Love Schemes

by Stacy Charasidis

  Doran’s mood darkened as he headed to the castle’s vault. It wasn’t accessible by any of the public passageways, only by a secret stairway hidden in King’s study. At the bottom of a long, dark, seemingly endless, curving stairwell was a small dungeon door that led to the family’s treasure, so he had time to think as he travelled downwards.

  An image of Lady Faith wavered in his mind. She was an absolutely beautiful girl with long, golden blond hair as straight as Seraphina’s was curly. Exhibiting a docile and calm manner, Faith was every inch a fine lady with gentle manners and a kind disposition. He approved of her heartily. Very much unlike her rude, wildcat cousin, who had returned to the castle red faced, red-eyed, and red-nosed. She had turned her head away from him and sniffed at him haughtily. It was King who had come to welcome Lady Faith and perform the proper introductions. Over the last week, Lady Faith had taken the time to converse with him in the evenings and treated him with the respect due a prince of the realm. Mad Seraphina had never bothered to make him feel welcome, nor had she any manners he could discern. Perhaps Faith will teach her some while she’s here, before the heathen gets married, he thought uncharitably. He felt sorry for the impending groom.

  Doran finally arrived at the treasure room and opened the door to a chamber glittering with gold and gemstones of every colour and hue. The place sparkled in the bright white light of lanterns set around the room about a foot apart. Doran was awestruck at the twinkling chamber. The door slammed behind him. Startled, he touched his treasure room key ring reassuringly. Thieves had no chance here. It was easy to get into the chamber. The door was unlocked from the outside, just a turn of the door handle admitted you into the room. The interesting part was that there was no way out. The door inside the treasure room had no doorknob. Only turning the key could release the mechanism and open the door. Robbers would be trapped inside, and capture meant the dungeon. Doran shuddered as he remembered the small, damp, smelly cells. Death would be more humane.

  King thought it would be funny to play a joke on Doran and leave a skeleton in the treasure room to scare him. After emitting a high scream no one witnessed (thankfully), he realized it wasn’t real. King’s sense of humour left much to be desired.

  He filled his sack with the coin he needed to pay the castle’s debts, as well as extra for emergencies, and headed back. The trip to the treasure chamber wasn’t too bad. It was walking back up with a sack full of heavy gold that daunted him. Once a week was enough for that type of effort. He entered his cozy study and found King waiting for him.

  “Why, hello your majesty…er, King,” he said with some surprise, laying the sack of gold on the now pristine desk. He smiled. “Do you need allowance?”

  King laughed. “Doran, my boy,” he said heartily, smiling with genuine affection at the young man in front of him. He really admired the boy. Doran’s grey eyes were honest and frank, and he took his job seriously, giving a hundred and fifty percent of himself every day. The castle had improved greatly with his energetic presence. It was time for King to ask his next favour. “Your management of the castle is just superb,” King said with pride. The young man reddened slightly, seemingly pleased. “I need a service from you, young sir, and it’s something only you can perform. I would consider it a personal favour to me.”

  Doran was honoured. “Why King, whatever assistance I can provide would be my absolute pleasure.”

  King grinned, rubbing his hands together. “Wonderful, my boy. Wonderful. You have no idea how happy you have made me. I need you to teach Seraphina how to run the castle, keep track of its stock, and of course, to balance the ledgers herself. After all, you are only on loan to me through the graciousness of your father. After a couple of years you’ll head home and the castle may again fall to ruin.”

  Doran stood very still. Teach Seraphina to be a steward? That wild, brainless girl? Is King nuts? He wasn’t sure it was possible.

  King was still talking. “In return, Seraphina will teach you how to dance. Your father wrote that dancing appears to be a skill that continues to elude you and may be, well, hampering your quest for a wife, as no lady in her right mind will take a turn with you on the dance floor. Whereas my brave Seraphina will…”

  Because she’s not in her right mind, Doran thought ungraciously. “Your majesty,” Doran said calmly, his thoughts spinning, “is Seraphina in agreement with all this? We have barely said two words to each other since my arrival. Furthermore, she seems very…distraught with life,” he said carefully.

  King laughed. “My Seraphina is just fine, my dear boy,” he said, throwing an arm around Doran and steering him to the door. “We’ll go find her and just have a quick chat…” As they neared the door they could hear the clicking sound of the handle.

  “Whoops,” King said, moving away quickly considering his size, as the heavy door swung open and slammed right into Doran’s body, hitting his face and sending him flying back against the wall. Small objects tinkled and bounced as they fell off a small table near where Doran had landed, his arm sweeping the top. “Aaahh, damn!” he yelled in shock.

  The door opened. Seraphina entered.

  Chapter 6 – Seraphina

  “Language, Doran,” King said mildly. “There’s a lady present.”

  “Where?” Doran muttered irritably. She was more like a herd of buffalo.

  Seraphina blinked as she looked around the room. It was so clean. She turned her head to the left and saw Doran sprawled on the floor. Seriously, that boy needs to learn how to get out of the way. She felt a pang when she noticed he was wincing and rubbing the back of his head. Stone was hard, even through tapestries.

  Seraphina sniffed and looked away from Doran. “Belle told me you wanted to see me, father? I’m here. What’s going on? Perhaps you should help his highness up off the floor or I’m sure he’ll be looking up my skirts next.”

  Doran’s mouth opened in outrage as King stepped on his chest to keep him from lunging at Seraphina. She didn’t look concerned.

  King explained his wishes to his daughter.

  “Dancing lessons? Stewardship? Father, are you mad?” Seraphina raged.

  King looked at Doran, judged him calm, and removed his foot from Doran’s chest, his eyes twinkling with mirth. He was thoroughly enjoying himself. “My darling,” he said jovially, hugging her and squeezing a small “oof” out of her. “Come in, come in, sit down and stay a moment,” he said expansively, seating her in one of the overstuffed chairs that fronted the hearth. Within seconds he had lifted Doran off the floor and plunked him in the adjacent seat. He stood eyeing the two youths. Doran’s eyes were wintry as he regarded Seraphina, who ignored him.

  “You two need to work together. My peach, Doran is here to help and to learn. His father says he can’t dance to save his life—”

  Doran closed his eyes and leaned his head back in his chair, a slight redness appearing on his cheeks.

  “—and since you dance like an angel,” King continued, “you will instruct him. By your wedding, I expect Doran to be able to take a turn around the ballroom without killing or laming a young lady. As for you, Doran,” her father said, turning to the mortified young man, “Seraphina needs to be able to run the castle. While Prince Brody is a strapping young man, my understanding is that he is more about brawn than brains. It will be up to Seraphina to manage the estate until a suitable steward is chosen by Larwick.”

  “I don’t want to learn,” Seraphina said desperately. Books and numbers were so boring. She was a girl of action. She loved to hunt, ride, dance. Numbers were for sniveling bookworms…like Doran. She stared at Doran with an unfriendly expression on her face. He was doing the same.

  The king looked back and forth between the two. “Good, it’s settled. Begin tomorrow.” He barked a laugh as he left the room.

  Silence filled the space. Only the crackle from the hearth could be heard.

  Seraphina squirmed. Doran reclined on the chair with his head back, his lean body stretched out in seem
ing exhaustion. His brown hair fell around his pale face while a long-fingered hand rubbed the back of his head. He really was a very lithe and attractive man. Her cheeks heated slightly and she turned her eyes away.

  He sounded resigned, and that made her even angrier at their situation. “It has been my experience that the best time to do lessons is in the morning, after breakfast when a person is fresh. Physical activity can follow once boredom sets in.”

  Seraphina flared. “Are you suggesting that I’ll be bored? That I’m incapable of learning?”

  Yes. “No,” he said with aplomb. “I am merely suggesting a routine that would be beneficial for me. Do you have a better suggestion?”

  “I eat and then I ride. I will meet you in the small dining room after that,” she said imperiously. She peeked and saw that he was grinding his teeth.

  “Fine,” he gritted out. “What time would that be, your highness,” he asked, voice dripping with sarcasm.

  “It varies,” she said sweetly. He wanted to scream, she was sure of it.

  “I will be in the small dining room by the tenth hour of the morning. I expect you to be there as well. That will give you plenty of time to complete your morning routine.” He gave her a ghastly smile.

  “Agreed,” she said as she flounced out, slamming the heavy door behind her.

  Chapter 7 – Doran

  The next morning, Doran waited patiently in the small dining room for Seraphina to show up for her lessons. It was closer to eleven o’clock when she appeared. He looked into her grass green eyes, sparkling with defiance, and narrowed his grey ones in annoyance. The crazy person had finally shown up.

  “Good morning,” she said carelessly, helping herself to coffee on the sideboard.

  He stared at her. “You have mud on your face,” Doran said, “and you smell like horse manure,” he exclaimed, stepping back from her with mild disgust on his face, the nostrils of his elegant nose flaring at her scent.

  Seraphina looked at Doran scornfully. “You, sir, are no gentleman.”

  “And you, my lady, have no manners. Do you consider it polite to keep someone waiting while you ride around the hills like a wild animal? In fact, it is terribly impolite, and beneath someone of your station, to behave in such a manner,” Doran said pompously.

  Seraphina was shocked and angry, and for some reason, hurt. “How dare you! You aren’t my father. You can’t speak to me like that!”

  “Well, someone needs to! If you were my daughter, I’d…I’d turn you over my knee and teach you some manners with a good spanking!” Doran said fiercely. He would never consider hitting a lady, but Seraphina didn’t know that, and winning this argument seemed strangely important right now.

  “Ooooh!” Seraphina exclaimed.

  Any further conversation was halted by the entrance of Lady Faith. Doran took control of his emotions and turned abruptly, striding to her and taking her hand in his, giving it a gentle kiss as he stuck out his leg in a courtly bow. “Your servant, my lady,” Doran said with incredible charm as he smiled up at her.

  Seraphina’s mouth opened in surprise. His manners were impeccable, and Faith’s eyes were sparkling.

  “Why thank you, your highness. I am honoured.”

  “It is I who am honoured,” he murmured.

  Faith turned to Seraphina with a smile, which faded as her nose wrinkled and she caught sight of her cousin. “Seraphina, darling, let me help you,” Faith said gracefully as she glided over and began wiping her cousin’s face with a snow-white handkerchief. “You have a bit of dirt…. I assume you’ve been riding?” The room was small and it was becoming increasingly obvious that someone had spent time in the stables recently. “Perhaps you would like to change before we sit down to coffee and instruction? Doran was kind enough to invite me to your first lesson,” Faith said pointedly. “I wasn’t going to come, but I changed my mind. It’s a good thing I did. You really smell,” she whispered softly in her ear.

  Seraphina wanted to stay exactly the way she was, but instead sighed and left to change. If not for Faith’s presence, she wouldn’t have bothered. Let that snob of a man suffer! But she couldn’t do that to Faith, who had very delicate sensibilities, and even she was trying not to gag. When she returned, Faith and Doran were engaged in a discussion. Both parties were flushed with pleasure as they bantered. For some reason, Seraphina felt her mood darken.

  Faith poured coffee while Seraphina sat and Doran put supplies on the table. Faith’s presence had made the normally dour faced young man cheery, and he was almost friendly as he quizzed her on her abilities.

  “Do you know how to do math, Seraphina?” Doran asked curiously.

  “Not very well,” she admitted. “My strengths are more…physical.”

  “But you can count and know your numbers, right?” he quizzed a bit nervously.

  “Of course I can,” she huffed. “I have fingers,” she muttered.

  “Oh.” He was at a loss, but then brightened. “Let’s do some practice equations and see what level you’re at.” He took a sheet of paper and began scribbling industriously.

  Faith was smiling behind her coffee while Seraphina glared at her. “What?” she mouthed petulantly. Faith just shook her head.

  Doran finished with a flourish and handed the paper to Seraphina who looked at it listlessly. Through the window she could see the sun shining. The grass glittered as if dressed in diamonds as the sun shone on the dew. She looked down at the paper. 1+1= That’s easy, she thought, and wrote the number 11. She did the same for 2+2. Looking at her work from across the table, Doran blanched.

  “Seraphina, you know that’s wrong, don’t you? You don’t just put numbers side by side! That sign means you have to add them together to get a new number.”

  She put her head on the table. “I really don’t want to do this,” she said tiredly. She had enough worries. The “stud” she was supposed to marry was arriving in six weeks. The countdown had begun.

  “Do you have an abacus? Something we can use to count on until you can do the sums in your head? I can make you a chart.”

  “A what?” Seraphina asked.

  Faith laughed. “An abacus, Seraphina. It has beads on it—you know—for counting.”

  “That’s a child’s plaything!” she said hotly.

  “Perfect for you, then!” Doran said with a tight smile.

  Seraphina glared at him.

  Within half an hour one had been procured by cook, who used it to keep track of her chicken eggs. It didn’t help move the lesson along any smoother. Seraphina refused to use it, and Doran gave up in disgust and left the girls in favour of the tranquility of his office. After working the rest of the morning, he headed to the kitchens for lunch. He saw Seraphina and Faith eating in the dining hall. Seraphina was scowling and gesturing wildly to a calm and lovely Faith. Spoiled brat, he thought to himself. She should be more like her cousin.

  In the kitchen, cook looked at him with the stink eye. “What are you doing in here?”

  “Can you pack a lunch for me?” he wheedled charmingly, smiling widely.

  Cook laughed. “I understand your lesson didn’t go so well this morning, me lad. Fine, since Seraphina’s in the hall.”

  With glee, Doran escaped with his lunch tied in a handkerchief. He had wheedled an extra bun and square of cheese from cook, whose name was Daisy.

  “I’m a growing young man, Daisy,” he had argued winningly, drawing her name out like a sigh.

  “I should never have told you my Christian name,” she said darkly, adding the extra food to his care package.

  The sun was shining high in the sky and Doran found a nice, shady spot on the grounds to eat. It was breezy and beautiful and he sighed with contentment. He had just taken his first bite when the sound of a horse’s hooves thundered by him and then stopped abruptly.

  It was King.

  “My boy!” he yelled loudly, wheeling around to approach.

  The huge, snorting horse halted and pawed the ground
with impatience, kicking dirt on Doran. He used his body to cover his food protectively.

  “I heard your lesson didn’t go very well with Seraphina this morning.”

  How on earth did he know? Doran was sure King had been out riding the whole morning.

  “News travels fast,” King said, touching his finger to his nose and waggling his eyebrows.

  Doran sighed. “Your daughter is completely disinterested in learning these particular lessons,” he said, picking at his bun. The horse was looking at his apple. He moved it behind his back. “She was barely civil, to be quite honest.”

  King laughed his booming laugh and the horse snorted in response.

  “Boy, women are like horses. You have to show them who’s boss. Your problem is that you’re not good with people, and by that I mean manipulating them to get them to do what you want. You’re too polite, too nice.”

  Doran stared up at the king. “Manipulate them? That has never been necessary.”

  “That’s because you’re used to dealing with men, who are sane. This here is a girl just barely into womanhood. Not the same thing at all. She’s mad,” he said, tapping his temple with his finger.

  “True,” Doran said thoughtfully.

  “Don’t you have your dancing lesson this afternoon?” King asked curiously.

  Doran could hardly forget, but he was hoping Seraphina would. “I believe it’s still on.”

  “I’ll remind her,” King said graciously.

  Great, he sighed inwardly.

  “All gentlemen, especially royalty, know how to dance, son. It’s a rite of passage. Anyway, a young lady loves to be swept off her feet in a dance by the man she loves. If you hope to attract the girl of your dreams, you’d better learn,” he said wistfully, lost in his own memories momentarily. “It’s for your own good, boy. As for Seraphina…well, sometimes it’s good to give a girl a dose of her own medicine.”