Waiting For Spring
Chapter 11

The week since my nightmare had passed in a blur of pastel dresses and lessons in etiquette. Punctuated by the sting of Lucinda’s cane across my knuckles and wrists when I displeased her. Which was more often than I cared to count.

Her disapproving glare was boring holes through my back as Marla dressed and powered me for the evening’s ball. The first one I would be attending as the newest member of King James’s court.

Lucinda had been reeling off all the lessons I had endured the past week to ensure her wisdom was soundly wedged inside my mind. Yet, despite her best efforts, my will to be ignorant of the ways of the court was stronger.

I felt a particularly sharp pin pinch my scalp eliciting an unwelcome cry of pain as I shot Marla a disgruntled look. She simply gave me a poignant look before jutting her chin at Lucinda’s reflection in the looking glass. Begrudgingly, I looked at my scowling tutor and quickly deduced that I was required to answer.

“Umm...” I stuttered, looking at Marla for help only to be met with a smug look as she pierced me with another pin.

“The king will not be impressed if you embarrass him tonight, your highness,” Lucinda sneered.

As the week had progressed, Lucinda had grown bolder with her insults towards me. It was obvious she thought I was a sorry excuse for a princess and I wasn’t inclined to disagree.

“Then you’d best start from the beginning because I have listened to not one word you have said this past hour.” I shrugged, slumping on the stool in front of the looking glass, causing Marla to click her tongue before inflicting further torture on my scalp. Instantly, I sat straight, crinkling my nose in discomfort.

“Your disobedience is a very unattractive quality, princess.”

“And yet still, I am to marry the arrogant king.”

“Princess-” Lucinda’s scolding was interrupted by a strong knock on my bedroom door before a smiling Captain peeked around the door.

“I trust the preparations are nearly complete,” he announced from the threshold making no move to step inside. Marla and Lucinda both dropped into a low curtsey for him, giving my scalp a slight reprieve from Marla’s torture. “The ball is set to begin and I needn’t remind either of you that the king loathes tardiness.”

“I’m starting to wonder if there is anything your king does like,” I muttered, slumping in my stool and batting away Marla’s hand as she attempted to put in another pin.

“I shall be escorting you tonight,” Troy announced ignoring my grumblings and extending his arm for me to take. “Miss Lucinda is your chaperone and when you are not with me you are to stay by her side for the night.”

“I know.”

“It never hurts to remind you,” he beamed. Noticing my reluctance to stand, Marla stepped closer to my side and pulled me from the chair before nudging me in the captain’s direction.

“Thank you, Marla,” Troy dismissed, quickly entwining my arm with his and pinning it against his side. I felt Lucinda’s presence close behind us as Troy led us from the room.

“Remember Arlarose, tonight your name is Lady Anne.” He explained, nodding at both my silent guard and Mantai as we passed them, who diligently returned the gesture. “You are the daughter of Lord Ascott of Kempt. Your father, Graham Worthington, trades wool and cotton in the northern holdings of Citra, just outside the town of Faust. Your mother died in childbirth and-”

“-The king has agreed to have me as a guest to further my education and procure an agreeable marriage.” I droned. I had been told the same story all week as if they didn’t trust I would remember who they wanted me to be.

Although, considering how slippery the knowledge of etiquette had proven they were probably not far off the mark.

Troy had been repeating the story to me both morning and night at meal times.

I had no other family and my father was a recluse. Hiding both himself and me away in the mountains where our estate was located. This would help to divert anyone who tried to look for information on me or my father.

“Good,” he nodded, causing my annoyance to grow. I fisted my hand in my sapphire gown that had been whispering against my ankles as Troy led me through the castle corridors. We had reached an unfamiliar stretch and I wondered how long it would take to reach the dreaded ballroom.

The heels of the shoes Marla had squished on my feet clicked noisily against the cold marble floors of the castle. Each one reminding me that every step drew me closer to a fate I had no choice but to endure.

Finally, we came to a stop outside two intimidating wooden doors that stood open to a room filled with noise, colour and rapidly moving skirts as they were twirled around the dance floor.

Strains of music weaved their way above the dancers’ heads until they wrapped tightly around my heart and filled it with an anxiety I hadn’t chosen to recognised until I was stood outside the event I had tried to avoid all week.

“One more thing, Lady Anne,” he began, spinning me so I was facing him, his firm, calloused hands resting gently on my exposed shoulders. “Dance with no one other than myself or the king. You may converse with the other ladies of his majesty’s court but avoid the gentleman in the room. Your guise is the pursuit of a husband but your hand has already been claimed and when the truth is revealed the last thing the king needs is people questioning where your loyalties lie.”

“So, what do you suppose I do with my night?” I frowned. Why bother bringing me if I’m forbidden to participate?

“You are to observe-”

“You want me to watch as others enjoy their night?” I asked incredulously. “Why not leave me locked in my room. It would be equally fun.”

“This is the king’s wish and I suggest you don’t question it,” he spoke in a low, commanding voice and I felt the anger inside me start to multiply.

“I do no wish to attend,” I announced, crossing my arms defiantly over my chest and planting my feet. This earned me a dissatisfied sigh from Lucinda and a disapproving scowl from the captain.

“You do not have a choice,” Troy hissed, reclaiming my arm and tucking it in his before pulling me towards the door of the ballroom. I began to protest but he levelled me with a scathing look before turning to a man and whispering something in his ear.

Seconds later, the man announced out titles to the room. For a moment, the entire room had their eyes pinned on us before they continued their dancing and conversing, seemingly unaffected by the new lady in their midst.

Overwhelmed by the chaotic scene before me, I allowed myself to be led down the grand marble staircase to the floor below. Each step felt like the greatest effort in the world. As if each of my legs had been sunken into two feet of mud, preventing their ease of movement.

I clung to the captain as if he were the only branch preventing me from being swallowed by a ravenous river as it endeavoured to drag me under.

I could feel his cautious glances as we descended but I refused to satisfy him with my attention or the emotion I was struggling to mask on my face. How had I found myself here?

When we finally reached the glossy marble floors of the ballroom I felt a relieved breath rush out of me. I could no longer stand as the centre of attention in a room filled with people who I didn’t know the first thing about. How could the king have ever thought this might have been a good idea?

For a moment, I regretted ignoring all my lessons but feeling Lucinda prod me to move forward, I instantly remembered why I had been so stubborn.

Glancing around, I couldn’t ignore the glares many of the trussed up women were sending me. I was used to people sneering at my presence on the street but these looks were entirely different. I didn’t know how to read them.

“What has you thinking so hard, Lady Anne?” Troy asked, pulling me from my thoughts and drawing my attention back to him.

“Is it customary for all the women to look as if they’ve been eating lemons all night?” I frowned, feeling my skin crawl with their attention.

“No my lady,” Troy chuckled, giving my arm an affectionate squeeze. “I think the women of the court are feeling threatened by the new lady in their midst.”

“But, I haven’t done anything yet. Besides, what threat could I be to them?” How could I possibly have affected them to the point they would openly show dislike towards me?

“Beauty is a commodity coveted above all else by the women in the king’s court. It appears they feel threatened by yours.” He murmured, leaning close so the whispering women we passed didn’t hear.

Their dresses, much like my own, had full skirts and excessive embellishments only rivalled by the jewels that hung heavily around their necks and from their ears. Watching the candlelight flicker off their jewels I felt my mood darken as I clutched at my own simple, silver locket. How could these people sit up here in this castle and wear such expensive trinkets whilst the children in the streets went hungry?

“You will learn the ways of the court soon enough,” Troy continued and I only felt my scowl deepen.

“I don’t want to be a part of this court,” I hissed, pulling at the arm the captain still held, firmly pressed against his side. Troy regarded me for a moment, our footsteps coming to an abrupt stop as he thought of his reply. Only to shake his head dismissively and proceed in leading me around the ballroom.

Two more dances played through the expansive ballroom. The music filling the spaces even the lights of the candles didn’t reach. As the glasses of amber and ruby red liquid were passed around the room people started to lose interest in the new lady bound to the arm of the brooding captain. When a servant had come to offer Troy and I a glass, he quickly dismissed them, taking my hand as I reached to claim one.

“You will need all your senses with you tonight, my lady,” he had murmured, releasing my hand and reaching up to brush a wayward golden curl from my forehead. I frowned at his action and that seemed to wake him from the trance he had found himself in. He quickly pulled his hand away, a guilty expression spreading across his features only to be interrupted by the sound of trumpets announcing the arrival of someone important.

As one, the room shifted their attention to the top of the marble staircase where a man dressed in all the finery of a king stood.

My breath caught as my eyes remained riveted to the man atop the stairs. He was clad in the royal blue of his house. His family crest displayed proudly on his sturdy chest. A chest I had found myself leaning into for comfort only a week before. I was trapped inside his deep, warm brown eyes as they surveyed the room. His strong jaw jutted out as if challenging the room to question his rule.

I felt someone tug at my arm and reluctantly I looked to my side to replace Troy bowed beside me. I stood confused for only a moment before I realised the entire room had conformed themselves into the same posture.

All the ladies were dipped low into curtseys until their skirts billowed out around them like the most colourful mushrooms and all the men had folded over. Not one person was boldly looking at the king as I had been and I instantly felt my cheeks flame.

Glancing at the king a final time, my heart stopped beating inside my chest. His warm brown eyes were staring straight at me. Unnerved by his attention I allowed myself to be pulled down by Troy until I found my body contorted into the same pose as all the other maidens in the ballroom but before I felt my head tilt in the submissive gesture I could have sworn I saw an amused smile pass across his pale pink lips.

“What now?” I whispered to the captain beside me and at first, my only reply was a sigh that held all the amusement I had thought I had seen in the king’s face only moments before.

“You are the worst student I have ever had the misfortune of instructing,” I heard Lucinda mutter harshly beside me and I rolled my eyes only to receive a deeper scowl from my defeated tutor.

“The king will now choose his first dance partner of the night,” Troy explained and I dared a glance to see what progress he had made through the room. I could hear his footsteps in the silence of the ballroom but the echo made it difficult to determine exactly where he was. As the time wore on, I felt my heart begin to race and no matter what I told myself nothing seemed to calm it. A different variation of the same question kept running through my mind and my need to know the answer was sending my heart all a twitter. Much like the ladies of his court I had been observing for the past half hour.

Was he going to choose me?

Almost certain he was right on top of the place where I stood, my limbs were straining at the way they had been contorted. Chancing another look, my heart spluttered in my chest when I realised I had been correct about his whereabouts in the room. Not even seven feet away from me, stood the king and there was no denying that his eyes rested on me.