A Dove's Tale

Chapter 175

The shy, awkward stable boy was loitering around the stable yard when Chevalier and I returned later that afternoon, trying to look busy but darting looks my way. Chevalier called another stable hand to attend to Blade, and suddenly, my not-so-secret admirer dropped everything, nearly tripping over himself to take Rose from me.

"Thank you. Give her lots of love for me," I told him.

He ducked his head, mumbling something unintelligible as he turned to lead her into the stable. The tips of his ears were pink.

"Poor kid. He's just like Jason," I said to Chevalier as we headed back up the hill to the palace. "I'm guessing we don't have much time until the party?"

"No, we don't."

"I'll have to stop by tomorrow to give Rose more attention, then. What do you think I should wear?"

"What you have on is fine."

I shot him a look. "For our dates, yes. For an official palace function, no. I can probably get away with leaving my hair down if I just brush it out..."

"There she is!"

We'd barely set one foot inside the palace when Leon's booming voice rang out, followed by a cacophony of his other brothers' voices as they ambushed us, swarming around me and sweeping me away from Chevalier and down the hall. It took me a moment to register what was happening, and when I did, I tried to protest.

"Wait! I can't go to the party like this!"

"Sure you can," Jin said cheerfully.

"My hair must be a mess after horseback riding all day—"

"Your hair looks great," Nokto interrupted me. "I like the wild and tousled look."

"Don't be gross," Luke warned him.

They deflected all further objections while laughing and joking amongst themselves, and soon, the ballroom's magnificent double doors loomed ahead. I had lost all hope of retaining my reputation as a proper member of the upper class when Theresa stepped forward, blocking our path.

"Hold it!"

Her command paused the rush toward my doom, and I sighed in relief. At least somebody had some sense.

"She's not dressed appropriately."

"I tried telling them," I started to say, but I stopped when I saw her mischievous smirk and the crown woven from red roses in her hands.

She was in on it.

"Not you, too," I moaned.

She placed the floral crown on my head and pronounced, "Now, you're ready."

"Theresa!"

But it was too late. The princes were already in motion, and the guards were already opening the doors, and the enormous crowd within was already cheering and applauding.

And it was the strangest crowd I'd ever seen in that ballroom.

Flashy, regal attire marking royalty; ostentatious ball gowns and suits among the nobility; dresses like mine, pretty and relatively plain, along with similarly plain and sometimes worn suits on the commoners; stiff, starched uniforms worn by the servants within the crowd and on the periphery of the room; armor polished to a high sheen on the knights; children in varying states of disarray. People from all classes, all dressed their best and mostly smiling, although more than one smile appeared forced. The Simmons, for instance, looked like they'd tasted something sour.

But the wide smile on the familiar brown-eyed woman dashing forward to take my hand was genuine.

"Belle!"