Twenty-Seven

 

Bianca wasn't entirely sure what to make of Prince Corbin. Between his perfect manners, outrageous compliments and the glittering coronet he wore on his head beneath the hood, he appeared to be the sort of prince only found in fairytales.

He was the complete opposite of all the men who'd come to the Summer Palace, trying to solve her sisters' mystery. Yes, even the opposite of Vasco. Where Vasco said little and behaved as though he felt he was out of place, Corbin smiled and laughed as if he was completely comfortable.

On a misty lake, late at night, carrying off a princess whose father would probably skin him alive if he caught Corbin, the man's smile never wavered until they reached their destination – the small island in the middle of the lake.

As he helped her out of the boat, Bianca glanced back. The Summer Palace wasn't visible through the mist. So close, and yet so far. She shivered.

"I should get you inside. It is warmer there," Corbin said, offering his arm. In his free hand, he held the lantern from the boat.

Without his help and the light, she was bound to trip again, Bianca knew, so she tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow and allowed him to lead her away from the water.

Another boat crunched into the shore behind her, but Bianca's attention was drawn to the path ahead. Corbin led her up a slight rise to the bare peak of a hill, the highest point on the island. Torches glowed and danced in a circle around them as Corbin set down his lantern.

He reached down, grasped a ring set in a stone and heaved. It came up easily, tilting up to reveal that the slice of rock was fixed to a wooden trapdoor, the twin of the one in her bedchamber. Almost as though the same person had constructed them both. Though to what end?

"You look intrigued, princess. Wait until you see what awaits you downstairs," Corbin declared, gesturing for her to precede him.

Descending into a dark cellar with a stranger didn't seem like the wisest thing to do, but a glance back told Bianca that her sisters and their cloaked escorts were on their way here. They didn't look worried.

She stepped inside, holding tight to the railing as she followed the steep spiral staircase down, down, down until she was certain she was below the surface of the lake. Yet the deeper she descended, the brighter it became. The mystery was solved when she rounded the last twist into a small subterranean chamber filled with candles.

Corbin was only a few steps behind her. "Let me take your cloak, princess."

As he spoke, she was already unfastening the clasp, so it was a simple matter to shrug the garment off into his waiting arms. Bianca patted her hair carefully and straightened her dress, wishing she had thought to bring a mirror instead of a fan.

Corbin finished hanging her cloak up next to his, and turned to face her. He immediately dropped to his knees. "Princess Bianca, never have I seen such radiant beauty. You are an angel come to earth to tempt me, surely. I will not rest until you agree to be my wife."

What? Bianca searched his expression for some hint that he was joking, for surely this was a jest. No man declared his love for a girl the moment he met her. And no sane woman would accept the proposal of such a fool.

And yet...the look in his eyes was so earnest, she was forced to believe he meant every word.

"I...am speechless once more," she faltered.

"Beautiful Bianca, I understand. Take all the time you wish. But do not torture me for too long. I will not be willing to let you go tonight until I have received your answer." Something flickered in his eyes so quickly Bianca wasn't sure whether she'd imagined it or not. Whatever it was, it chilled her, for his words definitely carried a threat.

What would he do if she refused him? Would he hold her prisoner here until she changed her mind?

Aruna stepped off the bottom stair and allowed her princely escort – he wore a circlet, too, though of a different design to Corbin's – to divest her of her cloak. She received no marriage proposal. Her escort merely extended his arm to her and they walked together through the arched doorway at the other end of the room.

More people spilled down the stairs, crowding the tiny room.

"Allow me to show you our humble home," Corbin said with a wry smile.

He led her through the arch Aruna had entered. Only, it wasn't just an arch – it was an arched passageway that extended a considerable distance. From what Bianca had seen of the island above, she was certain this passage extended under the lake itself. Why, it felt like they were walking back to the palace, it was so long.

Finally, they stepped out into a much wider space. Bianca's breath caught in her throat.

The domed ballroom stretched high above them, the ceiling made of... "Is that glass?" she asked eagerly, craning her neck to stare up at it. Each pane was no bigger than her mirror at home, but each pane was a slightly different colour, turning the ceiling into a marvellous mosaic that shone in the moonlight filtering through the lake.

"It is," Corbin replied, grinning. "Brought from Arabia just to build this ballroom. I swear some magic must have gone into its construction, for it is only by some miracle that the lake doesn't try to claim our home for its own."

As if by magic, music began to play.

"Shall we dance, princess?" Corbin asked.

Now Bianca truly was speechless. At her father's court, the only dances she'd heard of were performed by women, for the pleasure of men, and no man ever danced with a woman. It was unheard of. "I...don't know how," she said.

He laughed. "I will soon teach you. You will see. Your sisters said the same thing to my brothers, and watch them now!"

Brenna, then Aruna, Nera, Hazel...all of her sisters had entered the ballroom while she'd been admiring the ceiling, and each stood in the embrace of a different prince, moving about the dance floor in what looked like synchronised steps. Well, nearly synchronised. Melania kept twisting in her partner's arms so that she could glare at Bianca.

Bianca sighed. She hoped when Corbin lost patience with her for her lack of dancing skills, he would rescind his marriage proposal and consent to let her go home.