“No, Horace, I’m afraid I don’t remember a thing, and no amount of questioning by you is going to change that. I have a vague idea that I may have decided to leave the cabin to check with the captain and ascertain if the ship was in any sort of danger. I must have taken a wrong turn or something.”
My mother listened to him complain for another minute before interrupting. “Personally, I’m pleased to have no recollection of it. It sounds like quite an unpleasant experience.”
He gaped at her, finally silenced.
“Really I think it would be best if we put this whole thing behind us. Oh, look.” She pointed over the edge of the ship. “Dolphins, and one of them has a calf.”
Uncle Horace shook his head, meeting William’s eye with a significant look. “A company of guards, and apparently not one of them was able to stop the queen of Lanover from ending up in harm’s way.” He walked away still shaking his head. William watched him go with a speculative expression.
I turned my own gaze to the dolphins, uttering empty admiration for my mother’s benefit. My uncle shared my suspicions even though he only knew half the story. How had she ended up on deck in the middle of a storm with a bump on her head? None of my agents had made it on board–had one of my aunt’s?
Largo truly couldn’t come quickly enough.
It helped that the storm had driven us well ahead of schedule, so we sailed into Largo Bay that afternoon. But the crew needed to undertake some minor repairs, adding an extra night to the one we had planned to spend here.
At the evening meal, the passengers all buzzed about getting off the ship the next morning. With a full day at our disposal, all sorts of activities and excursions were discussed. Rafe had always loved Largo, and kept telling Marie how much she would love it too. He also told the rest of us, in no uncertain terms, that we weren’t welcome to join them for the day.
He received some humorous teasing over the pronouncement, but no one really blamed him. William seemed to take it as permission to break off from the group and said he would be leaving first thing in the morning to do some exploring on his own.
Sure enough, he was gone before I announced I would remain on board to rest. With William and Rafe both absent, no one protested. Celine did throw me an incredulous look, but she couldn’t seem to muster the energy to argue about it.
I waved them all off and found a seat on deck, watching the coming and going of other ships in the harbour. I figured I should give them at least an hour’s head start.
When the allotted time had passed, I stood up and walked down the gangplank. Largo had a deep-water port, and the royal yacht had received the premium berth at the quay. A couple of the sailors glanced my way, but with no officers or royals around, no one questioned me.
I hurried through the port city, attracting stares, as I always did. A small shop advertising a range of pre-made clothing caught my eye, and I ducked inside. Twenty minutes later I emerged as Aurora.
The southernmost city in the Four Kingdoms hovered between the jungle, the desert and the sea. Its unique position offered adventure and freedom, and had enticed a diverse community. Bright colours and exotic outfits filled the streets, and pale-skinned northerners were almost as common a sight as the darker-skinned locals.
This transplanted northern community provided me with a unique opportunity. Many of them, to protect their fragile skin from the hot sun, had adopted the garments favoured by the small communities of traders who travelled the fringes of the Great Desert.
These voluminous robes came with a head covering that left nothing but the eyes exposed. Men and women alike wore them, usually during the hottest parts of the day, so I easily slipped through the crowd unnoticed.
I held my head high as I walked through the streets. Sunlight had never produced such a heady effect in me before. But then I had never ventured out as Aurora during the day before either.
Eventually I found the right door and knocked three times.
Two hours later, I stepped back out into the street. I had originally planned to return straight to the ship, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Instead my feet carried me towards the huge marketplace that formed the centre of the city. I watched people stream around me and matched my gait to theirs. Largoans moved slightly differently from those who dwelt in the capital, and I enjoyed trying to make myself blend seamlessly into their midst.
I passed Rafe and Marie wandering through the market, but they didn’t give me a second glance. My usual nights spent as Aurora were nothing compared to this freedom.
My nose took over the directions, drawing me towards a food stall offering succulent skewers of meat. The long line of locals suggested they tasted as good as they smelt.
I moved towards the end of the queue but stopped halfway. Apparently I wasn’t the only one from the ship whose stomach had started grumbling.
I sidled up to William. “Princeling. Fancy meeting you here.”
He jumped, turning towards me with such a stream of emotions chasing across his face that I could barely identify half of them.
“Aurora.” It was more a breath than a word.
He grabbed my arm and towed me away from the line into a more secluded spot. When we stopped, he looked me up and down, apparently rendered speechless.
I widened my eyes. “Why so silent, Princeling? Don’t tell me you truly did want a day to yourself?”
His wide smile spread across his face. “I may have hoped for certain company to find me. I couldn’t help worrying, though. I haven’t seen you for days.”
He bit his lip, and the hand on my arm tightened convulsively. I swallowed and tried not to look at his lips.
“Well, here we are, out enjoying a day in the city. Are you planning to get back in that line and buy me a skewer?” I glanced back towards the stall. “Or two or three?”
“What? Don’t tell me we have the afternoon off! No secret mission? No breaking and entering?”
I chuckled. “I dare say I could find somewhere for us to trespass if you’re that hooked on the thrill.”
“Absolutely not!” He pulled me back towards the line with as much enthusiasm as he had previously dragged me away.
We were soon wandering the marketplace, a skewer in each hand. William led the way, and I followed, casting him sideways glances through my lashes. When he caught me looking, I blushed beneath my head covering.
As Aurora, I was used to taking the front, always one stride ahead. It had been more than three years since I had engaged in any sort of social activity without the curse looming over me. I had forgotten what it felt like.
He found a spot for us to sit beneath a shady tree, and we ate. Awkwardly, in my case, as I tried to work around the head covering. William pointed out various people passing by, and I told him about the different groups who populated Lanover. He seemed particularly fascinated by the nomadic desert traders, whose style I had borrowed.
“They’re an offshoot of the travelling merchants, and are bound by the rules and treaties of the merchant council. They don’t like to stray too far from the desert, though, so if a council of caravans is called, they usually only send a couple of representatives.”
William leaned back and looked at the large tree above us. “It’s hard to believe we could be anywhere near a desert when we’re surrounded by so much green.”
“Well, it’s not that near, really. Largo is just the closest connection they have to the sea and, subsequently, their biggest trading city. It’s the farthest they like to venture from their usual territory. Their mounts don’t do well in this climate.”
William turned his fascinated gaze on a group of traders standing some distance away. “I still can’t quite believe they travel the deserts on those…creatures.”
I smiled as I looked at the camel and imagined seeing one for the first time. “They are a bit…”
“Ugly?”
I laughed. “Yes, that too.”
“And I can’t imagine they’re very comfort
able. Look at those humps!”
“They’re suited to the desert, though, and that’s the most important thing.”
William’s eyes lost their focus. “Vast hills of sand. It’s difficult to imagine such a thing. I would love to see it one day.”
I opened my mouth to tell him I would take him there, and then remembered that I could do no such thing. Today was a once off aberration. I didn’t live in Largo. During the day I was Princess Celeste, the Sleeping Princess, bound by a curse since infancy.
The sudden anger and hatred made the meat churn in my stomach. Except now, after my mother’s revelations, the familiar emotions filled me with confusion. I stood up, trying to distract myself. I refused to spoil this unprecedented opportunity. I would put all thoughts of my aunt aside for one afternoon.
William stood beside me, unable to see my expression beneath my covering. He turned his grin on me, and the darkness melted away. “Ready to go?” He held out his arm.
I took a deep breath and offered my hand. “Lead away.”
Two hours later, I collapsed against a tree, laughing too hard to stay upright without assistance. “No, really?” More laughter. “You didn’t!”
He tried to look modest and failed. “I have a sort of natural charm.”
I laughed even harder.
“I can show you if you like.” He moved closer, trapping me against the tree, one arm on either side of my head. His eyes laughed down into mine, but my own laughter died away. We had wandered into a public garden near the marketplace, and no one else was in view.
My breath caught in my throat at his nearness, and for the second time today, I struggled not to focus on his lips.
He matched the change in my mood, the light of laughter in his eyes transforming into a different sort of glow. I wanted to forget, for a moment, that I was Celeste or Aurora and melt against his chest. I wanted to feel his arms wrap tight around me, like they had that night in the corridors of the palace when we hid in plain sight.
I wanted to be just a girl, laughing with the boy I loved. Wait. The world faded. Loved? Did I love William? My heart pounded as I considered the question.
“Aurora.” He leaned so close, he filled my vision. His eyes burned into mine as he pulled me against him, and the fire leapt from his eyes to the spot where his hands rested on my back.
Despite the strength in his muscles, the tiniest tremble rippled through him in response to the contact between us. I knew, without a doubt, that if it hadn’t been for the thin piece of material covering my mouth, he would be kissing me already. And I would be letting him.
For a moment I toyed with the idea of unwrapping the headpiece and letting his lips meet mine. Would his kiss be enough? Could it break the spell?
“Are you ever going to let me see your face?” His soft words crashed into my dreams with destructive force.
William didn’t love me. He had just said as much. He couldn’t love me without seeing my face. I remembered the appreciative gleam he had so often directed towards me as Celeste. This prince was just like all the others – captivated by beauty.
I pushed him away from me with so much force that he staggered back. His shock echoed between us.
“I’m sorry, Aurora.” I hated the desperation in his voice. “I know you said not to ask about you. But I have to know. Will you ever choose to show me?”
I looked at him and wished my heart wasn’t breaking. I thought I was stronger than this. I straightened my spine. “No. I’m a spymaster not a lovesick maiden. This afternoon was a mistake.”
He shook his head and reached for me, but I stepped away. “The situation has changed with Banishment Island.”
He pulled back, confusion on his face at my abrupt change of subject.
“We’ll be there tomorrow afternoon, and I need to know if you’re still with me.”
“Aurora, of course.” I feared that the fire in his eyes would leap the distance between us, no matter how many steps back I took. “I will not desert you, no matter what.”
I wished I could believe his words. Believe that his loyalty would remain, regardless of what hid beneath my mask. “Good. Meet me three hours after midnight then, at the hedge. Bring the sword.”
His face asked the question his mouth didn’t bother to form.
“And don’t mention anything to Prince Horace. The situation is more…complicated than I realised, and I don’t know how far he can be trusted. It is possible that the princess might deserve a second chance–if she’s repentant.”
“What do you mean?” He tried to step towards me again, prompting me to move further away.
“Just be there.”
The thought of the next day brought back the churning queasiness. I imagined meeting my aunt and then stilled, gripped by a startling revelation. I forced myself to meet William’s dangerous gaze. “And promise me that no matter what happens you’ll try to take down that hedge. That even if I miss the rendezvous, you’ll fight your way to the princess. I’ll catch up, if necessary.”
“What do you mean?” I could see the concern pushing him to close the distance between us, but he’d learnt his lesson and remained where he was, unnaturally still.
“Promise me.”
He took a deep breath. “Very well. I promise.”
I turned and fled towards the marketplace, hoping he wouldn’t try to follow.
Chapter 24
Despite my time with William, I still beat everyone else back to the ship. I stopped at the same little shop, changing back into my original dress and collecting my other purchases. I walked back on board as Celeste, a bundle of shopping in my arms. Once again, no one questioned me.
My new acquisitions included my desert outfit; it was much more comfortable than my makeshift disguise from the ship. And I had bought another unusual ensemble as a last minute addition. The pair of pants belled out in soft folds of material before cinching around my ankles. When I stood still, they almost resembled a dress, but they gave me greater freedom of movement than any skirt.
I would need them soon, thanks to the startling realisation that had hit me as I spoke to William. I couldn’t confront my aunt as Aurora. I needed to truly meet her face-to-face, and I needed her to know who I was. Which meant I needed to meet her as Celeste.
That had been the thought that had made me extract the promise from William. Somehow I was going to have to convince him to attack that hedge with Celeste by his side instead of Aurora.
I greeted them all at the evening meal, wearing one of my newly purchased dresses. Celine and Marie both plied me with questions, and I admitted to having left the ship briefly on a shopping expedition.
“On your own?” Celine sounded horrified.
I turned large, confused eyes on her. “Of course. Why ever not?”
“How did you know where to go?”
“Oh.” I waved my hand vaguely through the air. “I just asked until I found someone who could direct me. People are always so helpful.” I beamed around the table.
“I’ll be they are,” said Rafe with a sigh. “You should probably take one of us with you next time you go out, Lettie.”
“All right, if you wish it.”
Celine rolled her eyes and shook her head before launching into an enthusiastic rendition of the many sights I had missed. I nodded and smiled and sighed when expected, and tried not to meet William’s eyes.
As soon as the meal had finished, I escaped up onto deck, breathing in the salty air and gazing up at the stars. They looked peaceful and removed. If only I felt the same way. My two personas had become so entangled, I might never be able to return to my old life.
When I felt a warm presence at my back, I didn’t need to turn around to see who it was. Would I always feel this attuned to his presence? Would I ever be free of the chaos he had wrought on my life?
William stepped up beside me and leant against the rail. I kept my eyes on the stars.
“It’s beautiful out here at night,” I said.
I knew I should turn to him and innocently question his meaning. But I couldn’t bring myself to do it. My hands tightened on the railing. If only I could make myself immune to his opinion of me. If only I could laugh it off like I did with all the men at court.
“You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, Princess. Sometimes it hurts me to look at you.”
“I do not wish to cause you pain.” The soft words were the only truth I could utter. The only certainty I could find in my heart.
How many times had I been told I looked enchanting in the moonlight? Too many to count. And yet never had I heard the words said with such sincerity. And never had it pained me so to hear them.
Only hours before he had spoken to Aurora with the same intensity. Was a beautiful face all it took to make him forget that connection?
Both halves of me responded to him with frightening ease. And each time, the other half pulled me back. Nothing but the truest love could save me. And once again William had proved that my beauty would always be the most important thing about me. I could not escape it.
Two tears escaped my eyes and slid down my cheeks. A gentle finger reached up to catch them. “And I do not wish to make you cry. What have I said to upset you, Princess?”
I shook my head, mutely, unable to come up with a single reply that the curse would allow. Instead I picked up my skirts and ran for my cabin.
He didn’t try to catch me, and I sternly told my heart to be glad. There was nothing I could say to him.
A new pilot had joined us at Largo. None of us had met him before, but the two hours I had spent with my agent in the city had reassured me of the newcomer’s integrity. I didn’t have many agents outside the capital, but a handful of them had moved over the years, and I had kept track of their whereabouts in case of such a need.
The Princess Game: A Reimagining of Sleeping Beauty (The Four Kingdoms Book 4) Page 18