A Dove's Tale

Chapter 105

The cheering died down as the front doors closed behind the last of the elite royal guard. I took a deep breath and glanced back at Julius as eyes near and far turned towards me. He was still right behind me, his gray eyes calm and steady, and I knew there were another eleven guards hidden in and around the crowd in case I had any trouble - not that I expected any trouble that would call for armed guards. But it was reassuring to know they were there, and that Silvio and Keith were treating me as an equal and a friend, so I could probably count on them for support, too. I wasn't alone. And Chevalier, his brothers, and Sariel all thought I was ready for this. It was just like when I was a maid, when I put on a mask every day the moment I walked into the palace. The mask was different, but the concept was the same. Play the part.

"That's the first time I've seen him smile," Silvio commented. "Guess he really is nuts about you."

My cheeks warmed, but I made myself look up at Silvio's haughty smirk and sharp sea-blue eyes. "That isn't exactly how I'd put it. Which ones are your parents?"

His smirk slipped into a scowl as he followed my eyes to the open throne room doors, where monarchs in colorful regalia were exiting into the already crowded main hall.

"They're in blue," he grumbled.

"Oh, I think I see them." The king in sea-blue clothing who was as tall and his bearing as imperious as Silvio had to be his father, and the queen at his side was tall, too, though with a much more friendly expression. "You look like your father."

Silvio mumbled something unintelligible. I looked back at him, wondering what I said to upset him, and his face was more sour than I'd ever seen it. Narrowed eyes, tight lips - but before I could apologize, he straightened his tall frame and spoke in a clear, cultured voice.

"Ivetta, these are my parents, the king and queen of Benitoite. Father, mother, this is Princess Ivetta Romanov."

I fixed a smile on my face and spun back to face them. "It's a pleasure to meet you both, your highnesses," I said, dropping into a deep curtsey.

"So, this is the girl who stole Chevalier from our Arianna," the king intoned in a deep, scornful voice, emphasizing the word 'girl.'

My mouth went dry. It never occurred to me that the king of Benitoite would be upset with me for ruining his niece's marriage proposal to Chevalier. I'd forgotten all about her until this moment.

"Don't mind him," said the queen, her reassuring smile and kind blue eyes a soothing balm after her husband's sharp words. Those eyes looked familiar. They were the same shade of sea-blue as Silvio's, but the shape wasn't quite right. I was sure I'd seen someone with eyes just like hers before.

"He's just in a bad mood because Arianna was complaining all the way here," she continued. "That's a lovely dress."

"Oh, thank you," I said, lifting my skirts a little and taking advantage of the opportunity to look down at my dress and break eye contact with the Ricci family. It was easier to think about how to defuse the situation surrounding Arianna if I didn't have to meet the king's sharp gray eyes. "Chevalier designed it," I added, just to fill the air.

"He what?" Silvio snapped, too startled to maintain his proper speech.

"It surprised me, too," I told him, dropping my skirts and smiling back up at the astonished faces around me. "I apologize about Princess Arianna. None of this was supposed to happen. She is a much better choice for Chevalier than I am, but it's very difficult to make him change his mind once he's decided upon a course of action. Fortunately, there are many princes gathered here today, and I'm sure quite a few of them would consider a marriage to her to be advantageous. Maybe even Keith?" I added, turning to look back at him, hovering silently at the edge of our group. His golden eyes widened.