𝚂𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚍 ✔

Chapter Twenty-Six

The day before the Royal family was to depart for the summer palace, and three before us suitresses, I received a letter from Princess Corinna asking if she could come see me.

A large part of me wanted to decline. But, how could I say no to someone so sweet, especially since I had not spent any alone time with her since the Ball.

I was, however, nervous about her coming to see me. I had been nothing but a mess for a several days. But to my luck I had been able to avoid Thomas and even our scheduled day to meet had been canceled, due to him being busy helping his mother get everything ready for when they left.

The De Marre Cousins had most likely noticed my absence from the communal drawing room, but I knew they would understand my need for alone time. And the last place I had wanted to have an attack was there. Because with the way things had been going for me recently, both Georgiana and Castellana would have been there to have seen me in the middle of a breakdown. Which the embarrassment alone would have been enough for me to have just flat out died from.

It did not take long for her to arrive. Corinna's soft knocks echoing through the receiving room of my chambers caused me to begin to panic.

"I should have declined." I thought as I rushed into the foyer to open the door, then took a deep breath before I faced her, "Princess Corinna, you look as beautiful as ever, please come in."

"Thank you for allowing me to come see you." Her soft sweet voice slightly calmed my churning nerves.

I took her hand and escorted her over to the couch, "I have been meaning to some see you." I felt guilty for not reaching out to her after the news of Henry's injury was announced to the court. "How are you?"

She looked nervous, more nervous than me in fact. Which made me start to worry. Though, I was glad, at the moment, she could not see my face, because I was sure it would have given me away the moment I had opened the door for her. And the last thing I wanted to do was make her feel unwelcome by me.

"Thank you for insisting that Henry should be brought home in time for the celebration." She squeaked out, "Mother Idra has a tendency to forget about Henry and I when Thomas is involved."

"I only did what I thought was fair for Henry, as well as good for the Kingdom." I awkwardly smiled.

Despite how fond I was of Corinna, I was still too scared to trust her and did not want to overshare. She was, after all, both Henry and Thomas' sister. Which meant one accidental slip up with words or mentioning Henry in too fond of a way could have ruined me.

"Henry speaks of you often." A small smile crept onto her face as she looked down at her hands. "And at times, I wish that you would have been sent to court him instead."

Her bluntness took me by surprise, and what she had said made my heart hurt. "Is this a test?" I wondered.

"I-I. . . he and I are just friends." I finally forced out, unsure of what to say or exactly what she was playing at.

"Of course." Her smile turned into a grin, "Friends can speak of one another to their siblings, and I am allowed my fantastical thoughts. Though, I do wonder. . ." She paused, then looked up to where she was facing me completely, her white eyes peering over my shoulder. "Do you love Thomas?"

I had not previously taken her for the devious kind. However, hers seemed more out of innocence than malice. I still was weary of her and the dangerous games she was playing. But a large part of me felt like I could trust her.

"No." I answered honestly, despite knowing I should have lied. But, for some reason I felt as if lying to her was not going to be an easy task.

"Then why are you still here?" She shifted in her seat and made a funny little face which almost made me laugh, "Oh, might we have some tea and biscuits? I-I do not want this to feel like an interrogation, for I am here to learn more about you not make you feel uneasy."