Veronica left the prince and the general's son with her ears burning. She was tempted to turn back and gaze after the prince, but dared not. Queen Caroline had been quite lenient in regards to social protocols in her sitting room, but outside of that, no one would consider it at all proper for her to gaze longingly after a man.
Besides, she had no desire to be here! She was simply biding her time until her father summoned her back. When that would be though, she couldn't say. Sometimes, she wondered if he'd forgotten what he'd done with her.
Veronica fiddled with her necklace as she made her way back to her rooms. Aside from time spent with Riagen and Mahkai, and the other young people who joined them in the sitting room, Veronica usually spent her time alone. Alone, but not necessarily unhappily; here, there was no need to avoid anyone for any reason, and the few servants she saw were demure and polite, and almost amusing in their eagerness to be of use to her. Veronica was well-occupied with the vast palace library and, after much cajoling and a horrified stare, a portion of her maid's workbasket. All in all, her life was not very different here than how she occupied herself in her father's house, except she dared to think the company was far pleasanter here.
Veronica got to her room and settled down with some mending on her balcony, the fresh sea breeze playing with the loose strands of her hair. A lonely existence, maybe, but a peaceful one.
A maid knocked on the door and stepped into the room. She dipped a curtsy. "Pardon me, My Lady. The steward wishes to see you."
Veronica was curious. She had met the steward when she'd arrived in Ersta, but not since. More pressing was the fact that no one ever came looking for her.
She quickly checked her appearance in the mirror and followed the maid to one of the public rooms. The steward was there, along with two women in simple but clean clothing. The steward bowed to her, and the women quickly curtsied, following his lead.
"My Lady," the steward said, "this is Mara, from a nearby town. She has come to beg a favor of you."
"Of course!" Veronica cried, desperate to be useful in any way. "Please, sit."
The steward moved to stand by the door, but the women sat. The older of the two, Mara, shifted and fiddled with her apron. "Thank you, My Lady, for seeing us. We have come to beg a favor. You see, a few months ago, this young lady," she gestured to her companion, "washed up on the beach along our town."
Veronica studied the other woman, more of a girl, really. She had long, thick auburn hair tightly braided down her back, clear, pale skin, and deep green eyes.
Mara continued, "She does not speak, or write, in our language, so we do not know her name or where she is from. We heard that you were visiting from another country and thought perhaps you might be kinsfolk.
"But, you must understand," now Mara raised her eyes and there was a hint of steel in her tone, "we only wish to return the girl to her family. I do not seek compensation or reward, nor do I desire to be rid of her. She is a good girl, a hard worker, and no burden to me. I would be more than happy to bring her back home with me."
Veronica nodded, trying to convey through her expression that she took the woman seriously. "I understand. I do know a few other languages; but I assume she can understand us quite easily?" Now she turned to the girl, feeling a bit awkward to be talking about her as if she wasn't sitting right there.
The redheaded girl nodded eagerly, showing that she did understand what they were saying. Veronica tried a few greetings in the other languages she spoke, but the girl simply looked more confused. Veronica sighed and switched back to the common tongue.
"Can you write at all?" She gestured to the steward, who quickly brought her pen and paper.
Almost hesitantly, the girl took them and wrote something down, but it was in no language or even alphabet Veronica had ever seen before. The girl blushed a deep red, obviously embarrassed, though Veronica couldn't figure out why, exactly.
"Unfortunately," she said to Mara, "I don't think we are from the same country. I am as confused as you."
Mara nodded, but turned to give the girl a reassuring smile.
"However," Veronica turned to the girl as well, "I do wish to help you find your home, and, I mean no disrespect to Mara and her family, but I do believe I am better equipped here to help you do that. In addition, I have plenty of time to teach you our language, including reading and writing. Would you like to stay here as my guest, and help me find your family?"
The girl swallowed, eyes darting from Veronica to Mara and back again.
"It's all right if you'd like to go back with Mara," Veronica said gently. "I will not be insulted. But if you would like to stay, I'm sure no one would mind. There's plenty of room, and if they do complain, my apartments are more than adequate to house two."
Mara smiled. "If you'd like to stay, I will not be upset. I can only imagine how you must miss your home. The duchess is right, she can help you find them far better than I can."
The girl looked down at her hands for a moment, then raised her gaze to meet Veronica's and gave her a small nod. Veronica broke out in a grin. "Wonderful. I'm very excited to get to know you." She penned a quick note to Queen Caroline, explaining the situation and stating her willingness to share rooms with the girl if necessary, and gave it to a footman stationed just outside the door to deliver.
Mara was hugging the girl tightly, and telling her that she was always welcome back in their home should the need arise. The girl sniffed wetly and squeezed the woman back just as hard. Veronica looked away, feeling as if she were intruding on a private moment.
"Thank you very much, My Lady," Mara said, drawing Veronica's attention back to them. "Like I said, the lass is no trouble, but I do feel awful for her poor mother and father."
"I am happy to help," Veronica took Mara's hands in hers. "In fact, I am honored that you thought to come to me. I promise to take good care of her. My old nurse would be appalled to discover how much time I waste in idleness these days, so I'm sure she will be good for me, too. If you leave your address, we'll get started on writing lessons and send you and your family letters, how does that sound?"
The girl seemed excited by this prospect, and Mara carefully wrote her direction for Veronica. Veronica arranged for a footman to escort Mara back home, despite the woman's protests, and in a few minutes, she was alone with the girl.
"Well," she said, hands on her hips, "first things first. Let's get your things set up in my room for the time being. I don't suppose you have very much, do you?"
The girl shyly shook her head no, indicating a small pack near her feet. She opened the flap and encouraged Veronica to look through it. Inside was only a few extra articles of clothing, and not many of them at that.
Veronica grinned at her. "Fortunately for you, I have a sinful amount of clothes, and I brought far too many of them with me. I have plenty to share with you, and I'm handy enough with a needle to make any necessary adjustments. Come with me."
About halfway back to Veronica's apartments, a footman brought her an answering note from the queen. She would of course allow the girl to stay, and was looking forward to meeting her at dinner, where she eagerly awaited more details. "There, you see?" Veronica lifted the note in the air after telling the girl its contents. "I told you it would be no trouble at all. Come, we have a few hours before dinner and I want to know all about you!"
Assana could hardly believe her eyes. The palace was the most beautiful place she had ever seen, including the palace she'd grown up in! The walls were painted in rich, pure colors, the furniture was comfortable and ornate, and every room she'd been in thus far was spacious and airy, with many windows open to the salty sea air and sunshine. And now a duchess was going to help her learn to read and write in the human language! A real human duchess! Never mind the fact that Assana herself had been born a princess and thus outranked the other girl.
She followed the Duchess of Kanesbury through the halls, most of which had men in matching uniforms lining the walls, and maids scurrying back and forth. There were more servants here than in Alantia's palace, that was certain, and the uniforms of their guardsmen - or, footmen, as the duchess had called them - made them seem somehow intimidating and accommodating at the same time. In Alantia, the guardsmen in the palace didn't have to wear a uniform, and they all carried a weapon of choice, some of which were so frightening as to make them completely unapproachable. Assana had grown up with them as her constant shadows, and she was still afraid of them.
The duchess lead her through a dizzying maze of stairs and hallways until she stopped in front of a large white door. "These are my rooms," she said, pushing it open and showing Assana inside.
The door opened to a small room filled with chairs, sofas, and several small tables, as well as a fireplace and a wall of windows. The fabric covering the chairs looked so soft and inviting, Assana couldn't stop herself from touching it. It glided against her fingertips.
The duchess bustled past her to another door on the other end of the room. "This leads to my bedroom," she said, pointing. "Unfortunately, there is only one bed, but there's plenty of room for another to be placed inside. I'm not afraid of sharing a room if you're not."
Assana had at one time shared a room with Marilla, and again with Nina, and while it hadn't always been the highlight of her life, she wasn't afraid of even sharing a bed with the other girl, if humans did that sort of thing. She was still in awe of the fact that a duchess was willing to share a room with her, a girl who, for all the duchess knew, was an illiterate peasant.
"Come and pick a gown to wear to dinner," the duchess was saying, pulling Assana into the bedroom and towards the wardrobe. "You'll want to look your best when you meet with the queen, and we'll need time to make it over."
She flung open the doors to the wardrobe and Assana gasped. There was so much to choose from, and she barely knew how to wear the simple dress and apron she had on now!
The duchess laughed good-naturedly. "I know, I know! Clothes are my one weakness; I simply can't stop myself. Oh, but don't worry, we'll find something. Oh, but first," she took Assana's hands in hers. "we must introduce ourselves. I insist you call me, or I suppose, think of me, as simply Veronica. That is my name, and as I feel we are going to be friends, I wouldn't have you refer to me as anything else.
"Now," Veronica continued, "we're going to have to think of something to call you. Mara said they'd been calling you "lass", but that won't do at all! Is there any way you could tell me your name?"
Assana shook her head, since she'd been writing her name every time someone handed her a writing utensil, and no one knew what she meant.
Veronica pursed her lips, thinking. "It's only temporary, as I'm determined to teach you to write, and then you'll be able to tell me your real name, but how about I call you...hmmm...Willow!" She pointed at the leaves of a tree outside the nearest window. "That's the name of that tree."
Assana wrinkled her nose before she could stop herself. Veronica saw it and laughed. "All right, let's not. I don't really like it either now that I've said it out loud. We'll think of something, don't worry."
Veronica turned back to the wardrobe and began picking through the dresses, pulling out different choices and holding them against Assana's body before either rejecting them or laying them out on the bed. Before long, there was a pile of at least ten different dresses for her, with a promise of more should she need them.
"These," Veronica said, gesturing to a selection of about six or seven, "are day dresses, so I'll have the maid press them and hang them...well, somewhere, for tomorrow. The others are evening dresses; pick one to wear to dinner with the queen tonight."
Assana swallowed dryly. Dinner with the queen of Ersta? There was a terrifying thought. Not that it should have been - hadn't she been raised amongst nobles and the other elite of her country?
Veronica held up a cream-colored dress and pressed it to Assana's body. "This one, I think, for dinner. It looks very well against your hair." When Assana agreed eagerly, Veronica grinned and helped her remove her clothing so she could try on the dress. Fortunately, there were only a few places in the bodice where the dress either pinched too tight or hung too loose; the girls were very nearly the same height and build. To Assana's great surprise, the duchess did not ring for a maid, but instead went inside a workbasket and pulled out needle and thread to make the adjustments herself. All the while, Veronica chattered on about this lady or that gentleman whom she would see tonight and be introduced to.
"I hope you don't mind me talking on and on," Veronica said as she snipped off the last bit of thread on the last alteration and stepped back to survey her work. "I'm surprising myself with my chatter, but I find I very much appreciate your company."
Assana smiled. Nina hadn't been very talkative to her, probably because she couldn't respond, but plenty of her sisters were chatterboxes, and she found Veronica's talk soothing and reminiscent of home.
After a rather luxurious bath, a maid came to pin up her hair in an elaborate style that Assana had never dreamed of; it wouldn't have been possible underwater, and was completely inappropriate for a simple life in town. She kept turning her head this way and that, admiring the looping braids and shining pins in the mirror. The maid's smile was a tad smug as she helped Assana into her undergarments, and finally the beautiful, full-skirted cream dress.
Veronica swept over to her in a pink dress that looked lovely on her but would have clashed horribly with Assana's nearly-red hair. "Ready to go?" she asked.
Assana could not stop her stomach from growling at the thought of an elaborate royal dinner. Veronica laughed. "I'll take that as a yes!"
Dinner was a sumptuous but not a horrifying affair. Veronica brought her to meet the lovely Queen Caroline before they were seated at the table, and to explain what her situation was. The queen was very accommodating, and more than willing to give her the rooms next to Veronica's for however long she wished to stay. The food was gloriously delicious, far fancier than anything she'd seen before, even at her father's table. Alantia was sorely lacking in the culinary arts. There were less than thirty people in attendance as well, where Assana had expected fifty or more.
After the meal, all the women retired to the drawing room where the queen entertained for about half an hour until the men returned. Assana didn't quite understand this ritual, but was glad to be included in all of Veronica's interactions with whichever women she exchanged polite conversation with. Since no one was quite as willing to talk to her since she couldn't talk back, she was able to observe how these other young women never spoke to Veronica for more than a few minutes at a time, and never about anything significant or personal.
No wonder she was so eager to take me under her wing, Assana thought as she watched another woman saunter away from them, the poor girl is lonelier than I was in Alantia.
When the men returned, however, Assana was delighted to see Veronica's face light up. She scanned the faces of some of the older men, thinking Veronica's father was among them and was arriving to bring some sunshine into his daughter's life. However, none of the men Assana deemed old enough to be the duchess's father spared the two girls a single glance. It was a pair of tall young men whose gazes searched the room until they found Veronica and Assana's corner, and Assana watched in utter fascination as a pair of smiles lit up their faces. The one with brown hair in particular looked very pleased to see her.
Beside her, Veronica went red. The young man's blond friend nudged him in the direction of the queen, as it was proper to greet her first, and Assana stared at her new friend with a curious and knowing expression. Veronica saw her and blushed harder.
"Oh, stop it," she mumbled, elbowing Assana. Assana simply grew smug, glee bubbling up inside her. This was going to be just as good as teasing Marilla and Nanawei, she was sure.
In short order the young men made their way to Veronica's side. As expected, the brown-haired one was quicker than his friend to grasp the duchess's hand and bow over it. Assana was sure she was looking more satisfied than a crab who'd fought off competitors for a new shell, but she couldn't help herself.
"My Lady," the man said. The blond one gave up waiting for his friend to release Veronica's hand, and simply bowed in the girls' direction. Veronica managed to reclaim her hand and curtsied, Assana following suit as best as she was able.
"Your Highness," Veronica murmured. Assana tried not to let her surprise show. The queen's table had been too far away for her to truly see the faces of those sitting there, but she did recall several men who had the honor.
"Please allow me to introduce you to my friend," Veronica continued. "She is newly arrived at the palace this afternoon. Unfortunately, she cannot talk, so I do not know her name. Everyone thus far has been calling her 'Lass'. My friend," she turned to Assana, "this is the crown prince of Ersta, His Highness Prince Riagen."
But Assana was not looking at the prince. His given name did register dully in her ears, but she couldn't focus on that right now. She was staring straight at the prince's blond friend. Assana clamped her jaw shut to prevent it from falling straight to the floor in shock.
No. Surely not.
Assana's mouth went dry. She stared into those deep blue eyes before her, roaming over his cheekbones and his full lips. He stared back at her, curious but not offended by her blatant disregard of polite manners.
It's him.
It was the sailor she'd pulled from the sea.