“He’s the king,” Marquis Corbeau said. “And she is a most suitable young lady. He can marry her whenever he likes. Everything is ready. If we delay, he may ruin things like he did with Princess Carina.”
“But you don’t know her,” Collette said. “Gustave-”
Her voice trailed off. Gustave swallowed, trying to understand why everyone was so upset. He had expected them to be happy, but Marquis Corbeau was the only person who looked pleased.
“You all want me to get married,” he said. “You’ve been pushing me to get married for months.”
“Yes,” Bernadine said. “But we didn’t mean to rush you quite this much. You could at least wait until tomorrow. Or next week.”
Elspeth squeezed his hand, and Gustave shook his head.
“Even one night is too long to spend away from my true love.”
“Gustave, you’re being absolutely ridiculous.”
Dowager Queen Bernadine’s expression was rather terrifying. Under other circumstances, it would have made Gustave want to run and hide.
But with his true love standing next to him, he wasn’t afraid of anything. Besides, the law was on his side in this matter. There was nothing they could do to stop the wedding.
So he ignored his grandmother and turned to the marquis.
“Marquis Corbeau, please take Elspeth to be fitted for her gown. Fiora and Collette will attend to her. I trust you can have the rest of the preparations ready within the hour?”
“Of course, Your Majesty! This is everything I have been hoping for!”
Gustave had never seen Marquis Corbeau look so happy. Something in the back of his mind said that wasn’t a good thing. Anything that made Marquis Corbeau happy usually meant trouble for those around him.
Then Elspeth stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek, and Gustave forgot everything else.
“This is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard,” Dowager Queen Bernadine said. “You can’t just waltz in here and drag my grandson to the altar.”
His grandmother’s voice pierced through the fog, and Gustave’s head began to ache. He looked from Elspeth to his grandmother. What did she have against his bride?
Elspeth squeezed his hand tighter and hummed again. She kept doing that. It must be a nervous habit.
Suddenly, Gustave was very annoyed that his family kept making his love nervous.
“You said you would respect my choice,” Gustave said. “You said even if it wasn’t traditional, you would respect my choice.”
“We don’t know her, Gustave,” Collette said. “You don’t know her.”
Her voice was soft. Reasonable. That annoyed Gustave even more than his grandmother’s anger.
“We do know her,” Marquis Corbeau said. “This is Princess Elspeth of Kell. A most eligible match.”
“But she’s a stranger,” Lady Annabelle said.
She looked nearly as outraged as his grandmother and sister.
“Gustave and I have met before,” Elspeth said. “We spoke at a state function several years ago and have exchanged letters since then. I hoped to meet him again at a Princess Test, but my older sister was sent instead.”
She nodded to Princess Fiora as she said this. Fiora’s face was pale, and she leaned on Princess Serafina and Prince Massimo for support.
“Gustave, why didn’t you mention this before?” Collette asked. “Why did you let us keep suggesting potential brides if you were already in love with someone? Why did you-”
Her voice trailed off, and for some reason she looked at Princess Fiora.
“Why indeed?” Dowager Queen Bernadine said. “You’ve never been one to keep secrets from us, Gustave.”
“I-”
Gustave couldn’t quite form the thoughts he needed to answer. He tried to remember meeting Elspeth and writing the letters. The golden fog in his mind assured him it had happened.
Then why had he kept it secret?
“We weren’t sure my father would approve,” Elspeth said. “He wanted Fiora to marry first, but she kept proving unsuccessful in the Princess Tests. Finally, I convinced him to let me attend Gustave’s birthday gala. We were sailing here when I discovered Gustave after his shipwreck. It seemed like fate that I saved his life on the beach that day. Isn’t that right, Gustave?”
Gustave remembered the beach in a vague sort of way, but not meeting Elspeth or writing her letters. He had not been in the habit of speaking to princesses when he was supposed to be negotiating with their fathers. Had he ever even negotiated with the King of Kell?
“Tell them, Gustave.”
Her voice was musical and pleading. A golden haze swallowed the memories and told him that it didn’t matter if he remembered. If his love said it happened, then surely it had happened.
Gustave nodded his agreement.
“Princess Elspeth and I have been acquainted for several years.”
The words floated from his mouth as if someone else had put them there. But that was ridiculous. They were his own thoughts.
No one looked convinced. Elspeth pulled him close and whispered in his ear.
“You’re the king, Gustave. Don’t let them keep us apart.”
Her lips brushed against his ear, and the music in her voice filled his head. Gustave straightened and glared at the crowd gathered around him.
“Elspeth and I will be married tonight. There is no reason to delay. The guests are already here, and Marquis Corbeau has everything prepared. Captain Whist will perform the ceremony.”
“And we’ll leave on our honeymoon right away,” Elspeth said. “My ship and crew are ready for us.”
“Is it wise to sail right now?” Collette said. “Kraken have attacked recently.”
Elspeth gave her a condescending smile.
“I sailed here from Kell without a problem. My charm to repel dark creatures is apparently more effective than whatever you are using. I will be happy to share it with your navy when I return from my honeymoon and take my place as Queen of Montaigne.”
Dowager Queen Bernadine snorted in disbelief and gave Gustave a look that made him feel he was five years old and had been caught sneaking cookies from the pantry. Something buried deep inside told him that Grandmother was right. All of this was unreasonable.
He looked away from his grandmother to avoid finishing the thought and met Princess Fiora’s gaze.
The heartbreak in her deep blue eyes cleared the fog for a moment. She had wrapped her arms around herself as if she were trying to hide from the world. Gustave couldn’t shake the feeling that her sadness was his fault.
He had promised her something. Had meant to do something with her tonight. To ask her something.
What had it been? Apparently something important. Something that mattered to her very much.
Elspeth tightened her grip on his arm. He looked down and met her eyes. His regret at disappointing Fiora disappeared in a wave of golden joy. Elspeth hummed another tune, and Gustave’s heart beat in time with it. Whatever else happened, this was right. Elspeth was right.
“Go prepare for the wedding,” Elspeth said. “I’ll see you soon.”
Then she pulled his head down and kissed him.
Gustave stood frozen for a moment. It was hardly appropriate for her to kiss him in front of everyone like that. They had just met. What was she doing?
Then a song rang through his head and Gustave wrapped his arms around Elspeth’s waist and kissed her back. He felt her grin before she pulled away. She winked at him, grabbed Fiora’s hand, and ordered Marquis Corbeau to show her to a chamber where they could prepare for the ceremony. Fiora stumbled as they walked away.
Gustave watched them go in a daze. His head cleared a little when Elspeth left the room, and he realized that everyone in the ballroom was staring at him.
“Please, dance and enjoy yourselves while we prepare for the wedding,” he said. “It would be a shame to waste this party.”
“Gustave, I would like a word in private.”
<
br /> Dowager Queen Bernadine was positively bristling. Without Elspeth to give him confidence, Gustave shuddered. Whatever his grandmother was angry about, he didn’t have time to deal with it right now. Not if he was going to be married within the hour.
“It’s best not to keep my bride waiting.”
He ran up the stairs before anyone could stop him. The song filled his head as he left the room, and joy flooded his heart. At last, something had gone right. He had found his love, and they would rule Montaigne together.
The memory of the betrayed expression in Fiora’s eyes made him miss a step, and his stockinged feet slipped on the smooth marble floor. Gustave leaned against the wall to catch his balance and rubbed his head. Something was wrong. Things were mixed up somehow.
Then a golden haze washed away the memory of those sad eyes.
Nothing was wrong.
For once in his life, everything was just right.
Or at least, it would be once he found his shoes.
61
“Why didn’t you tell us you were Princess Fiora?”
Collette looked angry, but was it because of the deception or Gustave’s sudden infatuation with Elspeth?
Probably both.
“I’m sorry.”
It wasn’t an answer, but it was all Fiora felt she could say.
“Did you know that Gustave was in love with Elspeth? Was your coming here all part of some game?”
“What? No!”
Fiora glared at Collette. The princess of Montaigne returned the expression. Her face looked strained, as if her features weren’t used to arranging themselves in anything but a gentle smile.
“Ladies, you shouldn’t have conversations that Princess Elspeth can’t understand,” Marquis Corbeau said. “You are her wedding attendants. It is rude to ignore her.”
Collette bit her lip, clearly trying to refrain from yelling at the marquis.
“It is beyond rude to crash a birthday party and turn it into your wedding,” Fiora signed.
Her friendship with Collette was ruined, and Gustave had lost interest in her the moment he saw Elspeth. Fiora had nothing left to lose but her life, and that would happen soon enough. She might as well just be herself.
To Fiora’s surprise, Collette’s lips quirked up in a small smile before returning to a scowl.
“What did my sister say?” Elspeth asked.
Her sweet smile never wavered. Surely she knew that Princess Collette was upset, but she acted as if everything was fine.
Collette glanced at Fiora.
“Princess Fiora was reminding me to ask Marchioness Rouge about commissioning a crown for you. The expense will have to be approved by the council immediately if we want it to be ready by the time you get back from your honeymoon.”
“Oh, how thoughtful.”
Elspeth looked to Marquis Corbeau for confirmation. He nodded.
“Princess Collette and Marchioness Rouge have been overseeing the budget while King Gustave took care of gala matters. But I can speak to Marchioness Rouge for you. There is no need to neglect your duties as Princess Elspeth’s wedding attendant.”
“Oh, but both of us must sign the paper to make it official. Surely you don’t want Princess Elspeth to wear an old crown for her coronation?”
Marquis Corbeau considered this.
“And I know you have a lot to do to prepare for the wedding,” Collette continued. “I would hate to take you away from your duties and risk delaying the ceremony.”
“Oh, we shouldn’t delay,” Elspeth said. “Please, go, Princess Collette. My sister can assist me.”
“Very well,” Marquis Corbeau said. “But make sure you commission something worthy of our new queen. Perhaps you could use the surplus budget you were going to spend on assisting merchants to buy new jewels.”
“Yes, of course,” Collette said.
She curtsied to Marquis Corbeau, then turned to Fiora.
“Stall her. I’ll summon the council and find a way to stop this.”
Fiora blinked in surprise. Collette looked rather fierce. The princess of Montaigne raised her eyebrow in a question, and Fiora nodded. Gustave seemed to have made up his mind about the matter, but she owed it to Collette to help however she could.
Princess Collette rushed out the door before Elspeth or Marquis Corbeau could demand a translation of their conversation. The seamstress bustled into the room, carrying a gorgeous white dress trimmed with pearls and embroidered seashells. Her assistant followed with an armful of white shoes.
Marquis Corbeau bowed to Elspeth.
“Send word if you need anything else, Your Highness. I will go take care of the other preparations.”
“Thank you, Marquis. I look forward to working with you as your queen.”
Marquis Corbeau beamed, bowed again, and hurried from the room.
Fiora sank into a chair, taking the weight off her feet as the seamstress helped Elspeth into the gown and marked the places to alter.
There weren’t many. The dress looked as if it were made for the princess.
“I’ll take this back to the sewing room and have it ready for you soon,” the seamstress promised. “Would you prefer to wait here or accompany me?”
“We’ll wait here,” Elspeth said. “I would like a few moments alone with my sister before the ceremony.”
The seamstress nodded and carried the dress out of the room. Elspeth turned to Fiora.
“Well, you have managed to get into quite a mess.”
Fiora glared and crossed her arms over her chest.
“Have you really lost your voice?”
“Of course I have. What are you doing here, Elspeth? Why didn’t you ever mention that you were writing letters to King Gustave?”
Elspeth shook her head.
“I’m sure you’re trying to explain yourself, but it’s no good. I don’t understand sign language.”
Fiora snorted. If this conversation was going to be one-sided, why was Elspeth so determined to have it?
Perhaps because it was going to be one-sided. Because Elspeth had won, and now she could gloat without worrying about being interrupted.
“I know Father is difficult, Fiora, but is he really so bad that you had to run away from home?”
Fiora raised an eyebrow, and Elspeth laughed.
“Perhaps he is. I know I’ll be happy to be married and out from under his roof. It will be nice to be the one making the rules for a change.”
Fiora desperately wanted to respond. To yell. To fight back somehow.
But her voice was gone and her heart was broken. Not to mention her feet hurt so badly she couldn’t walk, and she was almost out of time.
The only question now was, would the transformation enchantment kill her first? Or would she turn into sea foam when Gustave married Elspeth?
Fiora glared at her ring. At the enchanted gem that dared to glisten as if she still had some hope of surviving the night.
At that mysterious wisp of gold curling around the surface. What did it mean?
“I know someone who could help you,” Elspeth said.
Fiora narrowed her eyes. Help with what?
“You’re clearly in some kind of distress. Your voice is gone. You’re hiding from your family. Are you under some sort of curse?”
Fiora shrugged. Her very existence felt like a curse at this point.
“I have a friend who knows magic, and I think she could help.”
Elspeth hesitated, and Fiora waited. It wasn’t like she had anything better to do.
“Come with us,” Elspeth said finally. “You can serve as my lady-in-waiting when Gustave and I leave on our honeymoon. There’s plenty of room for you on our ship. We’ll sail to visit my friend and see if she can help you.”
Fiora swallowed. The last thing she wanted to do was see Gustave and Elspeth together any more than necessary. Accompanying them on their honeymoon would be torture. The way he looked at her-
Fiora closed her eyes and pushed
the image away. Whatever she had thought Gustave felt towards her, she had been wrong. The ring was wrong. He loved Elspeth.
“I’m family, Fiora. I know we haven’t always gotten along, but I’d like to help you. I doubt the royal family of Montaigne will want you to stay here since you lied to them. Come with us and let me help you.”
Fiora swallowed. Elspeth had never helped her. Not once in ten years.
But maybe she had been trying. Maybe Fiora herself had been the problem.
This castle would be unbearable without Gustave.
Although Collette had asked her to stall the ceremony. Was it a gesture of friendship? Or simply desperation?
Elspeth waited for an answer. Her face looked angelic. She glowed like a woman in love.
It wasn’t Elspeth’s fault that Gustave loved her. That Fiora was unlovable. That her entire relationship with the king had been based on lies that had crumbled like a sandcastle.
Fiora sighed. Even if Elspeth’s friend couldn’t help her, getting on a ship would bring her closer to the mermaids. They seemed her best chance at survival now.
It was better than staying in Montaigne and waiting to die at sunrise.
She nodded, and Elspeth smiled brightly.
“Oh, I’m so glad, Fiora. It will be so nice to spend some time together, and I know Gustave will be pleased as well. He seems to value your friendship.”
Friendship.
The word stabbed through Fiora like a knife. It was hard to tell exactly what caused the pain. The curse or Gustave’s betrayal or Elspeth’s misplaced kindness.
The rest of the time before the ceremony passed in a blur. The seamstress returned and helped Elspeth into the wedding gown. Marquis Corbeau bustled in and out, checking on the bride and commanding an army of servants.
Fiora did what she could to slow things down, but Marquis Corbeau was too efficient to allow many delays.
And then it was time. Collette joined them outside the door to the ballroom. The princess looked exhausted, as if she had been sprinting around the castle since she left them. She probably had been. Collette met Fiora’s gaze and shook her head.
Apparently her attempt to stop the wedding had not been successful.
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