Chapter 28
I stumbled to the side, sword in hand, tripping on a small root that suddenly sprouted from the ground.
“Good, Leif!” Ian’s praise echoed through the training pit, and I spun abruptly to observe my friend.
“Magic and swords, watch out world.” I laughed.
His smile grew wide with my praise.
My training hadn’t involved weaving magic into attacks, since I clearly lacked any. I encouraged Ian to do so with Kalliah and Leif, even if their abilities weren’t powerful, they were there, and those skills could be honed if trained.
I’d been right.
My date with Ryland yesterday afternoon had been sparring together. He’d remembered it was one of my hobbies I briefly mentioned during our first dinner together. I was taken aback he recalled such a minute detail of my life, but I appreciated the date had a purpose, instead of just being seen in public on the princess’s arm. He taught me some of his own specialty maneuvers he had been perfecting for years. The movements were fluid yet stealthy enough that I wanted Ian to incorporate them into our training. I was concerned when the date began that Ryland would want to use magic in our session, but he seemed content to keep it physical.
I’d been surprised at how easy I envisioned a friendship forming with him. Our conversation flowed freely and easily, but it lacked any sort of spark. Besides, I was still concerned about his conversation with Casimir. Although it sounded like he turned Lord West down, my trust wouldn’t extend that far to others yet. Or perhaps ever.
I’d even tried to sneak in a question about how he felt about the other contenders to see if he would bite, but he failed to take the bait.
While it had been fun, Ryland lacked some of the characteristics I hoped for in a husband. I didn't feel as if he could succeed on the throne, without exceptional handholding, which I had no intention of providing.
He would, however, make an excellent addition to Ian's guard if he ever wanted a place here in Ellevail. I’d have to mention it to Ian when all of this finally passed.
“Okay, rest,” Ian said, bringing me back to reality. “Lan, come here.”
I bounced on my toes, shaking out my shoulders and stretching my neck before standing in front of Ian.
Leif jogged to the outskirts of the training ring to retrieve two glasses of water for us. In the distance behind him, I noticed Kalliah practically skipping along the path from the palace to the ring.
Leif handed me a glass as Kalliah approached our group, her eyes gleaming.
“Well, do tell. What has you all giddy?” I asked her as I downed the cool water. Sweat seeped through my shirt since I finally stopped moving.
“I was asked to the Festival of Blessings!” She clasped her hands together.
Leif immediately spat the water out of his mouth, spraying it across my face.
“Leif!” I shouted as I turned and stared with indignation, wiping the spray from my cheek.
He ignored me completely and immediately questioned Kalliah. “And you said yes?”
Kalliah paused, and shifted to face Leif, glaring at him with utter indignation. One I would not want to experience. “Yes, I did. I believe one should take advantage of the opportunities which are afforded to them, instead of waiting around for something which may never happen.”
Leif opened and closed his mouth before clenching it shut.
“That’s what I thought,” she said. “Lana, we must be off to prepare you for your next date. Good day, gentlemen.”
Kalliah grabbed my hand and pulled me quicker than I anticipated. I barely had time to shove the now-empty glass into Leif’s hand before stumbling after Kalliah. She gripped my hand like a vice. I didn’t even get a chance to glance at Ian to see his reaction to the news and Leif’s stammering.
Finally, when we were far enough away and she had slowed down, I said, “Cruel, Kalliah. Cruel. I didn't know you had it in you.”
“What was cruel?” She cocked an eyebrow at me.
“Oh, no, don’t you play coy now. Leif will likely cry himself to sleep tonight,” I said. “Hand me your handkerchief to get his spit off my face please. Fates, did no one see how hard his water left his mouth?”
Kalliah’s eyes narrowed. “Leif is only concerned with baking and his Hidden Henchman duties and has yet to pursue me at all after our talk at the ball. I refuse to wait around for him to ask me for more of my time. So of course, when Dimitri asked, I agreed to go with him,” she said, clearly trying to convince herself she made the right choice.
I knew something had happened at the contender’s ball. “You are trying to make him jealous,” I countered, grabbing her arm to stop her focused walk toward my chambers.
Kalliah bit her lip, her darker cheeks blushing. “I’m not trying to be cruel. I just, well, if there’s a chance at love, I want it. And Dimitri is handsome and kind,” she said, shrugging.
“And?” I pressed, tilting my head, not at all buying my savvy and fierce friend didn't have an ulterior motive.
“ And I’ve watched my best friend hold a competition for her hand, so why not create some competition for myself.” She grinned, almost evilly while tossing me a wink.
I looped my arm through hers, laughing all the way back to my chambers.
A quick thirty minutes later, I finished bathing and Kalliah swiftly braided my hair for my date with Hale. A knock on the door was the only warning before Ian entered, barely able to contain his laughter.
“What’s gotten into you?” I asked.
“Oh, Kalliah, you have done it now.” Ian collapsed onto a chair in the sitting area, leaning over the arm with a devious smile on his face. “Leif was beside himself when you left. I walked back with him to the kitchen to grab an apple, and he was muttering to himself. I didn’t even have time to tease him about anything before he picked up a sack of flour to bring inside.”
Ian snorted, unable to control himself. “Who should come around the corner at that exact moment with a stack of the cleanest pile of our Queen’s laundered gowns?”
My jaw dropped, eyes alight from the story. “Please tell me it was Lucinda.” The royal laundress was notorious for wreaking havoc on everyone in the palace at the slightest inconvenience.
Ian inclined his head. “As you can imagine, Lucinda was none too pleased when Leif collided into her with the sack of flour. I’m not sure who had it worse! Lucinda covered in flour along with her laundry, or Leif fumbling over the old Fae’s clothes, trying to brush it off of her.” Tears were streaming down his face from laughing so much.
I tried so hard to keep my giggling to a minimum, but I couldn’t help myself. Kalliah quickly pulled my head back into position as she finished the braid, rather roughly.
“Serves him right. Maybe if he got his head out of the clouds, he would see what is in front of him!”
“Oh, Kalliah,” I started to say when she gave me that look through the mirror. “His head wasn’t in the clouds, it was wrapped around you .”
She glared at Ian next, scolding us. “Neither of you will ruin this for me. I will be with Dimitri for the Festival of Blessings whether you like it or not. I expect these wishes to be honored!”
Ian and I shared a glance, and in unison replied, “As you wish.” Ian even rose and bowed.
Kalliah couldn’t contain her own giggle any longer. It felt so normal to be with them, laughing. To have this moment of levity with my best friends at a time where there was so much unknown.
“I would have paid to see Lucinda’s face, covered in flour.” Kalliah snickered as we settled. “Since we’ve had plenty of fun at my expense, how about you, Captain? Do you have your date, or shall I say ‘dates,’ for this year's Festival?”
“Yes, Ian. What fair maiden do you have in your grasp this year? Hopefully not that dreadful barmaid from two Festivals ago.” I snorted.
“Or two dates like last year,” Kalliah chimed in. “The drama of trying to keep them from knowing about the other was exhausting.”
His face turned serious. “I’m a contender, Lana, need I remind you. I have no date for this year's Festival because you are my date.”
“Oh,” I replied solemnly, “I assumed with all the gaggles of women who were falling at your feet, you would have asked one of them by now.”
“You're unbelievable.” His movements were rigid as he stood again, the joy draining from the room.
“I’m just saying, Ian. Don’t let these silly marriage trials stop you from having a good time. You aren’t technically my personal guard this year, and since the general is being light with your Captain duties while you are in the marriage trials, it seems like an opportunity for you to be free. An opportunity to not be wasted on saving yourself for something we know would just be an arrangement of convenience.”
“How many times do I have to tell you? This is not just some temporary arrangement for me. I am taking this competition seriously. I can't have you ending up with the likes of Casimir.”
I studied him for a moment, desperate to bring back the normalcy of our friendship. This was too much. The strain of everything demanded too much of him, of me, of our relationship. I hated the trials all over again.
“Next year, my friend, I hope you have the most joyous Festival, filled with all of the eligible maidens across the land.”
Assuming he wasn't King. Did I want Ian to win? The thought of Kade immediately popped into my mind, and I swallowed the lump in my throat as I realized my feelings for him were growing. If they continued, perhaps Ian wouldn’t need to keep up his absurd charade to win. Especially if Kade became a contender who could win and not be a miserable bastard.
The thought terrified me.
We all stared at each other a moment longer in awkward silence, before Ian coughed and headed back toward the door. “Hale and Ruppert will be by the front entrance in twenty minutes. I already scouted out the location earlier today, but Ruppert will be there just in case.”
“Thank you, Ian,” I said. Regardless of being stripped from the role of my personal guard for the trials, he hadn’t let it deter him from maintaining those duties throughout the entirety of the competition.
What Hale had planned, I did not know, but with only a few minutes to spare, I had to shake any sense of unease and pull myself together. Out of all the dates I had to endure this round, I was the least worried about my time with Hale.
When I walked through the open palace doors, only my mother appeared beside Hale at the entrance. My father’s absence felt disheartening. I arched an eyebrow, but she shook her head slightly as I approached, already guessing what I’d ask. It would seem a conversation for another, more private time.
“My dearest,” she said, grabbing both my hand and Hale’s, “please do enjoy your time together. We look forward to seeing you soon.”
Just outside the door, Ruppert waited in position as Hale and I began our descent into the city. Ruppert may have been a terrible guard before, but he knew I liked to enjoy the lands around me and allowed me to travel in peace.
“I thought we could have a late lunch and enjoy a few minutes away from the heaviness of the last few days,” Hale said as we made our way down the path. He offered his arm, and I gladly accepted. “I’m sorry about Elisabeth. She’ll be missed.”
I grasped his arm, squeezing it once. “Thank you, Hale.”
We wandered down the path and into the city, and while I had just been here with Lord West yesterday, it seemed entirely different with company who appreciated all of Ellevail. Hale and I stopped to talk to a few Fae along the way before we ended at Millie’s Café.
“You remembered.” I laughed.
“There’s only one place to get your favorite meal.” He shook his head. “You brought it up at least once a week when we were younger. I’d be dimwitted indeed if I couldn’t remember such a piece of information.”
Ruppert nodded and indicated he would be outside should anything arise. For once, he actually allowed me the privacy I wanted and needed. Something he failed to do previously as my guard.
The café was empty, which surprised me, considering the hour. I surveyed our surroundings, now understanding why Ruppert had been fine to leave me alone.
“Where is everyone?”
Millie bustled from the kitchen, wiping her hands on her faded red apron. “Oh, come now, child. An hour-long date with the princess can certainly be accommodated to give you some peace and quiet.” She winked at me before patting Hale on the cheek. The short, brilliant cook had to reach up, practically extending her arm to do so.
She shuffled back to me, grabbing my shoulders and pulling me toward her. “I heard about Elisabeth, my sweet child. She loved you more than life, I hope you know that.” Millie pulled back and cupped my cheeks, patting them once before she drew away.
“Sit, sit. I’ll be out in a moment,” she instructed.
I realized right then that perhaps the reason I loved being around the lesser Fae so much, why Ian and I had loved it our whole lives, was because they treated us like family. I wasn’t Princess Illiana when something was wrong. I was one of them. Their own. Just as they were mine.
None of the nobles expressed their condolences, but every single lesser Fae made their sorrow known. My heart cracked.
Millie walked toward the front, yanking her blue polka-dotted curtains closed, shutting off the view from the crowd gathering outside, hoping to see more.
Hale held his arm out for me, revealing a small table at the back of the café already set for the occasion. A delicate bouquet of hydrangeas was displayed in a crystal vase at the center. He pulled out my chair for me as we took our seats.
“I already took the liberty of ordering our lunch, I hope that's okay,” Hale stammered.
I reached across the table and took his hand. “It’s more than okay, Hale. Thank you for planning such a thoughtful date.”
He smiled and seemed to relax a bit more. The conversation ebbed and flowed, just as it always had. Millie returned, laying out two bowls of vegetable soup, and I couldn’t help but feel grateful. I knew he’d remembered from the joke he made at dinner the first night of the trials, but to see it here again warmed my heart.
I genuinely smiled and breathed in the rich beefy broth. “This might be the best date I’ve ever been on,” I admitted.
We took a few bites, and I paused, looking up at him. “I owe you another round of thanks for the first dinner. I was rather nervous, and you made me feel more at ease. Thank you for your kindness.”
Hale blushed, a small smile gracing his lips. He hesitated, trying to find the right thing to say and dropped his spoon on the floor. I bent to pick it up for him, where it had landed by my feet, but he flicked his wrist, and it flew back onto the table. Millie ran over and replaced it with a clean one instantly.
“Thank you, Millie,” he said, his cheeks flushing further. He waited to continue until she disappeared into the kitchen, leaving us alone in the empty café.
He coughed and sat up straighter this time. “Princess Illiana, I know you have much to consider during these trials, but I’m grateful to have been given this time so I could tell you how I feel.”
I sat up straighter, too, placing my hands on my lap as he took a drink of water before continuing.
“For the last several years, you got me through so many of our Court gatherings and balls. Being with you made me feel alive and provided an escape from the boring life I know we both live. Especially with the pressure of constantly being under the watchful eye of our parents and advisers. Our time together has been a blessing.”
“Oh, Hale,” I started, but he cut me off.
“No, please let me finish, or I may not find the courage to say this to you again.”
I nodded and let him proceed, taking a drink of water myself, just for something to do with my hands, before placing them on the table.
“I know I may have been inexperienced before, and perhaps I was young and na?ve, but I have grown over these last few years. I know you have, too. If I were given the honor of your companionship, I would make every minute count.”
He reached for my hand, bringing it to his lips, and kissed it softly.
I had never had anyone speak to me the way Hale had. I should have been flattered by someone regarding me so highly and wanting to be with me so much. Even with the warm, and generous words, something didn’t feel right, which would make it hard to choose Hale for myself.
“I’m not expecting you to feel the same way or answer me with any sort of returned affection. I merely wanted to ensure you knew, should I win the trials and be a contender for you to select, I would honor you. I would honor the role of your husband, just as much as I would honor the role of being the king.”
It was a beautiful sentiment, and I stood to give Hale a hug. I looked back on the evenings we’d spent together with fondness. He had gotten me through so many nights of drudgery and boring Court gatherings in the same exact way he claimed I had for him. I owed the man before me for maintaining my sanity during those times.
“Thank you, Hale. I appreciate it more than you know,” I whispered in his ear before letting go. “You have to know you made it easy to be your friend. Regardless of what happens in the trials, I’d be honored if I could continue to call you my friend.”
He nodded. “Always, Princess.”
We finished our lunch, reminiscing a few more times, and then Hale filled me in on some of the latest gossip I’d missed regarding recent engagements.
Our laughter continued until Ruppert poked his head through the doors. “Your Highness, it’s almost time to return to the palace.”
After thanking Millie, and Hale again, I linked my arm through his, walking Ellevail’s streets side by side.
The closer the palace came into view, though, the heavier my heart grew.
There was one day left before the final trials. The decision to select a husband and future king crept closer, and a final choice would have to be made.
Through it all, one man kept entering my mind. Not Hale, who I knew I wouldn’t find love with, but would have a loyal companion.
Not Ian, who would die for me, and who I’d do the same.
It was Kade.
Kade who invaded my thoughts in a way that terrified me. I knew nothing of him, and yet, I couldn’t shake the feeling he had become the front-runner, and I hadn’t even noticed it happening.