10. Chapter 10
Micheala
I stood in the midst of the entire court of nobles, all of them dressed to perfection in ball gowns that would make Cinderella look like she was back in the ashes again. Stage lights burned from above, and an audience of pageant spectators watched with eager eyes as I crossed the stage.
“Places, ladies.” The command came from the speakers, but I took my spot, chin high, shoulders squared, dress… I looked down and saw only my heels attached to bare legs.
“Oh my gosh!” Chantal’s voice turned its wrath on me. “Michaela is naked!”
I froze in front of the audience, mortified that I didn’t have a stitch to wear, other than the sash that read: Miss Imposter. And that didn’t cover much. My feet reversed, set in survival mode. Laughter resonated around me. Panic clouded my thinking. The world started to spin and blur into a sea of color.
“Announcing his Royal Highness, Prince Fitzborough III.”
My heart took a jump off the high dive. I wanted to sink into a dark hole and hide. No way could Fitz see me like this. It would ruin everything!
A warm hand caught my shoulder. “Milady?”
I was too late. Fitz had found me.
The voice echoed through my dream. “Milady?”
I snapped awake, panting and unnerved. Dahlia backed away from the bed, even more wide-eyed than I was.
“Apologies, milady. I couldn’t wake you and they requested your presence at breakfast in the next twenty minutes. I didn’t know what to do.”
I set my palm over my heart and drew in a deep breath. “Sorry, I’m a deep sleeper.” I looked up to meet her eyes with my sincerest gratitude. “Thanks for waking me up. I was having a naked dream.”
To me, it was a perfectly logical thing to say. Standing on stage with nothing to say and no dress in sight was my typical nightmare to have before any stressful event.
But as Dahlia paled at the words, I realized maybe it wasn’t as normal as I thought.
“A naked dream?” Her hands twisted together with nervous energy. “Was the prince there?”
“Yes, but—” At my confession, her mouth dropped open and I was quick to set her thinking straight. “It wasn’t like that. I was on stage at a pageant and I hadn’t gotten dressed, that’s all. Fitz, I mean, Prince Fitzborough was supposed to be a judge.”
“Of your nakedness? That’s a strange American tradition.”
“No,” I pushed the blankets off, “it’s not real. It was a figment of my imagination. You really haven’t had a dream where you were naked and everyone stared at you?”
Dahlia’s cheeks pinked. “I try not to be naked ever, milady, even in dreams. It’s not modest.”
“Right.” This was a losing battle. She probably showered in her underwear. “It’s a dream I have when I’m stressed. That, and forgetting my dresses or ripping my dresses, you name it and I’ll stress dream it. Showing up on stage without a dress is pretty par for the course.”
Her head cocked to the side. American idioms likely didn’t make sense to her. But she shook her head, resolute in her response. “Milady, I promise I will never let you out the door in your nakedness.”
Did she think that was something I did normally? But I feared correcting her would only lead to more confusion. “Thank you, Dahlia.” I pulled my bag onto the bed and started searching for clothes. “And remember, in here, just call me Mick”
“Yes, Lady Michaela.” She gave a short curtsy like I’d seen the other staff members do and started sorting through my armoire.
“Seriously, you can drop all that extra stuff.” I motioned to my flannel pajamas as evidence that I was different. “I’m a normal girl from California. There’s nothing royal about me.”
Dahlia paused and turned back to face me. “The prince made you a lady of court last night. I saw it on the broadcast.”
Oh, this game Fitz had me playing…
“Yes, but it was for show, Dahlia. I’m an American. I can’t be a Nolcovian noble.”
“But the prince said it.” She stared with her crinkled brow. “What he speaks is law.”
If she knew what I knew… I decided not to push it any further. Changing the subject, I asked, “What’s on the schedule for today?”
She shifted a couple gowns to the side, only pausing a moment to admire the workmanship which, as the designer, I appreciated. “We were originally told that it would be an athletic sport from America, baseball , I guess. But with the snowfall last night, his Royal Highness changed his mind.”
I hadn’t bothered to look out the windows yet. But where I came from, snow was unheard of, and waking up to a winter wonderland sounded like a dream come true.
The good kind.
Not the naked kind.
“The only clue we have is a cryptic message from the prince.” Dahlia continued to explain, but I pressed forward toward the window. Frost edged every pane with various patterns of icy artwork. The chill crept up my arms like fog as I moved closer. Through the clear space at the center of the pane, I looked out on the snowscape.
Powdery snow coated every surface. The gardens, the wall, the hills in the distance. Transfixed, I couldn’t look away from the sight. The sun hit the white sheet at just the right angle, creating sparkles that twinkled and danced across the flawless surface.
“The note said: Winter brought a chill, but we are just warming up. Be ready to give it all you’ve got. ”
Breakfast in the dining hall moved quickly. Most, like Blair and Sadie, were too nervous to eat. While others chose from the buffet provided, Sadie spun the bracelet on her wrist, preoccupied with her thoughts. Maybe I should have taken that approach, or even Esmerey’s nervous hand wringing as she picked at a berry muffin. But the chocolate-stuffed pastry I’d found in the lineup stole my full attention.
It also gave me a reason to stay in the midst of the contestants, watching and observing, mostly out of my duty to Fitz, but also out of concern that any one of them could turn psycho ax murderer on him at any second. Sadie had mentioned other provinces, but I honestly didn’t understand how Nolcovia worked. I stared at a marble goat statue that stood between the muffins and the scones like a breakfast sentinel.
I really didn’t understand the goats.
Gwendolyn held a mug of something, but she barely sipped it. Her mind was elsewhere. Chantal smiled broadly, at least when she thought people were looking. When her eyes turned away, I noted the haunted stare of regret that nearly overpowered her. Whatever Fitz said to her the night before hadn’t been friendly. She knew, just like the rest of us, she didn’t belong here.
We were supposed to have fifteen at this point in the competition, but only twelve contestants remained. Blair moved in next to me as though she’d come to the same conclusion.
“There were others in the ranks who wished to hurt the crown. They’ve been removed.” The narrowing in her eyes spoke of her suspicion. “They should interview everyone. The prince deserves to be safe.”
I broke off another piece of my pastry but paused before I popped it in my mouth. “Do you think they’ll bring anyone back?”
“No.” Her decisive answer surprised me. “Once Leo makes a choice, he doesn’t reverse it. They weren’t worthy, so he won’t try again.”
I wanted to question her familiarity with him. Most, at best, called him Leonidas, but not Blair. She was the driver’s daughter, but would that be enough to build familiarity, or was there a secret relationship there that he hadn’t told me about? After all, she was the second name he called last night.
Before I could snoop for more information, the producers rounded us up and ushered us into waiting vans. Six in each. The ride remained quiet, despite the buzzing energy. No one knew what to expect. I adjusted the beanie on my head and pulled my mittens down a little more. I wasn’t competing, but the idea of a challenge always got me revved up. With my type A personality, winning was the only option.
The drive took us on frosty roads about fifteen minutes outside of the capital city. Gwendolyn became more animated as we took another turn deeper into the countryside. “We’re in the Aclusia Province. I know where we’re going. We’re close to my town.”
Sadie tightened at the declaration. Where was she from? I hadn’t even thought to ask. Was she coming home too? It didn’t seem like it. More like she wanted to climb under the seat in front of us and hide until the whole thing was over. But that was pretty standard for Sadie.
Gwendolyn’s blonde hair whipped back and forth as she tried to look from one window to the other. “It’s Winter-Sparra, the adventure park. Have you been?”
I didn’t know who she was talking to, but it couldn’t be me because I’d only been to the airport and the palace. Blair’s mouth pinched tight as though the question offended her. “Once, as a child.”
“Oh, it’s gotten so much better.” The noble spun around to face Blair. “They’ve added two new skiing hills, and the ice rink is so smooth you feel like you’re positively flying.”
“Yeah,” Blair’s stare flicked to Eirene who echoed her same tense expression, “and the rates tripled to match. Not exactly within a commoner’s grasp, is it?”
All of the excitement bled out of Gwendolyn. It hadn’t crossed her mind. Money wasn’t something she had to think about, let alone worry over. But as her chin dipped down and she swallowed hard, I felt her shame for not remembering the others weren’t in the same situation.
Blair looked positively triumphant at her victory. Gwen turned to face the window again, and I had to wonder if Blair had noticed or even stopped to think how different Gwen’s reaction was than any of the other nobles’ would have been.
The van pulled into a parking lot and found a space. Moments later, the doors rolled back and a blast of frigid air stole my breath away. No one else reacted, but I felt dramatically hypothermic and hesitant to follow the rest of them outside. But the production team waited for no human popsicle and I dragged myself out into the frozen tundra.
Okay, it wasn’t a tundra, but my instantly frozen nose had my brain thinking otherwise. Snow was to be enjoyed from the indoors, in my opinion.
A cup of cider.
A good book.
The roaring fire that waited back in my room at the palace called for me.
But I wasn’t in Nolcovia on vacation, I was here to help Fitz, even if it meant I turned ice-blue in the process.
I followed the rest of them and the production team as they climbed icy stairs to the top of the snowy hill. From the top, I took in the whole scope of the place Gwendolyn had called Winter-Sparra. I counted two ice rinks, a half-pipe for snowboarders, and a ski lift that likely led to amazing skiing somewhere. To the far right, a circular ring had been cut into the ground, built up and surrounded by rock walls where a team worked to shovel it free of the night’s snow.
At any second, I expected the whole place to come to life with tourists, laughter, and children squealing with delight. Instead, a team of cameramen trudged down the hill, while the twelve of us, bundled from head to toe, stared at Tom, waiting for the shoe to drop.
It was all too perfect.
There had to be a catch.
But Tom wasn’t about to give away the surprise. “This way, ladies.” He forged forward as he sank in the snow almost up to his knees. I worried for Sadie and her petite frame. She might vanish in a deep section and we’d never find her again. When I faced her, it looked like the same idea had occurred to her as well.
Her coat, though thick, wasn’t new in any sense. Where my scarlet scarf, beanie, and mittens all matched, Sadie’s clothes were clashing, homemade, and threadbare in a few places. I made a mental note to let her raid my wardrobe later.
“Step where I step,” I kept my volume low to be sure Sadie was the only one who heard me, “it’s a trick my grandfather taught me when I was little.” I hoped she wouldn’t take offense to the little comment, but for a moment, her face brightened like I’d provided an answer to her greatest fear. Since her lips were already turning blue, I figured she needed all the help she could get to stay dry and warm.
I started walking again, only vaguely registering a few words exchanged between Esmerey and Astrid. With Lilith gone, I suppose she needed a new henchman. From the way she cast a side eye my way, I gathered she didn’t approve of me helping Sadie.
Well, tough luck, Toots , as my mom used to say when I didn’t get my way. Life isn’t fair, and it’s up to the rest of us to try to fix that where we can.
Our small trek stopped at the base of the hill. It was strange to be cold and hot, all at once. Sweat from the walk clung to my scalp, but within seconds it froze. Nothing like sweat-cicles hanging off wisps of hair. So feminine. Just the look I was going for.
Bickering started almost immediately. Cameras moved into position. Tom called for some sense of order but put that many females in one space, make them uncomfortable, and odds are they’ll take each other’s heads off.
“You stepped on my boot, chauffeur’s daughter!” Esmerey lashed out at Blair.
Without flinching, Blair folded her arms across her chest. “That’s Lady Chauffeur’s Daughter to you.”
“If you’d look over here,” Tom tried to get their attention, but Fallon was harping on Eirene. Sadie cowered in my shadow. Gwen scolded Dagny for eating snow by the fistful. Astrid shoved Minerva in retribution over a nasty glare. Emotions were running high and no one was listening.
“Ladies,” Fitz’s voice broke over the top of the chaos, “if I could have your attention for a moment?”