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1847 Words
Camille continues preparing me to meet for with Alexanne, but my mind is far from this room. I need a way to contact Victor without Alexanne knowing. However, I have no idea where Victor is living. He might not even be within the kingdom. How can I find a way to contact him if I don't know where he is?
I can't send him a letter or a servant to him. I can't go to meet with him myself.
I will have to talk to Henri. Perhaps Florentine or one of the other midwives has a way to contact him. If not, Antonin will find a way.
Camille whisks me out the door, with Antonin right behind us. We travel through the empty corridors, back to the front of the castle.
Antonin and Camille wait outside as I push through the door that leads to the room where Alexanne asked me to meet her. Alexanne waits for me in the dining room at the same table where Emilienne and Violette used to sit with us. She must have planned this meeting here so that the empty seats would distract me.
She smiles at me as I take my seat. She too is wearing a fancy dress. She offers me a light smile, "How are you, Admira?"
"What do you want?"
She places a pale hand to her chest, as if I've hurt her. "My, my, aren't we rude today? Perhaps I need to find you an etiquette teacher."
I shake my head, "There is no need..."
A light sparks into her eyes. She appears to like the idea the more she thinks about it. "Actually, that is a great idea. Why haven't I thought of it before?"
"Maybe because it's not necessary. After all, I've been trained in etiquette since I was a toddler. I remember everything."
"Yes, but everyone needs a refresher every once in a while. From the way you just talked to me, I think you might need to touch up on your manners."
I press my lips together but say nothing more. I might accidently give her more ways to torture me. It's clear that this is only about revenge, showing her power.
She smiles, "I hope you didn't mind dressing up. I know that you don't enjoy it very much, but I wanted you to look nice."
"Why?"
"I want you to have tea with my courter. I'll be there of course. I just think it's important that my sister approves of my future husband."
"You don't care about what I think."
"Fine, maybe I don't. Perhaps I'm just trying to prepare you."
"For what?"
"When you have to meet your courter, of course."
"But you told me you were willing to postpone the meeting with him."
She nods, "I was. I was honestly going to let you have a few more months, maybe even a year before I made you meet him. But after seeing you last night with Antonin...I realize how serious things between you two are. I just don't want you to dream of things that will never happen. You can't marry the guard. I looked into his backgrounds and he came off the streets. Not a drop of noble blood in him. Loving him is a disgrace."
"It's good thing I don't love him, then. You know that."
"See, I might believe what you were saying, if you could tell me what the two of you were doing last night?"
"I'm sorry."
Alexanne leads forward, every drop of sweetness gone from her voice, "What were you doing last night with Antonin?"
"I don't think that's any of your business."
"Tell me."
"What were you doing last night when you found us? Do you always roam the hallways in the middle of the night?"
"I was following you. Don't think that you will ever get anything past me. I always know, Admira, always. You can never beat me."
"If you always know, why do you have to ask me what I was doing last night?"
She slams her hand on the table, "I will find out."
I blind her with a smile, even though my hands shake in my lap. If she finds out that we have been searching for Grace, what will she do to her? Will she move Grace she is hiding her? Maybe she'll just kill Grace so she doesn't have to worry about me finding her.
Alexanne's face clears of her anger as the servants bring out a course. Steaming soup in crystal bowls. The servants place the food in front of us and disappear with curtsies and bows.
Alexanne says, her voice light again, "Anyway, I made arrangements with your courter. You will be meeting with him tomorrow for dinner."
"Tomorrow?" I wince as my voice squeaks.
Alexanne smirks, "Yes. Tomorrow. Is that a problem? Perhaps you had plans with Antonin?"
Tomorrow. I can't meet with him tomorrow. Claudio is still within the castle. Every time I think about him, warmth flies over my chest and I can't help but smile. Until now. The thought of him sends shivers over my skin.
I can't think about my feelings for Claudio. I need to push them aside. I'm not allowed to feel anything for anyone except for my courter, the man I've never met.
Will I be able to meet with him without thinking about Claudio?
I should go talk to Claudio. Maybe if I speak to him, I'll realize that he isn't all the great. Perhaps my imagination has made him into a perfect person, when in reality he's nothing but mediocre. I had had a few sips of wine that night. Perhaps the lights and the dancing and the wine have turned him into something much more than he is. If I just talk to him perhaps...
No. I can't think this way. I can't go to see him. If I see him, the warmth will spread across my skin. I won't be able to stop the smile from taking over my lips. If I see his smile...
I must stay far, far away from him. I can't think about him.
Besides, who's to say he feels the same way? All we did was dance. Nothing more. He and I both said we had courters. We both knew there was nothing we could do, that there was no way for us to have a future.
I need to stop worrying myself with such things. I will meet my courter. I will marry my courter. I will not think of Claudio.
"Admira?" Alexanne breaks me from my trance.
I blink at her, "Yes?"
She laughs, condescending as ever, "Perhaps you were thinking about your romantic antics with Antonin?"
"No," I say. Not Antonin. Surely she doesn't know about Claudio.
She just shrugs, "Whatever, it is none of my business. You will meet with my courter at tea. You will be civil. You know how to act. You will like him."
I fake a frown, "I thought you wanted my honest opinion? Isn't that important between sisters?"
She glares at me and we continue the meal in silence. We only pick up conversation when the servants deliver each course, but stop talking after they leave.
When Alexanne finally releases me from her evil clutches, I go with Camille and Antonin back to my room. However, in the hall, we run into Henri.
He smiles, but something behind it is forced. "I was just looking for you, my lady. I was wondering if you would like a lesson?"
I nod and agree to meet him in the Sitting Room as soon as I change into a less nice dress. Once Camille has wiped the makeup from my skin and helped me into a dress with less skirts, I hurry to the Sitting Room. I need to tell Henri that Antonin has agreed to let Victor help us. The sooner Henri asks Florentine for help, the better.
Henri waits for me in the Sitting Room, restlessly walking back and forth. I tell Antonin and Camille to wait outside for me and hurry inside.
Henri smiles again at me, his lips pulled too far back. "Hello, my lady. I have our lesson planned out. I think that we will start with some basic holds, today. Is that okay, my lady?"
I frown, "Why do you keeping calling me, my lady? You know I hate it."
Henri's smile just grows wider, his eyes practically popping out of his sockets, "Please, why wouldn't I, my lady? Anything less would be disrespectful."
I stare at him, trying to make sense of what he's doing.
When I don't say anything he says, "Shall we begin?"
"Yes." I murmur, still not paying attention.
He puts me in a hold and I break free of it easily. His grip isn't nearly as tight as it normally is. It's gentle, as if he's afraid to touch me.
I remember Henri's shy smile of last night and his hug. Now it's a nervous smile.
Is Henri...is Henri falling for me?
No. That's silly. Ridiculous. Henri doesn't feel that way about me. It's impossible.
He catches my eyes and then glances away. His cheeks turn red and he stares at something past me. I push away from him, "Listen, Henri. I don't—"
"No, my lady, we aren't here to talk. We are here to train."
"Henri, I think we need to talk about something. I don't...I don't feel anything for you. I mean, you're a great friend, really, but I don't feel anything romantically."
Henri's mouth drops open, "You...what?"
"I hired you because you helped me—"
Henri holds up his hands, "Admira, stop."
"No, Henri, please just listen to me."
"No, Admira, you need to listen to me."
"Henri, I hired you to teach me self-defense. You were a great friend to me back at Florentine's and I thought you could help me here too. I didn't..."
A slow clap echoes from the side of the room. The same place where Henri was staring just a few seconds ago.
Alexanne ducks out from behind one of the huge, cushioned chairs. "Honestly, Admira, thank you so much. I knew there was something about Henri that I didn't know, but I couldn't quite figure it out. Henri had no choice but to allow me to listen in to your little training session when I asked. Thank you ever so much for telling me exactly what Henri was hiding. I thought he might have been involved with Florentine, but I wasn't sure."
I can only stare at her, horrified at what I have just done. If only I hadn't been so self-absorbed, I might have recognized Henri's signals that someone else was in the room. Why else would he be acting so nervous and formal?
Alexanne leaves the room, waving goodbye, "Thank you again, Admira. While I can't get Florentine for treachery, I'm sure I can find something against Henri. I would say goodbye to him now. The next time you see him might be in the gallows."
- Writer
