For the first time in his life, Nicholas saw his mother freeze. When she was finally able to look at him, her eyes were huge.
“Why haven’t you told your father?”
“I’ve tried! But he never listens!” Nicholas leaned heavily on his dresser. “And to make matters worse, Elaina’s courting danger. She’s seeking him out at every turn, and I cannot for the life of me understand why.”
There was a long pause before his mother spoke again, and when she did, her voice was faint. “You are sure it’s her?”
Nicholas nodded.
“Well.” She drew a deep breath. “Tell me what I need to do.”
Nicholas closed his eyes and hung his head, but he couldn’t help smiling a little. “Do you really wish to get caught up in this? Father would be angry if he knew.”
She snorted. “Do you think I don’t know how to manage your father by now? And really, if someone as dull as Amelia Seamus takes my place after your father passes, I might just lose my mind.”
Nicholas shivered then straightened. “I need Father distracted when the guests arrive tomorrow evening.”
“I can’t stop the heralds from making announcements. That would be too obvious.”
He shook his head. “This one won’t be announced. I just need to make sure he stays unseen.”
She smoothed down his rebellious hair. “Nicholas, you have plotted and planned your entire life, organizing everyone and everything to make sure it is just as you want it. I knew you had some sort of scheme already in place. See? Everything will work out just fine.” She turned to leave but paused at the door. “Do you remember when you came to me several years ago and said you wanted to be a new kind of man?”
Nicholas nodded.
“Today you’ve become that man.” She smiled sadly.
“Mother?”
She paused once more. “Yes?”
“I have one more thing I need you to do.”
“And what would that be?”
“Pray.”
“I do every night. What would this prayer be about?”
He sat on a chest and leaned his elbows on his knees. “Pray that she listens to me, and that all would go well tomorrow. And,” he swallowed, “that she would forgive me.”
55
Last Chance
Elaina closed her eyes as the familiar rush of cold air encircled her. When she opened them and looked in the mirror, she gasped.
This gown was the most beautiful by far.
In a way, it was simpler than the others. Blue gauzy material the same color as Nicholas’s eyes hugged her torso then waterfalled all the way to the ground, pooling out past her feet. White rosebuds encircled her waist, and her bodice was embroidered with swirls of grain-sized sapphires sewn with silver threads. And though the skirt was blue, whenever she moved, it glinted with the shimmers of a rainbow. On her head was a tiara of thin milky glass adorned with miniature glass roses. A simple string of pearls encircled her neck with a single large sapphire lying at the top of her chest.
“What do you think?” Her mother put her wand down and smiled triumphantly.
“It’s breathtaking,” Elaina said. “But might the train be a bit much?”
“No gown is complete without a train.”
“There is a decent chance that I just might have to run.”
Her mother rolled her eyes, but with a flick of her wand, the dress’s excess material disappeared and the skirt’s hem ended just at Elaina’s ankles.
“Thank you.”
Her mother frowned. “You’re not smiling. What’s wrong? I’ll fix it now.”
“It’s not the gown.” Elaina stroked her skirts reverently. “The gown is perfect.”
“Then what is it?”
Elaina touched her thumb to her lip and rubbed it there for a moment as she considered her answer. “I have only one night left to do what the stars told me. The first two nights were complete wastes of time. And these slippers are beautiful, but they haven’t done a thing to help.”
Her mother put the wand back in her sleeve and came to take Elaina’s hands. “I may have missed much of your life,” her voice was soft, “but I think there’s more to this ball than you’re telling me.” Elaina still didn’t answer, so her mother nudged her. “Tell me or I’ll send you to the ball in something truly ostentatious.”
Elaina quirked an eyebrow. She wasn’t sure how one could get more ostentatious. But if anyone could do it, it would be her mother. “Fine then. Prince Nicholas won’t leave me alone, and that’s exactly what I need him to do.”
“I see. And why do I get the feeling that you haven’t told me everything there is to know about you and the prince?”
Elaina found a stick on the ground. Picking it up, she tossed it, remembering too late that her driver and footman might chase after it.
But Elaina’s mother ignored the panting carriage escorts as they caught and fought over the stick. “You’re not just annoyed at the man’s attention, Elaina. Something here runs deeper.”
“But that’s just the problem!” Elaina began to pace back and forth in short, quick steps. “He refuses to be lost! He keeps getting in the way, and whenever I have the chance to search, he intervenes! As though I don’t know what I’m doing!”
Her mother gave her a doubtful look. “Can you wield a weapon?”
“What?”
“You heard me. Can you wield a weapon? Sword? Dagger? Crossbow even?”
“No, but—”
“Well, if the prince is any sort of man, and it seems he is, do you think he would be comfortable knowing you’re seeking out danger without some method of defending yourself? It seems he’s come to the conclusion that you’re pursuing something dangerous, and he’s attempting to help.”
“Mother, the Maker told the stars to send me on this mission! The Maker wouldn’t have told me to do something if he hadn’t thought I could do it! If he wanted Nicholas involved, the stars would have told me so.” She marched over to where her driver and footman were still tussling over the stick and yanked it away from both of them. “Besides, that is not what I’m upset about.”
“What is it then?”
“He has the gall to act as though his boyish infatuation could be something real!” Elaina exploded. “As though he ever truly did care!”
This time, her mother’s voice was soft. “You love him, don’t you?”
To her horror, Elaina burst into tears.
Her mother gathered her in her arms and held her tightly as Elaina sobbed into her shirt.
“I want to get him out of my head . . . my heart. But he just won’t leave!” She swiped at the tears, but they continued to fall. “I can’t let him in again. Not like last time. There’s too much at stake!”
Her mother pulled her wand out again and began meticulously arranging Elaina’s hair on her head, tucking this or that lock away and pulling others free to hang down. “How long ago was it that Nicholas supposedly believed himself in love with you?”
Elaina looked down at her hands. “Not quite three years.”
Her mother frowned and paused. “I don’t know what you know of the war, but did you know that the prince led the majority of the war efforts himself? He even fought in many of the battles alongside his men.” She paused. “Rumor had it that the prince was searching for a girl the entire time.”
“He just didn’t want me to reveal national secrets.” Elaina sniffed.
“Oh come now. Don’t you think you’re being a bit ungracious?” Her mother took her by the shoulders and forced her to stand still. “I truly don’t know how much of this is true, but won’t you regret it forever if you don’t give him the chance? Because it seems to me that he’s doing everything in his power to find you and right the wrongs of the past.”
Elaina took a deep breath and tried to wipe away the rest of her tears, but when she put her hands up to her face, it was already dry. So she straightened her shoulders and allowed her footman to help her up into the carriage. Before the d
oor shut, however, her mother stuck her head in.
“Even if you decide not to accept his affection, there is one thing you might want to consider.”
“And that would be?” Elaina was suddenly itching to leave.
“The Maker did give you this mission, but he never specified that you had to complete it on your own, did he?”
Elaina huffed. “No.”
“From what you’ve told me, I think that if you asked your prince for help, he would readily give it.”
With horrifying clarity, her conversation with Matilda sprang to mind.
You’re not so unlike me, you know.
Matilda had been right, though it killed Elaina to admit it. Relying on Nicholas had made her weak once. And as much as she wanted to rely on him now, as much as she yearned to, the pain he had caused was still too sharp to allow her the freedom to choose. He had broken her before, and she couldn’t bear that kind of betrayal again. Not now, with the security of the entire kingdom hanging in the balance.
Her mother reached up to touch her face. “The stars may have given you direction, but that doesn’t mean you must make the journey on your own.”
“I really don’t know how to do it any other way,” Elaina whispered, shaking her head sadly.
“Then why don’t you let him show you?”
Her mother’s words echoed in Elaina’s head as the horses galloped toward the palace for the last time.
What if she did let him in?
Part of her wanted to believe him so badly that her chest ached. Though she had tried to kill all of her lingering desire for him, for his companionship, in the core of her heart there had always been a sliver of hope that it had all been a mistake, that he had never wanted to send her away, and that he had been searching for her all this time.
But another voice, one that sounded, to Elaina’s annoyance, much like Matilda’s, wondered why the most eligible prince in the land, and probably its most accomplished flirt, would part with his old ways just to chase her down. The warring thoughts made her head spin, and she tried desperately to steady herself as the carriage came to a stop.
Undesirous of theatrics today, Elaina made her way through the servants’ halls until she reached the lower door that opened up to the ballroom from the kitchens. Should she meet him on the balcony? Or should she sneak off alone and begin searching every room of the palace for the dagger? There were certainly enough rooms to keep her busy for the night.
As she surveyed the crowd, however, Elaina realized she didn’t need to even bother with hiding as she made her decision. For this time, the prince was not dancing with anyone else. He was standing at the back of the crowd near the opening to the western balcony.
Beside him was a very large man in a dark cloak and mask. The large man leaned over to say something to the prince, but the prince didn’t respond.
He was looking directly at her.
56
A Ball of Glass
“It was so gracious of your father to invite me to such a splendid gala,” King Everard muttered from beneath his mask, which covered far more of his face than those worn by most of the other guests. “Where is he anyway?”
Nicholas kept his eyes on the crowd, but he couldn’t help smiling. “My mother has endeavored to keep him occupied while you’re here.” He glanced over at the man beside him. “Thank you, though, for coming. I can’t tell you how horrified I was at my father’s arrogance, but nothing I said would change his mind. It only made him more stubborn, if anything.”
“Why does that not surprise me?” The king’s mouth turned down even more. “Still, inviting a forbidden guest to your engagement ball? I’m impressed. Most young men of your age wouldn’t dream of defying their fathers so.”
“That makes it sound so much better.”
“Doesn’t it.”
They stood just at the edge of the crowd, and for that, Nicholas was grateful. The breeze could be felt coming through the open balcony behind him, making the heat of the crowded room more bearable. Though he had no idea how his mother had kept his father occupied thus far, or how Oliver had managed to keep the giddy young women at bay, he was grateful. Their efforts had allowed the palace steward to open the ceremony so that Nicholas could slip in through a side door with his visitor, unannounced. Now if only they could find Elaina before someone noticed him.
“So where is Henri?” Nicholas asked.
“After hearing of your opponent’s appetite for gifts, I thought it best that he stay out of this one.”
Nicholas nodded unhappily as guilt and unease gnawed at his stomach. If this villain had even King Everard on edge, what could Nicholas hope to do against such darkness? Having the king beside him allowed Nicholas to breathe easier . . . for now. But was one night long enough to end an evil that had been thriving for decades?
“I have to say,” Nicholas pitched his voice a bit lower as he continued to search the sea of faces, “I am grateful that you’ve come. If the stakes had been anything less, I wouldn’t have—”
“Nicholas.” King Everard turned and looked directly at Nicholas for the first time that night. The blue fire in his gray eyes was a bit unnerving, but Nicholas managed to hold his gaze. “Let me make one thing clear. Not a day goes by that my wife and I don’t regret not going after her ourselves, order or no order by your father.”
Out of the corner of his eye, Nicholas could see a thin wisp of blue flame swirling around the king’s powerful hands even as he spoke.
“The way we see it, your invitation to this ball was a gift of the Maker, a chance to set things right,” King Everard continued in a growl. “If that girl truly is here, I am willing to use any means necessary to find her and keep her safe.” He turned back to the crowd. “It only irritates me that I have just one night to assist you.”
Nicholas shook his head grimly. “My father would notice anything more. No, your help tonight will be more than enough.”
“So where is that monstrous little spy?”
“Alastair mysteriously disappeared as soon as you appeared. I’m sure he’s still on the premises somewhere, particularly since he knows she will most likely be here.”
“I dislike sitting and waiting for him to pop up.”
But then Nicholas saw her, and he could form no coherent response.
She was a vision. Arrayed in a dress that looked as though it were made of a million blue topaz stones sewn together, she stood silently at the far edge of the crowd. How the entire court wasn’t staring at her, Nicholas couldn’t understand, but it seemed all he could do was gawk. Her heart-shaped face was drawn into a focused frown, and she brought her thumb to her lip as she carefully studied the room. Even from afar, she managed to fill him with hopes and dreams and longings that he had never felt for another soul. When she finally met his gaze, all the pieces of his broken world finally fell into place.
“Well, what are you waiting for?” King Everard’s gruff voice came from behind him. “Go get your girl before he shows up again.”
He was right, but that didn’t make Nicholas feel any less slow or clumsy as he tried to stride purposefully out onto the balcony, praying she would follow.
When she appeared, it was as though the heavens had opened up and a sliver of eternal bliss was shining down on him. Just behind his feelings of joy, however, came panic. She had been so hesitant last night. What could he say or do that might change her mind now?
Give me words, he prayed silently as he walked toward her. Gently taking her hand, he drew her out to the middle of the large balcony. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw King Everard station himself at its entrance. For a few moments at least, they were alone. Or as close to it as they might get.
“Dance with me?” he asked.
She quirked an eyebrow above the very small mask that just managed to outline her eyes.
“My mother is trying to keep my father busy,” Nicholas hurried to explain, feeling like an idiot, “but should he find us, we need an excuse so th
at he thinks I’m appropriately occupied.”
She thought for a moment then nodded.
Taking her hand in one of his and her waist in the other, they slowly began to move in circles. As they turned, Nicholas tried desperately to think of something . . . anything to say that might actually break down her walls. For they seemed higher now than they had ever been. So he was caught off guard when she spoke first.
“Is that King Everard standing over there?”
“It is.” Nicholas dared a smile. “I asked him for a favor.”
“What for?”
“To help me find you. What else?”
She stopped dancing, and Nicholas wanted to groan as she pulled her hand from his and took a step back. “I don’t understand,” she said, shaking her head.
“Don’t understand what?”
“Why you would work so hard to find me after you banished me in the first place?” Her voice trembled. “You knew I wasn’t guilty. And you still sent me away.” She swallowed. “Was it because I turned you down?”
Nicholas closed his eyes.
She thought he had wanted her gone. No wonder she rebuffed him again and again. She not only blamed him for failing to save her, but all this time she had believed he had ordered her sent to Solwhind.
“Elaina,” he croaked in a haggard, broken whisper, stepping closer so he could take her hands in his again. “The magistrates . . . they were going to put you to death. When I couldn’t convince them to set you free, I convinced them to let me banish you.”
“And that was better how?”
“You were supposed to go to Destin!” He squeezed her hands as though he could will her to understand. “Something happened on the docks that day, but I never found out what it was or why you were moved to another ship.” He pulled her hands closer to his chest. “Since then, I have spent every waking moment trying to find you.” He gestured toward the ballroom. “This night . . . the three balls. It was all for you.”
Her mouth fell open a little, and her eyes were as large as chestnuts. She made no sound, but beneath the mask, the wet shine in her eyes reflected the moonlight. Slowly, she brought up one hand and traced the scar on his jaw. Her touch was like that of a butterfly.
Cinders, Stars, and Glass Slippers: A Retelling of Cinderella (The Classical Kingdoms Collection Book 6) Page 39