Chapter Twelve

 

The king loved parties, and the prince’s birthday was certainly a cause for a celebration. Grace prepared for his birthday party in her room with Lady Sashe. She still didn’t feel that Sashe understood her affection for William, so she avoided talking about him too often. Sashe leant her jewelry and gave her maidservant advice about make-up.

“I heard even Lady Thalia is coming tonight,” Sashe said. “She hasn’t been around for months since Sir Hunter turned her down and married Lady Beatrice a week later.”

Grace laughed. “A week! I can’t believe her parents let that happen.”

“He’s rich,” Sashe said. “That’s the sort of language her parents speak.” She shrugged as she smoothed down a stray lock of Grace’s hair. “And supposedly they’re very happy.”

“They’ll all be here tonight, yes?” Grace shook her head. “That might be uncomfortable.”

Sashe turned to the mirror. “I think we’re ready.”

Marisa smiled and nodded at their reflections. “You both look radiant.” She put her hands on Grace’s shoulders. “I told the prince’s servants to dress him in this same color.”

Grace beamed at her. “Oh, we’ll look wonderful together.” She smoothed down her dress, which was a royal blue. Most of her dresses were pastel colors; this was one of her most expensive, and her parents had bought it especially for her return. It was the first time she’d worn it, and she loved the silver lining and the way it fell around her hips.

“You’ll be the talk of the party,” Marisa said.

Sashe smirked. “You’ll steal all of William’s attention.”

Grace shrugged. “I’m representing him, aren’t I?” She remembered him saying that once, giving that as a reason she shouldn’t be supportive of the Avialies. She’d been upset then, but she understood it now.

“You’re not married yet,” Sashe said with a roll of her eyes.

Grace’s cheeks warmed, and she waved her hand at her. “Not yet.”

Sashe’s eyes widened at that. “Grace—”

A knock interrupted her. Grace grinned as she got to her feet and smoothed down her dress again. It must be William; he said he’d walk her in.

When Marisa opened the door, however, Queen Kate strode in instead. Sashe and Grace curtsied. “Your Majesty,” Grace said, “you look beautiful.”

The queen also wore blue, though it was darker and deeper. It made her eyes stand out, and a braid entwined through her hair on the top of her head. “Thank you, Grace,” she replied. “You look ravishing, as well.” She motioned to Sashe. “Please leave us.”

Sashe curtsied again, then winked at Grace before leaving.

“William will be here soon, but I wanted to speak to you first,” the queen said, stepping forward to brush something off of Grace’s shoulder. “We’ve hardly spoken since your friends broke those prisoners free.”

“I wouldn’t call them my friends,” Grace said quietly.

“What would you call them?” the queen asked.

“Um… Avialies?”

The queen huffed. “I mean in relation to you.”

“I’m sorry, your Majesty, I don’t know,” Grace said. “I do know that I’m here at the castle and I’m loyal to William. I have no plans of helping the Avialies again.”

The queen studied her, and Grace forced herself not to fidget.

“William cares for you,” the queen said, “and I can see why. You’re capable and smart, not to mention attractive. But all this trouble over the last few months has been because of you.”

“I’m sorry,” Grace said quietly. “I never meant—”

“I don’t want to hear excuses,” she cut her off. “I don’t care what happens to the Avialies, I don’t care about Tisha or Kilar, but my son and my country… those are two things I do care about, Lady Grace, do you understand?”

Grace nodded.

“So be careful,” Queen Kate said. “I can be a friend or I can be an enemy. It all depends on how you choose to act.”

“I’d prefer it if we were friends.”

“Then don’t bring those Avialies back here for more trouble,” the queen said, “and don’t toy with William.” She shrugged, a smile coming onto her face. “That’s all.”

Grace nodded again. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

She squeezed Grace’s shoulders. “I’ll see you downstairs.” She swept off, pausing at the door to wave at Grace over her shoulder.

Grace let out a breath, sitting down in her desk chair. She shook her head at Marisa. “That was frightening.”

Marisa chuckled. “Don’t worry, she’s just looking out for William. I think you might confuse her.”

“I confuse myself.”

A few moments later, another knock sounded at the door, and Marisa let William in. He smiled at her, bowing slightly. They had spoken only a little since their kiss two days ago, and she’d been nervous about tonight. Her anxiety only intensified once she saw him. His dark blonde hair was combed back. He wore a vest matching her dress, a white shirt with long sleeves, and black pants. His crown was perched on the top of his head, the jewels glinting in the light of the chandelier.

She curtsied. “Happy birthday, your Highness.”

He smiled and held out his arm. She took his elbow, smiling back at him.

“You look beautiful,” he said.

She smiled in pleasure. “Oh, William, you look wonderful, too.”

“I love it when we match.” He walked to the door. “I think we look perfect together.”

She nodded in agreement as Marisa opened the door for them. “I do, too.”

They entered the corridor and began the walk to the ballroom. “Are you excited for tonight?” he asked.

“Of course. It will be nice to see all the nobles again. Well, most of them.”

He laughed. “I’m sure they’ll be excited to see you, as well, my lady.”

She asked about his last couple days, but he didn’t give her any details on the Avialies. That was okay with Grace; when the two of them talked of the Avialies, they usually ended up disagreeing. She was determined not to let that happen.

He stopped outside of the ballroom and turned to her. He studied her face. “You really do look amazing.”

She glanced down, smiling. “Thank you, your Highness.”

He tilted her face up to his, his fingers soft on her chin. “I’m sorry we haven’t spoken much the last few days. I’ve been very busy.”

“I know,” she whispered.

“I’m looking forward to tonight only because I can spend time with you.”

A smile spread over her face. She felt like melting into a puddle at his feet.

He motioned to the servant next to the doors. The man nodded and turned to open the doors. Fanfare blasted through the air, and the crowd inside of the ballroom fell silent. “Gentlemen and ladies, I present his royal Highness, Prince William, and his escort, Lady Grace.”

Applause rose up, and William raised his chin as he walked into the room. Grace strode next to him proudly, nodding to the nobles in the room. She could get used to this feeling: being on the prince’s arm, being nothing but his.

They opened with the first dance before other couples slipped onto the floor. The rest of the night passed by in a wonderful swirl of wine, snacks, and William. Whether they were dancing, speaking with other nobles, or meeting various lords and ladies, Grace hardly left his side.

Occasionally, he’d leave her to have a private conversation, or he’d dance with another lady. She tried not to watch him too carefully during these times. Her mother had been here earlier today, advising her how to act: not to seem desperate, even though she felt that way at times. Desperate for his love. Her parents attended the party, and Grace danced with her father and with Kyler. Other men asked her to dance, and she felt eyes follow her all night. Being the prince’s lady had brought her up in their esteem.

After a couple hours, the king brought out the heavy wine. Grace had more than a few glasses. She spent quite a bit of time with her old friends, Jocelyn, Sarah, Danielle. They gossiped about the nobles, and Jocelyn demanded details of her courtship with the prince. It was like the Avialies had never happened. Grace wished they hadn’t. Then she and William would have nothing standing between them. No Dar. No Protectors.

When she and William broke apart from the others and went for a walk in the gardens, it was well past twilight, the stars bright in the midnight sky.

“It’s so beautiful out here,” Grace said. She shivered from the cold, and William wrapped his arm around her. She leaned into him, locking her arms around his torso. He tensed at first, then he pulled her close. She leaned her head on his chest, taking a deep breath as he stroked down her hair.

After a moment, she pulled away and gazed up at him. It was so dark out here, she could hardly see him. Only the outlines of his face were clear to her. His hand touched her neck, sending chills down her spine. She led her hands to his neck and pulled him down to her, crashing her mouth into his.

Unlike their last kiss, they embraced each other with passion. His hands traveled her body. Heat spread through her, despite the chill. She could never have enough of him.

He pulled away first, and she gasped at the sudden distance between them. He touched her face softly. “You’re full of surprises.” His voice came out gruffly.

“Good surprises or bad ones?” she asked, pushing closer into him.

“I don’t know.” He touched her lip, and she kissed his fingertip. His lips parted, and she took his hand in hers, then leaned in and kissed him again.

She wasn’t sure how much time passed in the garden with their hands exploring each other, but it wasn’t nearly enough. She wanted nothing between them, wanted to go back into the palace up to his chambers, no matter what her mother had told her, no matter that they weren’t married. She loved him. She loved everything about him.

She broke away, breathless. “I love you, William,” she whispered.

His shoulders tensed, and he said nothing. She bit the inside of her lip, staring at him and waiting for a response. He took a step back, his arms falling from her waist. She held onto his shoulders until he backed away even more. He ran a hand through his hair and shook his head.

“William?” Her voice barely came out, but his head snapped up and he stared at her.

“What is wrong with you?”

Her mouth fell open, and tears stung her eyes. “What?”

“How can you… I don’t understand you, Grace.” He shook his head and turned away. He strode inside without glancing back at her.

Tears fell down her cheeks, and she started after him. “William, wait!”

She didn’t catch up to him until they’d entered the castle. The harsh light made her blink as her eyes adjusted. He spun around on her suddenly, then froze when he saw her face. “Are you crying?” he asked, disbelief in his voice.

She quickly wiped her face. “No.”

He glanced around the corridor. A couple stood further down the hallway, speaking in quiet tones.

“William, please,” Grace said. “I know it was sudden, but I—”

He held up his hand. “Grace, this isn’t the time.”

“Why not?” she asked. “We’ve hardly spoken since we kissed—”

His jaw tightened, and he took a step closer. His voice lowered. “You’re not going to embarrass me in front of the guests.”

She fell silent, swallowing. She fought back more tears. “I just want you to know how I feel.”

“You love me,” he said flatly. He shook his head again and sighed. “You don’t make any sense.”

“What’s so confusing about it?” she snapped. “I love you. I left behind the Avialies for you.”

“Did you ask me to save Dar’s life because you loved me?” he asked.

She winced and rubbed her forehead. Her headaches were coming back. Hadn’t Matilda had something that was going to help? “That was—I told you I didn’t want to be responsible—”

“You wouldn’t have been. That would have been on his head.”

“You’re the one who didn’t want to talk about him! Why are you bringing him up?”

William didn’t say anything for a moment, staring at the wall behind Grace. “Because he’s always what’s been in the way for us.”

“He’s not anymore,” she said, trying to keep the whine out of her voice.

He finally looked at her. “You say that now. We’ll see where you are in a week.”

Her mouth fell open as he turned and stalked off. She nearly went after him again, but her eyes filled with tears again, and she didn’t want to embarrass him, like he said. She spun around and rushed outside. She held back sobs as she walked through the gardens and collapsed on a bench. Covering her mouth barely hid her sobs, and she would hate for someone to catch her like this, blubbering in the dark by herself. Tonight had been going so smoothly. She never should have said she loved him. Yet she longed for him to know.

Footsteps cut off her sobs, and she forced her breathing steady. She glanced around, squinting to see in the dark.

“Lady Grace?”

Her throat tightened up at the sound of Dar’s voice.

“Are you all right?” He stepped forward from the trail that went around the castle.

She crossed her arms and turned her back to him. “I’m fine. You’re the last person I want to talk to.”

He didn’t say anything for a moment, and his dark figure shifted uneasily. “I’m sorry. I just… I thought I heard you crying.”

“What are you doing out here, anyway?” she snapped. “Aren’t you a prisoner?”

“I was tending to the noble’s horses,” Dar said. His voice sounded tired. “I decided to take a walk.”

For a moment, she wondered if he saw her and William kissing. At first, the idea horrified her, then she wanted him to see them. She stood up and walked over to him, clenching her fists. “I’m with William now.”

“I know,” Dar said softly.

“You should have just left me behind! You should have gone with Vin and Amina and the others.” She said it, but the words didn’t reach her heart. Thinking of him leaving her behind made her tears reappear. She angrily wiped them away. “William doesn’t trust me because of what you and I had. I had to save your life a couple days ago, and he thinks I’m still in love with you! Just because I don’t want you killed!” She sobbed and covered her mouth in embarrassment. She was a mess.

He touched her shoulder. She froze, holding her breath. His hand was warm, and she wanted him to touch her face and wipe away her tears and stroke her hair…

“I’m sorry,” he repeated. “You’re here because of me.”

“No.” She jerked away from him. “I’m here because I want to be here. I’m here because of William. Because I love him.”

He didn’t say anything in response, and it was infuriating.

“Just leave me alone! I love him.” She turned away from him, even though she wanted to stay. She kept doing things she didn’t want to do, and not doing things she longed to do. What was wrong with her? She shook her head and held her head high as she walked back inside. She loved William. There was nothing wrong with her.

 

* * *

 

Dar gritted his teeth as Grace strode away. He waited a few minutes, then followed her back into the castle. By the time he was inside, she was gone. He had strict orders not to come into the castle during the party, but he had to speak to Tisha. This was getting ridiculous.

A hand on his shoulder made him jump. Kilar pushed him against the wall. The short man reeked of alcohol. “What are you doing in here?” he snarled.

Dar pushed Kilar’s hand off of him. He glanced around quickly. Two ladies were giggling hysterically across the corridor; the rest of it was empty. “What have you given Grace? She’s going crazy!”

“We had to keep her under control,” Kilar said as his words slurred.

“She had a mild love potion before, and she was already falling all over him. If you gave her something stronger, you’re only going to arose the prince’s suspicion.”

“Get outside!” Kilar yelled. “I knew I shouldn’t have trusted Jon to control you.”

“Kilar, are you listening to me?” Dar grabbed the man’s shoulder, and the man shoved him away, yelling something. The two ladies glanced over. Their eyes widened as they recognized Dar. One of them, Lady Hailey, took a step towards them, but the other grabbed her arm, whispering something. After a moment, they rushed away. Kilar didn’t notice; he was yelling for Jon.

Dar began to back away, fearing he’d do more harm than good. Just as he was about to go back to the gardens, General Daniel stepped out of the nearest door. Music and laughing from the ballroom flooded out into the corridor before he closed it the door behind him.

“Kilar, what are you—” he cut off when he saw Dar. His eyes narrowed, and he stalked towards Dar.

“General,” Dar said, holding his ground, “I’m sorry. I know I wasn’t supposed to come inside, but I needed to speak to Tisha and Kilar about Grace.”

The general stopped inches from Dar. The man was intimidating. Dar felt like he was nine years old again, getting yelled at by his father. Then again, it was quite a different kind of intimidation since his father never would have tried to kill him.

“What about her?”

“I think they’ve given her another love potion, one that’s too strong,” he said quietly.

“Jon!” Kilar shouted.

Daniel grabbed him by the back of the neck. “Kilar,” he said in a low voice. “Go back to the party. I’ll take care of Dar.”

Kilar paused, glaring at the general’s meaty arm, then at Dar. “Fine.” He jerked away, stumbled, then righted himself and walked down the corridor.

The general turned to Dar. “What makes you think it’s too strong? Aren’t you a little biased?”

He couldn’t tell the general he’d found the two of them kissing in the gardens. Just saying it would make it too real. “I found her crying out in the gardens, and she told me he got angry after she said she loved him.” Those words echoed in his mind: I love you, William. He shook his head quickly and continued, “He’s going to pass her off as erratic and unstable. It’s not like Grace. Just a couple weeks ago, she was vying for my release in Aron, and he’s going to get suspicious now that she’s throwing herself all over him.”

“I told her not to tell him that,” Daniel muttered.

“She’s under a love potion; she’s not going to listen to you.” Dar paused. “She’s not safe here, General.”

“Don’t you dare,” Daniel growled. “Go back to your work. I’ll talk to Tisha and Kilar.”

“But General—”

“You’re lucky to be alive, boy,” Daniel said, taking a step closer to Dar. He could feel the man’s breath on his forehead. “Get outside. I don’t want to see you again tonight.”

Dar huffed and left. As he walked back to the stables, he hoped Tisha and Kilar would listen to the General. Maybe they wanted the prince to turn against Grace. She’d been nothing but a hassle to them. But the General was important, and he’d fight for his daughter. He had to.

He returned to the stables and watched over the horses. He couldn’t stop thinking about what he’d seen and heard between William and Grace. Kissing as though nothing else existed… and Grace’s confession of love. He squeezed his eyes shut. If only Matilda had left the antidote with him. He could get it to her. He could have saved her. He still would.

The next day, Jon lectured him about leaving the stables and going into the castle. Dar feared another beating, but Jon wasn’t a violent man. He just wanted his prisoners and servants to do their job and stay out of the way.

Dar was working on the broken carriage with Mex mid-day when he saw Tisha walking to the stables. Dar glanced at Mex and stood. “Sir Tisha!” he called.

Tisha looked over at Dar and slowly stopped walking. “Yes?”

“May I have a word with you?” Dar asked.

Mex stared at him, his eyes wide in disbelief.

Dar rubbed sweaty palms on his pants as he jogged over to Tisha. “I’m sorry for coming into the castle last night,” he said, “but I needed to speak with you about Grace.”

“General Daniel told me you thought the love potion was too strong,” Tisha said.

Dar nodded.

“I don’t think it could be strong enough.” Tisha smirked. “The more in love with William she is, the farther from the Avialies she is. The less in love with William she is, the more of a problem she is. If she’s a problem, I’ll have to remove her. If I have to remove her, I’ll make some enemies. Do you understand?”

Dar clenched his hands into fists. “There are side effects—”

“You don’t understand.” Tisha put his hand on Dar’s shoulder, squeezed it painfully. “That love potion is going to keep her out of the way, and it’s going to keep her father happy. I don’t care if it’s convincing or if she appears unstable.”

“But the prince is only going to get suspicious—”

“You really think he’s going to suspect a love potion? Of all things?” Tisha laughed, dropping his laugh. “Get back to work. And don’t talk to me again.” He turned away.

Mex called Dar back to the carriage, and Dar joined him again, gritting his teeth. William would suspect a love potion if Dar told him about it. But if he did, would the prince turn on Grace? Could Dar and her father keep her safe from the Protectors then?

 

* * *