At these last two additions, Max’s expression softened and he gave me a thoughtful look. He jerked his head back towards the tap room. “Is that the general mood of the city then?” he asked.
“No, no, they’re just a group of hotheads,” she replied. “Most people remain loyal – for now.”
I looked at her in surprise.
“It’s been a hard few years,” she said, with a shrug, “and that always gets people grumbling. But there’s no real heat in it yet. Still, it’d be better for everyone if the heir to the throne didn’t wander around unprotected. Accidents do happen, after all.”
I looked over at Max in concern. I certainly wouldn’t let him come with me on any future visits, whatever he thought about it. I wished I hadn’t let him bring me this time.
I was glad I had met my aunt and would soon recover my possessions. But it hadn’t turned out to be the relaxing afternoon I’d been hoping for. Instead I found myself with several more worries to add to the ones already pressing on my mind.
Chapter 15
When I woke the next morning, I looked around for the tight walls of my alcove in confusion. Instead my eyes fell on my window and the memories of the day before came back in a rush. I got up and went over to rest my head against the glass. I stood there quietly watching the distant waves for several minutes, trying to prepare myself for the day ahead. This was the day the rest of the court would return.
The princesses were already awake when I went through to their bedroom but they seemed entirely uninterested in the arrival of the court. Instead they were full of plans to take me out to see their ponies.
"No promises," I said, "you know that the court is arriving today and I don't know what plans your parents might have made."
Sophie scrunched up her face and Lily sighed in a long, exaggerated way. "Court is stuffy and boring," she complained, "they'll all just be fawning over Max anyway."
"Really?" I asked, in an attempt at nonchalance. "I suppose he's pretty popular with the court."
"Duh!" Both girls gave me a scathing look. "All the girls are just hoping to become princesses, though. Not that being a princess is so great." The last sentence was murmured in a dark undertone.
"Woah!" I said. "Why the sudden doom and gloom?" I climbed onto Lily's bed and patted the cover beside me. "Come up here girls, we need to talk."
The twins exchanged a glance and then both reluctantly climbed up to join me.
"What is going on with you two? I thought you'd be glad to be back in Arcadie. And what's this about not liking being princesses? It seems to me you two have a pretty nice life. You have a family that loves you, so many servants you never have to do any work, you get to study and learn all sorts of things - which most girls don’t get to do - and you have lots of toys and even ponies. Seems to me you haven't got much to complain about." I fixed them both with a pointed stare and then sat in silence, waiting.
It was Lily who finally broke, lifting her eyes from the bed to glare at me. "If our family's so loving why do they never spend any time with us?"
I sucked in a breath. I'd been wondering for weeks when we were going to have this conversation but it seemed strange timing for it.
"What do you mean, they never spend time with you? They spent the whole afternoon with you yesterday," I said.
"No they didn't," said Sophie glumly. “They just dropped us off with Nanny.”
"Oh girls," I sighed. I opened my arms and both girls crawled into them. We sat in silence on the bed for several minutes, each taking comfort from the presence of the others.
It was Sophie who broke the silence. "And we're not even very good princesses," she said. "I bet if it had been us who were put in that tower it would be totally empty."
"Now that is not true!" I said firmly. "You two are wonderful girls and you're becoming lovely princesses. And I know that your family loves you, even if they're too busy to always show it. In fact, they've all commented to me on how well you're growing up."
Both girls flushed with pleasure. "Really?" asked Lily.
"Really!" I said, even more firmly. "I know that all the formality of court must be boring for you but so is carting water and cooking dinner and babysitting and all the things that other girls have to do. The difference is that you also have lots of nice things. And even more importantly, all those other girls are looking up to you two. If you study hard in your lessons and study even harder at court, one day you'll have the chance to make a difference in their lives - to make a difference in the whole kingdom."
"What is there to study at court?" asked Sophie.
"People, of course," I replied. "I can help you with that but you'll learn the most by just watching hard and paying attention. If you can learn to understand people then you can learn how to rule a kingdom well."
"But we won't be ruling a kingdom," said Lily, "that's Max's job."
"Well, he can't rule alone," I replied. And then I added, "And it might not be this kingdom you end up helping to rule." I didn’t think shielding them from the truth was doing them any favours.
Sophie looked at me curiously but then exchanged a glance with Lily and seemed to realise what I meant. Both girls sat in thoughtful silence.
"I've thought of a new game," I said. "To show you both how well you're doing. I noticed there's an empty attic at the top of this tower. I'm making that your very own enchanted tower room. Whenever you get sick of studying people and want some space, you can go up there. No one will be allowed up there except for the two of you. And every day, depending how you go, I'll add something nice or take something away."
"Like the princess in the story!" exclaimed Sophie.
"Exactly like that," I said with a smile. "You'll be astonished at how quickly it fills up. But for now, it's time to get ready for breakfast."
Both girls smiled as they bounced off the bed and raced for the bathroom. I followed more sedately, wishing I had more answers for them. I was sure the king and queen loved their daughters but I wasn't sure why they spent so little time with them. Was this, I wondered, simply one of the burdens of being born a princess?
Breakfast was a rushed affair; everyone seemed conscious of the big day ahead and ate quickly without much conversation. When I saw Max, sitting at the table, I was relieved to note that my heart kept its usual rhythm. The new glow of affection was still there but I had regained my old comfort in his presence. So that was one positive outcome from our shared afternoon. If I could just contrive to keep a little distance between us, perhaps it would be possible to maintain our friendship after all.
I smiled at him across the table and was surprised not to get a smile in return. He looked unhappy and even, if I was honest, sulky and he kept shooting glares at his parents. I gave an internal sigh, the Summer Palace was beautiful but it didn't seem to make any of the royal family happy.
The king and queen were the first to finish and as soon as they were gone Lily addressed Max. "What's the matter with you? You like court."
"I did like court," he replied, "before this whole princess business."
"Oh, that," sighed Lily.
"You never know," said Sophie, "she might be really nice." I couldn’t help making a wry smile at this hopeful contribution.
"Yeah, I suppose," sighed Max, "but I thought I'd have time. Father just told me that there was a royal missive from Northhelm waiting for him when we got to Arcadie. Princess Marie has already set off, she'll be arriving in just over a week."
"A week!" exclaimed Lily. "But I thought they promised you could have your hunting trip first?"
"They did. So I'm supposed to be leaving today. Mother and Father have already sent word to Nate and Felix and the others to pack and be ready to leave after lunch."
"Are Nate and Felix already in Arcadie?" asked Lily with a tell-tale blush. I swallowed another smile. I suppose it was inevitable that the girls would have crushes on their big brother's friends.
"Nate's family got here yesterday afternoon and Felix's
yesterday evening. They're both still with their parents down in the Noble's Circle but they were planning to move into their rooms in the Palace today. Now I guess they'll move in when we get back."
Lily and Sophie both looked disappointed which made me hope I was hiding my own disappointment better. I had thought I would have more time too. Now Max would be gone for a whole week and then the first princess would arrive. I kept thinking I had prepared myself for the coming blow and then realising that I hadn't.
"I'm sorry, Alyssa," said Max suddenly.
"What? Why?" I asked, startled and momentarily horrified that he had read my thoughts.
"I thought I would be here to introduce you to the other young people at court," he said. "To help ease you in. You don't talk about it much but I know you're worried about the whole rank thing. And now you'll be on your own."
He turned his attention back to his sisters. "You'd better look after her, you two. You know what some of them can be like."
"Don't worry, Max," said Lily, "we will."
"Now you're all being silly," I said with a laugh, "I'm the one who's supposed to be looking after you."
But the laugh was forced. I had forgotten about my coming introduction. And on top of that, the truth behind my words was ringing in my ears. The king was trusting me to look after them all and the first delegation would be arriving in just over a week. For the first time I wished I had never left the forest.
Max explained that the royal family usually ate lunch separately in Arcadie so we said goodbye to him at the door to the breakfast room. I put all my effort into keeping my tone light and inconsequential with the result that he was gone before I’d had a chance to register our farewell. I followed the girls back to their tower with a heavy heart.
My mood only darkened when Gretchen arrived for the girls' lessons. I had been secretly hoping Lily and Sophie would have a different governess here at the palace. She ignored me as usual, but the smug, satisfied expression on her face made me nervous. Gretchen had left the Winter Castle with the first wave of servants and had consequently been in Arcadie for several days already.
I had intended to retreat to my room to gather myself for the afternoon's ordeal but was interrupted by a friendly face.
"Psst!" Mathilde hissed at me from around the door. When I looked over she gestured for me to come out into the hallway. When I appeared she gave me a big hug.
"Welcome to Arcadie!" she said. "What do you think of it so far?"
"It's so big," I said, "and the palace is so beautiful. And the ocean! Do you ever get a day off? Maybe you can take me down to see it?"
Mathilde laughed and started to lead the way down the tower. "You won't need me to go see the ocean. You'll be spending your time with the court and the young nobles are always going on outings."
I sighed. "I'd rather go with you."
"Thanks!" said Mathilde. "But they're not all like Gretchen, you know. In fact, she's not really one of them. She wouldn't be a governess if she was. You'll be fine."
I wasn't entirely convinced by her words but I did feel a little cheered. "Where are we going?" I asked.
"Mrs Pine sent me to get you. Apparently the queen's ordered you a whole summer wardrobe. You're so lucky! The seamstresses here at the palace are incredible. They want your measurements now so they can get started. Mostly they'll just be adjusting pre-made dresses but it'll still take them a few days. The queen wants them to rush one through for you to wear this afternoon, though."
I felt a rush of gratitude towards the queen. She might be a queen but she was still a woman and she understood the confidence boosting properties of a new, well-fitted dress.
The servants at the palace had an entire wing that jutted out towards the stables. It was a hive of activity with servants rushing in every direction and the whole place hummed with energy. I found myself smiling again. Mathilde had been right – life in Arcadie had an extra buzz – maybe the summer wouldn't be as bad as I was imagining.
The rooms set aside for the royal seamstresses seemed even busier than the hallway had been. At least half a dozen women were occupied with fitting, cutting or sewing and several beautiful dresses were pinned onto dressmaker's dummies. I looked around with interest until I was sharply adjured to get out of the way by a young girl who came into the room, her arms overflowing with material.
Mathilde cheerfully told the newcomer to watch who she was talking to and then hustled me over to a middle aged woman who managed to look calm and collected in the midst of the chaos.
"Good morning, Korrine," she said, "I brought her as commanded. Alyssa, this is Korrine - she's in charge of the royal wardrobes and is a veritable wonder with any sort of cloth."
"Thank you, Mathilde," Korrine said with an amused smile. She held out her hand and I shook it respectfully.
"It's nice to meet you, ma'am," I said.
"Please, call me Korrine," she replied, "everyone does." And then, "Annice!" Her voice wasn't loud but it was commanding and the girl who had chastised me earlier popped out of the chaos around us.
"Yes, Korrine," she said, breathlessly.
"I need you to measure Alyssa. Her majesty wants the pale blue court dress adjusted for her by this afternoon."
"This afternoon!?" exclaimed Annice but was quelled by a forbidding look from the older lady.
"Yes, Korrine," she repeated and the next thing I knew I had been efficiently undressed and was being measured. I stood there in my underclothes and looked helplessly across at Mathilde.
"I'll come back and pick you up later," she said with a wicked grin and then sailed out the door with an airy wave.
By the time she came back for me, I was exhausted. Such a quick succession of dresses had been pulled onto me and then whipped off of me again that I retained only a hazy impression of any of them. I was relieved to be rescued and enjoyed the tour that Mathilde gave me on our way back to the princesses’ tower.
This tour included the servant’s wing and was much more thorough than the speedy one given by the Princesses on the first day. I began to tentatively hope I would be able to find my way around on my own – although I was sure I wouldn’t remember the names of the many servants Mathilde introduced me to.
We arrived back at the princesses’ tower just as lunch was also arriving. Gretchen was thankfully gone and Lily and Sophie were full of questions about my morning and my new wardrobe. They were exasperated by my inability to describe a single one of the dresses and were only consoled by the arrival of a package from Korrine.
Both girls were delighted by the pale blue court dress inside and refused to get into their own court dresses until they had seen me in mine. They were still too young for V-neck or full length gowns and they oohed and ahhed over my dress for several minutes. It had a tight bodice and wide skirt and was covered in silver embroidery. It was definitely the most beautiful dress I had ever worn, with the exception of Lily and Sophie’s Princess Dress, and it gave me the confidence boost I so badly needed.
It also helped that in the rush to get Lily and Sophie dressed and presentable there was no time for me to think about my nerves. The footmen who had arrived to escort us down had to wait for several minutes and consequently rushed us through the palace at a trot.
Before I had time to think, I found myself at the door of the throne room. Lily had explained on the way down that the king usually received courtiers and applicants in the royal receiving room. The throne room was only used for special occasions.
We were given time to catch our breath and then the doors were thrown open and the herald drummed his staff on the floor. “Their Royal Highnesses, the Princess Liliana and the Princess Sophia,” he announced. After a brief pause he added, “And Alyssa, the Royal Princess Companion.”
Lily and Sophie advanced into the room and down the long red carpet that led to the throne. I followed several steps behind. The throne room was huge and was lined with marble columns. The doors, windows and columns were all decorated with ela
borate gilt patterns that matched the golden throne. The king was sitting in the throne and the queen was sitting in a smaller golden chair on his right side.
Both sides of the red carpet were lined with courtiers, the women in bright colours, the men in sober black or dashing, military blue. They sank into curtseys or bows as the princesses passed but I noticed their heads quickly bobbed back up, their curious eyes fixed on me. For a forgetful moment I looked around, hoping to share a reassuring glance with Max. Then I remembered that he was already gone.
When Lily and Sophie reached the bottom of the dais that held the thrones, they sank down into perfect, identical curtsies of their own. Still standing a few steps behind them, I also gave a deep curtsey. I held it as the king rose and descended the few steps to take his daughters’ hands. He smiled and pulled them up, kissing them each on the forehead. He then smiled in a friendly way at me, indicating that I could also rise. All three of us went to stand to the right of the dais and the king ascended back to his throne.
I was so relieved to be out of the spotlight that I missed most of the king’s official words of welcome to the court. Luckily they were short and seemed to be of no great consequence. As soon as he was finished, some musicians on a balcony began to play gentle background music and servants began to circulate with drinks on platters. The courtiers broke into small huddles and the room was soon full of chatter and laughter.
The largest huddles formed around the king and queen who were now mingling with their guests. I almost laughed when a corresponding group began to form around Lily and Sophie. This group looked almost identical except that it was a good foot shorter than the one around their majesties. The young girls were dressed in a similar fashion to their seniors except that their dresses ended mid-calf and they had high necklines. The young boys were also dressed like the adults, only their height and the constrained looks on their faces setting them apart.
The Princess Companion: A Retelling of The Princess and the Pea (The Four Kingdoms Book 1) Page 14