A Beast's Tale

Chapter 44

Despite her outburst the day before, she was humming when she came to my room the next morning. I awoke to the click of the latch, as usual, and I heard the soft notes of her voice hitch when she saw the new set of table and chairs in one corner. I'd installed the furniture the previous night to accommodate her joining me for breakfast. It was a measure I expected would receive a good deal of teasing from my brothers, but I'd rather endure that than make her sit at my writing desk or on the sofa to eat.

Her humming resumed. I heard two quiet sounds across the room as she set our breakfast trays on the table, and then she passed the bed on the way to the window. "Good morning, Prince Chevalier. I need to apologize for yesterday."

I pushed back the blankets and stretched. "Then you realize how foolishly you were behaving."

She had her back to me as she tied off the drapes, but I knew she was biting her lip. "Yes, I do. I didn't know all the consequences of taking a job here at the palace, and I don't like anybody invading my privacy, but..." She sighed and turned to face me. "What's done is done, and I know you're just trying to protect me. So, I'm sorry, Prince Chevalier. I shouldn't have reacted that way."

I could understand that. Had the head maid not taken an immediate dislike to Ivetta, she wouldn't have assigned her to me, and it was possible no incursions into her private life would have been necessary. But as I looked at her, the morning sunshine glistening off of her hair and illuminating her skin, I considered the alternative possibility of anonymity allowing LeBeau to succeed in abducting and abusing her. Given the choice, I preferred the current state of affairs.

I climbed out of bed. She stiffened, casting a nervous glance at the table across the room, and I smirked as I walked past her. I hadn't realized that teasing her with the beignet and the chocolate cake would have such long-lasting effects. "Apology accepted. If you'd prefer to eat alone, you should do so now. I'd hate to distract you."

I also preferred the frequent opportunities to make her blush.

It was to be a solemn day. Today marked the royal family's annual observation of Bloodstained Rose Day, and when I left my bedroom, I would find quiet halls filled with unsmiling people. Many would don mourning garb for the day, though the service would not take place until the afternoon. My brothers, myself, most visiting nobility, and a large portion of the servants would proceed to the Hill of Remembrance, where the chapel priest would speak from a small stage about the tragic occasion. Then, the majority of those gathered would wander the hill, paying their respects to the monuments marking the graves of knights who had lost their lives in battles throughout Rhodolite's history.

It was a necessary ritual, and it was also a waste of time. Far too many people placed too much importance on the useless act of mourning the dead instead of moving forward and using the memory of those lost to create a worthwhile legacy.

I finished in the bathroom and exited into the bedroom. Ivetta had been sitting at the table, eating, but she leapt to her feet and went straight to work, making the bed with her back to me. I knew she was blushing again, and I chuckled. "Do I affect you so much?"

"You're the one who made things awkward, Prince Chevalier."

"For you, perhaps."

She straightened up and turned around, her eyes refusing to touch on me as she went to the bathroom. "Excuse me, Your Highness."

Impudent and amusing, as always. If only the rest of the day could continue in this vein.

I went directly to Sariel's office after I left my room. Under normal circumstances, I would have treated this day as a holiday, as would everybody else in the palace, but I couldn't rest today. He would have completed the documentation each foreign prince must sign before we would allow them an extended stay at the palace, and although I didn't doubt his ability to consider and control as many elements as possible, it was still my duty to review the contract. Leon wouldn't. He fell asleep within minutes of attempting to read anything, and the chance of Sariel missing an important point was quite low. If needed, Leon would have Yves read and summarize the contract for him.