FOUR
Nicoline screamed as dark hands fell on her shoulders. With a mad leap, she was out of the chair and nearly in Janelle's lap before she turned around. She may have screamed longer if Nicolas hadn't promptly fallen over in laughter.
“You should have seen your face!” he howled.
Nicoline pushed her terror away to pout. “That was mean, Nicolas. And who said you could enlist help? I never required assistance.”
But Nicolas was too busy laughing and rolling on the floor to pay any attention to his twin.
Nicoline stomped her foot. “Then Janelle gets to help me next.”
Nicolas slapped his thigh, too caught up in merriment to speak yet. Nicoline was, by this time, greatly annoyed by his behavior. With a little shriek, she extended all her fingers and jumped for him. “You'll pay for laughing at me, you little monster!”
And with that, she chased him from the room, Nicolas still laughing all the while.
~*~
After a rather amusing fitting with Crazy Maeva contradicting the dress maker at every turn, Janelle found her father in the rose garden. His face broke into a smile at the sight of her. “My dear, have you ever seen such roses?”
She cast a critical eye over the nearest blossoms. “They are not quite as fine as ours were, but they are lovely.”
Lord Roux sighed. “Yes, no rose could compare to the ones we used to have.”
Janelle stepped closer. He seemed so different than he had been yesterday. The anger and anguish that had colored his face after the explosion had vanished. “Father, are you happy here?”
“Now why would you ask that?”
“I was just curious.”
He turned back to the bushes, cradling a tender petal between his fingers. “I have no reason not to be happy, and so I am very contented with our lot. How could our circumstances be bettered?”
Janelle made a face. “What's going to happen when I don't marry Prince Dmitri?”
Lord Roux gave her a long look. “That's something you're going have to talk with him about.”
~*~
Four o'clock found Janelle once again in the library. Courtship rules dictated that a courting couple spend at least two hours of each day in each other's company, and Prince Dmitri had decided upon the two hours right before dinner. He had sent her a note saying that they'd meet at four every day in the library, and unwillingly, Janelle obeyed. She was not looking forward to spending two complete hours in his company, and she dreaded even more how he might react to what she knew she had to say.
Dmitri, too, did not look forward to the meeting but, unlike Janelle, he had no idea what he was going to say. If possible, he would have skipped visiting the library at all. But it would not do to break his mother's commands and the laws of national courtship all in one blow – even though the thought was tempting. He knew he could do exactly what everyone expected of him and still get everything he wanted.
Waiting and thinking about the meeting gnawed at him, so Dmitri kept himself busy for the rest of the afternoon – perhaps too busy. It was quarter past four when he finally entered the library. Janelle stood at the window, looking out, but she greeted him without turning around.
“Is this how you treat prospective brides? Kill them with the rudeness of being late?”
Dmitri bit back a growl. “I had pressing matters to attend to elsewhere.”
The window reflected the tightened expression on her face. “Well, I'm sorry indeed to have taken you from them.”
“How is your father?”
“Better. He said he is eagerly anticipating dining with you this evening – which is more than I can admit.”
“And he finds the gardens sufficient?”
“He thinks highly of your roses.”
Dmitri was tired of talking to her back. “Won't you turn around?”
“I will when I want to.”
“Are you always this stubborn?”
“Are you always this demanding?”
“I am the prince.”
Janelle bristled. “And I am a human being, not your dog to be commanded about blindly and without feeling.” She paused. “I have something I must tell you.”
Dmitri waited. “Yes?”
“I cannot marry you.”
He snorted. “You said as much before.”
“But I neglected to tell you why.” She took a deep breath and slowly turned around to face him. “I am already engaged.”
His jaw dropped, but he quickly got his expression and voice under control. “You? Engaged? I find that hard to believe. Who is the unfortunate man?”
Janelle wanted to stomp her foot, but she didn't, knowing that it would make her seem childish. She had to act like an adult, no matter how hard he made it for her. “His name is Adam Caron.”
“The Duke Caron's only son?” Dmitri winced at the image of flaming red hair and buck teeth the name conjured up. He knew of Adam Caron all too well.
She nodded. “Our fathers thought it a prudent match, and we are to be married next spring. I would have told you earlier, but you hardly gave me a chance to speak plainly.”
“Believe me, all you've been doing since you got here is speak plainly.”
“Therefore, I must ask that you remove any announcement you might have made concerning our courtship and abstain from any further relationship with me.”
Dmitri stared at her. “You think it's that simple? That my mother will allow you to call off the courtship in the blink of an eye? No, I'm afraid, Janelle Roux, you are stuck here and stuck with me for the time being.”
“You would keep me here against my will?”
“If my mother demanded it, yes.”
“You really don't have a heart, do you?” Janelle almost laughed in her anger. “Here I thought I might be mistaken in your character because your siblings seemed to think kindly of you, but I see it is not the case.”
“And I see you are nothing more than a temper with hair.” Dmitri whirled to leave the library.
As much as she hated herself for saying it, she called him back. “You can't go yet. The two hours aren't up yet.”
“They are up for me,” he snarled. “I don't think I could survive any more time with you. Go anywhere you want in the castle. Get lost and explore, but stay out of the West Wing.”
“The West Wing?”
He turned once before exiting. “It's forbidden.”
Janelle collapsed into a chair after he was gone. “What am I going to do, Lord?” Her previous engagement to Adam was her only escape; it should have worked. Yet, here she was now, courting two men at once.
She had never thought much of Adam as a suitor as he was the sort of man who made friends with all the young ladies of nobility. Even though he had buck teeth, he was an excellent conversationalist.
Lord Roux had not announced the engagement publicly yet, but Janelle knew rumors of an attachment crawled through the court. Many of her friends had already made jealous, pointed comments on the amount of time the young Caron spent at the Roux household. A few days ago, Janelle would have given up Adam in a heartbeat. She had never relished the idea of marrying him, but suddenly he seemed far superior to Prince Dmitri. At least she could talk sensibly with Adam.
There had to be another way to call off the engagement. Surely Crazy Maeva wouldn't hold her son to marrying a girl he didn't love – especially a girl who despised him.
~*~
Dmitri stomped back to his room. Knowing she was engaged hit him harder than he would have liked to admit. It wasn't that he wanted to feel protective of her, but he hated not being in control. He'd acted calmly through the interchange, for which he was very grateful, but his mind buzzed with questions. He couldn't court another man's intended bride. He had no idea Janelle was engaged to Adam Caron, and apparently Lord Roux hadn't cared enough about it to mention it before now.
“Adam Caron.” The name created a scornful curl to Dmitri's lips. He thought he could place the reason why
Duke Caron had encouraged a match between his son and Lord Roux's daughter. It was no secret that the Roux roses were the finest in the kingdom and also that the Caron roses always came in second. Apparently, the duke was eager for a chance either to combine the green thumbs and bloodlines or to figure out and steal the Roux strategy for first prize.
He slammed the door to his room and plopped down in his desk chair. He composed a quick, blunt letter to Adam, stating only Janelle's position with both suitors and then rang for a servant to post it directly. The task finished and the letter on its way, he fished a key from the lowest drawer of his desk. The hall was empty when he stuck his head out, so Dmitri followed the familiar path to the West Wing.
He unlocked the door at the end of the hall and quickly shut himself in. “At last.” In all the commotion of the last two days, he hadn't had a single second to escape. Someone always needed something from the Crown Prince.
Ledgers and other odd trinkets covered a large table in the center of the room, but Dmitri ignored them along with the other disheveled mess adorning most of the floor space. He headed straight to the covered pedestal standing in the windowed alcove. When he reached it, he stopped. Did I leave the blanket like that? I thought... oh, never mind. He reached forward, carefully pulling off the covering.
Looking at what he'd exposed to the natural light, he sighed. “Father, if only you were still here. I might have finished this with you.”
Other than the late king, Dmitri was the only one who'd ever been allowed in this room. The irrepressible twins were dissuaded by the lock and their private contest to kill each other, and the queen never bothered with anything in the West Wing. This was the king's and Crown Prince's special hideout, somewhere they could hide from the prying eyes of the court and the infernal scent of blooming roses. They alone knew the contents of this room, and Dmitri wanted to keep it that way. In due time, perhaps, all of Rohesia would learn and marvel, but that day wasn't here yet.
The worst part was that if the kingdom discovered it before he was ready to reveal it, he would be classed in the same dark, insane position as his mother. And that was something Dmitri couldn't afford.
FIVE
The next two weeks passed rather quickly for Janelle, much to her surprise. Her father was almost constantly in the garden, arguing with the royal gardener over agriculture and cultivation, so she knew he was happy. Crazy Maeva claimed her company during random times, to walk around the castle or to see a part of her latest obsession. With every visit, she made some mention to the courtship and wedding, and Janelle knew it would take a while for the thought to pass from her mind. She might hate the idea of marrying Dmitri, but she respected his mother enough to care for her peace of mind.
Much to Janelle's – and Dmitri's – great dismay, Adam Caron replied favorably to the Crown Prince's letter. Janelle had actually moaned aloud when she read his almost illegible script.
I am mortified, Your Highness, that any previous arrangements made on my behalf should stand in the course of your true love. I greatly enjoyed the time I spent getting to know Janelle Roux, but I fear we are not properly matched. Let her be yours, if your heart so desires it, and I shall be content knowing I have done a small service to my future king.
“Toady,” Dmitri had growled as he snatched the letter back from her.
The required two hours of courtship both had been too pleased to dispense with. Each meeting only brought on something new about which they could argue, and Janelle hated listening to Dmitri's rants. He could never find something to commend her on, and everything she did only seemed to make him dislike her more.
Nicolas and Nicoline fought over her in the mornings, each persuading her to help with a new prank. Despite herself, Janelle actually enjoyed their company. When they weren't bent on throttling each other, the twins were spunky balls of fun. They both possessed a quick wit that naturally made her laugh, and she wondered at their enthusiasm and joy. A mad mother and a withdrawn brother weren't the ideal family members, but they still found ways to make the most of their situation – mostly with their everyday pranks. The tricks were gradually growing from killing each other to seeing who could pull the most believable stunt.
One morning, Janelle found herself hanging over the balcony in the ballroom with Nicoline. She held multiple threads in her hands and looked down to where the girls had tied a feather duster to the opposite ends.
“You think this is going to work?” Nicoline asked.
Janelle smiled. “I used to do this all the time with my cousin. I just hope my fingers remember what they used to do.”
The balcony wasn't incredibly high, but looking down at the duster below them made Janelle's head swim – just a little bit. She shoved the feeling down fiercely. Now was not the time to get dizzy.
“Shh! Here he comes!” Nicoline ducked behind the railing as footsteps sounded below them. Janelle hunched, out of sight, but still able to see everything clearly. Nicolas marched into the ballroom. He stopped short when he saw the feather duster suspended in thin air a foot off the floor, standing upright as if it were a real person.
Janelle waited until he took a couple hesitant steps toward it before she moved the thread on her pinkie. Nicolas jumped as the duster moved, feathers swaying gently with the sudden motion.
“Nicoline?” He sounded unsure.
Beside Janelle, his twin gave a muffled groan. “He knows it's me!”
Janelle shushed her and looked back to Nicolas. She dipped her fingers gently over the railing, making the duster's handle lower in a sort of curtsy. At the same time, she swished the feathers slightly to accommodate for the lack of skirt. Nicolas watched, mesmerized.
With each flick of her fingers, Janelle made the duster move in a new direction, slowly at first, but gradually building up to a series of quick motions. Nicoline, satisfied with Nicolas's stunned silence, drew herself up to watch Janelle's skill.
The princess giggled. “It's dancing!”
“Shh!”
“What's going on here?” Dmitri's voice caught them all by surprise. Nicoline shrieked and would have fallen over the railing if Janelle hadn't dropped her threads and caught her around the waist.
Nicoline took a deep breath to calm herself and then glared at her older brother who now stood on the balcony with them, arms folded over his chest. “We were only having a little demonstration, if you must know.”
“On the balcony?” Dmitri's eyebrows lowered. “Do you know how dangerous this is? Get away from here, Nicoline. You know better!”
“It wasn't dangerous until you came and scared us half to death!” she countered. “And if Janelle hadn't been here, I would have toppled headfirst onto the floor, thanks to you.”
“Nevertheless, you shouldn't be here.”
“Dmitri, you missed it!” Nicolas called up to the balcony, oblivious to the heated exchange above him. “It was magic! The feather duster was doing her own stage act!”
The fun had disappeared from the stunt for Nicoline. She scowled over the railing. “It was just Janelle, silly. She was making it dance with thread.”
“Puppets?” Dmitri looked disapprovingly at Janelle.
She squirmed. “It was a harmless diversion.”
“Harmless? You nearly killed my sister in your stupidity!”
Janelle bristled. “Stupidity?”
“Yes, stupidity. You knew it was dangerous to lead a twelve-year-old girl that close to the edge of the balcony. The railing's not very supportive.”
She bit her tongue, hard. “Then maybe you should replace it. If it is that dangerous, you shouldn't be up here, either. Come on, Nicoline.” They began to march away, but Dmitri caught Janelle by the elbow.
“Won't you listen to sense for once? Or have you no brain at all?”
“More brain than you have heart, apparently. It's abominable of you to be such a damper on your siblings' fun.”
“Fun?” Dmitri scoffed. “I hardly think...”
“Oh, st
op it!” Nicoline shouted. “You're horrible! Just stop it!” She shoved Dmitri out of her way, catching her wide skirt on his belt. The catch stopped her only for a moment, but she soon wrenched herself free and ran down the hallway, sobbing.
Dmitri's heart dropped. Guilt swelled up inside of him, but he didn't know what to do. Run after Nicoline? Apologize to Janelle? He had overreacted. Turning, he caught Janelle watching him, her eyes burning, her mouth fiercely disapproving. Any thought of apology vanished instantly, and he made his exit from her sight quick.
Janelle was left alone on the balcony, anger seething inside her. How can he be that awful to his own siblings?
She glanced down into the ballroom. Nicolas, it seemed, had little interest in the discussion and had disappeared with the feather duster and its thread supports. No doubt he thought the puppet too keen to ignore it.
Her eyes strayed to the floor of the balcony. There, in the corner, lay a small key. Janelle picked it up and studied it, recognizing it as a door key and wondering where it came from. And particularly which door it went to. Could the key have fallen from Dmitri's belt when Nicoline's skirts caught on it? But what would Dmitri want with such a key? The royals had so many rooms and different chambers that locking them was impractical and senseless.
Janelle stuck the key in her pocket, feeling a surge of anger go through her heart. If Dmitri had a secret this key could expose, then she would find it. After his behavior today, he deserved to taste a little humility.
~*~
“Only three days until the flora show!” Lord Roux moaned, shoving a blossom at his daughter's face. “Only three! We'll never be ready in time!”
“They're fine, Father,” Janelle assured him. “They certainly look better for the care you've been giving them.”
“No thanks to that idiot gardener, or whatever he calls himself,” he grumbled. “It's a good thing we're going to be living here, because he's got a lot to learn about fauna and flora. Did you know that half of his violets wilted? And all for a lack of sufficient water.” He shook his head, a smile threatening to take his lips as he did so. “Despicable man.”
The Rose and the Balloon: A Beauty and the Beast Story (Once Upon a Twist Tales Book 1) Page 3