A Dove's Tale

Chapter 136

To say the Michel family estate was impressive would be an understatement.

First, there was the driveway. I'd seen the entrance from the road almost three months ago, marked by a pair of tall trees ringed in rose vines and white blossoms where the packed dirt road met a smooth cobblestone drive, and I'd wondered at the time if the pain medicine was causing me to hallucinate. It had looked like an enchanted lane, something that could only be real in a dream. Neither Licht nor Nokto had mentioned it, and they were already watching me for any signs that we needed to stop, so I'd kept it to myself.

But it was real.

And it went on for one mile.

One mile of shade trees spaced evenly apart on either side of the road. One mile of white roses and green vines winding up the trunks.

I couldn't imagine how much work it took to train the vines to grow that way.

And at the end of that mile, the very real but no less enchanted lane opened up to an expansive series of gardens surrounding a circular drive. Waist-height rose bushes trimmed neatly and covered in more white blossoms took the place of the trees, and beyond them were mazes of paths lined with smaller rose bushes of varying colors. White predominated here, too, but reds and pinks flowered in abundance, and rare orange and yellow roses grew in clumps around arches and pillars covered in more vines. Within the bounds of the driveway was a large pond that the Stotts boys would have jumped into on sight, covered in flowering lily pads of varying colors. Three small fountains around its perimeter poured clear, burbling water from curving spouts to form ripples in the deep blue pool.

Chevalier chuckled. "You look like a wide-eyed child."

"This is more beautiful than the palace!" I exclaimed, unconcerned about how I looked. He'd lived with this all his life. I hadn't. I hadn't even known anything like this existed outside of books, and if I hadn't felt his peck on my cheek, I might have thought I was dreaming.

The carriage jostled to a stop, and I turned to look out the other window, past Chevalier and his amused smirk to the mansion. Wide, semi-circular stairs led from the driveway to an enormous pair of wooden doors bearing the royal family's rose crest, set within pristine white walls that rose out of sight from my position in the carriage. I couldn't see the end of the building to the left or the right, either, but based on what I'd already seen, I guessed it wouldn't be much smaller than the palace. Chevalier opened the carriage door and stepped out, turning to offer me a hand, and I took it with just a quick a glance at him. Windows, large and small, round and square, clear and colored, decorated the exterior of the mansion, with rose vines crawling up the sides and winding around the occasional balcony.

I stepped into nothingness, and suddenly Chevalier's arms were around my waist, and I was flush with his chest.

"Careful, little dove," he said, the twinkle in his crystal blue eyes saying he didn't mind this turn of events at all. I blushed furiously and pushed back from him just as the golden rose emblazoned on the doors split in two. A servant in white and gold livery appeared, his smooth expression betraying no surprise at seeing Chevalier or me.

"Your highness," he said in a crisp voice, bowing deeply at the waist. "And Princess Ivetta, I presume. We weren't expecting you. Shall I prepare your room?"

"No," Chevalier replied. I almost giggled at his frosty tone. He was upset about us being interrupted, wasn't he?

"But we would like lunch, if it's not too much trouble," I volunteered, wrapping both of my arms around one of his.

"Of course. If you'll follow me."

I glanced down the drive as Chevalier led me inside. The Marquis' carriage, pulled by a team of glossy palomino horses, was just approaching the front doors as Charlie drove the royal carriage away. It felt wrong to go inside without waiting for the owner of the house.