11. Laude
Chapter 11
Laude
Sitting in a chair among the elegant crowd in Himzo’s Plaza Principal for the official nuptials, I couldn’t focus on the couple promising to devote their lives to their kingdom and to each other. Each of the previous Himzo ceremonia nights had led up to this one moment. The princess’s blue dress sparkled, and Milo’s smile shone even from a distance.
But Cosme’s twisted expression as he read those wretched letters Beatriz had been carrying around burned in my conscience. Princess Monserrat’s desperate tone pierced my ears and soul. Was I better off being parentless than with a papá and mamá who had no sense of loyalty?
“Are you ready?” Jaime patted my hand, waking me from my stupor.
“For what?”
Gonzalo and Blas were already on their feet, glancing over their shoulders, scanning the crowd for problems. They had expressed their disapproval of Prince Agustín’s and Hugo’s extra attentions the other day, and they didn’t want a repeat of me being caught with no protector.
Jaime scrunched his eyebrows together in concern. Musicians lined the plaza with guiternas , lutes, and a thousand other instruments. Girls with flowing white dresses danced in synchrony with long ribbons tied to their tambourines, and boys waved golden flags that reflected the torchlight fires up on high poles. These Himzos really enjoyed a late-night celebration.
I got to my feet. “Sorry, umm, did they get married already?”
“It’s hard to hear with so many people.” Jaime intertwined his fingers with mine. “Which music group do you want to follow?”
“Follow? What are you talking about?” I shouted over the growing clash of human voices and vibrant music.
He stepped closer and leaned to my ear. “Is everything all right? You don’t seem yourself.”
Even with him close enough to hug, I barely registered his words over the noise. Maybe it wasn’t the perfect time to admit that I was a bit rattled by Prince Hugo’s words about my mamá yesterday and that I was heartbroken for Cosme and Monserrat. Maybe it wasn’t the moment to ponder the weird letters that constricted my throat, but I had to say something. This jittery energy bubbled inside me like boiling water in an overfilled pot. “Can we go somewhere quieter?” I yelled.
Jaime nodded and tugged me along behind him, Blas and Gonzalo bringing up the rear. We snaked in between giant dresses that poufed out an extra arm span and made our path a tight squeeze. Once we broke from the crowd, I let out a breath, happy to get far from the palace with enough secrets to make any girl’s head spin.
Our little four-person caravan managed to stay together all the way to Milo’s estate. Though I’d only been to the building a few times, the place felt like home in this strange land. The moment we passed over the threshold, Gonzalo and Blas returned to guard Zichri.
“Do you want a cup of coffee?” Jaime asked.
“Yes, please, with an extra helping of cream and cinnamon and sugar.” I shuffled to the kitchen with Jaime.
The darkened house sent a shiver rolling across my shoulders. Sconces usually lit up the space, but we found deep shadows in empty passages. The kitchen would have been any cook’s dream with its stove, hearth, large counter, many shelves, and giant storehouse.
Jaime found a kettle and poured water from a jug. “Can I get a light?” He pointed to the stove.
“But I can’t here in Himzo.”
He quirked his lips to the side with some shadow of thought crossing his expression. “Just try it. You saw the gifted in the palace.”
I sparked my finger into a vibrant flame and lit the wood in the stove. “The other day I couldn’t even produce a glow.”
“It means that the relics are gone. Someone moved the last ones that prevented the giftings.” He crossed his arms and shifted his hips to lean against the stone wall.
My skin chilled. So much more was being said than what I understood. With so much information stuffed into my skull, I thought I might burst with any new conundrum. “Where is everyone?”
“All the servants, besides the guards, got the night off. I think they all attended the wedding.” He chuckled. “I thought you’d enjoy the musicians and celebration more. Parades of people follow musicians all over town to sing the night away. What troubles you?”
“Are you sure you want to hear everything?” Before he had a chance to nod, I spilled every last detail, except the ones I couldn’t share from Monserrat’s letters—wretched curse—with an extra sprinkle of words about feathery caps that had nothing to do with all the relics in Himzo.
By the time Jaime poured me a cup of coffee, I could breathe again. “So, what do you think?”
“What you’re saying is that I’ve been a terrible betrothed for not noticing all this going on?”
“No!” I giggled at his arched eyebrow. “But seriously, what should I think about Prince Hugo and him knowing about me and my parents? I don’t even know if what he said is true.”
Jaime climbed onto a stool beside me and poured himself a cup of black coffee. He set the pitcher down. “Laude, have you ever considered how strange it is that you, as a servant, shared a room with the princess as a child?”
“She needed a playmate.” I slurped from my pewter, but the warm trickle of liquid burned as it hit my stomach.
“There needs to be more than that. Did you say you were favored by the queen?” Jaime’s steady hazel stare felt unnerving in its intensity.
“Look, my mamá was a favored maid when the queen was new to her role, and I don’t think this is the main issue. Prince Hugo being creepy is the main thing because I’m pretty sure he’s the one who threatened Minerva and chased me—I guess Prince Augustín could also be the culprit. But let’s focus on what Prince Hugo said.” I motioned with my fingers to mark the end of digging up my past.
Jaime’s lips pursed as if he were in thought or put off by my vehemence. I couldn’t tell. I gulped half a cup of coffee, and it stuck to the back of my throat burning like lava. Coughing, I spit the brew out, squirting it all over Jaime.
He grimaced, pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, and mopped his face. The cloth blotched with brown speckles.
“Sorry, sorry! Ai-yi-yi!” I guffawed, unable to control the nervous energy radiating from my toes through my fingertips.
“Perhaps you should put the coffee down.” He gently guided my hand to the countertop. “Laude, there must be more to your story. Queens don’t take in children and raise them alongside their daughters. It just doesn’t happen.” He brushed his thumb along my jawline and lifted my chin. “Even if the past hurts, I’ll be by your side.”
A quiver vibrated throughout my body and chattered through my teeth. “I’ll move to Himzo.”
Jaime stilled. The corners of his mouth upturned with a jolt of contagious excitement, and I wanted to throw my arms around him. But I held back, feeling guilty for changing the subject. Yes, he’d be next to me here in Himzo, but not when I spoke to the one person who could answer my questions.
He wrapped his arms around me, cocooning my body in his warmth. “But before we decide on a date, I want to hear about your conversation with Queen Cottia.”
My face drooped. He didn’t and couldn’t understand why I could never ask her about my past. Even if she was willing to answer the questions, would the answer satisfy? I had everything a person could want including the Ancient One, friends, love, and enough of everything. I nodded, and Jaime didn’t push for a response.
My feet dragged the entire way back through the portal, out Cosme’s sitting room, and from there to my quarters. It was as if the throngs at Milo’s wedding had been replaced with an invisible force that threatened to suffocate me even when the path before me lay empty. Who could I talk to for comfort?
Beatriz wasn’t an option, and the queen who could provide answers was the very person I didn’t want to speak to about such things. I preferred to move forward in happy, ignorant bliss. Of course, Jaime had a point about finally facing my past. But Prince Hugo mentioning it made me think something bad would happen if I didn’t find out my own secrets.