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1732 Words
I swallow hard, desperately hoping that my voice doesn't tremble. "Camille's busy helping me get ready for tea this afternoon. I'm nervous to meet your courter and I want to make a good impression. I want to look nice."
"It will only take a second. I just want to ask her a few questions." Alexanne says. The doorknob rattles as she tries to get in, but the lock holds. I'm thankful that Alexanne doesn't know about the dresser pushed against the door. It looks nothing but childish.
"Why did you lock the door?" Alexanne asks.
"I didn't want people to come in while I was getting ready. I want my dress to be a surprise."
"Surely you don't care if I see it, right? I'll see it later after all. Please, Admira, it will only take a second. Please don't be selfish and childish now."
My fingers curl into fists, "Alexanne, I want my dress to be a surprise to you too. It's a new one. I had one made specially for today. If you see it, it will ruin all the surprise."
She and I both know that we are dancing around words in case someone might overhear, specifically Camille.
"Admira, I don't think the dress is nearly as important as you are making it to be. Your trainer, Henri, is missing. Don't you want to find him?"
I say, "I don't think I can help find him. The guards are on it, aren't they? I hope they manage to find him."
Alexanne sighs, "I hope they find him too, more than you know. But it doesn't matter. They won't find them if we can't ask questions. I do believe that your lady in waiting was standing outside the door when he ran out of the Sitting Room. Did she see which was he went?"
I say, "We don't really have time for this. We are already behind schedule in getting ready for the tea. We can talk about it after we've had our fun. I'm sure a few hours won't make much difference."
A few hours could make all the difference. If Alexanne doesn't get any answers until after tea, Henri may be able to get away. It doesn't really matter. Camille doesn't know anything that I don't. Antonin and I were the ones who made the plan for the escaoe.
I'm sure Alexanne doesn't want to ask Camille anything. She just wants to get inside my room so that she can figure out if Camille knows the truth yet. Or, more likely, she wants to get inside the room to kill us both.
Alexanne says, her voice growing louder, "Admira, you will let me in."
"Sorry," I say with a giggle, "it's a surprise. I didn't even like my trainer that much anyway. We don't have to find him. I'll just hire another one. I'm going to a different part of my quarters with Camille to get my dress now. You should probably go get ready too. You will want to look your best for your courter, right?"
Alexanne calls out for me again, but I don't respond. Let her think that I went to a different room. I don't even care if she knows the truth, that I'm still standing in the same place. It doesn't matter. This is all part of the game. I can play just as well as she can.
She shouts for me a few more times before stomping off down the hall. I manage to relax a fraction and turn to Camille. I whisper, "We probably should get ready for the tea with the courter anyway. Alexanne will be expecting me."
"But how can you go? What if she kills you there? You won't be safe. You can't go," Camille asks.
"I have to go. This is all part of the game, Camille. I've been playing it ever since I returned. We paste on our smiles and pretend to love each other. Alexanne loves torturing me by planning a lot of social events."
"What will you do if she tries to hurt you?"
"Antonin will hopefully be back by then. If not," I slip my dagger back into it's spot against my thigh, "I'll have my dagger."
Camille says, "I think I should start carrying a dagger too. I don't know if I know how to use one, but at least it will give me a fighting chance."
I nod, "I will have someone make a holster for you. Antonin won't leave either of us alone. We'll make sure that you are safe. Besides, there are more rules to this game than you know. Alexanne can't just kill you at any time she wants. She needs to make sure that no one would ever suspect that it was her."
"She could kill me in the middle of the night."
"Please don't worry about it. Like I said, we'll keep you safe. I've managed to keep myself alive this long, I'm sure I can do the same with you."
"I still think you shouldn't go." Camille says.
"I'll be fine. Her courter is going to be there. She can't stab her sister while we are sipping our tea. That might not look good."
Camille manages a smile and stands, smoothing the wrinkles on her dress with shaking hands. "I guess we better get you ready then. Do you actually have a new dress?"
I shake my head, "Sorry. You're going to have to be creative."
●◊●◊●
Camille has me ready for the tea with ten minutes to spare. My face is painted with detailed makeup, outlining certain features. It makes my cheeks pink and my eyes pop. In order to prepare my 'new' dress that was supposed to be a surprise, Camille had to take apart and sew together two dresses. I have a black bodice from one and a bouncing blue skirt from another. My hair is braided in an intricate bun that would make any other lady gasp in jealousy.
Antonin returned a little less than an hour ago. He can't say whether Henri is safe or not. He left the castle gates in a disguise and with the help of trusted guards. However, we don't know if Henri managed to make it past any guards that might be stationed throughout the city looking for him.
Henri could have been murdered while I was trying on dresses.
I stand, and survey Camille's masterpiece in the mirror. She painted me to look a little younger. I asked her to. I don't want Alexanne to think that I am competing for her courter. I have my own courter to think about after all. Tomorrow I will meet the man I am supposed to marry.
I say, "I guess I am off to tea then."
I don't know how I am supposed to act civil with Alexanne. I bet she purposefully chose to threaten to kill Henri today, the day I was supposed to meet her courter. That way I would have to put on my smiling face while I thought about my friend's blood spilling to the cobblestones.
Even though Henri has managed to escape, so far, Alexanne has still won. She has managed to force away another person who supported me. She showed just how much power she had. She proved that she was willing to do whatever it took to bring forth my downfall. I don't know if I will ever be able to win against Alexanne.
Camille smiles, "Good luck. Do you have your dagger?"
Antonin stiffens at his post along the wall. He stares at Camille, and then me.
I hadn't risked telling him what Camille knew. I didn't know where Alexanne was. For all I knew, Alexanne might be hiding behind a door within my quarters.
I stride to where Antonin and whisper as quietly as I can manage, "I told her. Actually, she figured it out herself. I've discussed that she needs to keep quiet that she knows what she knows."
Antonin nods, and says to Camille, "I hope you know that I'll keep you safe."
Camille nods, "I trust you. Now, I'll just be able to help you keep me safe."
I smile and we walk out of the room. I doubt Alexanne will allow Camille and Antonin to accompany me to the tea, but that doesn't stop me from bringing them along. They will stand out in the hall. It's better for us to be close together, where it will be harder for Alexanne to attack us.
We turn the corner and my eyes widen. Claudio stands in the hall, leaning his back against the wall. When he sees me, he walks towards me. I panic. I was going to avoid him, forget about him. It was nothing but a few dances. I feel nothing for him. I have a courter.
He smiles at me and warmth spreads all the way down to my toes.
He drops into a bow, "My lady, I was going to look for you."
I curtsy, "Me? Why?" Can he hear how much my voice wavers?
"I think we need to discuss something."
I need to be firm. I can't allow these feelings to go on any longer. "I have to go meet my sister, so I only have a minute. But, I need to say something. Claudio, I had a nice time dancing with you at the ball. But I have a courter and so do you. Nothing can come from this. I must be going."
"Admira, if you could listen..."
"No, Claudio. I must be going. There is nothing for us. I'm meeting my courter tomorrow. I can't be talking to you."
Claudio frowns, "So we'll talk about this tomorrow?"
"No. Do you not hear me? I have a courter. That I'm meeting tomorrow. Nothing can happen between us."
A few long seconds pass as Claudio stares at me. Finally, he bursts out laughing, "You are kidding, right?"
Heat rises to my cheeks. I've completely misjudged this, just as I have with Henri. He doesn't feel anything for me. He must have had something completely different to say to me. Do I ever learn from my mistakes?
Claudio says, "Has your sister ever told you who your courter was?"
"No." I cross my arms over my chest.
He grins, "Admira, it's me. I'm your courter."
- Writer
