by Krista Lakes
Sabrina's heart beat wildly as they walked up the grand staircase that led toward the front entrance. Armed guards lined the edge of the stairs. They stood at attention, their facial expressions completely stoic as they kept their black rifles in hand. They appeared to be ready for anything.
The two got to the top of the stairs and approached the massive front door. One of the guards gave Marco an affirmative nod.
“Prince Marco, it's wonderful to see you again, sir,” he said, reaching for his radio.
The guard said a few things into the radio and a moment later, the front doors opened up. Sabrina gripped the crook of Marco's elbow as they stepped inside the palace. Her eyes were immediately drawn to the massive stairway in the center, which was covered in elegant red carpet. She glanced around, admiring the white marble which most everything seemed to be made of. It felt like she had just walked into the picture of a magazine or onto one of those documentaries where they showcase the world's richest people.
It's so beautiful, she thought, clearly overwhelmed by her surroundings.
A man in a black suit with yellow accents hurried over to Marco and whispered something in his ear. Marco sighed and turned to face her.
“I have a few things to attend to, now that I'm home. I need to check in with my father and Queen Magdalena, and touch base with some of the other nobles. I'm sorry to leave you, but it must be done.”
“I understand,” she told him with a gentle smile. “You're important here.”
It was true. He stood taller here. In just the few moments of being inside the palace, she could already tell that this was where Marco belonged. He fit. She wasn't sure that she did yet, but he belonged in the castle as much as the marble in the walls did.
“Your room is on the third floor. Just take the stairway up and then turn right when you reach the top. Go all the way down to the end of the hall and it's the last door on the left,” Marco said, bringing his hands to Sabrina's shoulders. “I wanted to show it to you myself.”
“You can show it to me later,” she replied with a suggestive wink. It made him smile before he glanced at the waiting man in black and schooled his face. He checked his watch.
“Winston will find you shortly,” he told her. “He's the man I told you about, the one who will help you prep for tonight's ball.”
Sabrina nodded, and the ball of nerves started building in her stomach again. The ball. She wasn't sure she was ready to be presented to a room full of royalty.
“Winston will teach you everything you need to know for tonight,” Marco promised her. “He's amazing at what he does.”
The man in black cleared his throat and Marco frowned.
“You should get going,” Sabrina told him. “I'll be fine. I'll head up to the room and freshen up before I meet with Winston. The next time you see me, you'll barely recognize me.”
“I'd recognize you anywhere,” he told her.
Marco kissed her cheek and followed the man in black around a corner, leaving Sabrina by herself in the grand entryway of the palace. She took a deep breath, trying not to feel completely overwhelmed. She'd just make her way up to the bedroom, and then go from there. One step at a time.
She walked slowly, taking in all the details of the palace. She noticed a few people, but none of them appeared to be from the royal family. One of them was obviously a janitor, based on the cleaning cart he pushed. And she also saw a woman in a gray maid's outfit. But no royalty.
When she got to the top of the stairs, she stopped and looked around. Marco had said that her bedroom was to the right, but something toward her left caught her eye. There was movement and when she looked over, she saw an attractive blonde-haired woman in a long purple dress walking quickly down the hallway. She was probably only twenty years or so Sabrina's senior, but she moved with grace that Sabrina knew she would never have. Following this lady, like an obedient little puppy dog, was a muscular man who was only wearing swim trunks. Sabrina watched them until they made it halfway down the hall.
The woman giggled and kissed the younger man before pulling him into an open door. The door slammed shut, and the giggling was cut off.
What was that all about? She thought to herself. I might be wrong here, but it definitely felt like that lady and that guy were about to have sex. They seemed pretty eager.
She didn't know who they were, but the woman was dressed very nicely and Sabrina thought for sure that she could have been royalty. Maybe it was the way she carried herself or possibly the dress, but something told Sabrina that the woman was most definitely not a maid.
“Huh, oh well,” she whispered.
Then she faced to the right, pointing herself the other direction. She walked down the hallway and got to the end, where she saw that the door on the left was open. Inside, a young woman with blonde hair was standing at the foot of the bed. She was carefully straightening the bedspread, but turned around when she saw Sabrina in the doorway.
“Oh goodness, where are my manners,” the young woman said, dropping to a knee and bowing her head. “I didn't know you were standing there, Ms. Wise. I'm so sorry.”
“How do you know my name?” Sabrina asked.
“Everyone knows your name, Ms. Wise,” she said, with a thick accent that was similar to Marco's. “Marco informed us of your arrival. And actually, you're the reason I'm in his room right now. He told me to pick out something for you to wear.”
Sabrina stepped forward. “Please, stand up. I appreciate the gesture, but you certainly don't need to bow for me.”
The girl hesitantly stood up from the floor. She appeared to be about the same age as Sabrina.
“What's your name?” Sabrina asked.
“Marla, Ms. Wise,” the girl said. She motioned to the bed behind her. “I hope you like what I've picked out so far.”
Sabrina looked past Marla to the three dresses that were hung along the wall. Her eyes widened as she took notice of the beautifully colored silk that each of them was made of. They weren't just dresses. They were gowns. One of them was royal blue, another was a pale honey color, and the last was bright white. Each was floor length and looked like something fit to wear on the red carpet.
The blue had a slightly poofed skirt, where the honey was slim and would hug every curve. The white dress was her favorite, with clean lines and just a hint of sparkle.
“They're lovely,” Sabrina said, with a warm smile.
A knock near the bedroom door caused Sabrina to turn around. An older gentleman in a formal dark gray suit stood in the doorway.
“My apologies for interrupting, Ma'am,” he said, his voice low and scratchy, but somehow soothing to Sabrina. “I trust you must be our young prince's Sabrina?”
Sabrina smiled wide and nodded. “Unless there's another Sabrina I don't know about.”
The man chuckled. “Not that I'm aware of, Ma'am. I'm Winston, the head butler here at Orsino Palace. Welcome to the Island.”
“Thank you, Winston,” Sabrina said. “This place is amazing.”
As soon as she said it, she realized how stupid it sounded.
Of course it's amazing, she thought. It's a palace on an island. Dammit, Sabrina. Don't sound like a tourist.
Winston just kept the warm smile on his face, though. “If you're ready, my dear, I can show you a few things on the main floor.”
Sabrina turned toward Marla. “Do you mind?”
Marla looked over and said, “Of course not, m'lady. I'm sure I'll see you soon, though. I'm always around the Palace, doing this or that.”
“Sounds good, thank you,” Sabrina said, as she turned and followed Winston back down the stairs toward the entryway.
Winston led her down one of the hallways and stopped at a row of pictures that were hung along the wall. He turned to face her before speaking. “Ms. Sabrina, pardon me for asking, but I'm curious as to where you are from. I can hear your accent, but I can't quite place it. American, I know, but there's something a little different about it.”
/>
“I'm from Memphis, Tennessee,” Sabrina said, suddenly realizing how heavy her accent probably sounded to everyone there. “It's in the South. We have a different accent than people from other parts of the United States.”
“Indeed,” Winston said. “I've never been to the States myself, but we do get visitors sometimes. But you're the first from Memphis, at least as far as I know.”
“It's a nice place, but nothing like Orsino Island,” Sabrina said. “I'd almost say it's the complete opposite, actually.”
Winston nodded as he listened. The lines around his eyes showed his age, but gave him a distinguished and wise appearance. Sabrina felt safe with him, as he didn't seem to judge her.
“Maybe one day I'll get to visit,” he said, with a chuckle. “If I ever retire, that is.”
Her heart reached out to him. She and Winston probably weren't so different. They both knew what it was to work hard for a living. The way he smiled reminded her of her father.
“At any rate,” he continued. “The reason I took you down here was to show you these pictures. This way, you will be able to recognize them later tonight. This first one here is of King Carlo, father of Prince Marco.”
Sabrina looked at the picture of the man and instantly saw the resemblance to her lover. He had the same nose and sharp eyes. In the picture, the King was seated on a golden throne with a red velvet seat. He was wearing a dark blue robe, with intricate yellow designs sewn into it. The King's hair was white, but just as thick as his young son's. It took her a moment, but she recognized one of the photos from her interview as him.
“He looks a lot like Marco,” Sabrina whispered, just loud enough for Winston to hear.
“And he's just as charming,” Winston said, with a wink. “But, like they say, the apple never falls far from the tree.”
“Very true,” she said, as she followed Winston a few steps further down the hall.
They approached the next picture and when Sabrina saw it, she did a double-take. She recognized the woman immediately.
“This photo is of the graceful Queen Magdalena,” Winston said. “I'll presume you don't know the history, but the Queen is not Prince Marco's mother. She was wed to King Carlo many years ago and has reigned as Queen over our wonderful country ever since. She is a powerful woman.”
That's the woman I saw upstairs, Sabrina thought. That's the lady that was running down the hall and into the bedroom with the shirtless man.
Shock filled her body and she couldn't stop staring blatantly at the photo. Winston took notice immediately.
“Everything okay, my dear?” he asked. “You look like you've seen a ghost.”
“Oh no, I'm fine,” she said. “It's just that I think I saw that same woman a few minutes ago upstairs leading a half-naked man into a bedroom. But I must be mistaken, because the man that I saw with her wasn't the king.”
“You'd have to be more specific for me to understand,” he replied.
“It's probably nothing, but I saw an older woman with gray hair down the hallway across from Marco's room,” Sabrina explained. “She was leading a younger man to a bedroom and they seemed quite... eager.”
Sabrina's cheeks burned as she spoke and she wondered if she should have even brought it up. She worried she may have overstepped her bounds.
Winston looked over his shoulder before leaning in close to Sabrina. “Now I know what you saw. And you were correct, when you thought you saw the Queen.” He drew in a slow, measured breath before continuing. “The man she was with is her lover and no, it's not the king.”
“What?” Sabrina said, her voice echoing down the hall.
“Speak quietly,” Winston said, bringing a finger up to his lips. “You see, Sabrina, there are some things that happen here that must remain a secret to the outside. What you saw this morning is one of those things.”
“The queen and that guy, they're... lovers?” she whispered, now self-conscious about the volume of her voice. “I don't understand. How does the king not know about an affair that's happening in his own palace?”
“I never said anything about the king not knowing,” Winston said. “It's the general public and the staff that can't find out. If they did, it would create an uproar that nobody in the noble family would be prepared to deal with. It's about keeping the peace. Some things are better left unspoken.”
Sabrina was absolutely floored by the news, although it did help explain some of Marco's distaste for his stepmother. But she couldn't understand why the king would allow such a thing. Clearly, though, there was a whole lot about royalty that she'd yet to learn.
“I'm a little confused,” she said. “Why doesn't anyone say anything?”
“She is usually more discrete, so not many know.” Winston smiled again and placed a hand onto her shoulder. “But all you need to know is that loose lips sink ships, and it would be wise of you not to repeat to anyone what you saw going on upstairs. Especially to anybody in the public. She is a powerful woman, and I'm afraid you would be an easy target for her to destroy to save her reputation.”
“I wouldn't say a word,” Sabrina said. “I promise. My lips are sealed.”
“Good,” Winston said. “Now, moving on...”
He led her down the hall and continued showing her pictures. She saw one of Marco and a few of other nobles who were somehow related to the family. She noticed that each person in the pictures either had a purple or a green pendant attached to their collar.
“What do those pendants mean?” she asked.
“Glad you asked,” he said. “It's information that will help you at the ball tonight. The ones wearing a green pendant are members of the noble family, but not related by blood. They're typically knights and priests who have been sworn in. They're as loyal to Orsino Island as the royal family. The ones wearing a purple pendant, as you may have guessed, are members of the royal lineage.”
“That really is good information,” Sabrina said, with a nod. “Anything else I should know before the ball tonight?”
“Do you know how to curtsy?” Winston asked.
Sabrina laughed and then quickly realized that Winston wasn't joking.
“Like this?” Sabrina carefully tucked one leg behind the other and and dipped.
“That, my dear, was atrocious. It's high time you learned,” he said, shaking his head. “Trust me, you won't get very far going around and high-fiving people, or whatever it is that you Americans do.”
Winston sighed and pretended to act annoyed, but Sabrina could tell that he was excited to show this naive westerner some culture.
“Thank you, Winston,” Sabrina said. “I'm all ears and ready to learn. I'll happily accept any information that can possibly make the celebration tonight go a little bit smoother for me.”
Chapter 18
Sabrina
Thanks to Winston, Sabrina became fully versed in the art of the curtsy. He'd made her practice it in the Palace library until she had it down perfectly. Now she stood in her new bedroom in front of the over-sized mirror on the wall. She was only wearing a towel around her body as she curtsied a few more times, just to make sure she had it down.
“A pleasure to meet you, your majesty,” Sabrina whispered, reciting the lines that Winston had told her to memorize. It was “your majesty” not “your highness”. Winston had seemed scandalized that she could even confuse the two. “It is a true honor to be here on Orsino Island.”
Her nerves were causing her hands to tremble. She drew in a long breath and stared at herself in the mirror.
“You can do this, Sabrina,” she said, locking eyes with her own reflection. “Just try to stay calm and have fun. This will be a great night.”
As long as I don't screw anything up, she thought.
The ball was only twenty minutes away. Sabrina had already taken a luxurious bath in the over-sized tub. She now smelled of lavender and rose pedals, which Marla had put in the water before drawing the bath for her. The royal hairdresser and makeup artist h
ad already turned her into a masterpiece fit for a magazine cover. All that was left was to get into her dress.
A light knock came from the bedroom door and Sabrina spun around. “Come in.”
Marco popped his head in and grinned. Sabrina's eyes moved up and down his body. In the time he had been away, Marco had changed into a formal outfit. He was dressed in a dark blue suit, with gold designs on the shoulders and gold buttons on the front. His hair was combed neatly to the side and he'd cleaned up his beard stubble. For the first time since they'd met, he appeared like the prince that he was. Sabrina yelped in excitement and ran toward him, embracing him in a hug.
“Hey, lovely,” he said, kissing her cheek. “I trust Winston gave you a proper tour?”
“He showed me around a little bit, but there really wasn't enough time for an in-depth tour,” Sabrina said. “But he did teach me a few things that he said would help me to fit in around here.”
Marco raised his eyebrows. “Like what?”
Sabrina gracefully bent her knees and bowed, at the same time bringing her hands up to her side as if she were holding the bottom of a dress. The perfect curtsy.
“Look at that,” Marco said, with a chuckle. “I must say that I've not often seen a more refined bow. Clearly, Winston knows what he's doing. Should we promote him to curtsy teacher?”
Sabrina laughed and playfully pushed against Marco's chest. “To be fair, I think Winston saved me a lot of embarrassment by teaching me the proper way to greet your parents.”
“He's a good man,” he said. “I've known him since I was a child.”
Marco closed the bedroom door and then looked past Sabrina toward the array of dresses that were laid out on the bed. He grabbed Sabrina's hand and walked her toward them. “What do you think?”
“I think I love every single one of them,” Sabrina said, with a childlike smile. “They're all so beautiful.”
“They are indeed,” Marco said, carefully running his fingers over each one. “Have you chosen one for tonight, though? The ball starts soon and we must be on time.”