On this particular night, I was quieter than usual, content with staying in Conrad’s shadow. My mind was still on Rumpel and the hurt that I felt after finding out he lied to me. A strange, unsettling mix of feelings coursed through me, both a longing to see him and a desire to never see him again. I ignored them for as long as I could, until it was time to go to the back room. The familiar hallway felt longer to walk this time, each step bringing me closer to an uncertain evening and conflicted heart.
With a shaking hand I opened the door and peered inside. Rumpel, familiar Rumpel, sat at the wheel, spinning gold. In my procrastination I came late, and he’d weaved several spindles full already.
He looked up at me and smiled gently, but I didn’t return the gesture.
“Are you going to throw anything at me tonight?” There was a curious amount of humor in his voice.
“I’m unarmed.”
“Good.” He returned to spinning and I watched for a few moments. It all looked so familiar, the flicker of the lantern light casting unpredictable shadows across his face. The pile of straw over his right shoulder. The fraying rug under his feet. The barred window and old table, sitting next to the bed that Rumpel graciously acquired for me so long ago. It was all so familiar.
Yet, it was all so different.
This had been my favorite part of the day. Being with Rumpel made leaving home worth it. He made me feel okay as I wandered about the castle, holding on to our little secret. He was, quite literally, the reason I survived these past months.
The sight of him now made my heart ache and my mouth run dry. I wanted our friendship back, but I couldn’t trust him. I couldn’t get the haunting image of him killing those people out of my head.
He only had four months left, but I was afraid it would take me longer than that to forgive him.
Stricken with sadness in his presence, I moved to the stairs. Over our time here, we’d never used the loft, as it was poorly lit and filled with old furniture. It wasn’t a comfortable seat, but it was furthest from him. I sat on those stone stairs and watched Rumpel spin, waiting to see if he would say anything. He never did. I eventually moved to the bed, and though I had slept in for much of that morning, I found myself lulled to sleep by the sound of the wheel.
I only briefly woke when Rumpel finished spinning. Before he left, he stopped by the bed and leaned over me.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered.
And with that, he was gone.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
My days over the next two weeks fell into an unusual pattern. I spent the mornings sleeping in, my afternoons with Conrad, and my evenings in stilted silence with Rumpel. I asked that he not check up on me during the day, and as far as I knew he gave me my space. Conrad didn’t ask why I was suddenly so free to spend time with him but took my companionship in stride.
The castle hosted a talent show, where citizens from around the kingdom came to showcase their Gifts. I had heard a little about it from the village but hadn’t known anyone with a Gift elaborate to be showcased. Conrad and I attended together, marveling at some of the Gifts.
It seemed everyone in the castle, whether uniquely Gifted or not, wanted to show off. As we walked through the hallways the window washer cleaned several windows in unison, the rags moving according to his will. Anna filled the hallways with flowers, while another young lady could snap her fingers and instantly clear the passages again. It was humorous to watch her and Anna together, as they made a game out of their differing Gifts.
The throne room was where the real entertainment was happening. The King sat on his throne looking giddy as visitors performed around him. Tables were set up with the finest sweets I ever tasted, each made by someone’s Gift. A man with greying hair was there who could control fire. Another controlled water, and they had a routine together. A few people could fly—fly—and they spent their time soaring near the ceiling.
Several translators came, and Conrad got to show off his Gift of language. I clapped for him after each sentence, and he bowed extravagantly with a huge smile plastered to his face.
Never before had I seen Gifts showcased in such a manner. Back home, each person’s Gift was used in the most practical way possible. If your Gift wasn’t practical, then it wasn’t valuable. We didn’t treat our Gifts as shows.
We continued on our tour, watching each person’s Gift. One person could read minds, though I was too nervous to go near enough to see for sure. I didn’t want anyone seeing inside my mind.
“I have to go talk to someone there,” Conrad pointed to a tall man standing near the wall in the main room. “Will you be okay for a moment?”
Though curious about what he needed to talk about that I couldn’t be around for, I nodded, saying I’d be out in the gardens. Conrad squeezed my hand before strolling away, and I pushed through the crowd to get some air. The fire shows were staining the air with smoke.
An open invitation was issued for the festival, and though I never heard of it until this year, it seemed popular with others. It was a strange feeling, walking around among villagers who were visiting, giving them directions in a castle as if it was my home, and all the while feeling like I didn’t fit in with either world. I was so eager for my time here to come to an end and to return to normalcy.
A small part of my head reminded me that my time ending here would mean my evenings with Rumpel were over, but I pushed aside the emotions that came with that.
The gardens offered more space to walk without bumping against other guests, and I soaked in the fresh air. It didn’t take long to find a bench near the front doors to relax on, close enough that Conrad could find me when he finished his conversation inside.
No sooner had I closed my eyes for a moment of peace than a hand appeared on my elbow. My eyes opened quickly, and I gasped. “What are you doing here?” I asked sharply.
Aiden sat next to me, dressed up in his nice clothes with his face washed and hair trimmed. He wore a frown on his face as he looked me over.
“You fit in with everyone else.” There was something in his voice I didn’t recognize, and I struggled to name it. Sadness.
“Aiden, what are you doing?” I blinked twice and looked toward the door, expecting Conrad to come out any moment and recognize Aiden from the Riverfront Tavern.
“I’m worried about you here; I don’t trust the prince.” Aiden’s eyes shifted to all the people in the garden as he scooted closer to me and lowered his voice. “Don’t you think it’s time you came home, back to reality?”
I put my palm against my forehead. “That’s not your decision to make.”
“I know we left things badly, but I want to help you come home. I know you’ve never been good with confrontation, but the King needed to know the truth if he was ever going to release you.”
My breath caught in my throat and my head felt dizzy. When I spoke, it was barely a squeak. “You didn’t...”
He shrugged, unaware of the problem he was creating. “He didn’t believe me, so it was a waste of a trip.”
I felt like yelling at him, but I could hardly get the words out. His betrayal stabbed me in the stomach. “I can take care of myself!” My eyes shifted to the door to see if Conrad was coming yet. I needed to get Aiden out of here fast and talk to Conrad before his father did. If he was going to hear anything, I needed it to be from me. The King was unstable, and I couldn’t guess what his reaction to my deception would be. Conrad’s loyalty to me remained my best bet.
Aiden was defending himself, but I wouldn’t listen. I put up my hands as I stood up. “I want you to leave, now.” He stood up as well and opened his mouth but I stepped back. “I mean it. You have no idea what you just did.” I shook my head, my thoughts running frantically through my mind. I took another few steps back. “Please, leave.”
I didn’t wait for him to leave. Instead I turned and walked away from him. I needed to find Conrad.
He was about to walk outside when I found him and steered him back. “C
onrad, there’s something we need to talk about.”
“Okay, what’s wrong?”
“Can we go—?”
Before I could lead him to a quieter place, the King’s voice boomed from his throne.
“Ladies and gentlemen!” The King stood up in the front of the room as he called for our attention. I tried to get Conrad to follow me, but he held my hand steady as he looked toward his father. It took several minutes for the King to get everyone’s full attention, but the one who could control fire cast a flame around the room, drawing all of our focus in. He bowed to the King then folded his hands.
My breathing was fast as I waited to hear the King’s words. All I could think of was Aiden betraying me to that man.
“Thank you. Now, I am so glad you have all made it for the celebration of Gifts. The Gifts are the one thing that have distinguished us from the kingdoms around us for years. They make us stronger, bind us closer together. They have also given us an edge in the war.” At the mention of the war, the people seemed to shrink as if the topic cast a heavy cloak on the room. The King shook his head. “I have good news! We have met with representatives from Vernes and Osmelee, and the end of the war is coming!”
The room erupted in cheers, and I remembered our agreement; I was only obligated to stay here until the end of the war. If that came before Rumpel’s curse was up, then I could return home easily. If I was lucky, the King didn’t believe Aiden and would never learn the truth.
The King beamed as the cheers continued. After a while they died down and he spoke again. “It seems fitting that while we are here celebrating Gifts, that we acknowledge the one whose Gift has made it possible to end this war.”
A sickening feeling slunk to my stomach.
The King continued. “She came to us a few months ago, offering her talent. She has been working night after night to provide us with the means to buy off our enemies.”
No. No.
The King motioned, and from behind him came two men with a spinning wheel. They set it down beside him on the platform. Two more men came forward with a box of straw.
No.
“Did you know about this?” I whispered to Conrad.
He looked genuinely surprised. “Not a clue, but is it okay? You don’t have to if you don’t want. I know you prefer to spin in private.”
I didn’t have the option of saying no. The King was standing next to the wheel, scanning the room. He found me, and a wide smile came to his face. I felt weak to my stomach. He might not believe Aiden, but he was prepared to test the theory.
“Please welcome the Lady Cosette of Westfallen!”
The room cheered: not as loudly as when they heard that the war was ending but still loud enough to make my ears pound. Though, maybe it was fear doing that.
“Cosette?” Conrad squeezed my hand and I held on to him for stability while he led me up to the platform where I shakily sat down. There, I risked a peek around the room. Close to the back of the room stood Aiden, looking stunned. No doubt he hadn’t planned for me to be shamed so publicly. I wanted to glare at him but didn’t want to be seen while all eyes were on me. Hoping for comfort, I instead looked into Conrad’s eyes, but they offered me no consolation. He looked at me proudly as he stepped back and waited for me to perform.
Rumpel’s gaze would have comforted me. But I had pushed him away. I never needed him more than I did then.
Shaking, I brought the straw up from the basket. Rumpel’s words played over in my mind. A confident attitude was the key to making this work. Still trembling, I tried to muster confidence, but it was impossible with all these eyes on me.
My breath shook and I fumbled with the straw.
I could do this. I had to do this.
I rested the straw near the bobbin and took a deep breath. I felt more comfortable with my eyes closed, where I could pretend I was alone in the room. Even with my vision blank, my ears still rang with the sounds of the room, multiplied by my nerves. Shuffling feet, muffled whispers, tapping toes.
I could fake fainting. I read about a character who did that once, and it worked for her. But could I pull it off? If I fell to one side, I would topple off the platform. If I fell the other way, I would land in a basket of straw. Falling off the stage would guarantee that I wouldn’t be shaken awake and put right back on the spinning wheel. I sucked in my breath and prepared to execute my escape plan.
Before I could, I felt a tingling in my hands, then a voice in my head.
“Let my magic flow through your hands.”
Without warning, I lost control of my arms. My eyes flew open. As if controlled by someone else, my hands turned the straw.
Rumpel.
His magic flowed through me and out my hands. I straightened my back and let him take control as he worked the straw through the bobbin. I tried to look natural as he moved my hands for me. I had no idea that he could do this.
The straw turned, entered the bobbin, and came out, winding itself around the spindle. The room filled with gasps. People shoved at each other, trying to get closer to the platform to see for themselves. I continued to work, winding the gold around the spindle until it was thick enough for everyone to be sure of what they were seeing.
“Gold! She makes gold! We are rich!” The room exclaimed happily. They cheered and applauded and clapped each other on the back. My face flushed with the praise, though I knew I didn’t deserve it.
Conrad’s face stood out among them all. His shoulders were dropped, and his mouth was slightly open. He watched, mesmerized, as my hands moved. Soon a little smile came across his face.
I wished I knew if that smile was for me or for the gold.
In the back of the room, I saw Aiden duck his head and slip away, and I felt both the grief and relief that came with his departure. I doubted we would see each other again for a long time. I lowered my head back to the wheel.
When the straw was used up, my arms started to tingle again and I slowly regained control of them. Flexing my fingers, I pushed myself off the spinning wheel and stood up.
The room roared as they all called out my name. I still felt sick, but I bowed obediently. The King clapped loudest of all.
“Thank you Cosette, you have served your country well.”
I blushed again, wondering how fast I could get off that stage. Conrad came up to me and offered his hand, which I took eagerly. I let him lead me down into the crowd of eager people.
So many questions came my way as the music picked back up and festivities resumed. I tried to answer them to the best of my ability, guilty that my deceit was spreading to so many people. There would be a mess to deal with once Rumpel was gone.
Some people asked me to spin gold for them. They offered to pay me, then realized that I would already be giving them money, then offered me more money than I would spin, then realized that would put them at a loss. Eventually they offered something other than gold, such as jewels, clothes or suitors. I declined it all, saying I wished to retire back to my home. They would huff at this and toddle away.
When the crowd let up, Conrad pulled me to the side and out into one of the hallways. There were still people there, but fewer than there were in the throne room. With the doors closed and muffling the music, I was able to hear my own breathing again.
“That was incredible,” Conrad exclaimed. I laughed as his giddiness.
“I’ve never spun in front of anyone before.”
“You should. You look magical doing it.”
My stomach churned with my lie, as I remembered that lies were the reason I was so upset with Rumpel.
What would Conrad think when he found out that I lied? Would he be as upset as I was with Rumpel? I didn’t mean to hurt him by lying, I was only trying to save myself—Conrad had nothing to do with it.
Yet, that was the exact reason that Rumpel lied to me. He was trying to save himself. He spun gold for me, thinking that the selfless act would break his curse, and he kept his violent past hidden because it didn
’t concern me. Rumpel keeping his secrets had nothing to do with me, and everything to do with his own desires. My choice not to tell Conrad I couldn’t, in fact, spin gold had nothing to do with our friendship and everything to do with protecting my life from his unpredictable father. And yet, if he found out that through all the days we spent together that I chose to keep this secret from him, wouldn’t he be mad?
There was one difference, though. I hadn’t killed a village full of people. That alone was enough to keep me guarded around Rumpel.
My throat felt dry and my head felt light. Today took more out of me then I thought it would. Hoping he would understand, I excused myself from Conrad, who looked disappointed but let me go. I thanked him as I retreated to the safety of my room, where I threw myself on my bed and buried my face in the blankets.
How had my life gotten so complicated? How had I gone from the quiet girl serving drinks at the tavern to the girl in a silver dress spinning gold in front of the king, being courted by the prince, and researching how to break an old king’s curse? Today, Aiden almost cost me everything. If Rumpel hadn’t saved me, the King could have killed me for my lies.
I’d had enough.
For the past six months, I had complied as Fate handed me twists and turns, choosing to not fight the King hard enough and instead letting him bully me into spinning gold for him. Then, I’d let Rumpel save me time and time again instead of fighting for myself. While I’d been so concerned with pleasing everyone else, I had lost my sense of identity.
That was about to change.
I wouldn’t wait for Rumpel’s curse to end before I figured out how to take care of myself. I was going to fix my problems on my own.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
My first stop was Rumpel. He didn’t deserve my trust, but he did deserve an apology. “Keeping your secrets had nothing to do with me, and I’m sorry that I tried to make it so.”
The Storyteller’s Daughter Page 17