I thought before I began. He wrote as I spoke, in a handwriting more beautiful than any I had seen before. When he finished, he folded it gently.
“Don’t be afraid to ask them for something in return,” Rumpelstiltskin said as he handed me the letter. I held it tenderly in my hands. “You’re giving them gold; they should be giving you something too.”
Chapter Ten
“I want books.”
The King walked around the room, impressed once again. Rumpel must be here too, watching us, but I resisted the urge to look around for a hint of him.
At my request, the King looked up. “Books?”
“Yes,” I said with a nod. “Books. I can get quite bored and I would like books to pass the time.”
“Ah. I see.” The King walked slowly to me. “We have a library, and you may borrow any books you please.” He gave me a smile as he patted me on the back. I stiffened at his touch. He was being friendlier to me, but I knew it was only because I was supplying him with so much gold. I had not forgotten how he threatened to kill me.
Pleased that he agreed so easily, I moved on to my second request. “And I would like something for my family as well.”
“Oh?”
“It’s only fair, seeing as how you took me away from them, that they get something in return,” I said.
The King thought for a moment. “And what would I give them?”
I bowed my head. In truth, I hadn’t any idea. The first thing that came to mind was a spindle of the gold, but he assumed I had spun them plenty of gold when I lived there, so I felt odd asking for that. “Whatever Your Majesty thinks is fair.”
I didn’t like my answer, but it was the best I could come up with. He stroked his chin with one hand, resting the other on his belly. “I suppose it’s only right. If you continue to make gold for Westfallen, then I will give you and your family a title.”
My mouth fell open. I hadn’t expected that offer.
“With the end of the war coming, I will be acquiring land. There are also a few lords who have fallen in battle and had no heir to take over their manors. Your family is welcome to one of those. I will send a guard with the invitation along with your letter.” The King patted his pocket, where my letter was kept.
I didn’t know if my family would want to leave the tavern, but I felt honored that I could provide them with the opportunity. A title came with wealth. I could help bring them out of poverty.
In gratitude, I bowed my head again. The King bobbed back before leaving the room with his guard trailing behind him. I was grateful they were no longer ordering me around.
“I asked,” I whispered to the empty room. “Are you proud of me?” I was sure Rumpelstiltskin had watched the whole encounter.
After leaving the small room, I longed for some air and an escape from the high castle walls, so I convinced Anna to show me a place I could relax outside with little chance of seeing anybody. She led me through a maze of dark hallways and past the raised eyebrows of other maids until we reached a thin door. Upon opening it, she revealed the perfect hideaway place. The door sat on the outside wall of the castle, overlooking the back field touching the forest. She said that, unless there was a hunting trip planned for the day, there was little chance of anyone coming back here. The castle wall turned outward sharply to the left, forming a blockade from the rest of the field, and to the right ran the expanse of the side castle, heading toward the town further away. If I walked past the wall to my left and looked up, I was sure to see the barred window where Rumpel spun gold at night.
I thanked Anna, confident that she could be an ally of sorts here, and she left with a curtsy. I wasn’t sure I could get back to my room later without her help, but I would worry about that when it came time. For now, I strolled away from the door toward the village, settling in where the ground looked dry.
Outside the chaos of the castle, my mind quieted and my breathing slowed. If any place could help me make sense of my thoughts, it was here. I spent part of the time thinking through my dilemma with the King and debated telling him the truth, and another part thinking of home, my family, and Aiden.
Part of the time I thought of nothing at all, but instead leaned my head against the hard stone and closed my eyes, listening to the birds tell their songs. It was almost enough to make me think that everything would be okay, and I started to drift into sleep.
A voice jolted me awake, and I scrambled to my feet. The voice came again, calling out my name.
It couldn’t be.
I turned to the right and peered at the figure coming my way, certain that my mind was playing tricks on me, or that I was still dreaming.
He called again, running toward me at full speed as I stood there, dumbfounded.
“Aiden?” I breathed in wonder. He ran into me, crushing me in his embrace and sweeping me off my feet. In my confusion I clung to him, wondering when I would wake up. This couldn’t be real.
“How did you get here?” I asked as he spun me around. He set me back on the ground and hugged me again.
“I asked around and someone told me where you were,” he said.
My eyebrows drew in as he released me from the hug. “No one knows I’m here. What did they look like?”
“Does it matter?” Aiden asked. It mattered to me, because unless the person was Anna, which I doubted, it meant my new safe spot wasn’t as safe as I’d hoped. Aiden’s face was bright with his smile. “It’s been so long, I’ve missed you.”
At that, all questions of who led him here, which I guessed then must have been Rumpel, vanished as I recalled our last conversation. What should you say to someone you told you didn’t want to marry? I heard my voice say that I missed him too, which was the polite answer.
“Your family told me you’d been taken; I had to come make sure you were okay.” Aiden soaked me in, as if checking to see if I had been hurt in any way, but I felt uncomfortable with his eyes on me so intently.
“It’s been an adventure, but aren’t there other things we need to talk about?”
He settled on the ground, patting the place beside him. “That can wait, I want to hear about your adventure.”
I sighed, but I told him everything, hoping he could make sense of it better than I could. At the end, he stayed quiet for several moments. Finally, he said, “I don’t trust him.”
“Who?”
“Rumpel.”
“Ah. He’s one of the few that I do trust. It’s the King and Conrad that I can’t be certain of.”
Aiden rested his elbows on his knees as we sat together. Small flickers of touch ran between us as he swayed closer to me. “I don’t want anything to happen to you, and I don’t understand why he would help you freely. He’ll ask for something soon.”
“I think he’s just lonely.”
Aiden barked a laugh. “I don’t like the sound of that either. Lonely men can find some other companion besides you.”
I promised to be careful, and while I wanted to talk to Aiden about us, it felt so nice having him there that I didn’t want to ruin it. We stayed for a while, talking about the castle and the gold and the food until the sun started to drift back down to the land.
“You won’t make it home in time.”
“I stayed in an inn last night, and I’ll stay there tonight as well. You don’t need to worry about me.” Aiden took a few deep breaths before looking into my eyes. “Have you changed your mind about us?”
Treading lightly, I replied, “I’m really sorry.”
Aiden didn’t look bothered. “I’ll get you to change it. I know you love me.”
“I don’t doubt that I love you,” I said. “I just doubt that I love you to that extent.”
His face remained calm as he repeated my words back to me. “You just want more.” I shrugged, unsure of how else to say it. He leaned his head against the wall. “Don’t close your heart to me yet. Wait until you come back home to make a decision.”
“Aiden, I know it’s hard, but I
’ve already made my decision,” I reminded him gently.
He shook his head, not accepting the words. “Just promise me we will talk when you get home.”
It seemed like an innocent thing to ask, so I agreed. I could give him that. Before he left for the inn, Aiden kissed my hand, his lips lingering on my fingers. “I love you,” he breathed the words into my skin, leaving his warmth behind. Content with that, he left, and I made my way back into the castle that felt more like a prison.
* * *
My evening passed with Rumpel, still quiet and mysterious as ever. I didn’t try to break the walls down tonight since I had enough on my mind with thoughts of Aiden. The only time Rumpel spoke was to tell me he hoped my friend found me alright, confirming that he had led Aiden to me.
“You didn’t stay to listen?”
“You asked for privacy,” he said. I nodded, impressed that he’d honored my wishes, though aware that I wouldn’t know if he was lying or not. He returned to silence as he spun.
Before I could leave the room the next morning, Conrad strode in. He looked well, his red hair tamed and his clothes casual, and he beamed when he saw me.
“Good morning.” He gave me a small bow. A prince shouldn’t bow to a village girl, but making gold gave me privileges I didn’t deserve.
“I was wondering if you would accompany me to dinner tonight?”
Flustered, I pinched the side of my dress between my fingers. Go to dinner with the prince?
Seeing my hesitation, Conrad quickly spoke again. “It’s not a formal thing, just my father and I and a few council members. Completely casual. No music, no dancing, no crowds. Just a few people and some good food. I can leave you to eat alone in your room, if you’d rather.”
Knowing it wouldn’t be just me and Conrad made me even more nervous. With my lack of etiquette, I shouldn’t be allowed to eat with the King.
Still, I knew better than to turn down the crown prince; Mama would have a fit if she knew that I even thought about it. “I’d be honored.” I dropped into what might have been my best curtsy yet, but Conrad held up his hand.
“You have to stop doing that,” he said, waving his hand at me with a big smile. “It’s embarrassing.”
I couldn’t tell if he meant embarrassing for him or for me, but either way I’d be relieved to stop.
“I’ll come fetch you tonight.” His smile looked like it could swallow his ears as he darted out.
I didn’t have time to fret over my dinner with the royals. I needed a nap.
I dragged myself to my room and collapsed onto the bed. Anna sat on the sofa with her needlework in hand, but I kindly waved her off, relieving her for the morning. I didn’t bother removing my shoes as I climbed under the covers and pulled them over my head as I settled in, letting sleep take me.
Content, I slept most of the day away, only waking when Anna opened the door. I grumbled, but knew I needed to get myself ready before dinner tonight. My stomach was complaining of hunger already.
Anna gave me a small smile as I threw my feet over the side of the bed, flinging my shoes off. I pulled myself out of my haven and dragged myself to the window, opening it. The cool air greeted me and helped wake me up. I breathed in while my mind recapped the unbelievable events that were occurring. Still trapped in the castle, still faking a Gift, still accepting help from a curious man.
“This came for you while you were sleeping; found it under the door.” Anna’s timid voice pulled me away from the window. That’s right, and still being waited on by a maid.
Anna pulled a note out from her pocket and handed it to me. She’d likely read it already, but I didn’t mind. Curious, I unfolded the paper and immediately recognized the beautiful handwriting. It was from Rumpel.
Cosette,
Be wary while you are with Conrad tonight. A friendship with him is not in your best interest.
-R
I turned it over, but there was nothing else. I read the cryptic note again.
Be wary of Conrad?
My first impulse was to be upset. Who did Rumpelstiltskin think he was that he could tell me who I should form a friendship with? If the prince wants to be my friend, then let him. His father seemed eager to kill me if I didn’t appease his desire for gold, but a friendship with his son could be the means to saving my life. Conrad was my best chance at survival if it was discovered that I couldn’t in fact spin gold. I’d need to build a friendship with him to protect me from his father’s wrath when the truth came out. Hopefully I could form a strong enough bond with Conrad that he wouldn’t be upset when he learned that I had no magic in my hands.
To be fair, I didn’t lie to them. I couldn’t spin gold. But we were past that, and all I could do was get my things in order for when the truth was revealed. So, if Rumpelstiltskin didn’t want me to be friends with the prince, I needed him to explain why. The thought that Conrad could be dangerous sent shudders down my spine.
“Is it from Prince Conrad?” Anna asked as I folded the note away. Apparently, she hadn’t read it after all. When I didn’t answer, Anna went on. “I think he fancies you.”
I raised an eyebrow at her. “Oh?”
She shrugged as she moved to grab a hairbrush. “You’re not a princess, but you’re pretty enough.” Her tone dropped at the last word, and I couldn’t tell how high of a compliment that was.
She ushered me into the chair by the desk and ran her fingers through my thin hair. It felt strange letting someone do my hair for me, but Anna had insisted that my skills were no match to her own and I wanted to look my best tonight before the King, Conrad, and the advisors. Besides, she had added, she enjoyed her job.
“There aren’t that many princesses Conrad’s age. There are the twins from Beiyonbor, but they are both betrothed already. There’s the Osmelee girl, but the King would never let his son marry one of them. Then there’s the slew of daughters from Tilburr, but that’s all the princesses his age that I know about.” She rambled on as she worked. I wasn’t sure if Anna was talking to me or herself at this point. I tried to enjoy the impromptu history lesson, but I found myself distracted by Rumpel’s note in my fumbling hands. “We all thought he was sweet on Lady Marianne, but she stopped coming by a few years ago. No one’s got any idea why. I suspected the King had something to do with that; she didn’t come from a rich family.”
“I don’t come from a rich family,” I pointed out.
Anna stopped brushing long enough to give me an incredulous look. She shook her head as she started back up again. “With your Gift, you don’t need to be a princess. You’re more valuable than that.”
Her words brought mixed emotions.
I had lived my entire life being the girl without a Gift. A nobody.
Now, the King referred to me as one of the most valuable people in the country. I would be appreciated and honored. It wasn’t something that I was used to, but I had always wished for this.
I wanted to belong.
Now I did. Even though it was a lie, I had a place. I had caught the eye of the King, and perhaps his son. But the thought of that brought fear along with joy. There was something about the King that made me cringe, and I didn’t like the idea of being tied to him for the rest of my life. I loved being needed, but I didn’t want to become so valued that I was irreplaceable and he never let me go.
Especially because I couldn’t actually spin straw into gold, and there was no telling how long Rumpelstiltskin’s generosity would last me. My hands shook with nerves, and I folded them in my lap to hide from Anna. I wanted more than anything to go home.
“I’m only here until the end of the war,” I mumbled, but Anna wasn’t listening. She was busy pinning up my hair and saying how lucky I was. I studied my reflection in the mirror as each pin and brush of powder took me further from a person I recognized.
Chapter Eleven
Either Conrad and I had drastically different ideas of casual, or he had been greatly mistaken, because the image before me was one s
traight from a book, one that I didn’t belong in.
From one side of the room to the other stood people of all shapes and sizes, conversing around the tables. Two-thirds of the room’s occupants were men, but the women could easily be spotted standing out from the dark suits with their brightly colored dresses. I had thought that the dress Anna picked for me was too much, so I convinced her to find me a simpler style. Now I see that the first dress would have still been more understated than most of the ladies’ attire here. Some dresses included feathers, making them look like birds flocked around the room.
The dining room, located adjacent to the throne room, was smaller but no less grand. It didn’t include the wide balconies, but it did have marble floors and two large chandeliers set up on each side so that only the farthest corners remained in darkness. A row of columns split the edges of the room, forming a slender hallway that one could walk through.
Between the columns, five large tables were set up: three in a row and the other two situated sideways at either end. Large windows spread along the back wall, showing a courtyard outside, and there was still enough light to see the empty trees and the stone paths. Elaborate curtains hung to the sides of the windows, and I longed to go hide behind them.
In the midst of all this beauty and nobility, I stood out as an imposter.
I was certain as soon as we walked in, all eyes would turn to me, silently questioning why I was there, but only a few people turned our way, and their gazes didn’t linger long. There was one that watched us longer than the others. The King stood near the side columns with a full glass of wine in his hand, distant from everyone else. I turned away from him, but curiosity made me peek back a few moments later to see his eyes still following us.
Conrad seemed oblivious to his father’s watchful stance. He led me, my hand in his arm, toward the tables.
Each had candles spaced atop them, along with bowls of fruit. The King’s spot was easy to identify at the center of the head table with the finely carved chair decorated in jewels, an identical, slightly smaller one sitting beside it. A shudder ran down my spine at the thought of sitting beside Conrad at that table with everyone looking at us.
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