Total pages in book: 124
Estimated words: 116570 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 583(@200wpm)___ 466(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116570 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 583(@200wpm)___ 466(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
“It’s beautiful,” I whispered. “Well, they are all beautiful, but this one really is.”
“It has a name.”
“A name?” I looked at her.
“Kings named their swords. Queens named their crowns,” she replied, amused. “This one’s name is Bevilën.”
My mouth dropped. That could not be possible. “Bevilën? Beloved? Really?”
“Yes, really. Why?”
When the queen asked a question, you had to tell her the truth. But I couldn’t look at her face to say it. “Gale has started calling me that.”
“I see.” Her voice was unshaken. “It is fate then. I will tell them to have it ready.”
“No, isn’t it a bit too much for my first crown? People will think—”
“People will always think, Odette. Did I not just tell you that?” she asked, walking away from me and back toward the door. “Come, there is still much to do.”
“Coming,” I replied, watching all the crowns sink back into the floor. I had been so focused on where we were going and why we were there, then on the crowns, that I had forgotten about what I should have been worried about. It was when I saw Gelula still waiting for me outside that panic and the fear that I might be pregnant entered my mind again.
Logically, I tried to tell myself that it was just one time. I was safe. Puking once in the morning and sleeping all yesterday, and then being nauseous because of smells were all just coincidences.
“Ma’am, we have the finalized seating chart,” Ambrose stated to the queen, giving her the folder.
I let them walk forward a bit, and Gelula came over to my side.
“Where is it?” I whispered.
She leaned in closer. “On me. Everyone is cleaning and preparing for the evening. I did not wish to leave it—”
“Odette?”
“Yes,” I asked, both of us immediately separating.
“Do not lag. Come and see.”
“Of course,” I replied, stepping up farther.
I told myself I’d wait until I had a spare moment in my schedule for lunch before making my escape. However, it never ended. I spent almost three hours going over the protocol for the evening once more with the queen, everything from place cards to the name and importance of all the guests. When she finally let me go, I had to spend another hour doing last-minute alterations on my gown. Now I was being led to meet Lady de Marissonne to go over my Ersovian waltz one more time.
“Once we finish here, a light meal will be brought to your room for you to eat as you prepare,” Wolfgang informed me as we reached our destination.
There was nothing I could do but nod, though I was starting to feel a bit tired again, which made me more anxious as to why.
“Lady de Marissonne.” My voice faded as I entered to find my fabulous teacher waltzing with Gale. Lady de Marissonne was dressed as she always was in a purple beaded dress with a beaded headband, standing with her old thin hand on his shoulder.
Gale stood in black trousers and a white shirt, his jacket and tie gone. For some reason, the age difference, the difference in their clothes, everything was just funny. It looked like two different eras sliced and placed together.
“Am I interrupting?”
“Yes, actually.” Gale snickered. “I was about to be complimented on my waltz.” To prove his point, he glided across the room and spun Lady de Marissonne once as they reached me.
“Yes, miss, Prince Galahad is devising to deploy his full arsenal of charm,” Lady de Marissonne said with her head high. “I do believe he may seek to outshine you.”
“Why am I not surprised?” Still, I watched them dance.
“Me? Lady de Marissonne, you must be mistaken, for it is she who outshines me. Did you not see her speech? She brought members of parliament, graduates, and a whole nation to their feet in less than fifteen minutes yesterday.”
“United, we are.” Lady de Marissonne chuckled, and Gale grinned, glancing at me.
“Shall I give you two another moment?” I asked.
“If only,” Lady de Marissonne replied and ended their dance, bowing to Gale and he to her before she turned me. “Sadly, I much prefer my own partner, and I believe His Highness prefers his.”
“I do,” Gale said, outstretching his hand to me. Stepping forward, I took it, and he spun me toward him. “Does she prefer me?”
I shrugged. “That is still under deliberation.”
“Is that so?” he asked, placing his hand on my hip as I put mine on his shoulder. “What can I do to hasten those deliberations?”
“Get me through tonight,” I said seriously as I put my feet together. I didn’t have much time to learn this dance, and I still wasn’t that great at it.
“With pleasure,” he whispered and began to lead. “Just don’t let go.”
This morning, I was worried she would be panicking over the recent headlines of our secret marriage. No, in fact, I was sure of it. She had looked terrified at breakfast and had refused to make eye contact with any of us. There was so much happening within the palace that there were no chances to speak with her privately. My mother had whisked her away. I was hoping for some time as we practiced our waltz, but the light-hearted nature in Lady de Marissonne had utterly disappeared as we got into our one and only rehearsal.