I suddenly wished that I was back with Anna, picking out dress designs. That would be better than being here, trying to make sense of this.
I was just about to let the matter drop when I saw it. Conrad pulled back his lips and shifted to his left foot. It was small, but Conrad always held himself confidently. His stance never looked weak. I replayed his words in my head. Did they sound forced?
All the guessing in the world wouldn’t give me clarity. I didn’t know Conrad well enough to analyze his behavior. All I had was my instinct, and that told me he was lying.
Fear crept up on me, though I knew I was safe here. Still, my body told me to flee, so I listened to it, making small excuses and leaving him standing in that messy room with his hands still in his pockets.
The fear dug deeper as I pondered what sort of person I was marrying.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
“Did you hear him?”
“I did.”
“So,” I asked, “is he lying to me?”
Rumpel looked right in my eyes. “Yes. His story started out true. For the most part, he brings back the boys who want to fight. But a few, like the ones that are especially strong or fast, are forced.”
I tucked my feet under me on the bed. A small cup of tea rested in my hands and crackers sat on a plate next to me. The sun set less than an hour ago, and I had sent Anna away an hour before that so I could spend the rest of my evening with Rumpel. Wedding preparations had worn me out, and I had eagerly pulled on warm socks and sunk into my bed.
Rumpel had, unsurprisingly, been there to hear my conversation with Conrad. I should have known he wouldn’t let me go into another man’s bedroom alone. I skipped dinner that night to ponder things over in my room, giving the excuse that there were too many things to prepare to formally dine that evening.
“Alright, you made it sound like he prowled through villages kidnapping boys in the night.”
Rumpel scoffed. “He might as well. Even taking one boy against his will is too many. He’s taken fifteen.”
I felt horrible for thinking this, but fifteen was much better than the hundred that I had been picturing. Still. Those poor boys.
Gently, Rumpel sat on the bed next to me and took my hand. “A diplomat went out yesterday with signed papers from Westfallen. Vestalin has already signed, and if Osmelee and Tames follow suit then the war will be over, and the boys can go home. Already the fighting has stopped as all soldiers wait in anticipation. No more lives are in danger.”
I hadn’t realized I needed to hear that, but my chest felt like a boulder had been sitting on it that was gone. The war was almost over. The soldiers could all go home.
Even though I wouldn’t be queen for long, I was glad that I would be coming into the title at the end of a war, instead of the beginning.
“Can you see me as a queen?” I asked Rumpel.
He didn’t hesitate before answering, “Yes. I think you are untrained, but that can be fixed. I don’t think your mind is clouded by vanity or tempted by riches. You’d rule with a clear head, and that’s one of the most important things.”
The idea of being queen scared me to my core, and I was glad that someone believed in me. I doubted I would have any responsibilities besides hosting dignitaries who came to visit, but the fact that Rumpel believed I could rule made my heart happy.
“I know you don’t want it right now,” Rumpel said as he stroked my hand. “But if you become queen and you find that you love it, I don’t want you to leave it for me. I don’t want you to feel an obligation to me to break your marriage with Conrad. If you find that you love it, or love him, then I want you to be happy.”
My body twisted toward Rumpel. “That won’t happen. As soon as I can, I will end the marriage. I’ll move back home and continue working at the tavern and for Seamstress Kira. I’ll save up my money and buy a shop where I’ll open a bookstore and serve tea. Maybe someday I’ll meet someone else, but I don’t need to. You’ve given me enough love for a lifetime.”
I saw a tear form in Rumpel’s eye, and I longed to kiss it away. It seemed every time we got together, one or both of us cried. The number of days we had left were fewer, and while I tried not to think about it, it was all that filled my mind.
The Fates blessed me by giving me Rumpel. Even though they would be taking him away soon, I was a better person for knowing him. I would hold on to that fact after he was gone.
Rumpel wasn’t the first one to tell me he thought I could be queen. Papa believed in me too. Even with both of their blessings, I still knew that I didn’t want it. I had no desire to be queen. I was honored that they felt I was up for the job, but I felt wildly unqualified and considerably uninterested.
“I wish I could stay around to see how beautifully you do in life.”
I smiled. “Yeah, me too.” And in that moment, the smallest part of me felt sure that everything would be okay. I knew he wouldn’t let me kiss him, but I hoped he would let me rest my head against his chest. I put down my cup and brought myself closer to him, asking with my eyes. He raised his arm up for me and I tucked myself safely into his side. As I wrapped myself up next to Rumpel, I wished the castle away, along with all its problems. All that would be left was Rumpel’s arm around me, protecting me from the dangers of life and reminding me of his love. In that moment, I allowed myself to forget my worries and breathe a little deeper. I allowed myself to dream, until sleep claimed me and brought vivid ones of its own.
* * *
The tears flooded my eyes as soon as I woke. The night before I had fallen asleep next to Rumpel while he stroked my hand, despite how hard I fought to stay awake. To stay with him. At some point in the night he must have left, because the sheets beside me were flattened and smoothed, eliminating any trace of him. As always, he’d slipped away right after I fell asleep.
The light hadn’t reached the foot of my bed yet, so it was still early. I pulled the silk sheet over my head as a cold tear slid down my temple. I didn’t want to move. Please, don’t make me do this.
The white dress loomed in the corner, taunting me. I called out to Rumpel but only hallow echoes replied. The doorknob jiggled and Anna crept into the room, apologizing as she reminded me of the task at hand. As a reply, I sank further into the bed.
My head was foggy, and my bones felt weak. My heart felt like it had been shattered into small pieces, too delicate to ever be put back together. I wanted to run or hide, but I had nowhere to escape to.
Anna accepted, though she couldn’t understand, my sorrow, and her hands moved tenderly to get me ready. As she worked, tears slid down my cheeks, which she kindly ignored.
She helped me into the dress, pulling the intricate fabric up to my shoulders. Where once I might have marveled at the design of the fabric, today I found no joy in its beauty. Instead, I loathed the tight shoes on my feet and the heavy jewelry around my neck. A thin tiara was pinned into my hair, the final piece of the image. I couldn’t look at my reflection in the mirror. It was the bitter reality of what this day would bring.
Once finished, Anna left me alone for a few final moments of peace, and I had never been more grateful to her for giving me those minutes.
I drew away from the mirror, feeling the weight of my attire on my body as I trudged toward my bed. My eyes held no more tears left to shed, so I stared at my hands and tried just to breathe.
A new, folded paper lay on my bedside table. With more energy than I’d displayed all morning, I reached for it. Please be from him.
He had given me one last gift. I opened the note, greedily soaking in the words.
My dearest, darling Cosette,
I love you with all of my heart. You have given me more in this last year of my life then I could have ever asked for. For so long, I thought that I had had my love, but then you came around and opened my heart. Now there is no doubt in my mind that you are the one I was meant to find. Do not think that true love’s kiss didn’t work because you aren’t my true love, because, m
y darling, you most certainly are. You are the truest thing in my life. I give my whole heart to you so that it will live on long after I am gone. I love you, Cosette, and I would give up everything to be with you.
Yours forever,
Rumpel
My body crumbled as I clung to the last piece of him that I would ever hold. I smelled the letter, trying to catch one last whiff of him. One tear fell on the page and I wiped at it feverishly, desperate not to blemish the letter. It needed to stay looking this perfect forever, just as he was.
My body was still shaking with sorrow when Anna came back in the room. Silently she approached me, wrapping her slender arms around me without question. I leaned into her, grateful for her presence.
When I could avoid it no longer, I wiped my eyes clean. Anna dutifully repainted my face and polished my eyes. My fingers clenched the letter, not willing to let go. Anna seemed to understand and held up the shoulder of my dress.
“It can slide it in here. It won’t be comfortable, though.”
I was already beyond comfort. Grateful to her, I slid the letter into the shoulder of my dress, keeping it tight against my skin. Anna repositioned the dress, so it was perfect again, then held my hands in front of me.
“Are you ready for your wedding?”
Just when I thought I had no tears left to cry, another slid down my face.
Chapter Forty
The room smelled like lilies and death. I kept my shoulders back as I walked down the aisle, ignoring all the people in the room. I knew I should have been smiling, but I couldn’t feel my face. I felt numb all over.
I should have let Rumpel take me away when I had the chance. I had been so convinced that staying was the right thing to do, but standing under those tall ceilings, surrounded by painted faces, it was hard to rationalize my decision. All I could feel was unbearable grief. I would never see Rumpel again.
Conrad looked like a proud groom. He deserved a glowing bride. I couldn’t be that girl for him.
The King looked better today, but I could still tell that he was weak. His body hunched more than usual, his hand shook, and his forehead was creased with the strain of trying to sit up straight. Any strength he had left was fading quickly.
It didn’t seem fair to me that an old king who was losing his mind could still hold so much power. Especially since a sickness had claimed him, he should have been relieved of his duty. He shouldn’t have been able to threaten me into a marriage. He shouldn’t have been able to rule. But there was nothing I could do about it. I was just the storyteller’s daughter.
With luck, this marriage wouldn’t last more than a few months. Then I could go home.
Conrad met me at the end of the aisle, taking one of my hands in his. We settled on our knees in front of the priest. He was a heavyset man with a smooth face, but a rough smile. He held a staff in one hand and a big book in the other. I lowered my head so he wouldn’t see the grief in my eyes.
I wondered if Rumpel was here somewhere, watching me commit myself to another man. I hoped he wasn’t anywhere nearby. I didn’t want him to see me this way. If he had to see me in a wedding dress, it should have been for him.
The priest launched into some long speech about Westfallen and marriage. Conrad kept a gentle grip on my hand, stroking it with his thumb. Every so often we would hear a noise from behind us, a sneeze or a muffled clatter, but other than that I tried to ignore the room full of people that I should have never met. I wondered which ceremony would be bigger, this one or the coronation after the King’s death. I cringed at the thought of having to go through this again. I couldn’t hide this from my family forever; word would reach them that I was queen. I dreaded telling them what happened almost as much as I hated going through it in the present.
The priest stepped to his right, revealing a small table behind him. Three large candles sat on top. Conrad and I were to light ours and then light the middle one together, something about our fires never going out for each other. With trembling feet, I followed Conrad over to the table, taking hold of one of the candles. Somewhere, someone was playing a piano.
“Are you alright?” Conrad whispered to me.
I looked him over. There was nothing but kindness in his eyes for me. “I will be.”
“He’s a lucky guy, whoever has your heart,” Conrad said. I pushed my emotions down my throat as they threatened to come out. I wouldn’t cry again, not in front of all these people.
I pursed my lips as I tipped my candle forward in unison with Conrad. Right as the wick took the flame, the back door was pushed open.
I peeked up to see who it was and almost dropped my candle. Rumpel was walking quickly down the aisle, dressed as a prince. He wore a red suit coat on with a white sash around it, decorated with pins. His pants looked pressed and he wore nice black shoes. I stared as he came closer. Others turned to look at the man coming down the aisle, no doubt thinking he was simply a latecomer.
I didn’t care what they thought. I got to see Rumpel again.
The candle dropped from my hand and almost caught fire to the tablecloth. I patted at it quickly to put it out. Conrad muttered something under his breath, but I couldn’t make it out. My head was spinning.
“Stop everything,” Rumpel called out once, then again. He came to the front of the room and dropped himself next to the King. I almost tripped over my dress as I flew down the stairs toward him. Conrad followed suit, and several guards approached us.
The entire room started to shift as people turned to ask each other questions. All I focused on was Rumpel’s face. He said something to the King, who slowly brought his eyes up to me.
“Is this true?” I barely caught the King’s words and halted my approach. Conrad passed me and brought himself protectively to his father’s side.
“Yes.” I could hear Rumpel clearly then. “Cosette cannot spin straw into gold. I can.”
Everything happened so slowly from there. The gradual turning of heads from the few people close enough to hear what was happening. The narrowing of eyes from the King, the furrowed brow from Conrad. Rumpel looked at me over his shoulder and gave me a steady smile and simple nod. My feet didn’t allow me to move. I stood frozen in that spot as I waited for the royal reaction.
This was what I dreaded during my entire stay at the castle. Every day for the past six months, I feared what would happen when the King found out that I was a fraud. My mind pictured this moment a thousand different ways. I never would have guessed that moment would come while I stood in a wedding dress in front of the whole kingdom.
The King was going to kill me.
I doubted more than a second had passed. Rumpel twisted back toward the King. “If you let her go, I vow to stay here and spin gold for you and for your son every day for the rest of my life.”
That was sneaky of him. The King didn’t know that Rumpel only had a week left to live.
“Why should we trust you?” Conrad asked. He had his hands around his father’s shoulders.
“Cosette never lied when she told you she can’t spin gold, yet you told her you’d kill her if she didn’t. Do you know what you’ve put her through these past six months? I didn’t have to stay to give you gold, but I’ve done so every single night. I’ve already proven that I’ll do that for her.”
I wanted to go to Rumpel, but all I could do was watch the King’s face to see if he would show mercy on us.
It was Conrad’s expression that showed remorse as he looked right at me. “You could have told me.”
I brought my shoulders up then let them fall again. “I was afraid.”
The guards stayed close but let their hands fall from their swords. Some brave people wandered up the aisle to try to see what was going on, but other guards held them back. I was grateful for the space. The priest rubbed his forehead as he watched the spectacle.
The King slowly leaned forward in his chair. “She can go, if she passes my test.”
I wasn’t sure that I heard him right. Con
rad looked at his father in surprise. “Father, we have no use for her anymore. She should be allowed to return home.”
The King waved him off. “She’s signed a contract agreeing to marry you. She belongs to you now.” His voice crackled as he spoke.
Conrad scoffed as he pointed at Rumpel. “She doesn’t belong to me. We can have this man instead.”
I didn’t like the thought of them owning Rumpel. I didn’t want Conrad or the King anywhere near him.
“I’ll need you to sign a contract saying that you will let Cosette be in peace. Then I will start spinning gold immediately.” Rumpel was still crouched down on one knee next to the King.
Though we waited for the King’s reply, it was Conrad who spoke in a light voice. He studied me, then Rumpel. “So, this is the man you love.”
I nodded to him while Rumpel raised his eyebrows and smirked, looking back at me as he did. I hadn’t told him that Conrad knew I was in love with someone else.
“It seems we should know who this man is.”
Rumpel shook his head. “All you need to know is that I’m a man of my word. In addition to giving you gold, I can heal your father.”
That sent a new murmur through the people around us. Their whispers carried the tale back toward the far edges of the room.
Conrad gawked. “Can you do that?”
Rumpel lifted up his hand and placed it on the King’s knee. The guards stepped closer, but Conrad raised up his hand to stop them. He watched intently as Rumpel kept his hand there for several moments. The King’s back gradually straightened. A touch of color returned to his face. He still looked weak, but there was obvious improvement.
“I can’t keep him from death, but I can heal him from the sickness that has him now,” Rumpel said. Conrad’s eyes were wide as he moved in front of his father.
“How do you feel?” He breathed the question as he clung to his father’s hands.
The King licked his lips. “I think he’s telling the truth.” He coughed, but it wasn’t a thick, long one like before. “But we will look weak if you don’t go through with the wedding. We’ve already informed every country of the engagement and thrown a party in your honor. Now it is your wedding day. Imagine the scandal if she walks out in front of all these people? No one will stop talking about it.”
The Storyteller’s Daughter Page 23