The Princess Search: A Retelling of The Ugly Duckling (The Four Kingdoms Book 5)

by Melanie Cellier

  Chapter 9

  But my heart rate had only begun to race when a shadow fell across me. Apparently we weren’t alone after all. Frederic sat on the sand beside me, and I almost cried from the relief of his presence. Only the slightest flick of his eyes in the noble boy’s direction gave any hint that he knew Marcus was there. Had he seen Marcus’s expression and come to rescue me? For some reason, my heart rate sped back up.

  After a moment of silence, I heard retreating footsteps and peeked across to see Marcus’s disappearing back. I let out a breath.

  “Tell me,” said Frederic quietly.

  I looked at him with a furrowed brow.

  “Tell me what happened to you here on this island. And I don’t mean how you came to leave. Celine already told me about that.” His hand, which had been resting against the sand, clenched, squeezing a handful of sand tight in his fist.

  I looked across the water, wondering where to start, wondering what he wanted to hear.

  “The viscount was on a visit to the mainland,” I said eventually. “And he found me in a small town on the edge of the jungle. I had run out of food while traveling through it and so had stopped to pay for my meals with work. He asked me who my family was, and I told him that I had none.”

  I paused, working down a lump in my throat, and Frederic waited patiently, asking no questions.

  “He invited me to be his ward, and to return to Catalie with him. I was so grateful to him at first. Becoming the ward to a nobleman seemed like a literal fairy tale come true. I didn’t realize then…It was only later…” I stopped again, working down a second lump.

  “Did he…hurt you?” asked Frederic, his voice sounding strange.

  I looked at him in surprise and nearly recoiled from the anger in his eyes, un-reflected in his otherwise strangely-still face.

  “No, no,” I assured him. “Not physically, anyway.” I sighed. “I was so determined that this home would last. It didn’t matter what Monique or Marcus said, I was determined not to let them drive me away. But then the weeks turned into months, and the viscount—my supposed foster father—never made any move to reprimand them or defend me. That’s when I realized the truth.”

  I stopped again, and Frederic said, “Evie,” in a voice so gentle I shook my head, my eyes focused back across the water. If he gave me any sympathy, I would break. And now that I had started, I wanted to get through this. I wanted someone to know.

  “My lack of family had given the viscount the excuse he needed to make me his ward instead of his servant. But his purpose had never been generosity or any true intent to include me in his family. He had seen my skill—even then I could design a dress that stood out, and doubly so in that tiny village where he found me—and he had wished to secure my services. Services he didn’t have to pay for, services that couldn’t be stolen away from his family by someone willing to pay more.”

  Anger made me ball my hands into fists. “He never introduced me to anyone here as his ward. But my thankfulness blinded me. I worked hard because I so longed to show my gratitude for being taken in and given a home. But eventually I noticed that they never took me with them when they left the house. They never introduced me to their friends at all. When I eventually started going out on my own, the people I met were surprised to learn of my existence. Though I crafted the dresses that the viscountess and her daughters wore to parties, I was never invited to attend myself.”

  “Such a man does not deserve a noble title,” said Frederic quietly.

  I didn’t look at him since I didn’t know if I could handle whatever I might see on his face. Instead, I shrugged. “My life actually changed for the better after I recognized my true situation—once I stopped looking for love from any of them. I sewed less after that and explored the island more. I figured if the viscount didn’t want to pay me as a servant or hire my services as a dressmaker, he couldn’t require me to work unceasingly, either.”

  Silence fell between us, and I began to regret my words. They were gone from me now, and I couldn’t take them back. This prince, strong and sure of himself, knew some part of how pathetic and friendless I had been for most of my life. It wasn’t the image that I wanted him to have of me. And his last words rang through my mind. Had I just sowed the seeds of trouble between Lanover’s future king and one of his important nobles? If so, that hadn’t been the action of a friend. I should have bitten my tongue, however nicely he asked.

  I forced myself to look past my own hurt and consider the viscount as objectively as I could.

  “You asked me earlier if the viscount ever hurt me. I never feared him in such a way. I often feared…” I paused. “…someone else. But, in truth, no one ever lifted a finger against me. And I think that’s because everyone knows the viscount would not permit such behavior within his lands. I have heard the villagers talk often enough. They do not find him liberal with his wealth, or generous with his time and attention, but they all feel safe on his lands.”

  Frederic seemed to consider these words. “It is a relief to me to hear that he has some honor, at least—some sense of responsibility to his people, even if it is not what it should be.”

  A part of me hated to admit any strengths in the man I had once longed to look up to as a father, but the fair part of me admitted it was true. “And he has raised his son to think the same way.”

  “Yes, Julian seems to be a decent sort,” said Frederic, with a strange sideways glance at me, “if a little blind on some things.”

  The statement was so exactly how I would have described him that I couldn’t help a smile despite the emotional toll my confessions had taken. The warmth of the sun and my full stomach were making me sleepy, and I wished I could lie down and take a nap.

  “Frederic!” Celine’s yell brought us both to our feet, but when she appeared she looked happy. “Julian tells me he has the most cunning little catamaran. And he’ll take us all out for a sail any day we like.”

  “Except tomorrow,” said Julian. “Some of the officials from the surrounding islands are coming in for a day of meetings with the princes.”

  “The next day, then?” asked Celine.

  Frederic weighed his sister’s hopeful expression before glancing out to the horizon. Something on his face told me he liked the idea of a sail himself. “Certainly, if you would like it,” was all he said, however.

  That wasn’t the end of the matter, of course. Much conversation ensued, especially once it had been established that the catamaran didn’t have room for our whole group. I checked out of the conversation at that point since I obviously wouldn’t be one of the sailors. Especially not given that Monique—who had been unusually silent up until that point—took direction of the sailing expedition.

  Delphine told me she’d found a rare sea anemone that she wanted to show me, so we wandered away from the rest of the group to the rock pools located on the far end of the beach. Some time later, her younger sister came into view calling loudly for us to return. Half the group had already mounted up by the time we made it back, so we scrambled onto our horses and headed back to the manor house.

  When we arrived, Celine drew me aside and asked if I would make some more bathing costumes so she could distribute a few as gifts on her departure. “Not as magnificent as ours, of course,” she instructed with a wink. “But I think even a simpler version will do a lot to win good will toward the crown among some of the younger nobles.

  I chuckled and agreed and spent the next day sewing, trying not to think about the possibility that I might be once again sewing for Monique and Shantelle. I reminded myself that while the previous dresses I had created for them had been done under false pretenses, the royals paid generously for my skills, and it wasn’t for me to dictate what they did with the commissions I made for them.

  Celine popped past my tent in the late afternoon, but when I tried to report on my progress, she waved my words away. “Oh, don’t worry about that. I have no doubt you’ll have them ready by the time we leave,
and I don’t need them before. I just came past because I wasn’t sure if you knew what time we’re leaving in the morning.”

  I knit my eyebrows. “Did you want me to come and see you off?”

  “See us off?” Celine laughed. “You’re coming with us, silly.”

  “Coming with you?” I blinked.

  “Of course.” She winked at me. “Don’t forget our secret mission. A couple of the girls here seem nice, but you’re the one who really knows them. I need your insight.”

  I gulped. Oh dear. Still. I used to sail sometimes with some of the villagers, but I had never been on Julian’s catamaran. And I had to admit I had always wanted to do so. It was a beautiful craft.

  “Thank you—for convincing them to include me,” I said, not wanting to seem reluctant or ungrateful.

  Celine gave me a quizzical look. “I’m delighted to have you, of course, but it wasn’t me who insisted on your presence. That was Frederic.”

  Frederic? I bit the inside of my cheek. Had he done it because of our conversation on the beach? Was he trying to force the viscount’s family to do something to make up for their earlier neglect?

  The next morning, I arrived early at the meeting point, not wishing to make the royals look bad after they had honored me with a place on the sail. Celine had informed me that she wanted to swim off the boat but didn’t want to do so alone, so I was obediently wearing my new swimming costume.

  I wasn’t surprised, though, to see that the other girls had all come in attractive day gowns. However, surprise did hit me when I saw the rest of the group. Julian, Monique, and Shantelle were all present, of course. Along with Frederic, Cassian, and Celine. And I had expected to see Marcus as well. But Delphine and her oldest sister and brother were there instead of Carmel or any of Monique’s other friends.

  I greeted them with enthusiasm, even going so far as to smile at Shantelle, but I kept as much distance from Monique and Marcus as possible. They sent no insults my way and refrained from so much as glaring in my direction. Because the royals had shown me favor? Or was it possible they had actually let go of their former hatred?

  A moment’s reflection on their behavior so far made me reject that possibility. So I kept a close eye on them as we all loaded onto the sleek forty-foot catamaran. Its white hulls shone so brightly they looked as if they had been polished, the sails crisp and new. Julian was an experienced sailor, but a crew of two had joined us for the day so the noble would be free to host his guests.

  Monique carefully positioned herself to ensure Frederic offered her his hand to help her on board. Celine rolled her eyes at this, clambering on alone before turning to help me. I grinned at her, but the expression fell away when I saw an odd look pass between Monique and Marcus. Her eyes seemed to question him, and the conspiratorial look he gave her in return, one of clear satisfaction, made me want to check if anything disgusting had made its way onto the back of my dress. It had been one of their favorite pranks in the past.

  But Celine assured me nothing had gone awry with my costume, giving me a confused look along with the reassurance. So, I forced myself to smile and chat with Delphine’s brother and sister as I accepted one of the drinks that were being passed around. The cool sweetness of the tropical fruit juice blend against my tongue made some of my muscles relax. And soon the added delight of full sails and a warm sun had me laughing along with the others.

  A pod of dolphins arrived to form an honor guard around the boat, and we spread out across the deck, no one wanting to go below deck on such a beautiful day. The sun sparkled off the turquoise water, our catamaran gliding sleekly through the small swells. Mesmerized, I watched the white bubbles dissolve back into the smooth water.

  “I always wanted a vessel like this,” conceded Frederic’s voice in my ear.

  I turned my head to regard him. “You’re the crown prince. If a viscount’s son can afford one, surely you can.”

  He shook his head. “Of course, but I have little time or opportunity for leisure sails such as this. It would have been a waste of royal resources to keep such a boat unused.”

  “It’s not like people think it is, is it?” I asked quietly. “Being a prince or princess.”

  “No,” he said with a sigh, “not exactly. You don’t get to choose your responsibilities or pass them on to someone else. They can never be laid down, either.”

  He took a breath and forced a more cheerful expression on his face. “But today is just the sort of day people imagine when they think of being a prince. And I for one intend to enjoy it.”

  I thought he was about to say something else, but Monique’s voice called him from the other side of the deck, and he excused himself with a wry smile. I watched him walk away, raising my hand in farewell when he glanced back at me over his shoulder.

  It had never occurred to me that I might find myself back here on Catalie, in such company. You would think I would have grown accustomed to the twists and turns life took by now, and yet it still took me by surprise.

  Celine and Cassian each wandered in my direction at different times, standing beside me for a while, and Delphine called me to join her further down the rail at one point to observe two calves playing in the waves beside their sleek gray parents. Eventually we reached the other side of Catalie, and the crew threw down the anchor. We could see one of the other islands far in the hazy distance and, much closer, a stunning beach of white sand, surrounded on all sides by thick greenery.

  This mini cove was a favorite destination of boats, virtually unreachable by land. On occasion I had even rowed out here from the nearest village in a large canoe with a group of the locals for a full-day excursion of pleasure. Memories like that kept ambushing me from forgotten recesses of my mind. It had been all too easy to forget my many happy memories of Catalie.

  With the sails furled and the anchor down, the crew turned into serving men, producing a lavish lunch. When I had eaten my fill, I lay on the deck, shielding my eyes from the sun, too content to attempt conversation.

  “Behold, Sleeping Beauty,” said Frederic with a laugh in his voice.

  “Perhaps she needs to be woken with a kiss?” suggested Celine’s cheeky voice behind him.

  I sat up fast, inducing a head rush, and glared at her. She just laughed and wandered away. Frederic gallantly offered me his hand to help me rise, but I couldn’t meet his eyes as his fingers warmly clasped mine. Hurrying for the opposite end of the boat, I faced the unpleasant thought that I was becoming far too fond of the crown prince’s presence. I had adjusted myself to so many different communities in the past, and here I was doing it again. Forgetting that, just like all the others, this community had no permanent place for me. How many times did I have to learn the same painful lessons?

  The crew had packed away the remnants of our feast and raised the anchor. They fought now to bring the sails under control and turn us to the correct heading. I could hear the exclamations of the rest of the guests, who had gathered at the front of the boat to watch a swarm of bright fish pass by in the clear water, but I felt no desire to join them.

  Something about the creased faces of the two crewmen as they conversed in an undertone caught my attention. A shiver of fear raced through me. I told myself I was giving way to a flight of fancy. But I had learned to trust my instincts over the years, and I could feel my heart thrumming in my chest.

  I looked around for Julian—he would know what was going on—but he was nowhere in sight. I frowned. It seemed unusual for him to absent himself in such a way when he had been so assiduous in his duties as host to the royals during our visit thus far. But then, surely he would be with the crew if there were truly a problem?

  I started down the few stairs into the small cabin area. I would find Julian, and he would reassure me—with a look of astonishment at my existence, no doubt—that all was well.

  But as I stepped down onto the polished boards of the cabin, the opposite certainty gripped me. Water sloshed around my feet as a terse command I co
uldn’t quite understand sounded from back up on deck. The boat rocked unnaturally, throwing me against an attached table, as the water at my feet climbed higher.

  A louder call from on deck rang out. “Abandon ship!”

  Chapter 10

  I cried out, nearly falling as I twisted back toward the stairs. The water already reached my knees. But as my grasping fingers found the smooth handrail, a sound from inside the cabin drew my attention backward. I paused.

  A banging, which I now realized had been sounding ever since I descended inside, had erupted into a fury at the sound of my cry. I looked longingly up the stairs before wading through the rising water after the source of the noise. When a hoarse call sounded from inside a cabin, it confirmed my guess. Julian.

  Reaching the door, I tried to twist the handle, but it didn’t budge. The banging stopped, however, so I called through the solid wood panels. “It’s Evie. It seems to be locked. Do you know where I could find a key?”

  “Get one of the crew,” he called back.

  “There’s no time,” I shouted. “They’re abandoning ship.” I didn’t mention that the water had now reached my thighs, since he must be experiencing the same thing.

  He swore and then was silent for a moment.

  “Julian?” I was starting to shake although the water wasn’t actually that cold. My mind was screaming at me to get out now while I still could, but I pushed it down. Julian might not be my favorite person, but that didn’t mean he deserved to die. Perhaps one of his crew would come looking for him and absolve me of responsibility. They probably knew where to find a key, too.

  “Try the table,” Julian called at last. “There’s a small hidden drawer on the underside. It’s at one of the corners. If you run your fingers underneath, you should be able to feel a small mechanism to open it.”