"And Xavier would?" He sounded angry, and she didn't blame him. She was angry about it herself.
"I think he'll try. But I’ll put up a fight if he does. I'm not the kind of woman who stands by and gets married because people think I should do."
"And nor should you be," he acknowledged. "I wish there was something I could do."
"Me too," she whispered, admiring how he'd turned the table around and was now offering her the support she'd been trying to offer him, but without making her into a fool. She made a promise to herself to write a letter to Merelda, it might not arrive before she left Demetra, but she had to at least try.
6 Cienna
The next day passed in much the same way, with Cienna wishing she'd be left alone for longer than a few moments at a time. It wasn't as if the people hanging around her all the time engaged with her either. Instead, they just kind of stood, paying close attention to what she was saying and doing, but no more than that. In all likelihood, they were reporting back to Xavier. Though what they were reporting was kind of beyond her. She wasn't doing anything particularly interesting, and she was also sure that Xavier didn't care what she did so long as she provided him with what he wanted. So basically, gold and an heir. Both of which his country desperately needed.
As with the two previous evenings, she'd donned her plain dress and cloak, and made her way through the palace’s dark corridors, trying to ignore how creeped out she was by it. It was almost like there were parts which weren't reached by light, the feeling only intensified by the dancing torches in the sconces around her. Despite the orange glow, the light itself seemed to offer no real warmth, only adding to creepy feeling.
"Going somewhere, my Lady?" Xavier's emotionless voice echoed down the corridor and Cienna froze, not wanting to accept that he was talking to her. "Cienna." The way he said her name made it clear that it wasn't a question, or even a request.
He said her name like it was an order. Like he expected her to know what he wanted without even a hint of what that want truly was. She dreaded to think what married life would be like with him and was more determined than ever that it wouldn't be her that he married.
"Your Majesty," she said as she turned, instantly dropping into a curtsy deeper than she needed to. She was nobility, and a high ranking noble at that, her knees didn't need to come within an inch of the floor. But with Xavier, she felt that she should, if only to keep him off her back.
"I asked if you were going somewhere." She was surprised that he repeated himself, but the fact he hadn't allowed her to rise suggested he was as aware of what she was doing.
"For a walk in the gardens, Your Majesty." Her voice shook slightly as she lied, and she really hoped that he wouldn't notice. She didn't know what she'd do if he did. Or more likely, she didn't know. She rose to her feet slowly, not sure if he'd take that very well, but knowing that she couldn't physically spend much more time with her legs bent, not without falling anyway.
"Alone?"
She didn't respond. She couldn't. It didn't seem likely, even to her, that she wouldn’t have at least one companion.
"My Lady, I've brought it." A breathless Kayla entered the corridor, holding a fur stole in her hands and handing it to Cienna. "Your Majesty, I'm sorry I didn't know you were joining us," Kayla said while dipping into a curtsy almost as deep as Cienna's, though she stood much quicker.
Cienna saw a flash of interest cross Xavier's face and her heart sank. He was probably already trying to think of ways in which he could break her spirit. She fought the urge to move in front of Kayla and shield her from his gaze, but worried that that would attract more unwanted attention.
"I'm not. Enjoy your walk," he said, the coldness not leaving his voice in the slightest.
Cienna and Kayla exchanged worried glances, before hurrying in the direction of the garden. Neither of them seemed to feel the need to say that Xavier would almost certainly be watching them now to make sure that they were doing what they said they were. Which would mean that Cienna wouldn't be able to sneak off to see Harry tonight. She hoped he wouldn't be too disappointed when she didn't show up. She'd have to see if she could manage to get away before the ball started tomorrow night, though that could prove problematic. While her absence hadn't been a big deal the past two evenings, she was sure it would be then.
"We'll find a way for you to sneak out tomorrow," Kayla whispered.
"What?"
"Oh please, do you think me and Maddy haven’t noticed you sneaking off somewhere?"
That surprised Cienna. She'd figured that Maddy knew, how could she not when she seemed to know everything anyway? But she hadn't thought that Kayla did. Then again, she didn't know Kayla well enough to be able to tell, even if she liked the woman.
"Oh."
"We'll help any way we can, but you'll need to be back for the ball itself."
Cienna nodded, having come to that conclusion already.
"Thank you, Kayla." She took the other woman's hands in her own and squeezed tightly, trying to convey how much her support meant. "How did you know I needed help tonight?" she asked, curious.
"Maddy sent me to follow you."
"Of course she did," Cienna said, smiling to herself at the thought of her friend. She wished they were back home and that Maddy could be with them in the garden too. But then, she imagined Maddy would be horrified by the state of the place, with the dying plants only adding to the bleakness of the environment.
"They really should sack the gardener," Kayla said quietly, glancing around.
"Kayla, you can't say things like that," Cienna almost hissed, anxious that her new friend didn't get caught up in anything she couldn't extract herself from.
"It's true though. There isn't one living thing here."
"There should be," Cienna replied, swiftly moving through the dead vines to where the single red rose had been just two days before. There was no chance that the flower had already died, it had seemed so healthy, especially when it was surrounded by the desolation of the rest of the garden. Seeing a speck of red, Cienna fell to her knees and cupped the rose in her hands, tears starting to form in her eyes. The rose was dying. More than that, it was about to lose its last petal. The two women watched as it fell, hitting the floor and filling Cienna with more dread than all of Xavier's coldness combined. Something was telling her that the ball tomorrow was going to change everything, and no matter what happened, there'd be no going back.
7 Svetlana
Svetlana watched in the mirror as it showed the Cienna woman sat talking to a frog. That was never going to do, especially if that was the frog she thought it was. He wasn't even supposed to be able to speak, maybe something had gone wrong with her spell. She scowled, pulling the book of curses and spells towards her, and flipping to the one she'd used on Prince Henry of Alventia.
It had been his own fault. He'd refused the marriage proposal her father had offered when she was fifteen. He'd said something about her not having a choice and that he didn't want to marry anyone if it wasn't for love. The poor deluded fool. Marriage wasn't about love, it was about power, and how best to use it. Married to her, he'd have been able to take over the world. But he didn't want that. And she hadn't been about to forgive him. A couple of years later, when she'd found the book in the attic, she'd found a way to get back at him in a way he'd never be able to forget. She'd cast a curse so strong, that no one should ever be able to undo it.
Except here he was talking to the woman that Xavier supposedly wanted to marry. What was it about the royalty in this world that seemed to make them want this woman and no other? It was probably the ability to spin straw into gold. Even Svetlana had to admit that she'd probably look past all the personality flaws imaginable in order to have that wealth at her fingertips. It was probably the same with the male royals. Demetra was certainly in economic ruin after the reign of Xavier's father, and while Alventia was a prosperous nation, she didn't think the additions to their coffers would go amiss.
She’d have to deal with Henry tomorrow, after she’d gained the power she could from Xavier and Cienna. The Prince wouldn’t even know what had hit him.
She turned away from the mirror, knowing that it would go dark the moment her back was to it. She didn't have any explanations for how the mirror worked, just that it did. She didn’t need any explanations so long as it kept working.
She walked out of the small room, and back towards the kitchen where she'd abandoned the dress box the other day. She hadn't thought about the dress itself much since getting back, she'd had other parts of her plan to put into motion. She'd already topped up on a lot of life force. She couldn't go into a palace full of guards and who knew what else if she didn't have a way to defend herself. Plus, the villagers had been almost tasty, particularly the couple who'd just got married. She'd felt more refreshed after them than she had any of the others. Maybe it was something to do with their age, but she suspected that it was more to do with their love for one another. Pathetic people. Letting themselves be ruled by love. Didn't they realise that love caused downfalls.
She bathed quickly, not wanting to waste the energy needed to heat the water.
Svetlana studied her reflection in the boring, but functional, bathroom mirror. Her hair was curling beautifully and framing her face in a way which made her pale skin and red lips pop. She'd always been blessed with beauty, even when her cold eyes stared back. People always overlooked then. They didn't expect to be crossed by someone that looked like she did. It made them fools, but she liked it that way, it gave her more of an upper hand.
Satisfied, she slipped on the dress, enjoying the sumptuous feel of the velvet as it brushed against her skin. The dark red colour was perfect, and the long tight sleeves fit with the rest of the design. The overall result was something sleek and form fitting, and just the right side of scandalous. She'd enter the room and everyone would look at her, but they wouldn't be able to say anything against her.
With a simple thought, she disappeared into a puff of smoke, reappearing outside the ballroom. Music played from within and she smiled to herself. Everything was going perfectly to plan.
8 Cienna
Her gold dress fit beautifully but made her feel out of place among the darker colours the rest of Xavier’s Court wore. Cienna wished that someone would have told her before her visit what fashion was like in Demetra, but apparently they hadn't thought about preparing her like that. Even Kayla, who was her normal two steps behind, was in a darker colour, though that was probably her mother's doing. She wouldn't have wanted Cienna to be outshone, and so would have insisted that her lady-in-waiting wore something darker. She could picture the conversation in her head.
She sighed, wishing that she was back at the lake. She'd returned earlier to find Harry waiting with a smile on his face and her gold ball in his hands. He'd been disappointed that she hadn't been able to visit the previous night, but only in the same way that she had been. She was kind of surprised how she felt about visiting him after just three nights, but then he was probably the first person to ever take her seriously. Maybe not the first, but certainly the first man. Before she'd left him, she'd given in to her desire and placed a kiss to the top of his head, causing him to look slightly abashed, but she hadn't cared. It made him happy and that was the main thing. The one thing that was still in the air for her was about what would happen when she left.
"Dance with me," Xavier said coldly, already forcing her away from her thoughts and into his arms.
She tried to hold herself as far away from him as the dance would allow. Even if he was a decent dancer. That surprised her, he hadn't done anything to suggest that he was good at any of the Courtly arts until now.
"Are you enjoying your visit?" he asked.
"Yes, Your Majesty," she replied, already berating herself in her head for her lies. She hated lying, no matter who it was to.
"You will stay longer." His words felt like they should have been a question, but like he wasn't asking, he was telling. And while part of her wanted to run away as quickly as possible, another part was thinking that if she could stay, then she could see more of Harry. Though she imagined that the moment Xavier found out about that, he'd put a stop to it.
"Yes, Your Majesty. I'll need my father's permission first." It was better to tell him what he wanted to hear and find a way out of the situation later.
"He'll give it."
"Yes, Your Majesty," she repeated, hating herself a little more.
"Your maid, what's her name?" he said, still lacking any emotion when he spoke.
"Madeline." He looked at her expectantly. "Your Majesty," she added through gritted teeth. If he was going to try and marry her, then he’d better not make her use his title every time. She’d be doing something about it soon after.
"She intrigues me. Send her to me tomorrow."
"What?" Cienna bit back without thinking, a cold shudder rushing through her. She'd thought that Maddy had slipped by without Xavier noticing. She had too much power to be noticed without there being consequences.
"Send her to me. Tomorrow." He let go of her hands and stormed away across the ballroom, leaving her standing in the middle of the miserable dancing couples.
No one seemed happy here, she didn't want to add Maddy, Kayla, and herself to that number. Turning on her heels, Cienna rushed towards the door to the ballroom, leaving everyone behind.
She ran in to something and it wasn't until she righted herself that she realised that it was another person.
"I'm so sorry," she dusted off the other woman's dress, admiring the cut and the fabric, as well as the fact that it would fit in perfectly with the rest of the party goers. "Are you all right?"
"Yes," the woman said, a slow smile creeping across her face and setting off alarm bells in Cienna's head. There was something off about this woman, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what.
When the woman's long fingers clamped firmly around Cienna's wrist, and she began to pull her away from the ballroom, Cienna started to realise why. She was tempted to scream. But was there really any point when nobody would come to her aid?
9 Svetlana
Cienna didn't look as scared as she should, which annoyed Svetlana. Why wasn't she screaming? Why wasn't she trying to get away?
She dragged the other woman down a corridor that was completely in shadow, and pushed her against the wall, not caring about the dirt that was messing up the gold of the other woman's dress. It wasn't like she'd be needing it again. Cienna started to struggle, kicking at Svetlana's shins, but really being more of an annoyance than managing to get free.
"What is it about you?"
"What?" Cienna choked out past the arm that Svetlana had pressed against her throat.
"You have two royals after you. What's so special?"
"I don't have two royals after me."
"Xavier and Henry." Cienna laughed bitterly in response.
"I don't know a Henry, and Xavier doesn't want me, he wants my power." A defiant look passed through her eyes, angering Svetlana.
"He's not the only one." She smiled wickedly, readying the words that she needed in her head. She'd originally planned on draining Xavier first, but with the opportunity in front of her, she could hardly pass it up. And Cienna radiated something, though she couldn’t put her finger on what that was. It didn’t matter. She was going to be feeling great after she'd drained Cienna, and her life force wells would be unrivalled.
She started saying the words in her head but only got to the second one when something hit her side, sending her tumbling to the floor. Cienna dropped next to her, clutching at her throat with her hand and gasping for breath. But Svetlana ignored her, paying attention to the dark-haired girl who knocked her over. There was nothing special about her at all, but that didn't mean anything, not when she'd managed to get one up on Svetlana.
"Cienna, run," the woman half-shouted.
Cienna scrambled to her feet, but instead of running away like Svetlana exp
ected her to, she stumbled towards them.
"Kayla..."
"Go. Head west. Maddy says it will be fine," the woman said.
Svetlana took advantage of her distraction and moved so that she'd be able to capture the woman while she wasn't paying attention. She didn't have the same glow about her that Cienna did, nor the couple that she'd drained before she'd come to the ball. Maybe there was something in that.
"But..."
"Go, find him. Maddy says you need to find him."
Svetlana grabbed the woman's wrist and was surprised when she didn't even try to fight back, she didn't even take her eyes off Cienna. The woman in the gold dress nodded once and started running towards where Svetlana assumed the entrance to the palace was. She didn't know, things like doors weren't important to her.
"How does it feel knowing your friend abandoned you?" Svetlana sneered, pulling the woman around until she was facing her. Yet the woman didn't look scared in the slightest.
"She's not abandoned me. She's doing what needs to be done."
"You really believe that?" Svetlana laughed. The poor deluded fool.
"Yes."
Svetlana considered for a moment. She had planned on just draining the woman, and then going after Cienna, but maybe this was a good time to try something different. She still had plenty of energy left from the young couple and the other villagers earlier, and she'd always wanted to try this spell.
"What's your name?" she asked, trying to soften her voice, but even she knew that it didn't work.
"Kayla," the woman answered instantly.
"Why aren't you scared?" Svetlana half-screamed at her, growing impatient with the woman's defiance.
"This is meant to happen," Kayla repeated.
"And if I curse you?" she demanded.
Cursed Crown Page 3