The Flower Crown Princess

Part 22

"Nivh- Nivh!"

Lisbet's voice calls me from a daze. I look at her, her eyes wide in the morning sunlight, her hair still braided in a long brown rope. 

"Lisbet? Are you alright?"

She nods her head. "I'm fine- but those traitors, they're gone. They've escaped." The dread in her voice is thicker than a jungle. 

I widen my eyes and continue with the plan. "Escaped? The rebels escaped? How?" I let horror creep into my words. Doom,  I think, getting into character. They're free to bring destruction to your life and your kingdom and your marriage!

Of course, I can't very well fool myself. The trick, however, seems to work well enough on Lisbet.

She begins to pace, twisting her hands around and around each other. "Are they terribly violent? I've heard awful things about what the rebels will do." She stops walking and looks me dead in the eyes, in them a seriousness without any dread or excitement, a seriousness of finality.

"What have you heard?" I ask the question in all seriousness, but the mood is too heavy. I decide to follow up with something lighter. "They seem peaceful enough- for rebels, I mean," I joke. She does not laugh. Rather, she shakes her head.

"I've seen them, Nivh," Lisbet whispers as though she's in a graveyard. "They've tried to get me to join them, and when I refused, they hurt me." She steps forward a bit and draws back the collar of her gown to reveal an angry red blotch. 

"Oh, Lisbet," I cry, standing and going over to her. "What did they do?" 

"It's a burn," she states, her voice quaking and fingers trembling. "The man who did it kept holding the candle closer and closer, but I wouldn't give in. Eventually I fainted and was found still tied up in my own bed."

I am horrified. They would do this? To poor, innocent Lisbet, who's never so much as stepped on an ant? "How long ago?"

She closes her eyes as a tear forces its way down her cheek. "Two years. I was thirteen."

Her eyes open again, though they are still quavering and far away.

I stand with my mouth open, sorrow and a hatred building. "I promise, Lisbet, that they won't ever hurt you. Not once King Arkhil's plan has been fully carried out."

"I'm assuming you can't tell me this plan," she says with a rueful smile.

I shake my head. "Of course I can't. Besides, it'd only give the rebels more reason to hurt you, if you know the measures that will be taken against them. But," I think for a moment. "There is something you can do to help. Do you trust me?"

Her head cocks to the side ever so slightly, but she nods, closing her eyes for a moment, and opening them before answering. "Whatever I can do to help my kingdom, my lady."

I draw a breath. "If you're evr questioned about me, this is what you need to answer. As far as you know, I haven't quite been myself. I've been acting very strangely lately, and you don't know why. Nobody does. But I do snap back to my old ways when someone's watching."

Lisbet is clearly puzzled, but she nods. "It will be done. I promise on my word as lady- in- waiting to the future queen of the Lakes."

We smile a little bit, yet her eyes- her whole face really- remain confused. I hate having her lie for me. I hate myself for doing it.

Though, after all the Dawning has done, I am willing to tell some lies. If it will help the efforts to end this once and for all.

I'm making her go into this blindly. She has no idea what is going on around her- only that there are terrible threats to her safety and to our monarchy.

It's all for the greater good, I repeat in my head as though it's an anthem. It's all for the greater good.

The greater good.

*****

"Prince Asdagh requests your presence at dinner, my lady," states the servant boy that's come out to the gardens to find me.

"Tell him I will honor his request. Thank you." The king and queen are on one of the other islands to the south for a day, due to some sort of disturbance. I can't help but feel that Nolan is behind this. 

The servant boy bows and walks away. I stare at the flowers that surround the bench that Jennis and I sit on, trying to embroider them right on the handkerchief in my lap.

"I wonder why you got a private invitation. Wouldn't you be dining together anyways?" she asks, looking up from her book.

I shake my head. "No, we would have taken it in our separate rooms. When the king and queen are away the main banquet hall isn't used unless something like this happens."

"I suppose that we were terribly misinformed of that in Tuanc. Arron's parents were very often gone, but we'd eat in the banquet halls anyways, just as if it were a normal day." She shrugs and looks down at the page. "But honestly, why the special invite?"

"I'm not sure."

It's only a few short hours later that I make my way down to the hall for dinner, escorted by my ladies. Nobody is allowed to go anywhere alone- not the nobles, anyways. Especially since the rebels 'escaped'.

Asdagh stands at the table and bows slightly when I come in. I curtsy. "Good evening, my lord. I trust you are well?"

He pulls out my chair for me before sitting in his own. "I am, and yourself?"

"I am well."

"You're wondering why I sent you the special invitation to dinner."

I smile the littlest bit and tip my head. "I admit to being a bit curious."

He takes a sip of his drink before answering. "I wanted to get to know you. We are engaged, after all, Princess. Is it not my right?"

He really is quite charming. His blue eyes sparkle in a mirroring of the smile playing at his lips. "Very well, my lord, and what is it you would like to know?"

"You've proven to be quite shrewd at matters of court. Do you enjoy the royal court's affairs?"

"I do not particularly enjoy the gossip and scandals that always seem to pervade it, but I do enjoy the works that are accomplished, and I have never fallen asleep in a council meeting."

Asdagh chuckles. He pays attention to me- he lets me speak without interruption and his voice is smooth and rich. "And how many formal councils have you attended?"

I lower my head. "Two."I look back up and smile. Our eyes meet.

I don't think I'm in love. But Asdagh, despite any misgivings I've had about him, seems like he will be alright. I've heard so many tales of unhappy political marriages- my parents and Finen certainly being chief of these- but with luck and the way my fiancé has treated me thus far, I do not believe I'll end up in a completely loveless marriage.

I hope not.