Alaric walked into the dining room. The princesses stood in a line as usual. Today they wore pale yellow dresses covered in lace.
Alaric searched the line. The princesses looked tired. A few yawned at him. Some had dark circles under their eyes.
Whatever Marta had done to their beds had affected their sleep. Alaric found Lina in the group. His heart missed a beat. He gritted his teeth.
Her whole face was bruised. Her right eye was nearly swollen shut. Patches of blue and purple on her arms peeked through the lacy sleeves of her gown. She leaned on Carina for support.
Alaric wasn’t the only one to notice Lina’s bruises. Princess Fiora watched her from down the line. Probably trying to figure out how to disqualify Lina for her injuries.
Queen Marta stepped forward and smiled at everyone.
“Good morning, princesses. Please, have a seat.”
Alaric sat at the head of the table. Princess Fiora rushed to the chair by his side. Lina hobbled to a chair near Queen Marta. Carina helped her across the room.
“I trust you slept well last night, Your Highness?” Princess Fiora said.
Alaric nodded. He kept his eyes on Lina.
“It looks like not everyone did. Honestly, some girls will do anything to stand out.”
Fiora was one to talk. She stood out in every way that was unpleasant.
Queen Marta tapped her fork against her glass and beamed at everyone.
“My dear princesses, congratulations on completing another Princess Test last night.”
The princesses looked at each other. A flurry of whispers filled the room. Queen Marta smiled.
“Allow me to explain. I am determined to find a true princess for Prince Alaric. There are many qualities that define a true princess, but one of the most important is delicacy. A true princess must be delicate.”
She glanced around the room. Alaric frowned. What had she done now?
“Last night, I took the liberty of placing a single pea under each of your mattresses. I added a few more mattresses to make the test more challenging. A true princess would feel a pea under her mattress. She would not be able to sleep a wink.”
Several princesses yawned. Princess Fiora stretched her arms to show how tired she was.
“One of you is even more delicate than I imagined possible,” Queen Marta said. “Indeed, I must apologize for the discomfort this test has caused her. The clear winner of this princess test not only could not sleep, but the pea under her mattress has left her bruised and battered. She alone is truly delicate enough to be a princess.”
Marta gestured to Lina. Lina nodded her head slightly. It seemed to be all she had energy for. Alaric tapped his foot under the table. There was no way a pea under a mattress could bruise someone that badly. They were covering something. Protecting someone.
Princess Fiora glared at Lina.
“She probably fell off the tower of mattresses,” she muttered under her breath.
Tower of mattresses? What had Marta done?
“That, of course, means that these two lovely princesses are tied. One was chosen as winner of the music competition. One won the delicacy test.”
Queen Marta waved her arm at Carina and Lina. Carina smiled. She looked a little too happy to be tied instead of the clear winner. Lina looked ready to pass out.
Of course. Alaric should have known Marta wouldn’t leave well enough alone. She was matchmaking, blast her! She was making sure he had options. That he could choose Lina if he wanted to.
Lina. Alaric watched her while he ate his breakfast. What had happened? He couldn’t imagine the force necessary to cause such bruises. She was black and blue all over.
Marta’s ruse only made it worse. There was an explanation for the bruises now, however implausible. He wouldn’t be able to insist that Lina tell him what was really going on.
He wouldn’t be able to protect her.
“We have only a few tests left in the final day of the Princess Test,” Marta said. “After breakfast, you will prove your skill with a needle in an embroidery test. Then we will have a period of rest for you to prepare for your final chance to interact with Prince Alaric before he selects a winner. We are having a picnic lunch on Mount Evangelina.”
Alaric winced. He had forgotten that he had asked Marta to include that. It seemed a mistake now. Had he really thought he could fall in love so quickly? That he could find someone he wanted to share his favorite place with?
He glanced at Lina. She would like the mountain. He was sure of it.
Well, maybe not. Lina looked horrified. She stared at Queen Marta with eyes as wide as her bruises allowed. She seemed to be trying to get the queen’s attention. To signal her without drawing attention to herself.
Was she that averse to spending time outdoors? Surely someone who climbed castles wouldn’t mind hiking up a mountain. Maybe she was worried she would be too weak from her injuries.
Or was there something else going on? Perhaps she was afraid of being out in the open. Afraid that whoever hurt her would find her outside the castle.
Alaric clenched his fists. He needed to speak with her. Needed to find out the truth, blast it all!
“I love needlework,” Fiora said. “My tapestries decorate the entire castle of Kell.”
Alaric nodded. He didn’t take his eyes off Lina.
Princess Fiora took a final bite of eggs and stabbed her knife into the table. It sunk deep into the wood. Alaric swallowed.
“I’m sure your tapestries are lovely,” he said.
Fiora beamed at him. She had a bit of egg caught in her teeth. Alaric decided not to mention it.
The princesses finished their breakfast and stood to leave. Alaric jumped to his feet and opened the door for them. If he could just get a few words with Lina, to ask her what had really happened, maybe he could make this right!
Lina didn’t meet his gaze as she limped past. She stood between Carina and a princess with black hair. They helped her walk.
Alaric took a step towards her, but Fiora stood in his way.
“I look forward to the picnic,” she said. “I have heard that Mount Evangelina is beautiful.”
She still had egg in her teeth. Alaric nodded at her. Queen Marta patted his shoulder as she passed.
“Marta, I-”
“I’m sorry, Alaric, I don’t have time to chat. We must begin the needlepoint test immediately so we have time to travel up the mountain by lunch.”
“Cancel the picnic. I’ve changed my mind.”
Marta shook her head.
“Oh, it’s far too late for that now. I put it on the official schedule. Besides, you don’t want to miss an opportunity to share your favorite place with the princesses.”
Yes, he did. He definitely did.
Marta smiled at him again and bustled away to join the group of girls. Alaric ran down the hallway in the opposite direction. Towards the princess’s bedrooms.
A guard blocked his path when he reached it.
“I’m sorry, Prince Alaric. We’ve been ordered not to let anyone into this wing of the castle.”
“Yes, I know. Were you on duty last night?”
“No, Your Highness. Those guards are off duty now. Guards need rest too.”
“Yes, of course. Thank you. Will you let me know if you see anything suspicious?”
“Of course. We are all watching and ready to report at the first sign of trouble.”
“Thank you.”
Alaric frowned and walked back to the dining room. Maybe the servants clearing away the meal had noticed something. They might know which maids had been assigned to which princesses. If he could question Lina’s maid, he might learn something.
The servants hadn’t cleared the table yet. Stefan sat at the end eating the remains of the breakfast. He waved a fork full of eggs when Alaric entered. Alaric sat beside him.
“Have you seen Lina?” Stefan whispered. “All the guards said she was bruised or something.”
Alaric g
rabbed Stefan’s arm. The eggs on his fork flew across the room.
“You’ve talked to the guards? Did they see anything suspicious?”
Stefan frowned at his now empty fork.
“No. They woke up the guards who worked last night to question them. Lina didn’t leave her room last night. No one has visited her.”
“That’s impossible. There’s no way those bruises are from a pea.”
“Maybe she fell off the mattress tower.”
Alaric crossed his arms.
“Mattress tower?”
“Marta made each princess sleep on twenty-one mattresses last night.”
“What? That’s ridiculous.”
“I know. This delicacy test really went to her head. But a fall from that height would explain the bruising.”
“And the mattress tower grabbed her arm?”
Stefan shrugged.
“Alaric, there isn’t anything you can do. If you’re caught talking to her alone, she’ll be disqualified. Our guards are trustworthy.”
Alaric pushed his chair away from the table.
“Maybe the servants saw something the guards didn’t. I’m going to question them.”
Stefan raised an eyebrow.
“Won’t that look suspicious? You asking the servants about one of the girls in the Princess Test?”
Alaric slumped.
“I suppose. But our servants are discreet.”
“Hmm. You’d better let me take care of this. I’ve got a few contacts I trust.”
“What? Since when do you have spies?”
“Since I’ve been trying to learn the identities of the princesses for you. Not that it matters since you’re obsessed with Lina. I don’t suppose you even care that I’ve figured out which princesses are Marian and Merinda.”
“Really?”
Stefan grinned.
“See? My informants are excellent. They suspect the other princess Lina befriended is Eirwyn of Gaveron, but they aren’t sure.”
Alaric considered this.
“Marian is a king’s niece, not daughter. That would do me no good.”
“Ah, but Merinda is from Eldria. One of your top two choices if I remember correctly. Or have you changed your mind?”
He grinned at Alaric. Alaric brushed his hair back.
“No. I’ve already decided on Carina. Tell your informants to stop trying to identify princesses and start searching for information about the person hurting Lina. I’ll go to the archives to research the list of countries you gave me. If I can discover where she is from, I might be able to identify any enemies who would want to harm her.”
“You think a political enemy of her country is sneaking past our guards and hitting her in her sleep while she’s on a mattress tower?”
Alaric glowered at Stefan.
“It’s possible. I need to do something! I feel useless, Stefan!”
Stefan picked up a bit of egg with his fingers and chewed on it.
“You’re irritable today. I’ve heard men in love get that way, but I never expected it of you.”
“Stefan, be serious!”
“I am serious. I’ll help you on one condition. You promise to marry Lina if we figure out which kingdom she’s from.”
“Stefan, I’m marrying Carina.”
“Maybe Lina is Carina’s sister. Maybe she’s from Santelle. Their names rhyme. They spend all their time together. That has to mean something.”
“No, it doesn’t. Besides, they didn’t arrive together. Are you going to help or not?”
Stefan shoveled another bite of eggs into his mouth. He wiped his hands on his tunic.
“Fine. More research. I’ll talk to the servants. You go to the archives and search for more information about the girl you feel absolutely nothing for.”
32
Lina wielded her needle like a sword. She stabbed her fabric and imagined it was Nog’s face.
His stupid, smirking, goblin face.
This was unbearable! She shouldn’t be sewing! She should be on the mountain hunting for the goblin!
Carina cast a sideways glance at Lina. Her own embroidery project looked better, but it still wasn’t great. They were supposed to be embroidering snowbells. Lina’s were lopsided, and Carina’s were too pointy.
“I don’t embroider much,” Carina whispered. “Do you think Prince Alaric will change his mind about me if my sewing is terrible?”
“Worth a try.”
Carina smiled and tied a knot in the middle of her thread.
“I should be out there helping,” Lina said. “This is a waste of time.”
“You’re so bruised you can barely stand. You need rest more than anything. Could you walk all the way up the mountain right now?”
Lina frowned. No, she couldn’t. She stabbed the fabric a few more times with her needle.
“This picnic is a mistake,” she said. “The mountain is dangerous right now.”
Carina tied another knot in her thread. Her embroidery had become a tangled mess.
“Can’t you use your ring to protect everyone?”
“No, the ring’s magic is limited. It mostly helps me focus my power. And my powers are strongest at night. Just when the danger will be strongest.”
“If the danger is strongest at night, we should be fine at the picnic. We’ll be back to the castle long before nightfall.”
Lina sighed. Carina had a point.
“I suppose.”
“Then you can use the picnic as a way to get to the mountain. A free ride. Once we’re there, I’ll distract the prince so you can sneak away.”
“Really? What about blending in? Your strategy?”
Carina frowned.
“That won’t work anymore. If he’s decided to choose me, he’s going to choose me no matter what.”
“Carina, I’m sorry.”
Carina pulled her thread tight and shook her head.
“There’s nothing to be done about it.”
Across the room, Fiora glared at them.
“Are you sharing patterns? If you are, I’ll-”
“Have us disqualified,” Lina and Carina said in unison.
Fiora huffed and returned to her embroidery. Eirwyn caught Lina’s eye and smiled. She sat in a small group of princesses who hadn’t said a word the whole embroidery test. They were focused on their sewing. They looked like they actually knew what they were doing.
“Who are they?” Lina whispered. “Is it bad that it bothers me not to know their names?”
“No, I found it strange my first test. It took me a few times to figure out who everyone is. The one in the corner is Marian. She’s from Fletcher. The other two are Brigitta of Ostenreich and Colette of Montaigne.”
“I guess you get to know each other pretty well coming to these tests.”
Carina shrugged.
“In a way. Some of the girls are very competitive. If you’re a princess, you’re the enemy. Most of them are nice though. Colette’s castle is close to mine. We visit each other a few times a year.”
Queen Marta stood and rang a tiny silver bell.
“Princesses, the embroidery test is over. Please put your needles away and bring your fabric to Bastien for inspection. He will determine who has embroidered the most acceptable snowbells.”
The princesses formed a line and handed their cloths to the tailor. Bastien studied them with a careful eye and wrote numbers on a parchment. Fiora went first. She had sewed ten perfect snowbells during their time.
Bastien frowned when Lina handed him the fabric.
“You were informed that you were to embroider snowbells, Princess?” he whispered.
“Yes.”
“Have you ever seen a snowbell?”
“Yes.”
He looked from Lina to the cloth and back to Lina.
“Do your eyes work properly?” Bastien whispered. “Perhaps your injuries impeded your skill?”
“Just give me zero snowbells.”
Lina snatc
hed the fabric back and limped away. The tailor watched her go. He wrote something by Lina’s name. Lina didn’t want to know what it said.
Carina went next. Bastien stared in horror at Carina’s tangled mess of thread. Carina beamed at him as if she were presenting a masterpiece. He sputtered and searched for something to say. Lina giggled. Carina joined her.
“He thinks I was sabotaged. He asked if anyone touched my thread beforehand.”
“I wouldn’t put it past Fiora to tie knots in your thread if given the chance.”
When all the princesses had presented their embroidery, Bastien presented his parchment to Queen Marta. He circled a name with a flourish of his quill. Lina followed his gaze.
Uh oh.
Queen Marta held up the parchment.
“The winner of the embroidery test, with ten perfectly embroidered snowbells, is Princess Fiora.”
Princess Fiora smiled at Lina and Carina. She looked absolutely fierce. Lina glanced at Carina. They both raised an eyebrow.
The other princesses lowered their heads. Some looked disappointed. Some looked relieved.
“We have three winners now,” Queen Marta said. “The winner of the singing contest, the delicacy contest, and the embroidery contest.”
She nodded to Carina, Lina, and Fiora in turn. They curtsied.
“And now you may retire to your rooms. Your maids will help you prepare for the picnic.”
The princesses filed out of the sewing room. Lina tried to catch Queen Marta’s attention, but Fiora blocked her path.
“We’re even now,” she said. “Prince Alaric could choose any one of us.”
She walked beside them. Carina took Lina’s arm and supported her weight.
“Good stitching,” Carina said.
Fiora beamed.
“I practiced all the traditional skills to prepare for the Princess Test. My father hired tutors for me. I’m glad it finally paid off.”
“Yes, I’m sure sewing is the way to the prince’s heart,” Lina said.
“It shows an eye to detail. Perseverance and focus. Much more important qualities than delicacy.”
Lina gritted her teeth and stepped towards Fiora. Carina pulled her back.
“We need to get ready for the picnic,” she said.
Lina took a deep breath. As much as she hated to admit it, playing along with the Princess Test was the best way to make it to Mount Evangelina. The carriages would get her there much faster than walking.
The Princess and the Pea (Fairy Tale Adventures Book 1) Page 17