Chapter Five: Manipulation
Dinner that evening passed smoothly, with the guests talking and joking among one another. Ashley smiled. It felt good to have company. She enjoyed this castle so much more when she wasn't alone. A glance at Andros told her he must have felt the same way; she had never seen him more animated.
After dinner, the group retired to a comfortable parlor, where they listened as Zhane detailed the week to follow.
"As you all know the tradition of Valentine's Day, I need not grace you with a history lesson." A smattering of applause followed this, along with a "thank heavens" from Andros. "In celebration of that holiday, Andros and I have decided to hold a rather old fashioned celebration. In three days time, we shall celebrate the fourteenth day of this month. By that time I will have come up with a little surprise.
"Until then, I will begin the festivities with this." A hat appeared in his hand. "Included inside are the names of all the guests. You will each pick one, and that will be the person you must write a valentine for. On Valentine's Day, I will collect all the poems and hand them out to the recipient. They will then have to guess who their Valentine is! I have here a hat for the ladies and one for the gentlemen. Or at least I should have one for the gentlemen." At that moment another hat appeared in his hand. "Much better. Remember, do not tell anyone who you have chosen, or it will ruin the surprise!"
Ashley, who sat by Tori, whispered to the other girl. "This all sounds more complicated than I thought."
Tori nodded with a smile. "I think he means to confuse us."
"Ashley," Zhane walked across the room and handed her the hat. "As you are not interested in what I have been saying, you pick first."
Ashley laughed, then closed her eyes and reached into the hat. Shuffling through the papers with her hand she picked one and drew it out. As Zhane took the hat around to everyone else she peeked at the name, and frowned.
"Damn."
"What?" Tori looked over at her with a concerned look on her face.
"Oh," Ashley faltered, folding the paper back up and covering it with her hand. "I, ah, cut my finger on the paper." As she said that, she looked down at her finger and a moment later, a small red line appeared on it.
"Oh dear," Tori's eyes widened slightly, "shall we bandage it?"
"I don't think there is a need, it isn't really bleeding, it just hurts like the devil."
"Then you will not be able to play for us?" Zhane said, walking over to where the two ladies sat.
Ashley smiled sweetly, shaking her head. "I am afraid not, but perhaps Tori would care to?"
Tori blushed slightly and quickly glanced at Zhane. "I don't think..."
"Oh come now Tori, you are a lovely pianist."
"Thank you your majesty." With that she stood up and walked over to the piano.
Ashley glanced down at the folded piece of paper again. Perhaps she had been mistaken; perhaps she had read the name wrong. Unfolding the paper she sighed.
No, the name she had drawn was Andros's.
* * * * *
Andros frowned at the paper in his hand. No, it wasn't his imagination. There was her name, in the bold handwriting of Zhane. Of all the people in this room, he had to pick her.
He had to pick Ashley.
* * * * *
Zhane smiled as he watched the two glanced at their papers one, twice, three times before they would resolve themselves to the fact that they had indeed chosen each other.
The next few days would be interesting indeed.
* * * * *
Ashley chewed on the end of her pencil.
"Dear Valentine, I write to you a poem that is really true... damn. That sounds terrible." She scratched out the line and began to write again. "With eyes of blue and wit so true..."
She crumpled up the paper and threw it into the already overflowing wastebasket.
"Damn you Zhane." She muttered into the air.
* * * * *
Andros frowned over the poem. A child could have written better. He crumpled up the page and threw it at the wastebasket beside the door to his study. At the same time a messenger walked in. The paper bounced off the messengers head and landed in the wastebasket.
"Er, your majesty?"
"Yes?" He affected his most intimidating voice.
"Zhane would like to see you."
"Well, send him in." As the messenger left he frowned at the paper.
"I'm not getting much done anyway."
He sat back and waited until Zhane walked in the door. The first thing he noticed was the man's disheveled appearance. The second thing he noticed, as he came closer, startled him.
Zhane had been drinking.
* * * * *
Tori glanced at the poem she had started. It didn't sound right. Nothing sounded right when all she could think about was Zhane.
"Damn."
She crumpled up the paper and threw it in the fireplace, watching with a sullen expression as it burst into flames.