.
He grinned and Demelza registered that she should laugh, but she could not focus.
Thanks to Edmea, she was at best invisible, and at worst irrelevant.
If none of the contestants would speak to her, then she would be of no use to the prince.
Even if she somehow made it past the second trial, he would be certain to cast her out, and Demelza did not want to go.
She had grown to love the grounds of Rathe Castle and its strange wonders.
She had made friends in Ursula, Talvi … even Arris.
Did he think of her as a friend? Would he notice if she was gone?
If she returned to Hush Manor, she realized she would still think of this.
This slice of pie and the boy who had made it for seemingly no other reason than that she had mentioned it was her favorite.
The very thought touched something within her that was as tender as a fresh bruise.
“What is it?” asked Arris, leaning forward. “Is the pie that bad?”
“They’re avoiding me,” said Demelza.
“Who?” asked Arris.
“Everyone,” said Demelza, miserable. “None of the contestants will let me come near them anymore.”
“Is it the mud, you think?” asked Arris. “I’ve actually gotten used to the smell; it’s almost pleasantly like rotting leaves and summertime ponds.”
In the corner of her room, the surface of the mirror rippled.
Yvlle stood in the reflection with her arms crossed, her black sleeves rolled to her elbows.
Something winked and flashed in the princess’s fingers and it took Demelza a moment to realize it was Yvlle’s eye.
Her other eye glowered at them. She had not bothered with her usual eye patch, and through the fall of her chestnut hair, Demelza glimpsed a dark and angry socket.
“We have a problem,” said Yvlle, her gaze slicing to Demelza.
“What?” asked Arris.
“Not what, who,” said Yvlle. “More specifically you.”
Demelza steeled herself. “I have done nothing except—”
“Stop right there,” said Yvlle, holding up her eyeball. “I have watched you and doing nothing is the problem!”
“That’s ridiculous,” said Arris. “She’s brought us the best information and saved my life and—”
“I’m not talking about that, Brother. I’m talking about the fact that this is a competition for my brother’s hand in marriage, Demelza!” said Yvlle. “You have not revealed yourself as appropriately besotted! And then your comment to Edmea was carried around—”
“What comment?” asked Arris.
“I said that what was between us is a private matter and foolishly added that love is a private matter,” said Demelza.
Arris blinked. “You said you loved me?”
“You are hardly ever seen communicating with Arris,” added Yvlle. “It is as if you are not here for him at all!”
“But I’m not!” protested Demelza. “If I spend time simpering about, then I won’t know the secrets of the other contestants and you’ll have no use for me!”
“And if you capture our mother’s curiosity for the wrong reasons, you’ll be thrown out of the competition and then we will certainly have no use for you,” said Yvlle.
“I find all this talk of a person’s worthwhileness rather cruel,” said Arris.
Demelza thought it was an endearing sentiment, but really—
“And this is why you are so easy to kill, my beloved twin,” said Yvlle. She tugged at her hair, and Demelza saw profound exhaustion etched in the princess’s features. She was worried for her brother.
“You must manage both, Demelza,” said Yvlle, her voice softer this time.
“More flirtations and the like are needed. With the trial so soon, you cannot afford to rank low amongst the contestants. I have done my best to discover what our mother plans but so far I’ve found nothing.
If you want to remain here, then it lies in your hands. Not ours.”