“I can’t believe we met fairies,” I said.
“Don’t change the subject. Do you like him?”
“Yes.”
“Scars and all?”
Her words were teasing, but her tone was serious. I met her gaze and nodded.
“Scars and all. I can’t believe he’s kept a secret like that his whole life.”
“You get used to it.”
She stretched her arm out and created a handful of tiny stars. They hovered in the air and glittered against her skin.
“Your secret is safe with me.”
“I know it is. Thank you, Alma.”
We sat in silence for a few moments more, then Rosa yawned and stood.
“There’s nothing more we can do tonight. We should sleep.”
“Sleep sounds good.”
For more reasons than one.
As soon as Rosa left, I crawled into bed and clutched Lorenzo’s Rosas Rojas under my pillow. The fresh pine scent filled the room, and my heart pounded in my chest. I would have to remind him that I wasn’t noble. That this couldn’t go any further.
I stared at the red dress crumpled on my floor until I fell asleep.
I appeared in the castle ballroom. I once again wore Mother’s gown, and my face looked normal in the mirrors. As it had before I got mixed up in all the enchantments. I smiled with relief. I wasn’t fully bloomed. I wasn’t magically beautiful. I was just myself.
Just Alma.
Lorenzo stood across the ballroom. I hurried toward him. Time passed quickly in the dream, and we had a lot to talk about.
I forgot about my questions when I reached him. His eyes were half-closed, and his head kept nodding forward.
“Lorenzo, are you alright?”
“Doctors. Enchanted sleep,” he mumbled.
“Come sit down then.”
I grabbed his sleeve, careful not to touch his skin, and pulled him over to a bench. Once he sat down, he seemed a bit more alert. He held up his hand and gestured to his ring. He was trying to say something, but he wasn’t awake enough to form the words.
I swallowed my questions about the kiss. He was in no shape for a serious discussion.
“Does your ring work the same way my necklace does?” I asked instead. “Does it use your soul loop?”
“We’re the same now,” Lorenzo said.
“Except you’re not cursed.”
“You don’t think so?”
I hesitated. Would Mirella have sneaked into the Dark Market for a portrait of Lorenzo if he wasn’t magically handsome? Would I have dreamed of dancing with him if he was covered in scars?
“It’s different,” I said at last. It was the only consolation I could truthfully give.
The prince dozed off for a moment. Then he shook his head and forced his eyes to open.
“I’m sorry, Alma. The doctors are strengthening the sleep charm.”
He leaned back in the chair and fell asleep.
The ballroom was boring without anyone to talk to. At least Divinia’s charm didn’t affect me in the Rosas Rojas enchantment. I was free to work all the magic I wanted.
I snapped myself into my quince gown and experimented with the bodice to pass the time. The real dress was a pile of thread, but I could dream.
When I got bored with that, I snapped myself back into Mother’s gown. The red dress was also in tatters in real life. Could I make something of the pieces?
The bodice had suffered the worst damage. It would have to be redone. I waved my hands and changed the shape. I added full sleeves and lined them with gold.
Beautiful, but it no longer looked good with the skirt. I removed the fabric with a snap of my fingers and stretched it out. What if I draped it differently? I cut the fabric into smaller pieces and created several layers. They began to look like petals. Like an upside down rose.
I added more layers and curled the edges to enhance the effect. Then I put a few pieces of sheer fabric on top. I twirled, and the rose petal skirt floated around me.
I would love to dance for real in this dress. The nobles at the ball would stare and whisper, wondering who had created such a gown. It would be something different.
“Something different,” I murmured.
I assumed the girl I had seen through the fairy telescope was the Salarian princess. I wasn’t sure why Ethan and Rosa had been spying on her, but one thing had been clear.
Princess Ingrid was not satisfied with her wedding gown.
Could I create something different for her?
I snapped my fingers and put myself back into my quince gown. Then I turned it white and added a veil.
The curled ribbons didn’t look good in white. I waved my hands and replaced them with lace. Behind me, someone coughed.
I snapped my fingers and changed back into Mother’s red dress. Had Lorenzo seen me trying on wedding gowns? What would he think?
The prince was still asleep on the bench, so who had made the noise?
“Hello?” I said. “Is anyone there?”
Silence.
I walked around the edge of the ballroom, checking behind pillars. A shape flickered in the shadows across the room. I chased after it, but the shadow vanished.
Who was haunting my dream?
I used fabric magic to pick Lorenzo up by his clothes and move him to the center of the room, as far away from the dark edges as possible. I used more magic to pull a cushion off a chair and tucked it under his head for a pillow. He didn’t wake up.
“You can’t touch me,” I said to the lurking shadows. “The magic won’t let you.”
But did that magic also protect Lorenzo?
I stood guard over him and watched out the window as the dream moon crossed the dream sky.
The moon’s glow gave me an idea for the wedding dress. I snapped myself back into the gown and changed the lace to silver. It looked better, but was it too much contrast? What if I tried white lace with silver edges?
Lorenzo slept on the marble floor for the rest of the night. Just when I had found the perfect blend of white and silver for the lace, the ballroom faded to darkness.
“Good morning, Hija.”
I sat up in bed.
“Tía Teresa?”
She smiled at me.
“I finally got a message to your father, and he convinced that woman that I didn’t try to kill you with a corset. What is that?”
She pointed to the fairy dress. It sat on floor in a pile of hoops and frills.
“I had to borrow a gown.”
“It smells like a horse,” she kicked it into a corner of the room and wrinkled her nose.
I sniffed. Something did smell horsey. Not in a bad way. It reminded me of rides through the countryside just after the hay had been cut. Not that I particularly enjoyed that sort of thing, but it smelled pleasant enough.
“I spent some time outdoors yesterday.”
No need to mention I had been cursed, trampled, and transported to the Fairy Mountain.
Tía Teresa placed her hands on my shoulders and examined me.
“You look different, Hija.”
I clasped the fairy charm and traced the swirling lines with my thumb.
“I’m just happy, I suppose. You’re back, and the treaty negotiations are going well.”
She stared at me, studying my features. Would she guess what had happened? Surely not. Even I had trouble deciding exactly what Divinia had changed when I looked in the mirror.
Finally, Tía Teresa shrugged.
“Well, happiness suits you. Now, let’s put you in a decent outfit. You need to look nice since you’ve been attracting the prince’s attention.”
“He kissed me.”
Tía Teresa threw her hands in the air, and clothes shot out of my wardrobe.
“By the roses! That’s practically a proposal!”
“Tía, not so loud! He didn’t mean anything by it. It just sort of happened.”
“Of course he meant something by it. Prince Lorenzo
is a gentleman. He wouldn’t-”
Someone knocked at the door. Tía Teresa snapped me into a dressing gown before answering.
“An invitation for Miss Alma,” Rodrigo said.
He handed me a note edged with silver. I recognized the design in the seal. The royal crest.
“What does it say?” Tía Teresa demanded.
I broke the wax seal, read the invitation, and swallowed several times before I could speak.
“I’ve been invited to the castle for breakfast with Lorenzo. Afterward, I’m to sit for a portrait with Alessandro.”
Tía Teresa clasped my hands.
“Oh, Hija!”
“Only donnas sit for portraits in the castle,” I said. “Alessandro only paints the highest ranking nobles.”
Tía Teresa nodded as if she saw no problem with this.
“But I’m not a donna.”
“If the prince doesn’t care, why should Alessandro? Now what will you wear?”
I collapsed onto my bed while she searched through my clothes. It was too much to process. I studied the note, trying to find a clue. Some hidden message that would explain Lorenzo’s intentions.
“Maybe he forgot I’m not noble,” I said. “The rest of my family is.”
Tía Teresa ignored my comment and snapped me into a rose pink gown. It was too short. She raised an eyebrow and added a row of lace at the bottom.
“Donna Senona ordered me not to leave the house.”
“You are not ignoring a summons from the prince. I’ll deal with that woman.”
I watched in the mirror as she added embellishments to make the gown more formal.
I wished I could snap my fingers and make the changes myself. The trim would look better in gold than silver, and the style was too basic for a portrait.
“Tía, the sleeves should be fuller.”
She shook her head.
“We don’t have time to collaborate, Hija. I’ll make sure you look presentable.”
I thought of Mother and tried to form a soul loop. I felt a slight twinge of emotion, but no magic. I sighed and turned to the mirror again.
I wrinkled my nose, trying to convince myself that I was the girl in the reflection. My face looked beautiful no matter what I did. It felt as unfamiliar as being in Rosa’s body.
“That’s a pretty necklace,” Tía Teresa said. “I think you should wear that for the portrait.”
“So do I.”
I stared at the mirror while she worked. My slim, tall, perfect reflection stared back.
Chapter 30
I walked into the castle with my head held high. Maybe no one would recognize me from the corset disaster at the ball. Divinia’s necklace made me look quite different. I was simply a commoner who had been invited for breakfast with the prince. No need to stare.
Everyone stared. Servants, nobles, apprentices, and guild members watched me as I walked. Hushed whispers and giggles followed me through the endless hallways
I kept my eyes straight ahead, but my cheeks flushed pink. The castle was much busier in the daytime, but the bustle of activity wasn’t enough to distract from my presence.
The footman led me to the rose gardens. Lorenzo waited at a table set for two. He stood and pulled out my chair for me.
“Welcome, Alma.”
I smiled at him and sat down. The rose bushes provided some privacy, but it was impossible to ignore the castle looming over us. It cast a shadow over most of the garden, and movement in the windows reminded me that we weren’t truly alone. Anyone with an excuse to hover at the windows would be watching.
None of this seemed to bother Lorenzo. He split the food from a tray onto two plates and handed one to me.
“I thought this might be a nice change of scenery. We’ve spent a lot of time in the ballroom.”
I turned away from the castle and focused on the prince. The doctors had done their work well. He didn’t show any signs that he had been stabbed last night. My gaze darted from his handsome face to the fairy ring. I fidgeted with my own charm, sliding it back and forth along the chain.
“I apologize for last night,” he said. “I told the doctors I didn’t need extra care. They thought I wouldn’t notice if I was asleep.”
“I’m glad you have recovered.”
Lorenzo raised his glass of juice.
“A toast to the girl who saved me.”
I raised my glass and took a sip. It was hard to swallow.
Why was I so nervous? There was no need to be formal. I had spent plenty of time with Lorenzo.
Time in the woods and a magical dream, but this was different. Being out in the open made it feel more official.
Lorenzo leaned towards me.
“Alma, are you well?”
I set my juice down.
“This is intimidating, Your Highness. And people are watching.”
I gestured to the castle windows. Lorenzo shrugged.
“They’re always watching. Alma, about last night-”
My heart beat faster. I wasn’t sure how to bring up the kiss, but it was the only thing I really wanted to talk about. Lorenzo seemed unsure how to continue, and he didn’t finish the sentence.
So I was right. He was having second thoughts. I did my best to smile at him.
“Lorenzo, you don’t have to explain anything. I know I’m a commoner and you’re a prince.”
He raised an eyebrow.
“Is that your only objection? Alma, I hope you don’t regret my kissing you.”
“I kissed you back.”
He grinned.
“So you did. Alma, please relax. I don’t want things to be awkward between us.”
He wrinkled his nose at me. I laughed and returned the gesture. With both of us fairy-enchanted, we could have been looking in a mirror. I winked, and so did he.
“No awkwardness,” I agreed.
He reached across the table and took my hand. I halfway expected the magical chaperon to separate us with a blast of magic, but that only happened in the dream. I squeezed his hand and grinned.
A servant ducked from behind a rosebush to remove the empty tray. Lorenzo winked and let my hand go. As soon as the servant had gone, I leaned towards the prince.
“Would the doctor’s treatments have changed the Rosas Rojas dream in any way?”
“Other than me falling asleep when I desperately wanted to talk to you?”
“That was inconvenient, but I heard a cough after you fell asleep. And something was hiding behind the pillars. It stayed in the shadows. Whatever it was, I couldn’t catch it.”
Lorenzo’s smile faded.
“You stayed in the Rosas Rojas dream after I passed out? You saw someone else there?”
“I saw movement. A shadow in the corner of the room.”
“Could you ask your stepmother about it? She owns a rose estate. She might have an idea.”
“Donna Senona doesn’t know I’ve been using the Rosas Rojas to see you, and she definitely doesn’t approve of us spending time together.”
“She doesn’t think a prince is worth your attention?”
“She thinks I’m too young.”
I hesitated for a moment.
“Lorenzo, she knows we kissed.”
“You told your stepmother about that?”
“Rosa did. My parents were trying to find out where we’d been all night, and Rosa thought the story would distract them.”
“Did it work?”
My face turned red, and Lorenzo laughed.
“She has a right to be protective, Alma. Everything will work out.”
“You remember I’m not a donna, right?”
“Yes, Just Alma, I remember.”
A servant hurried toward us.
“My apologies for the interruption, Your Highness, but it is time for your next appointment.”
“Of course. Are you done eating, Alma?”
I nodded. I hadn’t eaten much, but it was all I could manage. Lorenzo and I walked through the c
astle, and whispers echoed behind us as we passed. If people thought I was interesting before, I was even more so with the prince by my side.
“Wait here,” Lorenzo said, stopping in front of two giant wooden doors. “Come in when they announce you.”
He dashed around the corner before I could ask questions. The guards standing on either side of the doors studied me with critical eyes.
“Do you know what this is about?” I asked.
They straightened to attention and didn’t answer.
“Alma!”
Rosa and Ethan sprinted down the hallway. A footman followed a few steps behind them.
“Please… Wait…” he gasped. “I’m supposed to escort you.”
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
Ethan waved an envelope with a familiar wax seal.
“We were summoned so Lorenzo could talk to us. What about you?”
“He invited me to breakfast.”
And to a portrait sitting, but that wasn’t a group activity. What was the prince doing?
On the other side of the door, a trumpet blast pierced the air.
“Quiet, please,” the footman said. “They’re ready for you. Stand in a line and try to look dignified.”
“You say that like you don’t think it’s possible,” Rosa said.
That was a bit much coming from someone who had just sprinted through the castle. I smirked and stood straighter. Whatever was coming, I would keep my composure.
The doors swung open, and I forgot about looking dignified. I gasped when I realized where I was.
I had seen paintings of the throne room, but they failed to capture the grandeur of the space. Graceful marble pillars stretched up for what seemed like miles, supporting a stained glass ceiling with pictures of roses. Hundreds of nobles filled the room. Their sea of colorful outfits was almost as interesting as the architecture.
The nobles crowded against the walls, leaving an aisle through the middle of the crowd. Lorenzo sat on an immense wooden throne at the end of the room. The back of the throne was carved into the wall, and the wood spread in intricate vines that stretched toward the ceiling.
Everything smelled of pine. Father stood next to the throne with the rest of the prince’s council. Don Francisco stood next to him, his curled beard bristling with indignation. The Salarian delegation stood on the opposite side of the throne. They all looked pleased.
Lady Alma Page 21