A Dangerous Dance [BOOK ONE]

Chapter Fifteen

THE TEACUP FELL FROM ALTHEA'S HANDS, shattering on the floor with the amber liquid pooling out between the shards.

Two maids immediately rushed forward to collect the broken china and contain the spill. Althea hardly noticed them, or the sister that pressed a handkerchief into her fingers.

"Surely not?" She murmured, staring at Dahlia, who had delivered the news. She was always well informed on gossip and rumors, since most of the maids and servants spoke to her regularly.

Dahlia nodded, brushing a curl off her shoulder, "I've just heard it from the kitchens. Mavis and Tansy couldn't stop talking about it with Mrs. Darby."

Althea shook her head, her fingers still curled as though she was still holding a teacup.

"I hope it's true." Magdalena announced, her face covered in the raspberry jam they were having with tea, "I like Blake."

Althea stood abruptly, "Don't say such things, Magda."

They all seemed taken aback by Althea's sudden reaction. Cassidy and Blythe exchanged looks, baffled. She left the sitting room, leaving behind the girls, and quickly realized she didn't know where she was going.

It seemed that these days all she ever felt was anger or hopelessness. She was sick of all of it. How she longed not to feel angry anymore, to find a reason to smile and laugh again.

If what the maids said was true, then maybe... maybe she still had enough time. And with that, she broke out into what might've been a run if it hadn't been for the limp.

She was out of breath by the time she made it to the library, bursting into her father's study. All three men stood abruptly, surprised that she had interrupted.

"Tell me it isn't true." She whispered, eyes on Etherson's back.

Her father looked bewildered, "Miss Althea, what is the meaning of this?"

She ignored him, acting as though it was only her and Etherson in the room, "Tell me it isn't true." She repeated, more emotion in her voice.

Etherson turned and held her gaze steadily, his face set, "I'm afraid so."

Althea balled her fists, "You know what will happen. We're cursed. How could you be any different from the others?"

"I like to think I have a few tricks up my sleeve. And your father has already accepted."

She looked at Nathanael then, "How could you?"

Nathanael still looked utterly confused, "Miss Althea, he volunteered to do this. Am I simply supposed to say no because you are unhappy?"

She couldn't believe this. Etherson knew what happened to the princes who tried to figure out the mystery. Why was he risking his life to do this? He didn't owe their family anything.

Althea shook her head, "Fine. If I can't convince you, then you will just have to see on your own. I did warn you."

She couldn't bear to stay in the office a moment longer, so angry with Etherson she hardly knew what to do with herself. She stormed out, leaving behind the library, and went for the gardens to walk off her anger and frustration. Even though it was cold and the trees and shrubbery were covered in frost, she found comfort in the frozen wonderland. It helped calm her raging thoughts down.

"Princess?"

Althea was stopped halfway to the swan fountain by Alec of all people. He was carrying a roll of burlap and shears in his arms.

She gave him a small, tight smile, "Hello, Alec."

She could see why Blythe fancied him. Alec was tall and broad from working in the garden, with fair hair a shade darker than Althea's and kind eyes. He sported a trimmed, neat beard for the winter.

He hefted the burlap over his shoulder, "You look as though you could use some company, Your Highness."

It wasn't exactly proper, but Althea found that he was right. She didn't want to be alone at this time.

"Where are you headed? I'll accompany you."

He nodded ahead, "To the swan fountain."

They walked in comfortable silence. Althea didn't know Alec all that well, but it was nice that she didn't have to try with him. She could tell he was the kind of person who was happy not to talk at all.

He would be a good match for her sister.

At the fountain, Althea helped him wrap the burlap around a broken limb of a cherry blossom tree, preserving the fragile trunk of the tree until it could grow the branch back.

"Would you like to talk about it, Your Highness?" Alec asked lightly in a way that said he had noticed something was wrong right away, but hadn't asked out of politeness.

The words escaped like a flood before she could stop them, "I just don't understand why he would risk his life for us."

Alec tied off the string keeping the burlap in place, "Are you speaking of Lord Etherson?"

"Yes!" Althea burst out, "We haven't done anything for him. I don't understand why he's doing any of this. He has no ties to my family. He doesn't owe us anything."

Alec chuckled and she glared at him a little, "Your Highness, Have you ever stopped to consider that he doing this because he wants to? Some people don't need any explanation for what they do."

She opened her mouth to speak, but Althea found that she couldn't really say anything back to that response.

Because he was right. Etherson didn't need an explanation for anything he did. And he didn't have to explain anything to her, specifically.

Then why did she feel so betrayed?

"Your Highness, I don't think the problem is Lord Etherson."

She tilted her head, "What do you mean?"

"Forgive me for speaking plainly, but I believe you are reason you are so upset, Your Highness."

She blinked, utterly confused, and a deep chuckle tumbled out from Alec's chest before his face turned serious.

"You and the other princesses have been harboring this secret for so long, Your Highness, that to accept help now would be a foreign concept to you. You simply cannot understand why someone would want to help because you've been alone in some sort of fight for so long."

She swallowed hard, unable to meet his eyes suddenly.

It was a deep truth that Althea had refused to acknowledge until now. She didn't want help, no matter how much she tried to convince herself, simply because she hadn't been offered help until now.

"Your Highness," Alec started, then dropped his voice, "you know how much I care for all of you. Seeing you all fading away, unable to say anything, cuts me to the core. Please, Your Highness, for the good of your sisters and yourself, let Lord Etherson in. Let him solve this."

How she wished she could. If only she could speak up, if only they could find the help they needed to break this awful curse, if only.

However, Althea could only do so much to help him. In this matter, he would have to pull himself through. Althea wasn't strong enough to carry one more person.

She wasn't strong enough for anything.