The Wronged Princess - Book I (12 page)

Away from the
front
of the castle
?

Alarm prickled her skin when they reached the corner
. 
Cinderella cast a
quick
glance over her shoulder to meet Pricilla’s vicious smirk
and piercing eyes
. 
She flinched at the venom, but squared
her shoulders
, regardless
. 
N
othing could dampen her life anymore than it had thus far
. 
Cinderella
hustled through a hidden wood
ed
door
after the darting servant
. 

The instant she
stepped
inside
a
wretched weight settled over her
. 
T
he
servants
entrance
?
She’d followed the blast
ed girl through to the
servants’
entrance
?
A vision of hopeless abandon flitted before her eyes
. 
Prince
would
marry Esmeralda, and Cinderella's very life would become lost in the servancy in
the
bowels of the palace never to be seen or heard from again
. 

She dashed burning tears from her cheeks
and scurried
after the maid before she lost
complete
sight of her
. 
Curiosity mingled with fear as they twisted through a
maze of darkened hallways and winding staircases
. 
N
ever see
ing
another soul
in their pursuit of…of what
?

Ten minutes passed before they burst
out
onto
a widened corridor
. 
No other souls
graced the hall as the maid led her to a spacious and richly furnished bed chamber
. 

“Oh, my,”
Cinderella
breathed, spinning slowly
. 
A much too large bed with humongous four-posters occupied a good portion of the space
. 
S
hades of green and cream
that reminded
her of a brilliant spring day
would make her think she lay in a field of grass filled with wild flowers
. 
T
he barrage pillows in a multitude of shapes and sizes
would serve a brilliant hiding place, if need be
. 
A giggled escaped
, though rusty and hoarse
. 

A sideboard hosted a pitcher of fresh water and basin bowl for washing
. 
A
vast
armoire
with
more
liberty
than Cinderella could have used in a lifetime
stood in one corner
, and
wood floors waxed to a lustrous shine
could serve as a looking glass
. 
M
atching green velvet drapes threaded with gold were swept open allowing the sun to beam through sheer linings
. 
It softened
the light in the
elegant
room
. 
Someone had
left
a warm and toasty fire
burning
in the grate
warding
off any threat of the fall chill
or stone walls
. 

That same someone had obviously
ushered
her to the wrong chamber
. 
This was much to
o
extravagant for the likes of
her
. 
Cinderella spun to apprise the maid of her
fallacy
lest she get in
to
trouble
. 
But said maid had vanished as whimsically as she’d appeared.

Cinderella dropped into a brocaded gold gilded chair, mouth agape
. 
She never dreamed such luxury
existed
. 
Mayhap getting lost in the bowels of the castle would not be such a horrific thing after all
. 
Mayhap she would never happen to venture across Prince or Esmeralda
. 
She pulled her hand from her pocket where Marcel beamed her with his cheeky smile.

“Mayhap, I could hide here—
forever
,” she choked out on a whispered laugh
.

He nodded a quick agreement
. 
He would, of course, they had cheese
.

*****

“I do not suppose it is possible my mother will gain me leave of supper,” Prince resigned
. 

Arnald’s answer was a raised bushy brow holding out an open waistcoat
. 
Prince shrugged himself into it and mumbled, “What good is a servant who has naught anythin
g of substance to say
?
”
With a
slight
turn he made a quick escape from Arnald’s irritating smirk.

"No good, sire," Arnald chucked, "when said servant is also your
older
cousin.
”
Arnald’s intonation of ‘sire’ was a sore point.

“Six months out of the year
?
I think not.
”
Older, indeed
. 
They were
both
nineteen for at least another four months
. 
Another thought just occurred to him
,
and he pierced Arnald with a scathing glance
. 
“You are not
holding
bets
from the servants
on the outcome of my
upcoming nuptials
, are you?”

The lift of one nonchalant shoulder had Prince clenching
a
fist,
trying to resist
an
urge to plant it in his cousin’s
sardonic expression
. 
But
M
amán
would likely lock
them
in the dungeon if either one of them appeared at supper with a bloody nose
. 
She
’
d not show favoritism in such an instance.

Supper at Chalmers Castle was an immensely formal affair
. 
On more occasions than not foreign dignitaries or visiting prime ministers from other unions could be found gracing the royal table
. 
Tonight, however, there was only his future eye-batting bride, her angry sister and their
stout,
overbearing
mamá
for distraction
. 

An oppressive thought
. 

Prince felt as if he had not had one moment with his elusive
mamán
since the night of the ball
. 
In fact, he was quite certain it was so
. 
With sudden insight usually reserved for witchcraft and womenfolk, he realized she’d been avoiding him…like the plague
. 
Along the lines of the Black Death seen not since the early days of the fourteenth century
. 
Impressive, actually.

The usual pre-dinner sherry
party on most eves was
sure to be found in the formal parlor
. 
Tonight’s affair, however, had been shifted to the family library at the last moment though he could not help wondering the reason for the change
. 
Upon his entrance a slight breeze ruffled Prince’s hair, prompting a quick
glance
in Esperanza’s direction
. 
Such freakishly s
trong eyelids
?
Oui
,
’twas
palpitating as steady as a rapid heartbeat to create such an updraft indoors
. 
Phenomenal.

“Ah, here he is
. 
Son!
”
This bellow from his normally unflappable papá. “You are here.
”
Typically amused by this father’s booming voice, Prince hid an unusual annoyance that almost choked him.

He inclined his head with polished respect
. 
“
Papá
.
”
M
amán
had taught him well
. 
She should be proud.

Papá
cleared his throat. “Yes, well
. 
Your
mamán
, son, she has been asking after you,” he blustered
. 
“Your ordeal, you know.
”
Prince had not realized how unnaturally loud his father truly was until this moment
, and felt the heat
cr
eeping up his neck
. 

“It is ten until eight on the clock, Papá.
”
Prince informed him
blandly
,
angling his head to the
timepiece resting on the
mantle
over
a
fire in the grate
. 
He then turned toward his fugacious mother with a smile only she would recognize as deviant
. 
Understandable, of course
, as
he’d inherited it from her
. 

A becoming blush tinged her cheeks
. 
Ah, things were looking up
. 
His dark mood lightened at once.

“Darling, I trust you are feeling better after your mishap?
”
Her face showed concern, but her voice held unmistakable amusement, her blush rescinded.

“
Oui
.
”
In self-conscious effort he found himself clearing his throat, and with the added heat on his neck…not a princely picture, he felt
certain
. 
“I am unsure what ailment assailed
me,
but I appear to be quite sound now.
”
An unexpected urge came over him to laugh, the tension in his chest suddenly abating
. 
Quite enchanting really, his
mamán
. 
She knew exactly what she was about.

In
that
instant
another slight cough interrupted their light banter
, startling him momentarily
. 
He swallowed a groan
. 
How could he have forgotten
?

With the calm resolve of nobility, he turned his attention to the woman he could hardly put from his mind—Ersilia’s mother
. 
A face worthy of nightmares
. 
Her features could only be described as robust, topped with an undercurrent of permanent dull flush
, h
er body, broad and intimidating
. 
Prince pulled himself to his full height of over six feet and bestowed her
his
most congenial
, and
princely
,
smile.

“
Madám
,” he murmured, lifting her clammy hand to his lips. He moved off swiftly to the two younger women
. 
They were not near as frightening
. 
But f
or the life of him, only Elverdine’s name sprang to mind, so unlike him
. 
His mother taking a surprise pity on him, said, “You remember Pricilla, dear?
”

The young woman before him had flaxen hair, almost white in its blond, piled high in elegant curls atop her head
. 
Her evening gown, a pastel yellow billowed over full petticoats was trimmed in white lace
. 
Full and fashionable, though the bodice seemed cut somewhat lower than necessary
. 
Not that he didn’t appreciate the sight, he was a man, after all
. 
Her manner appeared quite direct; gray eyes…almost…
accusatory
, met
his
full on.

Her lips stretched into a thin smile, giving her a surly appearance
. 
Once again, the word angry popped in his head.

“Ah, yes, of course
. 
Pricilla.
”
He bowed over her outstretched hand
. 
There was a reason he was called Prince Charming—and gave her the benefit of
his
full
,
mesmerizing smile, drawing an audible gasp and deep blush to her cheeks
. 
He was very happy the shoe had not fit
her
.