“You raise a fine point.” I nodded. “Now, is that what you called me here for? To chastise me about my lack of a bride?” I waltzed over to an armchair, but Father gave me a sharp glare. I stopped short of the chair, standing in front of it instead of seating my dirty trousers upon it.
“That, and there’s one other issue I needed to discuss with you.” The king seated himself behind his desk, an almost mocking smile playing across his lips as he eyed my standing posture. “A messenger from the border arrived this morning with some unsettling news. It would seem a band of merchants were caught passing through the border without any proper documentation. When the guard attempted to question them, they attacked.” His voice grew solemn. “Six men were killed, and the merchants broke through into our territory.”
I stared at him in slight disbelief for a moment. Drancos didn’t have an impeccable military, but we took pride in our border defenses. Our trade was extremely valuable, so we closely documented all merchants and traders who passed our border. Our most highly trained troops protected the border, so these merchants must have been more than mere bandits.
“What part of the border did they cross from?” I questioned coldly.
“The northern portion, at the corner where Sybettal and Ashbourne meet.”
I took a moment to digest the information. Sybettal was a wasteland, densely riddled with bandits and criminals. Ashbourne, on the other hand, was a more mysterious land. Their rulers kept to themselves for the most part, but they had been known for violent streaks in the past. Sybettal’s downfall, for instance…
My thoughts layered over each other. “Do we have any information about the intruders? Did they have a leader, or any physical descriptions?”
“Only one survivor caught sight of the men outside of their caravan. He described them as tall, clothed head-to-toe in black, with dark features.”
That didn’t help much since both citizens of Sybettal and Ashbourne possessed those features. “I suppose we will simply have to alert the guard to remain aware of any such travelers. There isn’t much we can do with such limited information... aside from postponing the ball, of course.” I gave Father a mischievous grin.
“That won’t be necessary.” Father gave me a scolding glare. “The ball shall commence whether you like it or not. We needn’t display any signs of concern to our people when we aren’t even sure of the intruders’ purpose.”
“Very well then.” It was time to stop avoiding the inevitable. “I’ll attend to the arrangements.”
“Wonderful.” A kind gleam twinkled in his blue eyes as Father gave me a pleased smile. “I know settling down can be frustrating; however, marriage can be just as inspiring as those books of yours. If you choose the right bride, you won’t feel trapped, but you will be challenged to be the best man you can be. Love has a funny way of bringing out our best selves. Your mother certainly aided me in becoming a better king, and I hope your future love will do the same.”
I gave him a gentle smile. “Thank you, Father. Unfortunately I believe it will be a tad difficult to form a sincere connection after a single dance.” My tone softened as I pondered the challenge ahead of me. Any girl could make herself appear angelic for a single night. How would I know which ones were being genuine?
“You’ll know, son.” The king’s response answered my internal question, and for a moment, I wondered if I had spoken it out loud. “When you find yourself thinking about a woman more often than yourself or you cling to the words she says, that’s when you know she’s the one.”
My fingers twitched around the daffodil still in my grasp. “I think I understand, father.”
“Good.” He picked up a stack of papers from his desk, then sifted through them. “I’m afraid that’s all the paternal advice I have for the day. Now I suggest you bathe before the poor staff is forced to scrub all the upholstery in your path.” He side-eyed the chair I almost sat upon, and I laughed.
“Fair enough.” I turned to exit. My skin was beginning to itch fiercely from the drying mud and the lingering scent wasn’t exactly pleasant. As I left Father’s office and made my way to the washroom, I couldn’t help but think about the girl I had encountered.
She clearly didn’t know who I was, otherwise, she would have likely been the one apologizing instead. Her apparel wasn’t that of a true commoner, but she didn’t appear as lavishly dressed as a proper noble. She also hadn’t worn any shoes, which was probably the most peculiar thing of all. If she maintained any status, she would likely never leave the house without proper apparel. She could be an underpaid servant, but her diction entailed that she had a proper education.
So, who was she?
I kicked myself internally for neglecting to ask her name. Now the only chance I had at seeing her again was by lingering around the garden in hopes of crashing into her once more. There was no chance of me sneaking away to the garden before the ball, unless it was for a quick visit. That wouldn’t give me much opportunity to run into her. I did mention that I could leave her a message though…
My thoughts rapidly turned as an idea sparked into my mind. After I was thoroughly cleaned, I paused at the desk in my chamber to write up a quick note. Despite being rushed by my servants to attend other matters, I took my time ensuring that my penmanship was clean and proper. It had to be on a small piece of paper for what I had planned, so I couldn’t write much, but it should be enough for now. Once I was done, I set the note on my desk, next to the fresh daffodil that now rested in a narrow vase. I smiled broadly down at the note before I turned for the door. Monty was already calling for me to meet with the event planners, so I didn’t have time to place the letter today.
A sly smile crept up my face.
I’ll just have to deliver it tomorrow.
chapter four
“Kalina, what in the realms happened to ya!?” Beatrice nearly dropped her basket of grass clippings at the sight of my current state.
“I was visiting the palace gardens and slipped into a patch of mud,” I replied rapidly as I scrubbed my face. The only place for me to clean myself was the water pump, so I knew I ran the risk of being spotted here if Sapphira returned early. “Are there any spare rags I can dry off with? I don’t have a lot of time...” I gave Beatrice a pleading look, and she put down her basket.
“I’ll see what I can find, but ya better keep your eyes on the road, child.” She left me with the warning before rushing toward the clotheslines.
I don’t know why, but I couldn’t bring myself to tell her about the man I’d encountered. To be honest, we had hardly spoken, but something about the incident had felt personal, as if I should keep it to myself. The idea of keeping secrets was far from foreign to me. I hid things from Sapphira all the time, but hiding things from Beatrice was new.
As I scrubbed at my dirt-crusted hair viciously, the startling sound of carriage wheels sent me upright. My eyes darted toward the incoming carriage, and I instantly abandoned the pump. Although I hadn’t been attempting to rescue my boots, I didn’t expect Sapphira to believe any of my excuses. As I ran toward the back of the house, Beatrice nearly collided with me while carrying a fresh basket of laundry.
“Whoa there, watch where yer going,” the woman panted. She must have been running, too. “Here, there are a few rags to dry off with, and a new change of clothes. Ya can get dressed in the gardener’s shed. Chester will keep an eye out for the mistress in the meantime.” She thrust the basket into my hands, which I graciously accepted. “Oh, and one more thing, there’s a flyer in the basket. I found it on the town notice board this morning and thought ya might want to have a look at it.” A small smile adorned the older woman’s face, and my curiosity sparked.