The prince had escorted Lena back down the aisle and through the riotous crowd. Without another word, he left her. He turned from her and walked down the hall and turned from sight. Lena was still shocked near to silence at the revelation of her betrothed, now husband.
Likely he had no more words for her and Lena certainly had no words for him. Left alone and in the hallway, she returned to her room through the doors that she now knew were smashed in by the crown Prince. This was an unmitigated horror beyond power of belief.
Cassandra entered the room to find layers of forgotten wedding dress laying in cast aside piled leading to where Lena was, thrown across her bed wearing nothing but her petticoats and corset.
Cassandra cleared her throat, "Milady?"
Lena sat up, temporarily torn from her spell of misery.
"I have been sent to help you prepare for the banquet."
"Cassandra, right?" Cassandra gave a small nod, with a brilliant smile. "I am afraid I won't need your services. I have decided to permanantly hide myself away for the rest of my life."
Cassandra laughed at the melodramatic ways of the new Princess. "It wasn't as bad as all of that, milady. It was just a slight stumble. You recovered well."
"Please, call me Lena. And as far as the stumble. It was not the worst of it."
Cassandra stepped forward, drawn in by the forlorn look on Lena's face. "Whatever it is, I am sure it is not as bad as you claim, milady."
Lena had her knees tucked to her chest. She looked up at Cassandra in a mysterious thick despair. "I need to speak it to someone before I drive myself mad." Lena said softly, almost to herself. "Can I- Can I tell you my secrets?"
Cassandra sat down on the bed in front of the newly crowned Princess. "You said I can call you Lena?"
"If you please. I would much prefer it."
"Well Lena, in that case, you may call me Cassie and I promise to keep your secrets as long as you promise to keep mine. Deal?"
Lena smiled a genuine smile, finally. Her shoulders releasing the tension that was held there.
"Deal."
-/-
Once everything was revealed, Cassandra was in a similar disrupted state as Lena.
"You threatened the Crown Prince, all the while not knowing he was your betrothed?"
Lena winced. "Not exactly."
"He's a surly bear of a man! and you threatened to run him through?"
"I said that if Ihada weapon I wouldtryandrun him through."
Lena felt an immeasurable weight taken off her shoulders as she shared this burden. Cassie sat next to her sharing in her plight. She didn't expect to hear Cassie break into a fit of giggles next to her.
"This is all simply horrible!" Cassie declared.
"Do you see why I cannot face him again?"
Cassandra stood suddenly. "No. Absolutely not. Now knowing everything, you must attend!"
"Surely you are in jest!"
"You've been married Lena!" Cassandra declared with a laugh. "You must face him eventually and it is better to do it before your circumstances are left to stew in your anxieties. Surely hiding in your room any further would allow him to think himself correct in his assuming you are Prissy and spoiled!"
Cassandra was right. The realization hit Lena with a wave of nausea.
"I am not prissy or spoiled!"
Cassandra laughed, "Well I know that! The question is, how are you going to prove him wrong?"
Lena sighed deeply. "I could continue to let him think what he will."
"Truly? It is your earnest desire to play the part of a spoilt and prissy princess?"
Lena sighed, looking to her own hands. "Truly?" She asked, a reluctant feeling growing within her heart. "The truth is I want nothing more than to prove him wrong."
Cassie smiled. "I think a red dress then."
-/-
The Banquet Hall was thundering when Lena entered. Cassie abandoned her to find a seat amongst the crowd. Lena's seat was already saved. She dared to take a glance towards the head table. All eyes were glued on hers, even the Prince's. He had the same disproving look in her eyes. The same disdain. A vacant chair next to him that was meant for her.
She had thought him sinfully attractive before, but now in full formal, he was breathtaking and now she wanted nothing more than to melt on the floor directly.
The traitor as she couldn't help but think of him as such, stood at her approach. He stared at her. Truly looked at her from head to toe. Lena bolstered her courage under his stare.
Her eyes passed between her grandmother who stood with expectations in her eyes and the King and Queen behind him who stared on with nothing but smiles. She was grateful in that moment for her years of etiquette training so in this moment of sheer panic, her actions were second nature. She stopped in front of the Prince and curtseyed deeply. It was a customary sign of respect, but it was also a show that the hundreds of eyes at her back were all watching.
He bowed in response and then his hand reached out for hers. The moment he touched her, she felt a quick rush of feelings. Trepidation filled her from head to toe. He led her to the empty chair at his side.
She looked away from him settling her shaking hands in her lap.
"I am not one for speeches." The King pulled all the attention in the room away from her. He was the last one standing. He held his cup in the air towards the men and women who lined the banquet hall. "Tonight, is the start of a weeks' worth of festivities, but also a lifetime of happiness. For the country and for the union we have all witnessed today." Cheering erupted at the announcement.
The King sat down, and the room preceded to open with busy speaking and laughter.
"You could have said something." She turned to the Prince at her side, unable to keep herself from speaking. She was too upset by the incivility of it all.
"You are right. It was rude of me to deny you a response, but you do not have to wait any longer. I forgive you." The Prince said, regarding her briefly with a serious look.
"Forgive me, Milord?" She grew awash with confusion.
"Your apology the day before. You threw yourself at my feet and I never gave a response. I forgive you."
Her eyes widened. Of all the most boorish horrible men she could have married. She married the worst of them.
"Thank you, Milord." Her words were marinated in sarcasm.
He turned his head away before she could see his smile truly develop.
When faced with a table full of food, Lena found she had lost her appetite.
Every time her thoughts circled back to her marriage, she tried to remember the serene understanding of duty and acceptance that she had felt weeks before. The Prince unnerved her in ways she didn't understand. It only took one sideways glance at the him to make her stomach turn and her heart race. He ignored her. She ignored him back.
Josephine stared at her granddaughter who, at her own marriage banquet, would not speak one word to her new husband. She had never seen Magdalena look so ill and if she noticed it, no doubt the onlookers were taking note as well.
"You are being cold." Her grandmother whispered roughly. "Speak to him and try smiling." The Prince's head turned towards them. No doubt he had heard Josephine's words. Lena could see him out of the corner of her eyes. She closed her eyes tightly wishing to be woken from this nightmare. She drew a deep breath allowing the full force of embarrassments to compile in on themselves. She could either give up or press forward.
Press forward it was. She opened her eyes and smiled to herself.
"You have a wonderfully charming home." She said, turning to the Prince with a practiced pleased smile.
Conversation. It was easy enough. Easy enough until he responded with a slight nod. He immediately turned to his plate leaving Lena staring at him stupidly. She wouldn't be so easily put off. Not after she had already conquered the hardest part of throwing the first pathetic attempt at conversation.
"There are many things to miss about Layton, but I am fortunate to have a place such as this to ease my longing for home."
This time he graced her with a solitary word, "Indeed."
"Of course," she added, "the weather here is dreary. I much prefer the sunshine the coast offers than the afternoon rains. I do not know how you endure it."
"Quite." Another one-word affirmation as his eyes and attention were directed to the food in front of him.
He was content to allow her to flounder.
Their conversation wasn't a conversation at all. It was a slow form of torture. Lena was more than comfortable sitting in uncomfortable silence, in fact, she would prefer it right now, but her grandmother had commanded her to speak, so on her grandmother's behalf, speak she shall.
She spoke about the artwork in the castle, the weather, the food, and even the sturdiness of the doors. Everything that came to mind during the unbearably long dinner.
He only ever gave her one-word assurances of agreement and nods. She grew weary of driving him to a painful conversation and grew bored. No one could blame her for wanting to have a bit of fun, even if it was at his expense.
"I must say, I am in complete awe of my grandfather and your father. They have shown a deep wisdom and foresight I had never thought possible."
For the first time in nearly fifteen minutes, she had his full attention. She did not wait for his response. She knew it wouldn't come.
"In all the men across the countryside, I am now paired with a man who agrees with me on every opinion. In the past half hour over many topics, we have been wholly united in everything. It is astounding that two people so perfectly suited to each other could exist. Don't you agree?" She asked.
His self-serving one-word affirmation did not come. He only stared at her with a wariness that bordered on disbelief. At least she knew he had half a personality.
"In fact, Milord, No need to strain yourself any longer with your replies. I can fill in your opinions sufficiently." She said and then faced forward. Returning to pushing her food around her plate and refusing to turn her head toward him.
She could feel his eyes on her but she refused to give him the satisfaction of having the last look.
Her head began hurting from the noise and the act she was forced to put on, but the night was far from over. Instead, to her great surprise, the king stood once dinner was fully finished with. He waved and the doors opened letting in an orchestra.
Her shoulders dropped another few inches. Dancing meant the party would last well into the night. Well into the night sitting next to a man she had just insulted indirectly.
"I would like to propose a toast!" The King stood two seats down from her with his glass in the air. Conversation died in the dining room as every man and woman provided their attention. "To my son, Garrett Leopold Hallmont, a man who has earned my respect and admiration, and to the beautiful Lady Magdalena Price. May their union only bring happiness to each other and to the people."
Cheers erupted for the second time that night and glasses rose. Lena caught The Prince's eye as they both drank, toasting to each other. It was an odd, shared moment between two strangers toasting to their shared future.
"Start the dancing, Garrett, so the rest of us can have a turn!" The King shouted once he took a seat.
Lena felt sick once she realized she would be expected to dance with him.
She stood alongside him, holding her arm for him to take. He pulled her arm against him, holding himself rigid, and led them to the dance floor.
"What is the dance?" She might be able to get through the night if she focused on dancing. His eyes met hers momentarily.
"Have you any preference?" He asked. He seemed to be offering a choice to spite her. His eyes were distrusting and bored. She determined she would not let him have any effect on her here. If there was a place, she would not be made to feel less than, it was a dance floor.
With his arm through hers, she remembered the night before. "Something easy. I doubt you can last very long with your injuries."
"I am fine."
Lena snorted under her breath. He pulled them to the center of the dance floor and regarded her easily.
"Perhaps something easy is better suited towards your disposition. You'll be less likely to cause some catastrophe that way."
"Catastrophe?!" She hissed out. "I'll dance circles around you tonight. I can promise you that. I am well-versed, Milord. Choose whatever dance you can handle best."
The spectators watched. The orchestra waited in silence to be given a selection but the Prince's eyes were on hers and hers alone.
"Well-versed takes on new meaning in the King's Seat. There is more culture here."
Her eyebrows went up. More cultured. She chose not to take it as an insult and instead smiled sweetly.
"Your fine southern ways do not frighten me. If I say I am well-versed, I am well-versed. I am not shared in your habit of speaking pleasant nothings." Her tone was sharper than she intended. Perhaps she did takesomeoffense.
His eyes narrowed for a small moment. He dropped her hand with a small bow and departed to the orchestra without another word. On his return, the orchestra had already begun its dramatic starting note.
Prince Garret stopped in front of Lena and bowed. Lena curtseyed in response. She held her arm aloft to invite him forward.
"What have you decided then, Milord?" She asked.
He stepped forward and took her arm lightly. The touch threatened to distract her from the words he said next.
"A cadenza." He watched her for a reaction. He had thought to intimidate her, but he could not.
They circled each other slowly, their arms connected at the wrist. The dance was an odd choice. cadenza's were famously passionate and personal, but it gave intricate moves and close proximity to a partner an ever-increasing tempo till the music swelled into grand statement and slowed down again to end in the same way it started. They were glorious dances when shared with the right partner.
He was not the right partner for her. She had never struggled before to keep her mind focused. His eyes were powerful and alluring. Hazel and gold, drilling into hers in full concentration.
The tempo increased and with it, the dance grew closer together. His hands were at her waist, lifting and spinning her. The crowd cheered with every turn of the dance. She grew a strange comfort in his movement. She was loathe to admit he was a fine dancer. He had insulted her pride and offered her nothing, but he danced with warmth and strength. She did not have to wait for him. He was there for her when he needed to be and let her go when the dance directed. It was not a struggle to follow his moves or read his intentions. His dancing was everything he was not. Comfortable and familiar.
She was struck by the unsettling Prince who could dance alongside her.
As the dance grew faster and built in tension, she could not stomach the silence. She needed a distraction.
"You dance well, Milord." They were the only words in her mind. She was too distracted to come up with something clever.
His face lit up in a cynical smile, "If you are trying to break my concentration, it will not work." He took her in and spun her back out.
"No. I was making another ill attempt at conversation. Forgive me, I had forgotten your unhappy disposition towards it."
She met his eyes, growing in strength and courage on the dance floor.
"Keep trying. Perhaps your grandmother's enthusiasm will bleed through at least one of us."
His words closed her mouth. He had overheard her grandmother's command to her earlier in the dinner. She spun away from him, and he caught her hand, pulling her towards him until they were close.
"Surely you don't want to marry a stranger any more than I do, regardless of what my grandmother says."
His eyes grew darker and unreadable. She never received a response. Instead, the dance took place. Every movement required accuracy. His eyes did not leave hers. The dance grew to its climax and when the orchestra rang out their elevated note, he lifted her and she felt so free for that split moment until he brought her back down as the music ended the way it started, slow and hypnotizing.
It was a beautiful moment, but neither could enjoy it. They were both deep in their own problems. The music led them back to circling each other in time.
His eyes had changed in the way he looked at her. He had lost the hard edge to his stare and now looked at her as if he were drinking her in. When the last note sounded and the music died around them, Lena ended the dance in a traditional low curtsey. Everyone else in the ballroom watched in captivated silence. The Prince looked at Lena with begrudging smile of admiration she did not see.
When she straightened herself, she could not shake the small smile that came from the sudden wave of joy. She never felt stronger than when on the dance floor. Dancing had the effect of soothing all her nerves.
He no longer smiled. He looked at her with something else. "You dance beautifully." It did not sound like a compliment. It sounded like he was informing her of an unfortunate accident.
"As do you." She said in the same baiting way. She did not take it as a compliment as he bestowed it so obviously against his will.
Other couples joined the dance floor behind them and The Prince stepped forward, took her hand, and escorted her to the edge of the floor where the King waited to greet them.
He was shorter than his son and his smile was broad and sincere. He held his hands out towards Lena and she took his hands.
"That was absolutely beautiful." He said, holding her hands fondly.
"You honor me, your majesty." She bowed her head in reverence.
"Look at you, so polite. What manners. You do your family credit, Lady Price." He turned to his son. "Isn't she delightful?" He asked the Prince with knowing eyes and a laugh in his voice.
She allowed her to look into his eyes, looking for the answer. He did not bother looking at her. He only stared at his father with a dark look. It had passed the moment for a response and still there was an empty silence that Lena could feel to her toes.
She looked to his father whose eyes went from warm to desperate with every moment of silence. She was still looking at the King when the Prince left her side and walked from the room without another word.
There were still couples dancing and people laughing and drinking during the celebration but amidst the sound and music, nearly every head still turned as the crown prince left the engagement celebration early.
The King pulled her attention back to him with his hand on her shoulder. His eyes had completely lost the warmth they held before as they stared after his son.
"I-I- My dear." He said, his face had gone completely white. "I want nothing more than to get to know you better, but that will have to wait for tonight. Please forgive my absence." He said.
"Of course, your majesty." She bowed and the King patted her arm with another sad smile before walking past her to follow the Prince.
Not soon after, her grandmother was at her side holding onto her arm.
"What has happened?"
Lena looked to her grandmother and shrugged "Nothing. He just left."
Josephine studied her granddaughter for a long moment. The Prince's exit was abrupt and unexpected, but Magdalena's eyes were honest and blameless.
"What boorish manners!" Josephine took Lena's shoulder and squeezed it comfortingly. "Put it behind you. There is no doubt in any one's mind on how stunning you are, dear. Dance and enjoy yourself. You have earned a grand night!"
Her grandmother walked off, no doubt to find her husband and complain.
"That was unfortunate."
A woman approached soon after her grandmother left.
Lena turned, "I don't believe we have met." she barely managed a smile.
The woman was beautiful. A little taller than her with a golden dress and golden curls.
She held out her hand adorned with gold rings, "Missy Kason." She said giving a slight bow of her head. "My father is Lord of Rimmen."
Lena bowed her head in acknowledgement. Rimmen was the largest and richest estate in the country. Her whole being seemed to drip with golden wealth. "Have you enjoyed yourself then, Lady Kason?"
"Yes, it had been a pleasant day. I had rather hoped to dance with Garrett- we are good friends, you know- but I see that he has decided to cut the evening short." She said smiling with tightly closed lips.
A thin kind of understanding registered with Lena. No doubt Missy Kason was a woman like her cousin who wanted the Crown Prince for herself. Lena silently marveled that she had been the one to be picked amongst a sea of willing and desperate women.
"Yes, he has found himself fatigued."
"Ha, you do not know your husband well, yet. Fatigue is unlikely with him." Missy said, playing with the golden pearls at her throat. "More than likely, he is still struggling through recent events." She looked Lena up and down.
Lena laughed lightly. Lady Kason was tall and layered with gold, but she held so many similarities to Lacey that Lena could not take her seriously.
"I may not know the Prince well, but I am in a unique position to understand the recent events he's currently undergoing." Lena's tone was condescending and she didn't care.
"I would warn you on making assumptions of the Prince. He isn't a man easily understood."
Lena coughed lightly to stop herself from laughing outright. He had accused her of being Prissy and spoiled, and yet, he had stormed from the banquet and now she was being informed on his mysterious demeanor. It was truly laughable.
"I take it you understand him?"
"We grew up together. I know him almost better than I know myself." She said with pride.
Great. Jealousy was ugly and hard to be rid of. If Lena had to guess, she would say that Missy Kason was in love with the Prince. No doubt the Prince already had his feelings and thoughts intertwined with the beautiful Lady Kason. The woman who grew up with him and loved him. She began to understand some of the coldness she felt from him but that it conceived a new mystery of why was Lena chosen to be paired with the Prince.
"I am glad of it. I can tell we will be fast friends." Lady Kason smiled sweetly. If she was determined to be her enemy, then Lena would keep her close
"Nothing would please me more."
Surprisingly, Lady Kason became her companion for the next while, introducing her to various members of the court. She fed her a feast of information on everyone she met, but it was impossible to tell how much of it was poisoned.
It was never wise to take advice from a woman who would sooner see you fail.
"Oh no. It looks as though we have caught the attention of lord Slater." Lady Kason nodded to a man making his way towards them through the crowd. He stood tall and wore a well coiffed mustache. His eyes were small and dark that gave him a shift look.
"Who is he?"
"Lord of Brighten. The King's nephew and a baron. Very wealthy and still in mourning after the death of his late wife." She whispered before the Lord in question approached.
They both curtseyed slightly
"Lady Kason, your beauty shines bright tonight." He said bowing to her.
"Thank you, milord." she bowed.
"We have not been introduced, lady." His attentions moved to Lena. She offered him a tight-lipped smile.
"Magdalena Farris- Hallmont. I suppose it is now." She said, correcting herself and offering her hand to him.
He took it her hand cradled between his.
"Baron Ellison Slater. It is an honor to meet you."
"Lord Slater, the honor is mine." She bowed her head lightly.
"Could I ask you for a dance?" He asked, his eyes earnest towards her. He still held her hand imprisoned.
Lena was surprised. It was bravery to be the first man to dance with her after she was so publicly abandoned.
"If you will relinquish my company?" She asked her barely civil companion
"At once." Lady Kason said with an odd smile in her eyes. She was happy to be separated from the woman.
Lena was steered towards the dance floor. Her second trip for the night.
The music started and the music rang out in its glory. The Baron was an eager dancer. Ahead of the beat and ignorant of his partner.
"Your name has made ruffles in the King's most inner circle for some time now, milady. Your name and your engagement to my cousin."
His voice was low and discreet.
"Engagements create ruffles. No matter the name or relation." She did not whisper back to him in some secretive tone. She had no interest in entering into a shared confidence with him.
"Still, I have been waiting to meet your acquaintance and now that I have, I am convinced you will be a unique addition to the King's Seat."
"Thank you for your hospitality. I have never met so many friendly welcoming faces as I have here." Of course, she had never really traveled outside of Layton, so her words held little meaning, but they sounded pretty.
Her pretty words led their conversation into boring topics. Hunting and gaming. Society and culture.
At the end of their dance, Lena started to feel a light pain in her head from the strain of crafting perfect Princess-like responses and keeping a constant smile. Lord Slater still held her imprisoned by social convention in the center of the dance floor.
"You are the greatest dancer to grace these halls."
"Thank you, Milord. You are an energetic partner." A very energetic partner who lived off the beat and pulled at her most irritatingly. She gave him a slight curtsey as a hint to her desire to leave the dance floor.
"You are too kind, but I will not allow you to shrug off the spotlight. You areexcellent. I was appalled at my cousin's earlier behavior. Leaving you like that was practically despicable."
She smiled tightly. Here he was putting words to her earlier embarrassment. It somehow made her feel worse.
"The Prince had mentioned earlier he was fatigued."
The Lord laughed, "Fatigued? You are kind. A man could not become fatigued in your presence, milady. Please do not think me too forward, Princess, but you offers a man soothing respite as a glass of spring water soothes a man haunted by thirst."
Lena smiled bitterly at his compliment. The very way he stood was off putting. Lena was thinking of any way to leave his presence abruptly.
"Your flattery is well practiced and quick."
"My flattery is made effortless in your presence. I only worry my cousin isn't smart enough to appreciate you."
The only thing keeping her there was that he still held her hand imprisoned. They were past the point of awkward conversation. The funny thing was that she might have agreed the Prince was not smart enough to appreciate her, but the way Lord spoke made her stomach churn.
"You are bold, ser. I think you are speaking where you ought not."
He looked at her in the same manner as her past suitor, Lord Thawley, as if she had something of great value to offer him.
"Forgive me if I have caused any offense, milady. My only thoughts are for you. You are alone here, without allies. I only want to offer my support."
She was stuck between not wanting to offend Lord Slater and wanting him far from her. If only she had studied her husbands earlier rude departure. She might have been more prepared to make her own.
"You are forgiven. I thank you for your offer of support, Lord Ellison. I will count you as a happy ally. Perhaps as a show of camaraderie you would escort me from the dance floor, I fear I am feeling fatigued after all of today's excitement."
His smiled quickly and he pulled her arm through his pulling her closer and taking her towards the exit.
"I will do anything you ask Princess." He said with a smile that was too quick and too enthusiastic.
Lena was happy to abuse his friendliness if she could use it to flee from him. The irony of using the excuse of fatigue was not lost on her.
"Perhaps I could accompany you to your rooms, milady?" He asked once they were off the dance floor.
"No, I insist you enjoy the festivities, Lord Slater." She took her hand from him almost forcefully and fled the banquet almost as quickly as the Prince had earlier.
Running was a bold strategy. Her grandmother was no doubt watching her escape. Likely, she would follow Lena back to her rooms and convince her to return to the banquet. That's why Lena knew she couldn't go to her rooms. She decided finally that if her husband could skip the banquet held in their honor, it was only fair she was awarded the same option.
Instead of her rooms, Lena wandered, looking for a place to hide for a few hours. She snuck along the walls under the cover of the last moment of dusk. The halls were blessedly silent and tranquil.
She jumped in her own skin at the sudden noise of a raised voice coming through one of the closed doors.
"You can force marriage on me, but you cannot force me to care." She recognized the voice of the Prince. Lena froze, waiting to be caught.
"I will not force you to do anything, but you will care. Believe me. This is your life son. You cannot keep your feelings free from this any more than you can stop the night from coming."
The King was speaking to the Prince and she was at the center of it all. She should walk away. Run away if she had any sense at all. Eavesdropping was not appropriate in any situation, but Lena stood still.
"I do not care. I do not need to know her. I do not care to understand her. To me, she does not exist. I will play my part in this farce of a marriage you have arranged but that is all it is. A farce."
Lena winced at his last words.
"It doesn't have to be this way."
"It does and you are not foolish enough to think otherwise." Lena felt his words sink themselves into her soul. She was completely unwanted. She thought of Missy Kason's baiting words and Lord Ellison's snakelike charm. Did everyone know what Lena had chanced into hearing?
The King's reply was softer and she held her breath to hear what was said next.
"I am sorry."
Lena turned and quickly walked back to her rooms with a profound longing to return to Lenwood, curl into the loving arms of Iris and cry.