THIRTY-ONE

 

It was almost dawn by the time Zuleika reached the prince's home, but falling into bed was certainly worth the ride. She fell asleep almost instantly, safe in the knowledge that Inga and the other servants would guard her chamber until she awoke.

She slept late into the day, waking only when she heard Inga's voice calling her name. Well, not her name...the one the prince had given her.

"My lady, you must dress for the feast," Inga said.

No, the feast was last night. A noisy affair in the village hall where they served yellow fish, smothered in saffron. And then there'd been pirates...

"My lady, the prince insists that you must sit by his side at the feast. There is always a big celebration after a victory at sea and this one is a double victory, he says, with no men lost. The people are saying it is a miracle, which must be your doing. A lady who can perform miracles can surely lift the curse, is what they say in town. They all wish to see the prince's lady, and you must look the part."

Wonderful. Having hundreds of invisible people staring at her, filled with such hope, when she was still no closer to breaking the spell. She'd never found a curse she couldn't counter until now. How this one could elude her so...

"If you do not rise on your own, I shall tell the master. He will drag you from your bed," Inga announced.

Vardan in her bed? No. Oh, no. His brother had been bad enough.

"My head hurts," Zuleika said, sitting up. "I hope you have willow bark tea."

"'Tis cold, but it should still work," Inga replied, gesturing at the tray beside the bed.

Zuleika gulped down the tea, then tore into the saffron cake sitting beside it. It, too, was cold, but still as delicious as the ones she'd devoured yesterday.

Behind her, the door opened. "I have the dress, my lady," said Greta, breathless with what sounded like excitement.

"Show her," commanded Inga.

Fabric rustled as Greta laid the gown on the chest at the end of the bed, and Zuleika gasped. The dress was made of yellow silk, bright as the sun. She couldn't stop herself from reaching out to touch it, to see if it was truly real.

"It's beautiful," Zuleika breathed.

"It was aboard one of the pirate ships, my lady, in a chest with no merchant's markings. The master's steward said it looked like a queen's dowry, for the gowns are all new, but there was no woman aboard any of the ships."

Perhaps the pirates had killed her, or she had sent her dowry ahead of her marriage, Zuleika told herself, forcing her hand to leave the silk alone. "I am not a queen. It is too rich a gown for me."

"Half the villagers out there are ready to declare you the Blessed Virgin, Queen of Heaven, come to save them," Inga said grimly. "You have already worn the Dowager Queen's gowns, and this belongs to no one now. If not you, then who will wear it?"

"I suppose..." Zuleika began.

"In this gown, you shall light up the room. The master will not be able to take his eyes off you, I promise." Inga swallowed. "If only for one night, my lady, in the hope that you can break this curse...please, would you wear it?"

Once again, Zuleika could not refuse the woman's earnest plea. And wearing the beautiful silk gown was hardly a hardship.

"I will," she declared. If only wearing the beautiful dress would be enough to break the spell, but Zuleika knew it would take far more than that.