by Simone Pond
A lasting impression … Evelyn remembered a time when that was the most important thing. Now she didn’t want the prince to take a second glance.
“I can’t go down there with glowing eyes,” she said, laughing.
“By the time you go down, the effects will have tapered out.” Sinead turned to Ciara. “Please fetch some cold water and then you should get started on preparing your lady.”
Ciara’s nostrils flared ever so slightly—no one else would’ve detected the reaction but Evelyn’s senses were on hyper-alert. Perhaps this would work to her benefit.
As soon as Ciara left the room, Sinead pulled Evelyn closer. “You must be careful of the prince,” she whispered.
This wasn’t shocking information to Evelyn. She had sensed something rotten in Prince Kieran the moment he had turned Aine away the previous night. Or maybe even prior to that moment … But she wanted to know Sinead’s reasoning.
“Why do you say this?” she asked.
“No time to discuss at present.” Sinead stepped away and headed toward the door.
“Is this about Aine?” Evelyn asked.
“Aine is staying in the stables. She’s safe from the dragon. For now.”
Evelyn’s heart leapt forward and she rushed after Sinead and reached for her arm. “How do you know about the dragon?”
Just then, Ciara returned to the room with a cup of water. Sinead nodded farewell to Evelyn and bustled out of the room.
5
Ciara stood back with the other chambermaids as the ladies-in waiting descended the grand staircase in their majestic gowns fit for royalty. Evelyn—being the newest addition—led the line of ladies, looking like a spectacular disaster in her gaudy purple dress with its red lace flounces, ruffles, and puffs. Ciara smiled as she pictured the prince’s horrified reaction. This would count as another strike against Evelyn.
Earlier that morning prior to breakfast, she was supposed to pass along the prince’s scroll to Evelyn, where he instructed her to wear a simple dress and keep her unruly hair pulled back. Of course Ciara never passed along the message. She deduced the prince had refined tastes and instead of heeding his instructions, she diabolically opposed them, dressing Evelyn in a provocative dress and styling her hair in curly waves.
For the evening’s celebrations, she cobbled together two of the most ostentatious dresses she could find and brushed Evelyn’s fiery copper hair into a lion’s mane. Ciara was proud of her work, but as the ladies-in-waiting strolled toward the reception hall for the celebrations, Prince Kieran rushed over to Evelyn with pleasure beaming on his face. He took Evelyn’s hand and ushered her ahead of the others.
Ciara recoiled into herself with envy. Fate, with its cruel sense of humor, might be laughing at the moment, but soon she would turn the tides. Soon she would be at the head of the line instead of Evelyn. But it would take time to strategically maneuver her way into the prince’s favor. Unlike the other foolish ladies-in-waiting, Ciara wouldn’t pull any amateurish stunts like slipping poison into Evelyn’s tea. That would only remove part of the problem. She still had the major obstacle of gaining the prince’s respect and approval. But once she had proven herself to him, he would promote her to a lady-in-waiting and from there the job of completely winning him over would be fairly simple.
She needed proof that Evelyn was dangerous and not worthy of the prince’s hand in marriage. This meant getting her hands on that crystal stone that morphed into a spear. The one Evelyn had wielded in the forest.
“Are you coming to dinner?” Kateline’s voice jolted Ciara back into the moment.
She turned around to see the other chambermaids had scurried off, and she was the only one on the balcony still gazing down to the main floor. Her stomach rumbled with hunger; she had hardly eaten the entire day. But rather than waste time eating, she needed to get to Evelyn’s suite and start looking for that crystal stone.
“I’m not hungry,” Ciara lied.
Kateline chuckled and tugged the sleeve of Ciara’s frock. “You’ve hardly touched a morsel all day. Come along. There will be time for plotting your lady’s demise later.”
Ciara yanked her arm away. “I’m not plotting anyone’s demise. I had nothing to do with the poisoning!”
“Oh, relax, silly girl. I know you didn’t. Sinead told me you came rushing downstairs like a lunatic earlier and how you begged for help. Please, my friend, I give you far more credit than that.” Kateline chuffed. “Poisoning the tea. The oldest trick in the book. Those two ladies will be punished for what they did.”
“Really? How does the prince know who’s responsible?” asked Ciara.
“These walls have eyes.”
“What will happen to them?”
Kateline grinned and said, “Tis not for us to know the fate of a lady once she’s no longer in waiting.”
The hallway seemed to narrow in on Ciara. Every action in her plan to overthrow Evelyn would have to be meticulously carried out. And she’d need a scapegoat just in case she got caught. Someone who was too busy chatting all the time to see what was actually going on.
Ciara smiled and held Kateline’s hand. “Before dinner, do you have a few minutes to help me find something in my lady’s chambers?”
“We’re not permitted in their rooms when they’re not present, but I won’t tell if you don’t.” Kateline winked.
They shuffled down the hall and entered Evelyn’s room. Ciara stood in the middle of the large space and spun in a slow and careful circle, surveilling the place. With so many nooks and crannies, she didn’t know where to begin.
“What are you looking for?” asked Kateline.
Ciara already had the lie prepared. “It’s a stone from the girl’s farm. She brought it to remind her of home.”
Kateline arched her brow. “And so you want it because?”
“So she has nothing to bring her comfort on a lonely night, of course.”
Ciara smiled and traipsed across the room to the bed. She tore off the blankets and sheets, then shoved the mattress to the side. Next she went to the vanity table and emptied all the drawers. Nothing. Kateline peeked behind the wall tapestries and portraits, shaking her head when Ciara looked over to inquire. The fireplace was the final location to check. She knelt in the ashes and poked her head up the chimney shaft, but there was no stone.
“It’s not here,” Ciara grumbled. “We should go.”
Kateline stopped Ciara in her tracks. “You’re going to leave the chambers like this?”
“Yes. It appears as though the two ladies-in-waiting were quite upset that their poison scheme didn’t go as planned …”
Kateline nodded approvingly. “Well played. But, you’re a mess. We need to get you cleaned up before the reeve spots you and inquires.”
The two slipped out of Evelyn’s room and tiptoed down the hall to the spiral staircase and made their way to the chambermaids’ area of the castle. Ciara couldn’t understand why she hadn’t come across the crystal stone. Unless Evelyn had it on her person … but she had monitored every move the girl made and hadn’t seen her slip the stone into her gown. Where else could she have hidden it?
When they entered the bathhouse, Kateline assisted Ciara in removing the soiled blue frock. She held Ciara’s elbow and helped her into the pool of steaming water, then scrubbed the ash and soot from her cheeks. The water soothed Ciara’s spinning mind and Kateline’s gentle touch tingled over her skin. She let herself relax a moment until the sound of her own soft moan jerked her to attention.
“Why are you being so kind to me?” she leered.
“I find you most interesting.” Kateline poured warm oil over Ciara’s head and combed it through with her fingers.
“Stop trying to distract me! Now tell me what it is you want. Everyone has an agenda, so what is yours, my friend?”
The scent of roses and peonies saturated the thick air as Ciara glared into Kateline’s eyes. After a few moments of dead silence, Kateline sat down on the marble floo
r and raised her palms in surrender.
“Fine, you’re too smart for me. I need to speak to the prince and since he’s in love with your Lady Evelyn, I thought you’d be the quickest way in.”
Ciara lowered herself into the pool, dipping her head back so when she rose up her raven hair was slick against her neck and back. She climbed out of the pool and stood before Kateline, not ashamed of her nudity. Kateline stared at Ciara, seemingly unable to turn away from her striking beauty.
“The prince is not in love with her,” Ciara sneered. “He simply doesn’t know what he’s missing out on.”
Kateline jumped up and wrapped a fresh blanket around Ciara’s glistening body. “You’re absolutely right. She’s nothing compared to you. He’s under a spell. But I trust you’ll reverse it with your charm and wit.”
Ciara leaned forward and placed a kiss on Kateline’s mouth. “Yes, you’re most certainly correct about that.”
“I’ll help you,” said Kateline, her cheeks blushing red.
“I know you will.”
They found a clean chambermaid dress for Ciara and headed toward their dining hall. Kateline remained a few inches behind Ciara and for the first time since they’d met she was silent.
“Why do you need to speak to the prince?” asked Ciara.
“Oh, it’s nothing to worry about.”
Ciara stopped and pressed Kateline up against the wall. She intended to intimidate the girl, but was taken aback by the way the candlelight flickered across her face. The warmth of Kateline’s dark eyes washed over her in the strangest sensation. Kateline reached up and touched Ciara’s cheek, and everything softened inside Ciara.
“If we’re to be friends, I must know everything about you.” Ciara’s voice was husky and faint.
Kateline lowered her eyes. “I’m originally from the southern region of Levant. My family comes from a long bloodline of warriors. Legendary warriors. During the last war with the Russex empire, almost everyone in my village and nearby hamlets was slaughtered. Our warrior tribes fought back, but the south was too powerful and Levant fell under the power of King Oren of Russex. They captured my brother, Clovis, and what remained of the Oxybii tribe. I escaped and went as far north as possible. I took work at Verubri Castle because I wanted to persuade the prince to help free my brother and his warriors, but I haven’t been able to do so yet …”
“And why haven’t you gone to the prince with this?” asked Ciara.
“The prince refuses to see me. My lady-in-waiting is so far down on the list, I have zero clout. It will just take time to work my way into garnering a meeting with him. Please, Ciara, promise me you’ll keep this between us,” whispered Kateline.
Ciara’s heart trilled as she stood pressed up against Kateline in the shadowy hallway. She liked having something to hold over the girl. Secrets were the best weapons. She wanted to say something more—do something more—but a door clicked open at the end of the hall and she quickly moved away.
“We should get some dinner.” Kateline hooked her elbow through Ciara’s and the two headed to the chambermaids’ dining hall.
It was Sinead who had entered the hallway. She passed them in silence, not revealing a single peep regarding what had occurred earlier. Ciara still couldn’t figure out why the meek ghost of a woman had been willing to help her with Evelyn. But she knew nobody did anything without an agenda. She’d have to keep a closer watch on the mute-tongued girl.
6
The potion Sinead had given to Evelyn still coursed through her bloodstream, pumping her with vitality. Every sense was amplified. She could even feel the energy coming off of Ciara as she dressed Evelyn for the royal celebration. It was a nervous energy vibrating off of Ciara’s fingertips as she laced up the atrocious purple gown. Maybe she was second-guessing her decision to sabotage Evelyn? Or maybe she was always jittery and put on airs to hide it from everyone.
When Evelyn stood in line with the other ladies-in-waiting to descend the grand staircase, she felt their energy too. It jumped and bounced all over the place in a frenetic manner. The rich fragrances of their perfumes and oils choked her, but she held her composure as she carefully took one step at a time. She remained calm and steady. She needed to be prepared in case one of the ladies decided to give her a last-minute shove.
As she hoisted the layers of the purple dress, she commended Ciara for having outdone herself with the wardrobe. Surely the prince would not approve of this debauchery, she mused. But when he took note of Evelyn at the head of the line, he rushed over to greet her with burning desire in his golden-flecked eyes. She stood motionless, utterly confounded. How was he not repelled by her gaudy appearance? Her hopes of getting sent back to her chambers for the rest of the night had been dashed. Instead, the prince took her hand and escorted her into the grand room and directly up to the throne of the king and queen for introductions. This made her question the prince’s sanity even more so.
Bowing before his mother and father, he said, “May I present my most beautiful and valued lady-in-waiting, Lady Evelyn.”
Evelyn curtsied before the couple. The king was handsome, middle-aged and seemed far more interested in the gaggle of ladies-in-waiting entering the room than anything else. His lips curled as he watched them stroll about. She turned to greet the queen and nearly gasped, shocked to see someone so feeble and frail still alive and breathing. The old woman barely acknowledged her presence—or anything else. The king tapped his scepter and the music swirled to life. The prince bowed, then swept Evelyn onto the floor where he proceeded to lead her in three dances. He whispered of her beauty and how her rebellious nature moved him in all sorts of places.
“I cannot wait to visit your chambers later tonight, my lady,” he cooed into her ear.
Evelyn cringed at the thought of spending another second with the loathsome prince, and she couldn’t fathom what he’d expect her to do in the privacy of her room if he was already this shamelessly upfront with his affections in public. She considered feigning sudden illness to keep him away.
Prince Kieran twirled Evelyn around the room. Through the giant open arched windows she caught glimpses of the black sky and all the twinkling stars outside. During one of his elaborate spins, she faced the balcony just as a stream of fire spread across the trees in the near distance. She pulled out of the prince’s suffocating grip and rushed outside onto the balcony. There she saw the enormous winged creature swooping above the castle, spouting fire from its mouth. In the distance, a large section of trees were ablaze.
“Dragon!” she shouted back into the room.
A group of guests piled onto the balcony and peered up to the sky. Upon seeing the dragon, they began screaming and scattering into the castle.
“The village!” someone shouted from behind.
“We must help them!” another person called out.
Groups of people tore through the castle and gathered below. Evelyn watched as a party of men rode their horses through the gate and over the hills toward the burning village. Someone tugged at her shoulder, yelling for her to get back inside, but she planted herself at the balcony’s edge and studied the dragon flying overhead.
Evelyn was captivated. The mammoth creature’s scaly skin glistened midnight blue under the illumination of the full moon. Sharp spikes of bronze lined the ridges of its back. The grotesque beast turned around and its eyes burned with golden flames. It stretched its mighty wings and began to sweep right toward Evelyn.
The clamor roared behind her and someone yelled, “It’s going to strike you down with fire! You must come inside, Lady Evelyn.”
Right before the dragon reached the balcony, it shifted direction and rose upwards, casting a shadow over the castle. Evelyn stared at the creature as it turned around in the dark sky, spouting another stream of fire from its mouth before retreating to the Vindius Mountains.
It was over.
The dragon hadn’t attacked Verubri Castle. Evelyn’s heart thudded loudly and her jaw hurt from cle
nching it so tightly. She released a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. The fire-spewing beast could have easily destroyed Evelyn and the castle, but it chose not to. Why? It had only flaunted its presence, as if teasing her specifically. Why hadn’t it killed her on the spot?
A sudden hand on her shoulder gave her a start and she flipped around with her fist raised.
“Whoa!” Prince Kieran grabbed Evelyn’s hand and gripped it.
She jerked away in disgust, then remembered her strategy of playing along and bowed before the prince. “Forgive me, my lord.”
He wrapped his hand around her waist and walked with her across the balcony. “Let’s get you inside, my lady. We’ve had quite a scare. Are you hurt?”
“I’m fine, my lord. Just surprised. I thought the dragons of Galicia were no more. I would say that’s no longer the case, wouldn’t you?”
They stepped into the grand room. By this point, the place had emptied out, except for a few stragglers and staff rushing around in a flurry. Evelyn waited for the prince to respond, but he remained silent. He didn’t seem at all concerned that a dragon had just reemerged after eighteen years and burned down a nearby village and nearly attacked Verubri Castle.
“My lord?”
“I’m sorry, Lady Evelyn. I’m deep in thought. My main focus is the village that was attacked. I must get down there immediately.”
Among the many things that disturbed Evelyn about Prince Kieran, his disregard for the major issue at hand was one more to add to the list. A large party of capable men had already left to attend to the village. He should be putting together a plan to do something about the dragon. She couldn’t help herself from saying so. “But, shouldn’t you call on your knights? You must go after the dragon before it returns! What if it attacks again? Or what if there are more dragons? They could’ve been in hibernation all these years and are now coming out … We must do something!”
He shot her a look of irritation, then quickly covered it up with a patronizing smile. “That is no concern of yours, my lady. Your only business is to return to your chambers and remain there until I’ve deemed the area safe. I’m sending two of my best watchmen to stay at your door for protection. Should you need anything, call to them. I’ll return by morning.”