by Kiki Leach
“No more than I should be. He’s a lecherous, venomous snake and I’ll be damned if he lays a single finger upon her. Anyone else and it would in fact be of no matter.”
“Are you certain?” he asked, dropping his voice.
I looked over at him as he eyed the floor.
“More certain than ever.” I noticed his rattling hands and pressed my arm against his. “Are you nervous?”
He smiled wearily. “Dreadfully so, but not for the reason in which you may believe at this very moment.”
“What reason shall I believe?”
“That I am nervous to see him because of the history shared between you. And my reaction upon seeing him now, especially as you have gone on about he and Esme.”
“I’m sorry.”
He frowned and slid his hand down his throat. “What if he manages to usurp my army?”
“He wont. Those men are loyal to you. They would die for you.”
“Some did. Perhaps if John were in charge, more would have lived.”
“You claimed to have never seen him out there that night. Were you not injured, you would’ve been there standing with the last man. He chose not to be. You are a true leader which is why he has been chosen as a right hand, rather than as a usurper.”
“We’re both aware it’s what my father wishes.”
“Perhaps,” I said. “Or perhaps he wishes for you to prove him wrong. And, you shall.” I wrapped my arms around his neck and grinned. “And I shall help you.”
He slid an arm around my waist and gently lifted me from the ground, kissing me until neither of us could breathe.
“AHEM!” His father coldly interrupted.
Norvack hesitantly pulled back and lowered me. I wiped the bottom of his lip with my finger tips and he straightened his jacket.
Belarus stepped forward, sneering at me as I fixed my hair and gown.
“I have just been informed by my men that the General has just arrived at the estates and is awaiting our presence near the gates. We shall greet him first and then formally introduce him to the guests and your court.”
“Alright,” said Norvack.
He slipped his hand around mine and entwined our fingers. He squeezed tightly and I looked up at him with compassion.
As we headed toward the west wing, my heart beat so fast, I could see it thumping from my chest without even looking down. A few times, I was certain I had lost my breath, but attempted to remain composed for the prince’s sake. As well as my own. Once we reached the lawn, the queen joined us. Norvack and Belarus conversed with one another and stepped a few feet ahead to the gravel. Eliza remained on the porch and pulled me back toward her.
She bent down and whispered in my ear. “What did you say to my handmaiden’s daughter?”
“Nothing of importance.”
“She seemed quite upset after your informal conversation.”
“I would hardly call it informal.”
“What was discussed between you?”
“She wishes to bed the General,” I quietly blurted. “I was attempting to shield her from what being with John will most likely do to her soul. And her ‘courtly’ reputation should she ever gain one outside of these dreadful palace walls.”
“Shielding her from the General.”
“Yes.”
She looked over at me and leaned back. “Is that all?” Her tone was callous, skeptical.
“Are you mad?” I grinned and chortled. “You don’t know John in the same manner as I do. He will destroy her if she ever beds him. God forbid she were to fall in love with him, or even worse, find herself with child.” I tightened my jaw. “He shall never respect, nor treat her with dignity. Inviting her to the private dinner was misleading, forcing her to believe that something more positive would occur, and it won’t.”
“You seem quite disconcerted, my dear. If he is your past and my son is your present and future--”
“Do you honestly believe that Esme would benefit in any positive manner from being with a man such as he?”
“No,” she answered. “But you shall. And so shall my son.”
“I am very aware of why you have done this, but it was never necessary. That girl is being tossed to a wolf like a sacrificial lamb”
“Norvack fears your history with him, Cinderella!” she snapped. “It has been written all over his face for days now.”
“Your son is quite aware that there is not, nor has there ever been something to fear. However, the fear you display is quite unbecoming. Though I remain quite intrigued in having become aware of your true Achilles heel.” I turned aside and stared at her for a moment. “You fear Norvack will fail.”
“I don’t believe he will,” she said.
“But you do believe it’s possible despite your constant boasting otherwise.” I looked ahead at the arriving carriage. “His men won the war. He is certain to defeat John.”
The queen went silent, only smiling as John emerged from the carriage. As soon as I saw his face, my fingers lost all feeling, as did my toes. I wrapped my arms around myself as tightly as I could to keep from falling over in both anguish and disgust. I wished to be anywhere but where I was and I was certain that Norvack, and perhaps even John had felt the same.
Norvack glanced back at me a few times the closer John moved toward him. Belarus on the other hand had wasted no time in greeting the man. He leapt from Norvack’s side the moment John’s feet hit the ground, grinning so hard his face had discolored. The queen tapped me on the arm, indicating that we join the men out on the lawn. As soon as I reached Norvack, he took my hand. John eyed me with a smirk and wink, but greeted Eliza with a slight bow and kiss on the hand.
“Your Majesty,” he muttered in a low voice.
She bowed. “General.”
“Ah.” He raised a hand and beamed. “Former, General now. May God bless the soul of the man chosen to take my place at the right of the King of England, as I now stand at the right side of the Prince of Denmark.”
“You shall sit beside me. Standing has yet to be determined.”
Norvack glared at John as if he were no more than a common beggar. He kept a tight grip on my hand as John stepped closer to us and never changed his infuriated facial expression. When I looked up, I realized he was gnashing his teeth.
“The Prince of Denmark, and his Princess.”
I squint a little as I overlooked him. It was the first time I had seen him since I was a girl. He was older, more handsome than I had ever seen. His now shoulder length hair had become lighter, more brown than black, perhaps due to the constant blazing of the sun; and he no longer sported a moustache or beard. His eyes were more ice blue than I recalled, like the ocean -- like Brigita’s. He appeared rugged, his face and hands. But he also seemed extremely tired despite his upbeat demeanor.
“Am I to greet the lady with--”
“You shall not greet her at all,” said Norvack, his tone deep, threatening. And then he smiled insincerely. “You shall however greet me, as your commander, former General.”
John leaned back and chuckled. He placed his hands before him and stared long and hard at Norvack. “My, my,” he said. “You have grown into quite the self-sufficient young man. In your attempts to acquire the throne; in your achievement in actually acquiring Cinderella. Tell me, how exactly did you manage to accomplish such a thing? Was it your father’s strength? Your mother’s tenacity?” He looked at me and almost seemed to smile with his eyes. And then he turned his eyes toward the gravel. “No matter,” he continued. “It seems you two are quite in love.”
“Yes, dear General!” interjected the queen.
“Former General,” he said again in a soft tone.
“My apologies. If I may, allow us to welcome you inside the palace and formally introduce as an official member of Norvack’s court.”
He lifted his arm. “Certainly. As you can imagine, I have been anxious since morning.”
Eliza slipped her arm inside his and walked with him
toward the palace. Belarus followed after them once he had finished mumbling something to one of his men.
Norvack and I remained as still and stiff as the dead, our palms and fingers frozen together.
“I’m not certain whether or not he was insulting us, or congratulating us. Or insulting me, or insulting you,” I said.
He slightly rattled his head. “He has a strategy. That may have been part of it.”
“What purpose would that have served?”
“I don’t know. But am certain to find out. Let’s go.”
He tightened my hand and forced us back to the palace.
The Reservation
“And now,” the king began as he stood at the center of the ballroom, “it is my greatest and most humble pleasure to introduce to you the man who shall stand with my son in leading this country to continued victory, former General to the King of England, John Devereux.”
Everyone began clapping as Norvack and I slyly glanced at one another, preparing for the violent storm that was surely headed toward us. Our hands remained interlocked and he began caressing the back of my thumb with his own. He exhaled sharply and watched closely as John humbly greeted over three hundred guests in the room, taking their hands in his, kissing the back of each one or standing straight and bowing before them. Dignitaries were charmed by him; women swooned as if he could impregnate them with only his eyes and light touch of his fingertips upon their skin.
I felt like vomiting.
“What a smug bastard,” I muttered.
“It’s certain how eager my father was,” said Norvack in a curious tone. “He allowed no one but himself to introduce John.”
The king walked over to us in that moment, as if his ears were on fire. He tousled with his beard and stood aside his son.
“John seems to be getting along quite well with various members of your court, son.”
“Yes,” I snidely interjected, “it’s quite nice to see how well he bows and smiles before the great men and women of Denmark. It seems to be just what Norvack needed in a right hand man, absolutely, positively nothing.”
Norvack snickered as Belarus glared at me.
“You are aware of him, Miss Cinder,” he snapped.
I glanced at him but feigned ignorance.
“I beg your pardon--”
“He seemed familiar to you on the lawn--”
“I spoke of her often as a child, father,” said Norvack. “As we traveled once, I told him of how I would marry a girl from the village.”
“Hmm.” He lifted to his toes a bit to look about the crowd, and placed his arms behind him. “He seems quite humble, this man.”
“Looks can appear deceiving,” I muttered. “If you don’t mind, I am in quite the need of fresh air.”
“Are you alright?” asked Norvack.
“Yes.” I kissed his lips. “I shall return soon.”
I exited the ballroom in haste and made my way to the front of the palace. I waited near the stairs leading to the garden to catch my breath and placed a hand upon my chest. Before long, I was joined by the most unneeded and unwanted of company.
“Is John as handsome as you remember?”
I turned to see Eliza walking toward me and rolled my eyes.
“What do you wish for now?”
“I noticed the way he looked at you upon entering the ballroom, as if he were so in love he could barely see straight.”
“John has never loved another, only himself.”
“That isn’t true. He appears to be very much in love with you and shall until his dying day.”
I said nothing and kept my focus ahead.
“There must be a spell you put upon these men. John, my son.”
“How would that explain the king’s behavior toward me?”
“Perhaps he is far too mature to understand your appeal.” She moved closer to me and looked out to the lawn. “Has he ever informed you of his feelings, Cinder?”
“No!” I answered quickly. “He has no feelings. As I said, a man like that could never love anyone but himself.”
“You felt the same for Norvack, until he proved you otherwise.”
“That was different.”
“How so?”
I turned to look at her face, but she never refused to look at mine this time.
“Perhaps we shall return to the ballroom.”
I backed away from her but she took hold of my arm and looked deep into my eyes with a bit of panic.
“This man shall choose you as his wife should he defeat my son.”
“I have told you time and again, neither shall ever happen.” I gently released my arm. “Excuse me.”
Once I returned to the now music filled ballroom, I searched for Norvack amongst the vastly moving crowd. The moment I found him, I realized he was much too busy performing a traditional Scandinavian dance with none other than Brigita. I was puzzled for a moment until I realized that he had perhaps chosen to dance with her in favor of being forced upon someone else.
As I moved toward the front to get a better view and joined in with the crowd, clapping for them as they moved about the room, I noticed John on the other side speaking with Esme. She looked up at him with such hope and desire in her wide eyes, almost in the manner of an innocent doe staring up into the eyes of a ferociously starved lion. I gulped. My first instinct was to rush over and quickly escort her away, but I didn’t. Instead I chose to ignore them, as it was her choice if she wished to involve herself with such a conniving bastard.
“My son appears to be enjoying his time with the Scandinavian girl,” said the king as he gradually and sneakily moved toward me.
“Brigita is her name,” I said in a calm manner. “You and Eliza seem to operate in the same manner, I’ve noticed. It’s troubling yet also quite fascinating.”
“Yes.” He turned to Norvack and Brigita as others began to take one another by the hand and join in the dance. “I don’t believe I have seen my son this jovial in quite some time. Perhaps not since his wedding day.”
You’re a liar!, I thought, though refused to say it aloud. Instead I grit my teeth, and seethed in deep, boiling anger, cutting my eyes away from him and pretending as if his words were none of true concern.
“Your son is quite jovial when not in your presence, such as now.”
“Neither is he in yours,” he said.
We glared at one another. He smirked at me the moment he realized his words began to take affect.
“Dearest king!” hollered John as he approached. He slapped Belarus on the shoulder as if they were the oldest of chums. “Dearest king, if I may.” He bowed. “I wish to speak with the Cinder girl”
The king nodded, looking back at me only once before finally stepping away.
I straightened my gown and turned my attention back to Norvack. Perhaps he did seem more jovial with Brigita, and away from me. The very idea that he could made me ill.
John leaned in, so close I felt his breath and the brush of his lips across my skin, and smiled. “You’re welcome,” he whispered.
I fixed my jaw and continued clapping, looking about the room and smiling at those who danced past us.
“If I had known this were all for me,” he continued, “I would have better prepared myself.”
I sighed and cleared my throat, still smiling about the room.
He looked to the floor and chuckled.
“Are you refusing to acknowledge my presence, Cinderella?”
“I’m refusing to acknowledge your entire existence.”
“For how long?”
“As long as it takes for you to realize that your presence is not needed, nor wanted by anyone but the king.”
He paused and turned to stare at me. “I shall be the prince’s right hand.”
“Norvack will never trust you, as he shouldn’t. Nor shall I.”
“I shall remain his only ally.”
I scoffed and looked straight into his piercing blue eyes. “You’re certain my hus
band will entrust you as his ally and not that of his father?”
“He should. Unless he is as foolish as his father claims him to be.”
“And why is that, John? Why are you truly here?”
“To conquer the prince,” he said, now facing forward. “To stand by is side and defeat him. Belarus desires to destroy Norvack and his army in the hopes of recreating another in its place.”
As the music finished and the dancers bowed, he stopped speaking and began clapping in a wild manner.
“Bravo!” he fiercely hollered over the crowd. “Bravo!”
Norvack looked over at us in a bit of anger, but was taken away by a member of his court before he could come anywhere near us.
Everyone else bowed before John, and then quickly moved to the side as the king and queen now took to the center to partake in a routine waltz.
“You were sent here to destroy my husband,” I said quietly. “And the King of England is part of this elaborate ruse?”
“Your husband’s army nearly demolished those men on the battlefield that night. Whatever training was had prior to the battle paid off in a way no one could have ever imagined. It was a giant embarrassment to the king and our country, considering not only the size of each army, but Denmark defeating England no matter what size, is unheard of.”
“Or was, until Norvack. And your response would be yes.”
“Yes.” He paused. “Your husband is what one would call an anomaly. No prince marries a vagrant and still hopes to acquire the throne of his father. And no man from a country as small as Denmark can win against the English and live to tell the story.”
“My husband did.” I grinned. “And what have you ever done, John?”
“With any luck of my Irish ancestry, I shall defeat your husband and rule his army.” He leaned in once more. “If that were my goal.”
I frowned. “And Belarus in fact wishes for you to lead this new army?”
“It is possible, but that was never a guarantee.”
“If it was never a guarantee, why in God’s name did you wish to go along with it?”
“To see you again, Cinder.”
“You are still a compulsive liar, as always,” I said.