21. Charlotte
Although Charlotte had been hesitant at the idea, Gwen’s visit to Charlotte’s family home had been a success. With no one else present to provoke her sisters’ sense of competition and comparison, they were welcoming to the visitor. And Charlotte’s parents seemed delighted to hear she had a local friend, even if only of recent standing.
Gwen herself was everything that was charming and polite. She even graciously accepted a tour of the new stable, conducted while Charlotte was caught inside by her sisters. Elizabeth and Odelia had somehow talked her into helping with the food preparation their mother had assigned them, and Charlotte wasn’t able to extricate herself before her proud mother swept Gwen off to complete the tour. Given Gwen’s true status, Charlotte could only hope she wouldn’t take offense. But she couldn’t warn her family that Gwen was a princess when her friend hadn’t even fully confided in her.
Thankfully Gwen’s royal manners were more than adequate for Charlotte’s absence. But she still felt guilty enough to stick closely to her friend for the rest of her stay. So it was only after Gwen left that Charlotte noticed how distracted her parents seemed. With the excitement of the visit over it was impossible to miss.
When her mother dropped her third bowl in a row, Charlotte asked what was wrong.
“Nothing, nothing,” her mother said, but the look she cast at Charlotte suggested otherwise.
Charlotte sat straighter, frowning. It hadn’t occurred to her that her parents’ mood might be related to her, but her mother’s expression suggested it was.
“Actually,” her father said suddenly, “your mother and I were wondering if you would come for a walk with us, Charlotte?”
If her father was using her full name, then something was definitely wrong.
“Of course I’ll come,” she said, dreading the possibility that her parents might ask her to extend her stay.
She gathered her cloak with a heavy heart. It would be difficult to say no to them, but there was no question of staying longer. She was already counting the hours until she saw her husband again and was able to finally have the too-long deferred conversation about their future. She wouldn’t delay her reunion with Henry for anyone.
Sure enough, as soon as they were away from the house, her mother cast a beseeching look at her father, and her father cleared his throat. Charlotte held herself silent, knowing it was only fair to allow them to have their say, even if she already knew the outcome.
But her father’s first words took her completely by surprise.
“You seem happy, Charli,” he said, “but your mother and I have some concerns.”
“Concerns?” Charlotte looked between them, bewildered. “About what?”
“In retrospect, I can see that I took the matter of your marriage far too lightly,” her father said. “I made certain assumptions that I have since realized are false.”
Charlotte frowned. Where had these concerns been in their joyous reconciliation the day before? Her obvious well-being had seemed to clear away their lingering worry.
“I don’t know what you mean,” she faltered. “What sort of assumptions?”
“In truth,” her father said, “I took certain hints dropped by the white bear—”
“Henry,” Charlotte interrupted.
Her father exchanged a look with her mother. “Ah yes. Henry. I took certain hints dropped by Henry and combined them with information from your uncle to reach erroneous conclusions. It was on the strength of that understanding that we agreed to part with you.”
“What can you possibly mean?” Charlotte asked, growing more and more incensed. “Henry promised me a life of ease and comfort, and he promised you riches through a large bride price.” She glanced back in the direction of the new house, now hidden by the trees. “Can you deny he’s provided exactly that for both of us?”
Her mother looked pained, but her father’s stern expression didn’t waver. “I admit he has so far stayed true to the explicit promises he made. It’s the implications that have proven false that now concern me.”
Charlotte felt her anger on Henry’s behalf peak and then suddenly abate. She let out the breath she’d been holding. Could she blame her parents for leaping to wrong conclusions about Henry when she had done exactly the same? And just like them, she had been concerned when she first learned she was wrong. But just as she had long ago forgotten her thoughts of the Palace of Light, they would soon realize their daughter had more than she could ever need.
“I’m sure I can ease your minds,” she said softly. “What is it you were wrong about?”
Her father looked at her without any abatement of his obvious anxiety. “When we encountered a talking white bear, naturally we assumed he was one of the mountain people.”
“Naturally?” Charlotte asked, astonished. “Whatever can you mean?”
“At the time I hadn’t met one myself, of course,” her father said, “but since the mountain people who visit these valleys transform into white bears, the connection was obvious. I told you as much.”
“Told me?!” Charlotte stared at him in astonishment. “What are you talking about? I’ve never heard such a thing!”
Her mother looked from Charlotte to her husband, horrified, while he merely looked confused.
“Given I was working so hard to be accepted as one of the approved valley traders, your mother and I were extra careful to maintain discretion about their existence. Even after Henry first appeared, it didn’t seem wise to mention anything in front of your sisters.”
Charlotte frowned, remembering all the times after Henry’s appearance when her father had hinted at something unsaid, or trailed off a thought half finished. Even his response to the arrival of a white bear hadn’t seemed entirely normal.
“I can understand you not wanting to say anything to Elizabeth or Odelia,” she said, incensed. “But how could you not tell me the full truth when I was about to marry one of them!”
“I couldn’t say it in the house with your sisters around,” he said. “But I did tell you out in the forest when we talked about his proposal, remember? Or at least, I started to tell you, but you became furious and cut me off, running back to the house.”
Charlotte gaped at him. The memory of that day was burned into her mind, thanks to the high emotions that had marked it. And now that she thought back to that conversation, she did remember him whispering something that she hadn’t heard, too caught up in her heartbreak to pay attention. How could she have guessed he was imparting secrets of such significance?
“I didn’t hear you,” she said, groaning. “You were whispering, and I was too…” She sighed. Perhaps it had all been for the best. She might not have gone through with the marriage if it hadn’t been for her mistaken assumptions.
“But Harold said you knew everything,” her father said, still frowning in confusion. “He gave me a whole lecture about how I should have warned you to be more discreet. He said you nearly blurted it all out in front of his children. I thought you must have already heard about it from one of your cousins and were protecting them by not mentioning as much to me.”
Charlotte shook her head, her emotions shifting toward amusement. She remembered the conversation with Master Harold as well. She had been confused to receive a similar lecture to the one her father had been given and even more confused when he had spoken about some in the valley not trusting Henry’s people. If she hadn’t been so emotionally worked up, maybe she would have hesitated long enough to demand a full explanation.
“None of my cousins ever mentioned a thing,” she said.
“You really didn’t know?” her mother frowned. “But you can’t have married him thinking he was genuinely a bear!”
“I thought he was one of the High King’s creatures from the Palace of Light,” Charlotte said. “I thought he meant to take me there!”
Her mother gasped, and her father’s jaw tensed.
“What?” he asked. “You thought what?” He looked thunderstruck.
Charlotte shrugged. “It doesn’t matter now. I’m perfectly happy in Henry’s castle and have no desire to go to the Palace of Light instead.”
Her parents exchanged worried looks.
“But what is this castle?” her father asked. “Is it not in the mountain kingdom?”
Charlotte shook her head. “Actually, it isn’t far from here. It’s certainly not up among the proper mountains—which is where I assume their kingdom must be. I’ve recently found out some information that makes me think Henry must have come from the mountain kingdom originally, but he doesn’t live there now.”
“You really do live all alone?” her mother asked. “I thought your stories sounded a little strange, but I didn’t realize you were so totally isolated.” Her expression was growing more and more alarmed, and Charlotte tried to think how to reassure her.
“Did Henry ever say he had come down from the mountain kingdom or that he meant to take me there?” she asked slowly.
Her father sighed. “No, he didn’t. We assumed as much because he was a white bear. How could we think anything else? But he was obviously wealthy, and he dropped certain hints that gave me the impression he was a prince among them—or a senior member of their court, at least. I know some in these parts mistrust the mountain people—it’s why the traders wish their existence to remain secret so as to avoid any prejudice or hostility. But the mountain kingdom has brought new prosperity to the valleys. Its people aren’t evil—they’re just unknown. And if you were their princess, what danger could there be? Henry assured me you would have a life of luxury, privilege, and power, and that you would be free to come and go as you wished.” He audibly ground his teeth together. “It sounds foolish now to say that his manner convinced me he could be trusted. I shouldn’t have been so credulous.”
Charlotte put a gentle hand on his arm. “I know what you mean. I sensed it from him myself. It’s a large part of the reason I agreed to the marriage. And you needn’t be so alarmed, Father. He may not be who either of us thought, but he has done nothing to betray our trust.”
“I know now he’s not a prince,” her mother said, sounding eager, “but you said he is one of the mountain people?”
Charlotte bit her lip. Since meeting Gwen, she had concluded he had to be, but they had all been wrong in their previous assumptions.
“He has never said so,” she admitted reluctantly.
“He hasn’t taken you to visit the mountain kingdom?” her father asked.
Again Charlotte was reluctant to answer, but a lack of communication was what had caused the problem in the first place. “No. We’ve never been anywhere but his castle, which, as I said, isn’t far from here.”
“And you live there completely alone,” her mother said slowly, looking at her father with eyes of concern.
“We may be alone, but it’s still a life of luxury,” Charlotte said quickly. “Henry’s godmother object provides for all our needs.”
She had thought mention of a godmother object would reassure them, but they merely exchanged another significant look.
“So this Henry is neither a resident of the Palace of Light nor one of the mountain people,” her father said slowly. “And he keeps you isolated and alone, far from any communities. It seems impossible that he could be a white bear and not be one of the mountain people, but they have never mentioned one of their own living isolated within the valleys. If he isn’t one of them, then we must know—who and what is he?”
Both her parents fixed her with such intense looks—compelling, anxious, and charged all at the same time, as if they were ready to wrench her away from Henry and never allow her near him again.
Fear made Charlotte’s heart lurch and race, words falling out of her.
“Henry is a man! You’re talking as if he’s something horrible, but he’s just an ordinary man under an enchantment.”
Her father’s stance didn’t relax, but her mother slumped a little, the first hint of relief appearing on her face.
“You’re sure?” she asked. “You’ve seen him as a man?”
Charlotte bit her lip. “I haven’t seen him, but…” She fell silent, remembering her promise to Henry. Would he still want her to keep it in the face of this terrible misunderstanding?
Her mother let out a soft cry. “You haven’t seen him! How can you know he’s a man, then? Oh, my daughter!” She flung her arms around Charlotte. “We should never have let you go. This is all our fault!”
“Mother!” Charlotte struggled to free herself from the suffocating grip. “You really don’t need to be so concerned. I’m happy in my life with Henry.” She drew a breath as she finally extricated herself. “I love Henry.”
Her admission, which felt so weighty and significant to her, seemed only to fuel her parents’ unease. They exchanged yet another look, and this time she could read it. They found the idea discomforting—as if it were further evidence that she was under the thrall of someone malevolent.
“He isn’t like that!” she cried. “He’s kind and considerate, and he knows me—the real me. I belong with him.” Tears ran down her face as she realized the truth of her own words and how foolish they made her doubt and uncertainty seem. Why had she been so overset that she couldn’t even manage a conversation?
“Hush, my dear, hush.” Her mother rubbed her back. “We’ll find a way out of this marriage for you.”
Charlotte pulled back. “Aren’t you listening? I don’t want to leave my marriage!”
“We should all calm down,” her father said. “Charli, we’re only worried about you. If everything is as you say, we will be delighted. But how do you know he’s really an ordinary man? Do you have anything to rely on other than his own words?”
He looked at her so intently that she squirmed. She had to defend Henry. Surely she could do so without telling them the full truth of their nights together.
“It’s not just his words,” she said slowly. “I’ve talked to him as a man.”
“I thought you said you hadn’t seen him in any form but that of a bear.” Her father was watching her carefully and must have caught her grimace.
“I didn’t say I’ve seen him, I said I’ve talked to him.”
“That sounds like nonsense,” her mother said. “If you’ve talked to him, why don’t you look at him as well?”
Charlotte hesitated, worrying at her lip. “Because it’s always dark,” she finally blurted out. “He is only a man at night and the palace is shrouded in complete darkness then.”
She didn’t mention the specifics of their nights spent side by side in bed, but it was clear that even without those details, her words had confirmed her parents’ fears rather than allayed them. She should have just remained silent as Henry had asked her.
Fresh tears threatened. She had only wanted to defend him, but instead she had terrified her parents.
Her mother’s voice softened. “You say you love him. Don’t you want to see his face? Just once, so you can be sure—so we can be sure—that he’s really what he claims to be.”
Charlotte scoffed. “What else could he be?” Even as she said the words, she could feel the warmth of his arms around her on the night he had comforted her, his heart beating so close to her own. Of course Henry was a man.
But she couldn’t deny the insidious appeal of her mother’s suggestion. She did want to see his face. She wanted it desperately.
“We don’t really know anything about him,” her father said. “But it would be reassuring to know he truly is an ordinary man. There are clearly strong enchantments at work, and you yourself have pointed out that not all creatures in this world are entirely…natural.”
Charlotte frowned. The creatures that lived in the Palace of Light with the High King weren’t something to be afraid of. But then, neither were any of the godmother objects when they were first given to humans. And yet, some had been corrupted and misused.
Charlotte didn’t believe Henry was someone who deserved her fear. But she wanted a future with him—one in which they could be fully husband and wife—and she longed to see her husband’s face. Even if she only saw it once, for a moment, it would be enough for now. Once she had seen it, she would be able to picture him as he lay beside her in the darkness. Nothing else would need to change, but she would truly know him the way he knew her. And maybe if she truly knew him, their marriage could become real, the way she longed for it to be.
“But I can’t,” she said, sounding more regretful than she should have. “His object controls all the sources of light in our castle.”
“I have an idea about that.” Her mother gave her father a look that made Charlotte wonder about the source of her mother’s idea. “I’ll give you a candle from home and a way to light it. Keep it hidden on you, and when night comes, you can light it and see him for yourself. If that upsets him, then he’s not being honest with you, and at least you’ll know…” She hesitated. “Whatever there is to know.”
Charlotte bit her lip. Her parents didn’t know that Henry slept beside her at night. If she looked at him while he was asleep, he wouldn’t even need to know about it. She could light the candle for a brief minute and then hide it again. She would even destroy it the next morning so she wouldn’t be tempted again. Nothing would need to change.
“Fine,” she said in a rush. “If it would relieve your mind, I’ll do it.”
Both her parents smiled at that, although it didn’t quite relax the tension in her father’s frame. She could only imagine what he was thinking. If she did discover something terrible about her husband, what would she do about it alone in their castle? But she wasn’t worried about that aspect because, unlike her father, she knew there was nothing terrifying to find. All she was going to see was the face of the man she loved. The face of her husband.