Break

Chapter 12: Blood and Ice

A pair of hands vigorously shame my awake. Groggily, I swat her away. The resulted slap on my wrist confirms that it really is Josephine.

"Prince Forarte is coming soon. At least look good and, oh, I don't know, be awake."

"Dang it," I grumble.

"Breakfast is ready downstairs. Well, it will be soon. They run on a later schedule than us. Probably because the prince can actually wake up without the bribing of food." Josephine unlatched the case and begin rummaging through it in search of a fitting dress for the tropical climate. "This place is nice though. It got a bit nippy last night, but I'm guessing that was General Faust's doing. Poor man. I actually haven't seen him today. Probably somewhere in the castle."

I groan and sit up in bed. My eyes drowsily gaze out the window and blink away sleep. The view of the ocean is amazing.... Suddenly, a dress gets thrust into my view. The baby pink dress with white lace trimming would have excited me if it wasn't right in front of my nose.

"You weren't listening, were you?" she snaps.

"Part of it," I mumble.

"Great. Alright. Get dressed and come to the dining hall. I will run through everything there."

"You're not dressing me?"

"It's a simple dress, milady. Throw on some stockings, slip it over your head, put on some shoes, and you're done."

"Dress then stockings."

"Yes, yes, your weird habits. Hurry now or you'll be late."

Josephine leaves me alone. She must be stressed out about me getting married. That or seeing her husband again has got her wanting to spend every moment with him. Either way, I don't like it.

After a nice stretch, some struggle in getting the torso of my dress to be perfectly aligned, and straighten out the three-quarter sleeve of my dress, I finally put on my white stockings and shoes. When I arrive in the dining hall, everyone is already seated and a place has been made for me between Rean and another empty chair. Rean smiles at me when I sit down, but I ignore her. She is two-faced.

"Look, I'm sorry if you overheard what I said last night. I didn't mean it. I just wanted to get to Jacob... which was wrong," she whispers to me. "Please, forgive me."

"Don't talk to my friend like that again and I will," I say coolly.

"Deal."

"Then you are forgiven."

"I can't find General Faust anywhere, milady," a servant tells Rosa, who is seated diagonally across from me and to Josephine's left. "His room is vacant as well."

"Did he just leave us without telling?" Rosa asks with a hint of annoyance.

"He told me goodbye last night," I say. "I was too tired to think anything of it though. I honestly just thought he meant goodnight." He actually left....

"Maybe he had some business at Androsta," Galid says. "He is king."

"True," Rosa sighs. "He forgets his manners too frequently though. I worry about him."

"We couldn't tell," Rafael says.

"Do you love antagonizing people?" Rosa asks as she glares down the table at him.

"It's a hobby," he replies with an innocent smile.

"Delsair is not going to be happy to see his best friend gone," Rean mutters.

"He doesn't leave here often?" Josephine asks.

"Never. After the incident at Androsta, he has hated the place. Never really went back. Something serious mush have happened," Rosa tells her.