The Storyteller’s Daughter

by Victoria McCombs

  I would not allow him to take my heart with him.

  Chapter Nineteen

  I had decided that my sudden feelings for Rumpel were no more than projections from his love story with Clarissa. What girl wouldn’t be infatuated with a man who told her how relentlessly he charmed his sweetheart? How deeply he loved her? Who wouldn’t be smitten looking at those bright eyes and soft curls, hearing all about how big his heart was?

  In addition to all of that, Rumpel was saving my life by selflessly spinning gold for the King every night. That fact had to have added to my misplaced feelings.

  Upon realizing this, my mind cleared and the feelings started to drift away. Rationality came back to me and I was determined to keep it.

  I had no commitments to Aiden, and no promises had been made. My heart was still open to love, and there was nothing saying that I wouldn’t find it someday. Maybe I would find it here at the palace. Maybe some guard standing along the hallways held the key to my heart. Or maybe I would fall in love with the charming, considerate Conrad.

  That was assuming that he didn’t kidnap boys to fight in his army. That would be a deal-breaker for me.

  The point was, I was a young, somewhat attractive, slightly educated woman. If you could see past my flat hair and big feet, I was a decent choice in a mate. I could find love like I’d read about in my books.

  I was thinking about these things when Conrad found me. He burst through my door after a small knock. I dropped my hairbrush and looked up from my seat.

  “Sorry, I should have waited for your answer,” he said, hurrying to my side with a big smile across his face. “I’m just so excited to tell you.”

  “Tell me what?” I stood up, curious as to what had made him so eager.

  He grabbed my hands, just as Rumpel had yesterday. “I’ve been thinking about how you miss your family, and I convinced my father to let us visit them.”

  My mouth fell open and something between a gasp and a choking sound came out. I searched his eyes to see if he was joking. “Are you serious? Please tell me you mean it.”

  Conrad laughed and he shook my hands. “I’m serious! We can go see them today! You don’t have to spin gold tonight. We can spend all day there and the next, then come back here the day after.”

  I feel dizzy with happiness. I hadn’t seen my family in months. I had never cried out of happiness before, but tears were forming in my eyes. I threw my arms around Conrad and thanked him profusely. He quickly wrapped his arms around my waist and squeezed. “I’m glad you’re pleased. We can leave as soon as you’re ready.”

  “Now,” I spoke immediately. Pulling back, I looked him in the eye. I was barely holding back from jumping up and down. “I’m ready now.”

  Conrad laughed again. “Then let’s go see your family.”

  We were out the doors in minutes. Conrad and I rode on horses, followed by four guards. I tried to tell them that nothing would happen to us, but they insisted on coming along. I was too excited to argue. I wanted to gallop there as fast as I could, but my riding skills were nonexistent, causing us to move slowly.

  I told Conrad everything about my family on that ride. It took a fair part of the day to reach home, so the light was starting to leave the sky when my village peeked through the trees. By the time we saw the smoke rising from the chimney, I felt like Conrad knew everything there was to know about my family.

  Besides the fact that we were not rich. That was something that I could not explain.

  Yes, I spin gold for you. But my family has never held gold in their hands. I was sure that Conrad would think me greedy, or heartless, for not sharing the Gift he thought me to possess, so I simply stated that it was a newly found Gift and left it at that.

  He seemed eager to meet my family. I wasn’t entirely sure why he insisted on coming for this reunion, but he assured me that he had business in the town, and I was doing him a favor by accompanying him. Of course, my mind went to the boys living there and I wondered if he was here to take them to the war. I hoped that my supply of gold was enough to end that bad habit of his, if Rumpel’s story was true.

  We could hear noise coming from the tavern as we tied our horses outside. The thought of walking in with Conrad made me nervous, and I found myself hesitating. Would he be recognized here? By the looks of it, it was a busy night. Through the windows I could see familiar faces sitting around tables, laughing amongst each other. I thought I caught a glimpse of Anika, but the figure passed too quickly for me to be sure.

  “Are you ready? I’m sure they are excited to see you,” Conrad said. He stayed by my side, staring at the tavern. I wondered what he made of my humble home. The Riverfront Tavern sat at the end of a path made by feet over the years. It was down a small hill off the main road, so it didn’t take much for travelers to find. If we looked to the right, we would see a small stream that ran south toward Renolds Bohnson’s farm. Behind us, on the other side of the hill, was a cluster of homes that supplied us with frequent customers.

  The tavern itself was a small but noble place with thick wooden beams and narrow windows. Two long posts ran along the outside for horses to be tied upon, and three stairs led up to the front door. I had swept those stairs so many times that I lost count. It felt strange seeing them again, so familiar and yet so foreign at the same time.

  It looked nothing like the castle we’d come from.

  Excitement curled within my chest, along with nerves. So much had happened over the past few months, and it had changed me. It wasn’t a drastic change, but I knew I was different. I thought I could hear Aiden’s voice inside, singing one of his songs. What would he think when he saw me?

  Conrad gently placed his hand behind my back, reminding my feet to walk. I led him up to the door. Pushing it open, I scanned the room for my family. They found me first.

  “Cosette!” My mama’s voice tore through the room as she shrieked. The room fell quiet as my family exploded, surrounding me quickly. Papa was by his stool, which he abandoned as he flew toward me with his arms open wide. Mama was crying already, petting my hair and squeezing my hands. Even Anika looked relieved to see me and gave me a rare hug.

  Conrad laughed, drawing attention to himself. Papa turned to him to shake his hand. I saw him peek at the guards who stood behind us, unable to come through the doorway since we’d inadvertently blocked it.

  The room was half full, with most of the people sitting at the booths lining the two walls. Only one of the fires was lit, and those who did sit at tables chose one closest to the fire. I was welcomed by the familiar smell of Lolly’s cooking drifting out from the kitchen.

  There were stark differences between the tavern and the castle that stood out to me. The castle was filled with colors, from the walls to the clothes to the floors. Everything was bright and illuminated by sunshine through tall windows. But here, I struggled to find much color at all. I should have thought of that before coming dressed as bright as a flower. Even Conrad, with his dark suit, had more color than most of the villagers. He had ditched his riding coat with the horses, so he looked more casual then I was used to seeing him, but he still stood out among others in the room. It was obvious that we didn’t belong here.

  Looking perfectly comfortable, Conrad introduced himself to my parents. His name sent ripples of hushed conversation through the room. Papa’s mouth fell open as he bowed.

  “Sire, I did not expect to see you. I didn’t expect to see either of you.”

  Conrad laughed as he shook off their attempt at bowing and curtsying. “The honor is mine. Cosette has told me so much about all of you, I feel as if I know you already.”

  Mama looked beyond pleased to see the prince standing in her tavern, but Anika gave me a questioning look. I wasn’t surprised that she wasn’t impressed by royalty.

  My family had a stream of questions, which I let Conrad answer as I peered across the room. Where was he?

  There he was. Aiden stood next to the bar with his arms hanging by his side
as he stared at me. He was wearing his dark shirt, the one I had told him was my favorite. I mouthed a hello to him, and he gave me a timid smile back. Uncertain, he looked between Conrad and me. I shifted away from Conrad instinctively. Aiden’s eyes moved with me.

  Anna had picked out a simple dress for me to wear today, but it was still nicer than any I owned back home. The fabric was yellow as the sun and had flowers stitched into the hem. My hair was twisted half up, and my skin was smooth thanks to the soap they used in the castle. I was getting dangerously addicted to the nice baths with soap.

  No doubt, I looked different from the girl that Aiden used to know.

  Mama kept my hands in hers as she shook me, bringing my attention back to her.

  “We don’t have room for all of the men, but we can make room if Your Highness would like to stay here tonight. There is an inn down the road, if your men would like,” Papa offered.

  Conrad’s smile hadn’t faltered, though I was sure the thought of sleeping in a place like this sent chills down his spine. He accepted Papa’s offer with polite eagerness before turning to inform his men. They didn’t look pleased, but they nodded at him.

  “Sire, I must insist that I stay with you.” One of the men stepped forward. His hand was on his sword and he was looking about the room as if one of the jolly fellows here was going to lunge at him. Most of the eyes were still settled on us, and I was sure this would be the talk of the town tomorrow.

  Conrad stepped in closer to his guards. “Thank you for your concern and your loyalty, Dwayne, but I will be fine with Cosette tonight.”

  Clearly concerned, Dwayne nodded. His eyes shifted over me, no doubt assessing how well I’d hold up in a fight if it came to that. There was unmistakable doubt in his expression, and I didn’t disagree with him. I’d be the last person they’d want protecting the crown prince.

  Obediently, Dwayne beckoned his men to retreat. Papa gave them directions to the inn while Conrad turned back to us, rolling up his sleeves and making himself at home. It felt strange, seeing him here in my tavern. Not at all the palace walls he was usually surrounded by.

  Mama ushered us to a booth where Conrad and I sat on one side while she, Papa, and Anika squeezed into the other. They leaned forward eagerly.

  I knew they wanted to hear my tale, but the information I could share was limited with Conrad by my side, so they shared what they already knew. It seems they had been told nothing until a few days after I was taken, when a messenger came to deliver my letter and offer thanks from the King. They had been told that I was serving the King with my talents and helping end the war. A few days later they had been contacted again with a small payment as thanks.

  I remembered asking the King for something for my family. I had been so afraid of him back then. Truth be told, I still wasn’t fond of him, but my fear had eased.

  I also recalled how he had offered to give my family a title and wondered if he had been true to his word. I’d ask my family later, when Conrad wasn’t nearby.

  I continued to glance at Aiden as my family prodded me with questions, which came in no particular order.

  “No, I’m not a soldier. Yes, I have my own room. No, only one maid. Yes, the palace is beautiful.”

  I tried to appease their curiosity as I watched Aiden move about the room. He was helping the customers in my family’s place. His eyes shifted to me as often as mine did to his. I wished I could speak with him, but my family surrounded me.

  Conrad stepped in and tried to answer some questions himself. It was his second sentence that pulled my full attention back to the table. “She’s spinning straw into gold to pay for our soldiers and to offer the other countries to end the war.” He kept on, saying how great of a job I was doing and how everyone in the castle loved me. Meanwhile, the color drained from Papa’s face as Mama’s mouth fell wide open. Anika’s eyebrows shot way up. I shook my head slightly at them, silently begging them not to question the prince. My lips pursed together as I shook my head again, harder.

  They looked beyond confused, but at my silent beckoning, no one gave me away. Eager to move past the topic, I geared up my own questions to ask my family as soon as Conrad stopped talking.

  Anika beat me to the punch.

  “So. She’s spinning gold for you.” Anika said plainly as soon as the last syllable had left Conrad’s mouth. There was amusement hiding in her eyes. I sucked in my breath. I should have known that Anika would push this.

  Conrad smiled at me. “She does indeed! Your sister has the greatest Gift of anyone that I know.” I blushed at his compliment, still feeling uncomfortable.

  Anika kept her eyebrow raised. “And what is your Gift?”

  I realized that I had never asked him that, and suddenly felt selfish for it. Conrad turned his head to me, as if I had asked the question. He knew that I didn’t know. “I was born with the ability to speak every language.”

  I gawked while Anika grunted. “That’s helpful for a prince.”

  Conrad erupted into a laugh. “It certainly is.”

  Mama and Papa laughed along uncertainly, but they still had their eyebrows scrunched in and lips pinched. I needed to find a way to explain this to them, and that meant getting Conrad away.

  “Do you want to meet some people?” I laced my arm around Conrad’s, urging him out of the booth. He looked between my parents and me but didn’t argue as he slid out. I knew he wouldn’t; he was too polite.

  He did lean his head down to me and whisper, “What was that about?”

  “I’m just overwhelmed, I guess.” I halted in front of the bar where Lolly had come out from the kitchen. I asked her for a few glasses of water, which she served quickly.

  “Fancy seeing you back here again! And with such a handsome man too!”

  I blushed, certain that Aiden, who was standing nearby looking busy, had overheard.

  Conrad laughed and introduced himself by his informal name. Lolly took his hand in both of hers as she shook it wholeheartedly. “Pleased to meet you. Thanks for taking care of our Cosette.”

  “She’s no trouble at all. She’s taking care of us, more than anything.” Conrad winked at me.

  I let Lolly think of that what she would. Some brave folks had approached Conrad and were introducing themselves. I was grateful for their gusto, as it gave me a moment to slip away. I whispered to Conrad that I would be back in a moment before making to retreat to my family.

  I turned right into Aiden.

  Boldly, he grabbed my arm and pulled me away. I staggered as I hurried to keep up with him. He led me behind the bar and into the hallway.

  Aiden stood close as he looked me over, breathing quickly. I sucked my lip into my mouth, waiting for what he would say. He took another deep breath, then embraced me tightly.

  I wriggled my arm free and wrapped it around him, squeezing back. After a long moment, he pulled away and sighed.

  “The prince?” There was sadness in his voice, as well as accusation. I shook my head.

  “It’s not like that.”

  He peeked over my shoulder, though I didn’t think he could see Conrad from here. “It could be, if you wanted it. You did tell me you wanted more.”

  My brow furrowed and my feet stepped back to look him over. Aiden’s looks hadn’t changed in the few months since I had seen him; he was still Aiden. Meanwhile I was an entirely different person than who I’d been when I left, and no doubt he could see a change in me.

  Perhaps I did see a change in him, after all. I couldn’t read his eyes anymore.

  “Are you mad?”

  He ran his hand through his hair. “Over the past few months, I’ve been so many things. I’ve been sad, I’ve been confused, I’ve been frustrated. Since I came to the castle, I’ve thought a lot about us and about what you want. I thought you would have been home by now.”

  “I’m sorry, the King wants enough gold to negotiate an end to this war.”

  “And Rumpel is still spinning for you?” he asked, and I conf
irmed. Aiden looked away. “Still don’t trust him.”

  “He’s a good guy, he’s—” My voice cut out as I realized I was about to say “my best friend,” but that title used to belong to Aiden, and saying so would only hurt him.

  “Tell me about this prince.” There was bitterness in his voice.

  “It’s hard to explain. I owe you answers; I just can’t give them right now.” Back in the main room, my family waited for me, waited for answers that I owed them.

  Aiden’s shoulders dropped and his mouth turned down. I’d hurt him again and would leave him without an explanation.

  “I’m sorry,” I said meekly. “I will give you answers, just not now. But we should talk soon. About us.” Aiden nodded and stayed back to watch me go. Guilt filled me upon leaving him so quickly, but I’d tried, twice now, to end things with him, and he insisted on keeping something between us. By the end of this trip, I would need to set things straight. Even though he was doing this to himself, it wasn’t fair for him to hold onto the idea of us.

  My family hadn’t moved from the booth where I had left them. A decent crowd had formed around Conrad, who had pulled out a stool to sit on as he talked with everyone, so I had a fair amount of time to fill in my family.

  I hurried back to the booth and collapsed in it, breathing out heavily. Papa took Mama’s hand as he looked me over.

  “Cosette, what is going on?”

  Chapter Twenty

  My head dropped to the table in exhaustion. Mama reached out to me and I gladly took her hand.

  “The guards that came for me brought me before the King. Apparently, your story about how I could spin straw into gold had reached his ears.” I nodded at my Papa, whose eyes grew wide. But I didn’t want Papa to blame himself. “It’s not your fault that he believed such a story. But no matter what I said I couldn’t convince him of my inability to do such a thing. He thought me greedy, keeping such wealth to myself.”

  “Should have just come to the tavern, seen our lack of money himself,” Anika scoffed.