Total pages in book: 115
Estimated words: 107763 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 539(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107763 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 539(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
“From His Highness,” she said gently, before stepping behind me to fix my hair.
Quickly, I took the letter and opened it. Instead of a letter, there was a picture. It was a sketch of the stone pavilion where we’d waited out the storm.
That was it? I needed more than that! Was I to ride there? What were we to do? What was I supposed to wear?
Dropping the paper on the desk, I slouched. “Why does this stress me so?”
“I believe you are anxious, miss, not stressed. It is normal to feel so.” Bernice giggled as she pinned my curls back.
“I would normally have some witty rejoinder to that, Bernice, but today I have nothing. My mind is so full of…anxiety. I cannot think. How can I go to him when I cannot think?”
“You feel when you cannot think. I promise that will help you just as much,” she stated, putting the last curl in place.
I thought feelings were what had gotten me into this.
I didn’t bother changing my dresses over and over again, as I feared he’d grow tired of waiting. I did not utter a word to any other maid in the hall. In fact, I actively tried to avoid meeting anyone. It was still so early that many were not awake yet.
To my surprise, Sofonisba was already prepared and waiting for me when I stepped out of the castle…and beside her, Wilhelm. He was dressed rather simply, with only a dark blue riding jacket, white blouse, and trousers, along with dark boots. He stood between his horse and mine, stroking them both gently.
“Good morning, my lady.” The stableman nodded to me, and it was then that Wilhelm turned.
Keep calm! I hollered at myself, and kept my head held high. “Good morning to you, as well, and you, Your Highness. I hope you slept well.”
“I slept not a wink. I hope you fared better.”
“Of course I did. Why wouldn’t I?” I lied, going up and stroking Sofonisba’s nose. “Good morning to you, too, Sofonisba.”
“Well, for one, I’d hoped your mind was rather preoccupied with thoughts of me, as mine was with you,” he said, stepping up beside me. I jumped.
“Do not do that.”
“Do what?”
“Say nice things, so close to me—it’s distracting.”
“No.”
“No? What do you mean, no?”
“I mean that I wish to keep distracting you. So, I shall get closer, and say many more nice things.”
Stay calm! I once again begged myself.
“Your horse is beautiful.” He swiftly changed the subject, running his hands over her neck. “Sofonisba: a noblewoman turned painter during the Italian Renaissance.”
“Yes, she was the first woman painter I’d ever learned about,” I whispered, trying to gather my wits. “And yours? What is its name?”
“Augustus.”
I laughed. “You named him after yourself? Is that not a bit conceited?”
“No, he was named after the first Roman emperor. My mother has a dog named Caesar.”
“Your mother’s dog is named Caesar. As in Caesar, the father of Augustus, which makes me think your mother’s dog is your horse’s parent.”
He grinned and nodded. “My brother named them specifically for that reason. It was a running joke with all the animals at the palace. Whenever he bought a new one, he made them related by name somehow.”
“Are they all Roman?”
He shook my head. “No, we have a swan named Cleopatra.”
“Is there a Mark Antony?”
“Yes, he is the duck that shares the same pond.”
I chuckled. “A duck…as in, an easy target? Your brother’s humor is apparent.”
“I was not aware you knew so much about ancient history,” he said, moving to help me up onto Sofonisba. Though I did not need it, I did not fight it, either.
“Have you not met my father? There are a great many arbitrary facts my siblings and I have been obliged to learn throughout our lives,” I replied, only now noticing that Bernice had not moved to follow me. “Are you not coming, Bernice? Where is your horse?”
“No, miss, I need not come,” she said.
“Why is that?”
“You shall see when we arrive,” Wilhelm said to me, now upon his horse.
This was not dispelling my anxiety at all. And to make it worse, he did not speak, which made it hard for me to speak. So we rode at a gentle pace away from the castle. It grew so agonizing, I could not take it for another second.
“I—”
“This—”
We both had tried to speak at the same time, causing us to look at each other. There was a slight twinge of amusement on his face.
“We’ve become so self-conscious with each other already.”
“It’s your fault!”
“Why is it my fault?”
“Because you are you, and you are not saying anything, when so much needs to be said!”
“You say something, then.”
“What am I supposed to say?”
“Whatever comes to your mind, like always.”
“My mind is currently a mess because of you!”
“As is mine, because of you!”
“Ah! Talking to you is still frustrating.” I huffed and rode on ahead to get away from him, but of course, he caught up immediately. Once more, I tried to move farther ahead, only for him to come right up beside me. I turned to glare, and he smiled. It was a stupid smile. And it was surely infectious, for I could feel myself wishing to smile as well. “Stop it!”