A Midwinter's Wedding

by Melanie Cellier

  “Why would he want a less potent poison?” Ferdinand didn’t let the dire news shake him out of interrogator mode.

  “Well, that’s what I wanted to know.” The man chuckled. “I’m no fool, and I made them pay me some of the gold up front. Then I headed straight to that perfume maker’s stall and used it to buy some information.” He snorted. “That idiot will take gold from anyone.”

  “What did he say?”

  “Turns out this second poison has one big redeeming quality. An antidote.”

  “I see,” said Ferdy slowly. “If you were arrested, it means the royals were tipped off to the danger. If one of those nobles wanted to poison them, he would have to offer them something he was eating or drinking himself.”

  “Exactly.” The man spit on the ground again.

  Cordelia could readily imagine the scene. “You must try some of this quiche, Your Highness. It’s simply delicious.” It was the kind of conversation starter many people used to try to strike up a discussion with a royal. And it would be rude to refuse. Even with the spectre of poison over their heads, it would seem safe if the noble in question were sharing the food.

  Ferdy eyed the man off. “I’m guessing they’re not the only ones who wanted insurance.”

  The man chuckled again. “You’re a sharp man, Major. I can see I did the right thing in taking your deal. Turned out my gold was enough for more than information. If you reach into the front of my jacket, you might find something of interest.”

  Ferdy signalled to his men. A second guard came forward to join the one already holding the man in place. And another then searched the man’s pockets. He pulled out a dirty rag and unwrapped something hidden inside it.

  “Here you are, Major.” He handed over a familiar-looking crystal bottle.

  “If this is an antidote,” said Ferdy, “then I’m sure you won’t mind if I give you some.” He watched the servant.

  “Right you are, pop it in,” said the captive, opening his mouth cooperatively. “You heard me before, I’m done with that Viscount. Three drops per person should do it.”

  Ferdy carefully dripped three drops into his mouth.

  The man neither flinched nor attempted to pull away. Instead he made a face. “Funny tasting stuff.” He looked around at all the guards. “The way I heard it, you’ve got a half hour at most to administer that antidote. And it must be a good twenty minutes since the commotion in the kitchen…”

  Ferdy didn’t waste time replying to the man. He took off out the door, Cordelia on his heels. As they sped towards the palace, she could hear the man addressing the guards.

  “A smart Major like that, he’ll have the antidote administered in no time. Seems to me you lot should be giving me a medal not locking me up.”

  She wished she shared his confidence.

  Chapter 16

  “What’s the plan?” She panted out the words as they ran.

  “We find all the others and give them the antidote. My men will have arrested the conspirators by now, but we don’t know who they got to before that happened. And we don’t have time to stop and explain the situation and find out what everyone’s eaten and drunk. Everyone gets the antidote.”

  Cordelia nodded her agreement. It made sense.

  “I’ll be relying on you here, Princess Cordelia.”

  “Me?”

  “It’s a masked ball, remember? You’ve more than proven your eye for detail, so we need you to use that now to find everyone.”

  Cordelia gulped. No pressure. Only the lives of most of the royals in the Four Kingdoms hung in the balance.

  “I believe in you.”

  She took courage from Ferdy’s words. He had been the one to believe her from the start, and the two of them had made it this far.

  They burst into the ballroom, and a flood of light and sound overwhelmed Cordelia. Candles blazed on every side as well as far above in the chandeliers, and an orchestra played as couples spun across the dance floor. Jewels reflected the light and made the ballroom flash with colour. Six large trees had been placed around the walls, their boughs decorated with ribbons and baubles and more candles.

  It was even more beautiful than Cordelia had imagined, but she had no time to stop and enjoy it. She stood at the top of the stairway and surveyed the moving crowd. She ignored the faces, since they were covered by elaborate masks, many with jewels and feathers. Instead she focussed on the height of the dancers and their hair and the way they moved.

  She tried to recall the dresses that each of the other girls were wearing. “I’ll stay up here, you go to them.”

  Ferdy nodded his agreement just as she caught sight of Marie and Rafe. Tradition dictated that a Midwinter bridal couple wear white and gold to the Midwinter Masquerade, so they were easy to spot.

  “There! It’s Marie and Rafe. In the centre of the dance floor.”

  Ferdy took off, shoving through the crowd without apology. He was fully the Major in this moment. Driven by single-minded determination, his usual respectful attitude towards the royals and the court had been abandoned.

  He reached the couple, but she couldn’t hear their conversation over the music and the crowd. She ignored them and kept searching. She found King Richard and Queen Louise in the corner, talking with a couple of their advisors. She wasn’t clear if the older couple were targets but it was better not to take chances.

  She glanced back at Ferdy and saw him looking at her for direction. She pointed towards the monarchs, and he began pushing through the dancers again. Marie and Rafe were also making their way through the crowd, heading in her direction.

  The music continued but many of the dancers seemed to realise something strange was going on. Couples were stopping in the middle of the dance floor and milling around in confusion. Cordelia tuned them all out and focussed on her task.

  Ava had worn red and Alyssa green, she was sure of that. She couldn’t see Alyssa or Max anywhere, but she finally spotted Ava and Hans next to the buffet tables. Their position made them the most likely victims. Had they just moved there, or had they been there for some time?

  She waved Ferdinand in their direction. Watching the couple to make sure they didn’t move, she recognised their companions. Hans’ sister and her husband, Lord and Lady Westruther.

  Her eyes widened. Hanna was another commoner who had married a noble. The heir to the richest title in Northhelm according to Ferdy. They might have been targeted too.

  She picked up her skirts and ran down the stairs. Ferdy had made parting the crowd look easy, but the confused dancers jostled Cordelia on all sides. Putting her head down, she pushed forward, ignoring the elbows and shoulders that caught her in the back and sides.

  Finally she broke through in front of the buffet. Ferdinand was tipping three drops into Hans’ mouth.

  “Hanna! And Stefan!” She pointed at the couple.

  Ferdy caught her meaning instantly. “Of course. I should have thought of that.”

  He turned to the bemused couple. “You’d better have some too.”

  From the side of the room, Cordelia could see no more than three layers of people deep. “I couldn’t see Alyssa or Max,” she said to Ava. “Have you seen them?”

  “Not recently.”

  In her stress Cordelia threw the Rangmeran queen a hard look.

  Ava held up her hands. “We’ve long since resolved our differences, I assure you. I wish neither of them any harm. I truly haven’t seen them.”

  Instant guilt filled Cordelia. Ava had been nothing but kind to her. The fear had put her too much on edge.

  “Where could they be? Where could they be?” She stood on her toes and tried to see above the heads of the few couples still dancing. “They must still be here somewhere.”

  The memory of her first ball in this room popped into her head. “The balcony! Ferdy, the balcony!”

  She rushed towards the closest open door and burst out into the cold night air. She could hear the others following her, but she ignored the
m, scanning the long balcony.

  The cold had kept most of the dancers inside, but Alyssa and Max were standing arm in arm at the balustrade, looking out over the dark garden. They looked up at the sound of Cordelia’s arrival and hurried over towards her.

  “What is it?” asked Max.

  “Are you all right, Cordelia? You look sick.” Alyssa grasped her arm in concern.

  Cordelia shook her head. “It’s not me that’s sick. There was more poison.”

  “What?” Max looked at the royals crowding out of the ballroom behind her. “What do you mean? Who?”

  Ferdy rushed to Cordelia’s side and held out the bottle. A small amount of the liquid remained. “We’ll explain after you’ve had some of this.”

  Max and Alyssa both accepted the drops, casting each other concerned glances.

  “Alyssa felt a little unwell,” said Max grimly. “That’s why we came outside.”

  “That was strange tasting.” Alyssa wrinkled up her nose. “But I’m already starting to feel better.”

  “Sounds like we got to you just in time,” said Cordelia. She wanted to collapse onto the ground in relief. She settled for stepping away from the others and leaning against the balustrade. When was the last time she had drawn a proper breath?

  She let the sound of Ferdy’s explanation fade away and focussed on the sound of the gentle wind through the tree tops. She tried to calculate how many hours it was until the wedding the next day. She hadn’t danced a single dance at the masquerade, but she had already had enough excitement for the evening. She started thinking longingly of her bed.

  A noise in the garden caught her attention. She tried to focus on it. Was there someone down there? Without thinking, she stepped down the three shallow steps and into the garden. The noise moved away, and she followed it. Maybe another guest had been poisoned and, like Alyssa, had sought the cool of the night when they began to feel ill.

  The lights of the ballroom receded behind her without Cordelia noticing. Her feet were tired, and she hurried a little, hoping to catch the person quickly.

  The sounds stopped, and she stepped around a small hedge and into the arms of Viscount Ersine. His arms gripped her hard, and he clapped a hand over her mouth before she could take a breath to scream.

  Her mind raced, and her heart raced even faster. How was this possible? The Viscount had been arrested.

  “So,” he said into her ear. “Spying on me are you, little Princess? Trying to be the hero?”

  She shook her head, but he ignored her.

  “Well you might be exactly what I need to get out of here. Those princes and that dratted Major won’t dare to come after me while I have you.”

  “Cordelia.” The cry drifted across the garden and several other voices joined it, echoing her name. The sounds spread out, and she guessed they were looking for her.

  She struggled, but the Viscount tightened his grip.

  “Now, now, Princess. Don’t make me hurt you.”

  Rage rushed through her. Ersine started dragging her backwards, but she could still hear the searchers getting closer. If she could get loose for even a moment...

  She took one foot off the ground and drove it back into his shin with all the force she could muster. At the same time, she bit down on the hand covering her mouth.

  The Viscount cursed and let her go, stepping back instinctively. She didn’t hesitate but took off running towards the sound of the searchers. Ersine cursed again and rushed after her.

  She screamed and burst into an open space. In the light of the moonlight, she saw William on one side of the garden and Ferdy on the other. Without stopping to think, she turned away from the prince and ran straight for Ferdy. She catapulted full tilt into his arms, and he closed them around her.

  The Viscount, too close on her heels to stop himself, also emerged into the middle of the garden. He tried to turn around, but William grabbed one of his arms roughly. Alerted by her scream, Rafe and several guards rushed to assist him.

  “You may have evaded the guard earlier,” said William, “but you won’t get away now, so you might as well submit.”

  Marie hurried towards Cordelia, but Cordelia ignored both her and the struggle around the Viscount. She was too busy looking wonderingly up into Ferdy’s face.

  She had thought his strange looks meant she could never see him as more than a friend. But in the moment of her greatest terror, she hadn’t even considered running towards the handsome prince. Her heart had known what her head had ignored. Beauty didn’t matter. Not her own, not her sisters’ and certainly not Ferdy’s.

  She pictured him riding his stallion, throwing a snowball and sitting beside her in the dim passageway. She was in love with him, and she had been for some time.

  He also ignored everyone else, staring down into her face. Could he read the revelation in her eyes?

  “You are the most exquisite thing I’ve ever seen, inside and out, Cordelia. And I will fight for you for as long as it takes.”

  “You don’t have to fight for me, Ferdy,” she whispered. “I’m already yours.”

  Lifting onto her toes, she pressed her lips against his. A bright light flashed out and enveloped the entire garden.

  Chapter 17

  Dimly Cordelia could hear the others crying out, but she clung to Ferdy. At last the light dimmed, and she could see again.

  Except the man she was clinging to had been transformed. His legs were straight and strong, making him taller than before. His bulging eyes were gone, and his features were straight and regular. He was every bit as handsome as William.

  She stared at him. She could still see the Ferdy she loved in his features, and his smile still melted her heart, just like it had done the moment before their kiss.

  “You did it,” he said. “You broke the curse.”

  “Curse?” William appeared at their side. “What curse?”

  Cordelia looked around and saw that the guards had led the Viscount away. William, Rafe and Marie all stood nearby, gawking at Ferdy. She realised she was still in his arms and blushed.

  He sighed. “It isn’t a nice story, I’m afraid. Didn’t you wonder what happened to my legs when we were children?”

  William shrugged. “You came back like that from your estates one winter, and you never mentioned it. I figured you’d had an accident and didn’t want to talk about it. As for your face…people look different as they grow. I don’t know. I was a child, I didn’t give it much thought.”

  “I wondered,” said Marie.

  Ferdy looked down at Cordelia. “My father is the Marquis of Montrose. He used to be the richest noble in Northhelm and the most influential. My parents were proud people, and they expected everyone to remember their position and importance. Then the Earl of Westforth married an heiress with extensive estates. He overtook my father in wealth, and my father became bitter about it.

  “I remember when I was young, he would talk about the Earl all the time.” Ferdy stopped and shook his head. “His obsession with his position was poisoning our family. He started neglecting the people on our estates. I liked Stefan, the Earl’s son, but my father always insisted that I be smarter and stronger and better than him at everything. One night he boasted at a party that his son was far more handsome than the Westforth boy.”

  “How awful for you,” said Cordelia softly. He tightened his arms around her.

  “That night, a godmother appeared. She challenged my parents on their attitude, but my father would not submit. Not even to a godmother, an emissary of the High King. So she said that he would have to learn some humility. She said he would soon regret the consequences of his actions, and that only true love could break the curse he had brought on our family.

  “The next morning I woke up, my legs bent and my face misshapen. I had been my father’s greatest source of pride–the future hope of my family. My parents were both heartbroken when they saw that I bore the consequence of their folly. Their attitudes had honestly changed, so they beg
ged the godmother to transform me back. What love could be truer than that of a parent?

  “But the godmother said that they had learnt their lesson, but I still had to learn mine. I had never thought of myself as particularly proud, despite my parents’ attitudes. But all these years I’ve wondered if some kernel of pride remained hidden away. But now I realise it was the opposite.

  “Their expectations had devoured my confidence. I didn’t need to learn to be humble–I needed to learn to see my own worth. To value myself.” He pressed a light kiss onto Cordelia’s hair. “You taught me that, Cordelia. All this time I’ve thought that someone like you could never love someone like me. It seemed only fitting that William should have you.”

  William snorted, but Ferdy ignored him. “And then, tonight, I realised that if I didn’t fight for you, I would always regret it. You ran to me, not to William, and I remembered that I was the one who had stood beside you all the way. I decided that I wasn’t going to step aside for him or anyone. And then you gave me the greatest gift–true love.”

  He let go of her and pulled a small velvet-wrapped item from his pocket. A lopsided green bow hung from the package. “It doesn’t compare with what you’ve given me, and I didn’t think I would ever have the opportunity to give it to you, but I couldn’t stop myself buying you a Midwinter’s gift.”

  He lowered himself onto one knee. “It seems that the godmothers have declared our love to be true in a rather flashy way. I’m not a prince, but I will be a Marquis one day. Will you accept this gift from me?” He looked up at her and smiled, the expression lighting up his face. “And now, if you say yes, I’ll be able to dance with you, too–all night if you like.”

  Cordelia looked from Ferdy to Marie, and the light of excitement in the other girl’s eyes confirmed her long ago words from the marketplace. Ferdy wasn’t asking Cordelia to accept a gift–he was asking her to accept a lifetime.

  She drew him back to his feet and took the present from his hand. “Of course, I will. And we’ll skate together and dance together and ride together until we’re old and grey.”