The reflection of the Queen: Exile

Chapter 5: Shoes in the shore

I gritted my teeth so hard I could almost hear them cracking. I stopped as soon as I reached the living room doors. I took a deep breath, knocked three times and entered.

Lady Gracelie was chatting with her two ladies-in-waiting, Hindra and Marda over cups of tea. They were both pleasant, but I didn't talk to them much. Actually, to no one except Clariess and Rodion. And the Dream Man, but he didn't seem to count.

"Hello, Perse," she greeted in a calm tone. When there was someone else in front of us, she was usually all politeness and calmness.

"Milady," I replied, ducking my head. "I apologize for the inconvenience, but an invitation has arrived for Lady Clariess. The Eremien daughters have arranged a luncheon on their ship, and she asked me to ask if you would allow her to attend."

Gracelie didn't answer right away. I could almost hear what she was thinking: they were the most influential family in Cavintosh, and therefore had a reputation to uphold. Clariess was the most important spinster in the island's high society; in fact, almost everyone seemed to think that, when she came of age, she would be married off to Eneas Garathard. But even though her daughter was popular and adored by the insurrectionist aristocracy, Gracelie was very protective of her. In a way, everyone was: Clariess simply aroused those kinds of instincts.

"Is the weather good?"

"Excellent, milady," Marda beat me to it. "I don't think Clariess will have any problems."

"Who else will attend?" That time I was the one who answered:

"The Eremien, of course. The Lemmals, the Vorittons... those who are part of the inner circle of the hosts."

Gracelie nodded, still thinking about it, until Hindra said:

"Let her go, my lady. It's good for her to have fun with people her own age."

"Yes, after the upset of a few days ago, I'm sure it will do her good," Marda nodded. "I'm sure little Clariess is still sad."

Those women were still acting as if Clariess was ten years old.

"Besides, she'll have Perse to help her."

The noblewoman looked at me out of the corner of her eye as she always did, for an instant.

"Rodion and Cadmot are also invited?"

"Their names were on the invitation, but I imagine they will be too busy to attend."

Gracelie tilted her head in agreement and eventually relented.

"All right. Tell Clariess she has permission to go."

"I will do so."

I bowed to the three women and left the room. The last thing I would choose to do that day was to accompany Clariess to a party full of insurrectionist nobles, but I agreed with Marda. That way she could relax and forget the latest news for a while. We were both sad, but I had tried to distract her from thinking about it so much. She hadn't made it easy for me, because if we weren't talking about the war, she wanted to talk about Rodion and me. I was trying to satiate her curiosity as much as possible, but she kept asking all sorts of questions, from how we had managed to keep it a secret for so long to whether I was still a maiden. I had refused to answer that question, even though the answer was yes. I knew Rodion was trying to be a gentleman, and I was glad because I couldn't bring myself to take the plunge. Deep down, the Dream Man was right: I did feel ashamed of my scarred body and bad memories, and I didn't want him to see me that way. However, I mused, now that most of them were gone, it might be time to get my courage up before it was too late. I shook my head, blushing. I'd think about that later. For the moment, I had a young lady to take care of.