A Beast's Tale

Chapter 46

The letter from Gilbert finally arrived, along with a copy of the signed treaty. I waited to read the letter until later that evening in the privacy of my library. The emperor had not been easily convinced, hence the delay. But it was done. The treaty was signed, and Ivetta's secret could be revealed.

Don't make me regret this, Gilbert wrote.

I smirked. He wasn't talking about the treaty.

A soft knock came to my door, and I folded up the letter and put it back in its envelope as Belle stepped into the room.

"Prince Chevalier," she said nervously, fidgeting with her skirt. "May I have a word?"

"Go ahead," I said, tucking the envelope into an inner pocket of my cloak. Tomorrow would be her last day at the palace. This was probably about her choice.

She took a deep breath and looked me in the eye. "I will be signing the King's Proclamation tomorrow, and I intend to choose you as king. I want to entrust Rhodolite's future to you. You're the kind of person who can do anything, and it's my firm conviction that you'll become a king who will surpass many generations of kings, past and future."

I'd expected as much. Her fingers clenched into the fabric at her sides, and she smiled sadly.

"But I'm really going to miss Ivetta. Take good care of her, okay?"

Belle turned to go, and I stood up and followed her out. She turned back and looked up at me, her brown eyes wide with surprise.

"I'll see that she is in attendance tomorrow," I said simply as I passed Belle by.

Clause 99 would have to be dealt with. It had been added to the Belle Covenant by Sariel and Jin to dissuade romance between a Belle and the prince she chose to become king, thereby preventing the heartbreak and tragedy that marred the beginning of my father's reign and Jin's life, but it would also prevent this Belle from returning to the palace to visit Ivetta. There were several ways I could think of to nullify or eliminate that clause.

Later.

Right now, I needed to talk to Sariel, and then to the doctor. I could slip Ivetta's new dress into her bureau, too, for her to wear at the ceremony.

Sariel was in his room, climbing into bed, when I entered his room without knocking.

"Prince Chevalier!" He jumped out of bed and stood up straight, his lavender eyes narrowed and unshielded by the glasses he usually wore. "Do you know what time it is?" he asked, irritated.

"Obsidian has signed the treaty," I said, handing him the envelope.

He gave me an uncharacteristic frown as he took the envelope. "And this couldn't wait until the morning? Or, rather, afternoon?"

"You'll tell her after Belle signs the King's Proclamation."

He dropped the envelope on the nightstand next to his glasses. "Fine," he grumbled. "I will agree to play your little game. Now, may I go to bed?"

"Yes."

I allowed myself a chuckle when I left his room. Technically, all of this could wait until tomorrow. But I didn't want to wait.

The doctor was already in bed when I entered his room, again without knocking, and he was just as flustered as Sariel.

"Prince Chevalier!" he protested, scrambling out of bed and blocking the door to Ivetta's room. "I cannot allow you to visit Miss Ivetta at this late hour!"

As if I'd go through his room for that.

"You will allow her to attend the signing of the King's Proclamation tomorrow," I said firmly.