Allerleirauh

Chapter 4

4

The next morning, after being dressed and tended to, I decided to take to the gardens for a short stroll. Myriah helped me to slip on the opal bracelet the König sent me.

As I stepped out into the brisk air, I found the flowers of the garden were beginning to change from their brown and twisted forms. A few were still covered by a light dusting of frost. I hoped to enjoy the warm glow of sunlight among the many layers of soft furs I wore underneath my coat. The promise of spring lingered in the damp morning air. It was there I found my father standing near the edge of the stone wall, overlooking another portion of frozen land. His cape billowed around his ankles, and I could see he was sliding his fingers through his hair; the same way I had seen him do in his study while councilmen bombarded him with names of potential brides.

Everything around the castle was decaying and grey with death while my father stood with his gleaming, golden crown.

I walked to him and touched his arm gently with my gloved hands. He turned to me, surprised. Slowly, consciousness filled his eyes as he drifted away from whatever thoughts he had just been absorbed in. I wondered where his thoughts took him.

“How are you, meine Liebste?” he asked as he turned towards me with a welcoming smile. There were dark circles under his eyes as though he hadn’t slept at all the night before.

I gave a slight bow before I came to stand next to him at the wall. He startled me by taking my hand and kissing my gloved knuckles. My cheeks felt warm as they flushed. I took his affection as a kindly act—a warm welcome.

“Danke for my gift.” I murmured.

He seemed pleased by my response, for he lifted my hand higher to examine the bracelet around my wrist.

“It pleases you?”

“Yes, very much.” I replied in earnest.

His returning grin was bright but fleeting, and diminished quickly. Confusion squirmed through my gut as he turned to look over his lands again. He let go of my hand, and slid his fingers through his hair once more.

“Are you alright, father?” I lifted my hand to his arm again, wanting to catch his gaze. There seemed to be something troubling him.

“Fine,” he whispered sharply and eyed my hand from the corner of his eye.

With his look of sudden displeasure, I lowered my hand and licked my bottom lip. I wondered what he was thinking about; what he saw as his glare scoured over the gardens.

“Perhaps you’d like to join me tonight for a dinner, hmm?” he asked after a long moment of silence.

Before I could answer, he gave a sharp, curt nod. “I shall see you when you come to me.”

It was not a question, but an order. I knew I should not argue or disagree with him. I knew to be gracious about his invitations. There was no jilting the king. I quickly wore a small smile and nodded.

“Of course.”

“Sehr gut,” he replied.

After another long moment, he turned and bowed his head to me. “Go, enjoy the day. If there is anything you wish, request it. See to it you do what you desire.”

With a chaste kiss against my cheek and a quick squeeze of my hand, he turned away and began toward the large doors. I watched after him until he disappeared inside the castle’s corridor shadows. I didn’t understand why his mood changed so quickly; what plagued him enough to slip away with such abruptness? I glanced down at the opal bracelet around my wrist and let out a sigh.