A Dove's Tale

Chapter 53

"Hey, Ivetta!"

I looked up from the highly reflective marble floor of the palace's main hallway, snapped out of my thoughts by the cheerful voice. Belle was approaching me with a blonde butler following her. They both wore wide smiles.

"Hello," I said politely.

"Ivetta, this is my best friend, Rio. Rio, this is Ivetta."

Rio's sea-blue eyes were as friendly as his smile. "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise. I didn't know you had another friend in the palace, Belle."

"I didn't, either. Sariel hired Rio to be my personal attendant. Isn't that fancy? I have a personal attendant!" Belle's brown eyes sparkled, and she clapped her hands together in delight.

"Anything for my future wife," Rio replied brightly.

"Oh, Rio, stop that," Belle said, laughing him off. "Where are you going, Ivetta? I thought you worked in the library?"

"I do, but I'm done for the day."

"So early?" Belle asked, studying me. "I didn't upset Prince Chevalier, did I? He didn't fire you?"

"No, he didn't," I reassured her, giggling. "I just have some stuff to sort out at home before the annual goodwill gala starts tomorrow."

"Oh, good," Belle said, relieved. "He's really hard to read. Mind if we join you?"

"We should probably tell Bossman where we're going," Rio interjected.

"And I should warn you, it's a long walk," I added.

"That's fine. I'll have to hide in my room for the rest of the week, anyway. May as well enjoy my freedom while I can. Rio, would you go tell Sariel?"

"Sure thing," he beamed, hurrying back into the palace.

"You're hiding the rest of the week?" I asked curiously.

"For the goodwill gala, yeah. Prince Chevalier doesn't want the foreign princes finding out about me."

"Really? I guess that makes sense," I said slowly, thinking about what he'd told me regarding the rumors of the king's death. "If they meet you, they'll think the king has died. They might also try to influence your decision."

And they might think I was Belle. That would only complicate things further.

"Sariel doesn't want anybody to know I'm Belle, either. He's going to give me lessons so I can pass for a noblewoman, but there's no way I can pull that off by tomorrow."

"Probably not. But you can focus on his lessons over the next week, so you're ready when the gala is over."

"But that means I lose a week of getting to know the princes," she complained. "I only have a month to decide who will be the best king. It's a lot of responsibility. Why couldn't this have waited until after the gala?"

Because I'd already delayed the process by a few weeks when I refused to become Belle. But I wasn't telling her that.

"Maybe you can see them in secret, or they can come to your room when they have time? So you can get to know them better?" I suggested.

"Maybe. If I even have time for that. Sariel is also giving me lessons on politics, economics, culture, and who knows what else. I have to know as much as I can about what Rhodolite needs, too."

I was so glad I never became Belle. There was no way I could have taken care of Mother while balancing all the responsibilities that went with being Belle.