Chaos Trapped

by Eric T Knight

  “Nobody’s going to be laughing. It’s the latest fashion.”

  Rome scowled at her. “Are you sure? Or is this really a way to get back at me for accidentally knocking over that vase and breaking it?”

  “You didn’t accidentally knock it over,” she said, putting her hands on her hips. “You did it on purpose, and you know it.”

  “Why would I do that?” Rome asked innocently.

  “Because you hated it. You hated it from the first day I brought it home. That was your way of getting rid of it.”

  “You’re making me sound childish.”

  “You are childish.”

  “I don’t see what’s childish about not wanting to do stupid things like dress up in fool’s clothing and spending a whole evening putting up with a horde of petty, backstabbing nobility. I’d rather take on a whole tribe of Crodin nomads by myself than put up with that lot.”

  Bonnie sighed and put her head in her hands. “The party is happening, Rome. Why not simply make the best of it?”

  “This is me making the best of it.”

  “Then I’m glad I don’t have to see the worst.” She took up the collar again. “Now hold still. I think I almost have it.”

  “Can’t we just leave it off?” Rome asked with a pained expression. “It makes it hard to breathe. It really does. It’s too tight.”

  “It wouldn’t be if you didn’t eat so much. And no, we can’t leave it off. The whole outfit would look foolish without it.”

  Rome held up one finger. “And I say the whole outfit looks foolish either way.” Then he jerked back. “Ow. You pinched me.” He rubbed his cheek.

  “You want me to pinch you again?”

  “You fight dirty.”

  “I fight to win.”

  “That’s what I love about you, you know,” he said, grabbing her and pulling her to him. “You’re feisty. How about we take a little tumble and get some of that feistiness out?” He gave her a leer.

  She gave him a little slap and pushed him away. “Do you know how long it took to get into this dress? No, you don’t. Because you were off hiding somewhere complaining about your daughter’s coming-out party. Well, let me tell you. It took most of the afternoon and three maids to get me into this. If you think I’m going to let you mess all that up, you have a lot of nothing going on in your skull.”

  “There, that’s the feistiness I was talking about,” he said, reaching for her again.

  She slapped his hands away, hitting hard enough to make it sting. “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing.”

  “I thought it was pretty obvious what I was doing.”

  “You’re trying to get out of this. As if there’s any stopping this now, with hundreds of guests on their way and mountains of food and drink already prepared and the staff having spent countless hours decorating. I don’t know how you think it would work. Perhaps you think you could accidentally tear your shirt once you got it off. Or maybe you want to hide out here during the whole party. But would you really do that to your daughter? Do you realize how much she’s been looking forward to this?”

  “It’s a silly tradition,” Rome said sullenly. “She’s still my little girl, twelve or not.”

  Bonnie raised an eyebrow. “Is that what this is all about?”

  Rome pulled away and went out on the balcony. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  She followed him out there. “Your little girl is growing up, and you can’t handle it.”

  “I know she’s growing up,” he grumbled. “But does it have to be so soon?”

  Bonnie hugged him from behind. “I’m sorry, Rome. I know it’s hard.”

  “You know what I saw yesterday? I saw her talking to a boy.”

  “She’s been talking to boys her whole life. She’s your daughter. She talks to everyone all the time.”

  “Not like this. I swear she was batting her eyes at him. She’s too young for that!”

  “It’s still harmless. It doesn’t mean anything.”

  “No, but it will. Way too soon.”

  “She’s still going to be your little girl for a while yet,” she said soothingly.

  “Not long enough.” He pulled away. “Nothing really changes, no matter how much I try to make it change. The old nobility and the wealthy merchants still scheme and jockey for power like they always did. They want to get their daughters married to Brecken and their sons to Liv so they can worm their way deeper into the palace and take over someday. And now I have to go down there and watch as the sons of those coyotes circle around Liv, filling her head with their pretty words, sweeping her away.”

  To his surprise Bonnie started to laugh.

  Rome pulled away and turned on her with a scowl. “What? What are you laughing about?”

  “You. You’re too much. Do you really think your daughter is that empty-headed? You think she doesn’t know what’s happening?”

  “I don’t know what to think. She’s so young.”

  “But she’s been raised by us. We’ve taught her since she was a child, told her what to expect.”

  “But did she listen?”

  “Her best friend hardly ever wears shoes and roams around like a wild animal. You tell me. Would a girl caught up in the flattery of court have a best friend like Aislin?”

  He gave her a look. “You’re okay with her spending time with Aislin now? Even after what happened?”

  Bonnie’s expression grew troubled. “I don’t know. Not really. I still worry that Lowellin will make another try for Aislin, and Liv will get caught in the middle. But I understand the importance of Liv’s influence on Aislin, and I realize that if Lowellin comes for Liv it won’t matter where she is.” She looked back at him. “That’s not the point here. The point is that Liv is smart. Too smart to get swept away by some nobleman’s son looking to improve his father’s place at court.”

  “Are you sure about that? Have you seen how excited she is about this party?”

  “Yes, I have. But that’s because your daughter loves being the center of attention, and she loves getting her way.” She shook her head. “You should have seen how much she troubled me about having a trained bear at the party. As if there’s no way that could turn out badly. But it doesn’t mean she’s carried away by it. She’s just having fun.”

  Rome sighed. “You’re probably right.”

  She gave him a hug. “Of course, I am. Shall we try the collar again?”

  Rome sighed.

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  “Did you finish?” Netra asked.

  The woman sighed and threw up her hands. “Mostly. I have to warn you though. This isn’t my best work. She won’t hold still, and she complained about everything.”

  Netra had hired the woman to come do Aislin’s hair for the party. She’d warned her ahead of time that Aislin would be difficult, but even she hadn’t expected just how bad Aislin would be. Aislin had been in a terrible mood ever since she woke up. She hated breakfast. She hated her mother. She hated her dress—the same dress she’d said she loved only the day before—and she hated her shoes.

  “I’m sure you did your best. Here’s your payment.” Netra put two silver coins in the woman’s hand, then added a third. “And a little extra for your trouble. Again, I’m really sorry.”

  The woman put the coins away and patted Netra’s arm. “I have two girls of my own. I understand.” She shook her head. “Still, it’s a shame. With the hair that girl has, she would have been my masterpiece. Do me a favor, please? Don’t tell people I’m the one who styled her hair. It won’t help my business.”

  She left, and Netra stood outside the small hut she and Aislin shared, not sure she wanted to go back inside. It was quiet and peaceful out here in the shade, a cool breeze lifting the heat of the day, birds singing in the trees. She was quite sure it wasn’t peaceful inside. Then she pinched the bridge of her nose, took a deep breath, and went inside. Unless she wanted to show up looking like a scullery maid, she
needed to finish getting ready.

  She opened the door to find Aislin staring at herself in the mirror.

  “It looks great, honey,” Netra said, putting as much enthusiasm into her voice as she could. And it did look very nice. Aislin’s white-blond hair had been pulled up into an ornate bun on top of her head, an array of pins holding it into place. Pins that Aislin was fiddling with. “Don’t touch those,” she added hurriedly. “You’ll mess it up.”

  Suddenly, Aislin started to cry. Netra went and put her arms around her. Aislin didn’t hug her back, but she didn’t pull away either.

  “Why is everything so horrible?” Aislin said.

  “It’s not. It only seems that way because you’re nervous about the party.”

  “I never should have said I’d go. I already know I’ll hate it. People are going to be looking at me and laughing.”

  “No one’s going to be laughing at you.”

  Aislin turned her tear-stained face up to her. “You don’t know that. You don’t know how those girls are.”

  “What girls?” Netra asked.

  “Mean girls. They’re here for the party. They hate me.”

  “I’m sure they don’t hate you.”

  “You say that, but you don’t know. I’m not going. I’m staying here.”

  Aislin reached for the pins in her hair, but Netra caught hold of her hands. “Stop. Don’t do anything you’ll regret.” Aislin pulled away and threw herself onto a chair. Netra followed and crouched before her, taking her chin in her hand.

  “Are those girls friends of yours?” she asked. Aislin shook her head. “Then why do you care what they think?”

  “I don’t. It’s not them. It’s…”

  “Who? Is there someone else?” Into Netra’s mind flashed the idea that Aislin was acting this way because of a boy, but then she dismissed the thought. Surely her daughter was still too young to be thinking of boys.

  Aislin opened her mouth like she was going to say something, then closed it and shook her head. “They’re mean,” she said again.

  “People can be mean sometimes,” Netra agreed. “But you can’t let that stop you from doing what you set out to do. Liv is your best friend. She’d be broken-hearted if you didn’t show up.”

  “She won’t even notice.”

  “That’s not true, and you know it. She’s the one you should be thinking about. Not those girls.”

  “I don’t want everybody looking at me.”

  “They won’t be, trust me. I think Liv is going to make sure everyone is looking at her.”

  “Why does she even have to have this party?”

  “I don’t know, honey. It’s something rich people do.”

  “Are we rich? Do I have to do that too?”

  Netra laughed. “Look around, child. Does it look like we’re rich? No, you won’t have a party like this when you turn twelve.”

  “Good. Because parties are dumb.” Aislin stood up. “Let’s go. I want to get this over with.”

  ╬ ╬ ╬

  Pulled up by the gates of the Tender estate was an open carriage. Randel was waiting by it, wearing a new guard’s uniform, a Reminder—the symbol of the Tender Order—embroidered on the breast. His hair was freshly trimmed, and his goatee oiled down. He bowed as he opened the door of the carriage for them.

  “Where’s the FirstMother?” Netra asked him.

  “She’s still sick,” Randel said. “She won’t be able to make it.”

  “I wish I was sick,” Aislin said glumly as she climbed awkwardly into the carriage. Her new dress made it difficult. She’d already stepped on the hem once, and when she went to sit down it felt funny, like it was bunching up underneath her.

  “That’s crazy talk,” Randel said. “This is going to be so much fun.” He couldn’t seem to stop smiling.

  “Why don’t you wear this dress and go to the party then?”

  Randel stroked his goatee. “Hmm. It might be a little small for me, but I guess I could give it a try.”

  “Stop complaining,” Netra said. “It’s not going to be that bad.”

  Aislin didn’t answer. She stared out at the city as they bounced over the cobblestones.

  The castle gates were flung wide, and the archway over them was festooned with streamers of brightly colored cloth. Carriages were passing through the gates in a steady stream. Inside, the huge, circular driveway before the palace already had dozens of carriages lined up on it, waiting to unload their passengers. The carriage at the front of the line rolled away, and a new one moved forward. Its passengers—an elderly man and woman draped in fine clothing—disembarked and headed for the doors.

  “Wow,” Randel said. “Look at that.” He stared avidly, taking in the ornate carriages, the richly-dressed guests, the liveried servants bustling around. Over and over he pointed out things, saying things like “That’s something to see, isn’t it?” Neither Aislin nor Netra answered him, which didn’t seem to diminish his enthusiasm.

  When it was their turn, Randel jumped down quickly, and then turned to offer his hand to Aislin. She pushed it aside and jumped down too, but underestimated the effects of the long skirt, got tangled up in it, and would have fallen if Randel hadn’t grabbed her quickly. She glared at him, and he responded with a big smile.

  “I’ll see you when it’s time to leave,” he told them, and climbed back into the carriage. The driver snapped the reins, and the carriage rolled away.

  “Are you ready?” Netra asked her.

  “No.” Aislin felt a sudden, unexpected urge to take her mother’s hand, but she resisted it. She was not a little girl, she told herself.

  For some reason her eyes went to the tower, its vine-wreathed top visible behind the palace. She squinted at it, thinking for a moment that she saw movement in the leaves, but there was nothing, and she looked away.

  Servants in black and white livery, Rome’s wolf head emblem sewn to their breasts, flanked the front doors, bowing to the guests as they ascended the stairs.

  Inside, there were decorations everywhere. Aislin had vaguely noticed the servants and workmen putting up the decorations in the preceding days, but she’d paid no real attention to them, so it was like she was seeing them for the first time. Bright ribbons adorned doorways and walls. Fresh-cut flowers spilled out of crystal vases.

  They followed the procession of guests down the wide hallway, up a low flight of stairs, and through a pair of massive, double doors which opened onto the main dining hall. Aislin had been in the room before while playing in the palace with Liv, but she’d never seen it like this, and despite her misgivings she was struck by how impressive it looked.

  The great chandeliers were all lit, and they filled the huge room with radiance. Ribbons wrapped around the thick columns that supported the high ceiling. At the front of the room was a long, low platform, and on that platform was a single table where the royal family would sit. Perpendicular to that were several long rows of tables for the guests. The tables were covered in white tablecloths and laden with silver, glassware, and fine china. Everywhere there were vases bursting with sprays of flowers. Their fragrance filled the air with a heady perfume.

  Music played softly and liveried waiters with spotless white gloves moved amongst the tables, bringing wine and other refreshments to the guests who were already seated.

  About half the tables were already filled with men and women of all ages, along with quite a number of their children, though clearly not the younger ones. Looking around, Aislin had the sick feeling that she might be the youngest person there.

  Netra gave their names to a servant in a tight black jacket waiting inside the door. He consulted a list he carried, then dispatched another servant to guide them to their spots. As Liv had promised, their seats were at one of the tables on the edge of the room. Aislin relaxed marginally after they sat down. At least no one seemed to be staring at her.

  “I have to admit, I am impressed,” Netra said, leaning close to Aislin. “I’ve never
seen anything like this.” She touched her hair as she spoke, as if making sure it hadn’t gotten mussed on the way there.

  More guests came streaming steadily in. The seats on either side of them filled. Aislin couldn’t help but notice that everyone seemed to be dressed so much finer than they were. Despite the warmth of the afternoon, many women had furs draped over their shoulders. Bright feathers and even brighter ribbons adorned their hair. Their dresses sparkled as they moved. The men were only slightly less showy, showing off shirts with ruffled collars and jeweled buttons, wearing thick gold rings.

  The woman to Aislin’s right had several diamond-encrusted pins sticking out of her hair. Her dress was made of some shiny fabric that reflected the light as she moved. Her face was heavily made-up, her lips bright red, the corners of her eyes painted blue-green. Rings glittered on every finger, and a heavy diamond pendant hung around her neck. She caught Aislin staring at her, and her lips twitched upward in what might have been a smile, except that her eyes were utterly cold. Aislin quickly looked away.

  Aislin looked over and saw that Tessa and her parents had arrived. Tessa looked so tall and elegant. A net threaded with gemstones covered her lustrous black hair. Her dress was cream-colored, slashes in the skirt showing pink tints. The dress left her shoulders bare, and with her hair tied back it made her neck look impossibly long.

  Aislin stared at her, wanting nothing more than to slide under the table and disappear. She felt so small and stupid. Try as she might, she couldn’t touch the floor, even with her tiptoes. Her mother saw her sliding down in her seat and hissed at her to straighten up. Then Netra’s eyes fell on Aislin’s glass. The water in it was trembling. Netra took hold of her hand under the table.

  “Calm down, Aislin. Don’t let yourself get too upset.”

  “I’m trying, Mama,” Aislin whispered. And she was, but it was difficult. She’d been secretly hoping that Tessa would look awful, but she didn’t. She looked beautiful. Everyone was looking at her. There was no way Brecken wouldn’t be swept away by her. She had a terrible urge to yank the pins from her hair and run screaming out of the room.