The Lady Knight

Chapter XXXIX: Birthdays and Bashes

Prince Nicholas

I tilted my head, observing Julie as I munched on an apple, leaning against the refreshment tables. Truth be told, I was beginning to notice a pattern in her rather suspicious behaviour throughout this evening.

She would stare at the tray of Marzipan in front of us on the table for a few minutes, and then her gaze would move on to each of her Captains standing on guard around the hall, scrutinising them closely.

Her hazelnut brown eyes would then sweep the whole room once, as if there could be men hiding in every crook and corner, and then she would return to staring down at her timepiece, discreetly keeping an eye on me.

And the whole routine would begin again. She had hardly even touched the Marzipan she had heaped up on her plate, and she had not even noticed the fact that I had stolen a few of them from her.

My mind returned to the conversation I had overheard this evening, and I wondered if that was what was bothering her. The idea of my life being in danger currently.

Mayhap unbeknownst to her, my life had been in danger for as long as I could remember, ever since James had committed suicide, and Richard had run away. I was Papa's only heir left to ascend the throne of Monrique, and there were some individuals in the Power Triangle – Monrique, Osterlund and Vantauge – who did not want me to do so in the future.

There had been many attempts on my life in the ten years I had spent in Osterlund that have been hushed up by Charlie and Papa- so many, in fact, that the idea of danger did not scare me to desperation as it used to in the past.

Danger, death and I had become good friends over the years.

However, surely she would have been aware of how precarious my current position was? I was certain she knew that there were no more heirs of Monrique after me, and that until I had a son of my own to secure the succession, my life would always be in danger.

That was the whole point of the Potential Quest, was it not?

However, I preferred to think that she was worrying herself sick in silence now because she cared for me, at least a little, and because I had come to mean something to her in her life in these three months after all - not because she had realised the fact that my life was in danger for the first time.

A man could imagine if he wanted, yes?

"Nick?" a quiet voice broke me out of my reverie.

I glanced at Julie beside me, whose eyes were now veiled from portraying all emotion. Her eyes travelled back and forth from the timepiece to me, as she plastered an artificial smile onto her face.

"Yes?"

Her expression remained maddeningly neutral. "Will you come somewhere with me if I asked you to?"

I stared at her, mystified. "Where?"

"Somewhere."

I rolled my eyes. "Very informative, Julie."

Her eyes flitted to her timepiece again. "In truth, though, will you come now if you are willing?"

"Now?" I frowned, "but Tori might mind – "

She cut me off. "I have spoken to her. She has agreed to excuse us," she assured me, "and I have also informed the Anchorvale family that we are leaving the baby shower early. And that we would return to the Manor on our own."

I continued to stare at her, more and more puzzled by the minute. "All right – "

She began to drag me even before I could finish my reply, towards the cradle once more, where Tori was speaking animatedly to a couple of womenfolk. Julie tapped her feet impatiently, waiting for them all to finish conversing.