The Accidental Princess

3. Pink Blush

    “You won’t last these two weeks.”

            That was the first thing Jacob said to me as I stepped into my design room. He was waiting for me, sitting on the couch. His eyes were that of a predator’s, and I was his prey. He was going to destroy me. I could see it. I straightened my spine, walking past him and into the design room. I heard him get up and follow me.

            “Aren’t you going to respond?” He yelled.

            I stopped in the doorway, trying my best not to roll my eyes. But I wanted to, so badly. I turned around. Jacob didn’t look angry, which was weird. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking, but I was sure my thoughts were written all over my face.

            “You’re trying to get a rise out of me, your highness.” My voice was like venom. “So, no, I’m not going to respond. I have work to do. Good day.”

            I slammed the door, leaving him behind in the adjoining room. I walked over to my desk where I had sat my drawing pad this morning. I had gone to lunch like I was supposed to and returned to this. Why? What did I do to bother him so much? I sat down at the desk. Then, the door slammed open.

    “Don’t you dare walk away from your prince!” Jacob yelled. “You were not dismissed.”

            Nope. I wasn’t going to even bother. I picked up my pencil and began sketching, ignoring Jacob’s presence. His footsteps- his stomping- sounded closer to me. I could feel him drawing in closer and closer, but I didn’t care. There was no reason to. He moved into my line of vision, sitting on the edge of the desk. I still didn’t look up at him.

            “What was the point in you coming here, Jacob?” I asked, not looking at him still. “Just to bother me? To distract me from my work?”

            He folded his arms across his chest. “To let you know that your position here isn’t permanent. You’ll be gone after the ball.”

    Finally, I lifted my eyes to his. “That’s not for you to decide. You’re not king yet, Jacob. And with that attitude, you may never be. Leave me be.”

            Jacob stormed out of the room, slamming the door. Finally, some peace. I finished drawing all of the outfits by the end of the day. Anger is a good motivation for working. I would show the family my ideas tomorrow. I wouldn’t let Jacob get the better of me.

    The following day, I made my way down to the throne room. I was let in without any delay and found that the king was waiting for me in his chair. I bowed to him, waiting to be called upon. He sat up straight, motioning me forward. I walked up slowly and handed him the notebook. He scanned the image quickly, a small smile slipping across his face.

            “This is lovely, Bri.” He handed back the notebook. “My wife is upstairs. A guard will escort you there. He will bring you to the other members of my family as well if you are ready.”

            I nodded, giving another bow. “Thank you, your majesty.”

            The guard was by my side in a moment, then we left the room. We wandered to the far side of the castle and up a wounding staircase. At the top, there was a large and wooden door. The guard knocked.   

    “Yes?” The queen’s voice sounded.

            “I have brought Miss Brianna up. She has her sketches ready for your approval.” The guard said.

            “Oh! Do send her in.” The queen called.

            He opened the door, motioning me in. I walked into the room a few steps, then my feet stopped. The bedroom was everything I expected from the king and queen. It was expansive, stretching across the top of the castle. The back wall was entirely glass and overlooked the gardens. The view itself was enough to suck the breath out of my chest, even with the yards covered in snow. The queen stood in front of a golden mirror, studying herself.

            “You have time for me, right dear?” She asked, not looking at me.

            I nodded. “Yes, my queen.”

            She smiled, finally lifting her gaze to me. “Good. I need someone to help me pick out an outfit for tonight’s dinner. What do you think of this? Be honest.”

    I studied her. Queen Linsey was wearing a red camisole and a black pencil skirt. She was a beautiful woman, but the outfit didn’t do her justice. It hugged her shape all wrong. She wasn’t a small woman, and the skirt was made for someone who had less of a figure. I frowned.

            “I’m sorry, my queen. That skirt is ill-fitting on you.” I told her.

            She huffed. “Finally, some damned honesty. All the other servant girls have just told me what they thought I wanted to hear. Please, come help me pick something out.”

    Linsey lead me into her closet, which was larger than my design room, even with the attached waiting room. The first half was the king’s wardrobe, filled with suits and royal jackets. He had more shoes than I could ever hope to own in my lifetime. The back half was the queen’s wardrobe. It was a separate room with doors. My eyes widened at the number of dresses that covered the walls. She walked over to a cabinet that looked to be dedicated only to skirts. She motioned me over to the case.

    “Go on and pick something out.” She said. “I need this to be perfect.”

            I started to rifle through her skirts. “What is tonight? What makes this dinner so special?”

            “It’s my anniversary with the king.” She told me, beaming.

            I smiled. “Congratulations. How many years have you been married?”

            “Thirty-five.” The queen answered. “Normally, we have an extravagant party to celebrate, but with the emperor coming into the country in two weeks, we knew it would be too much. So, dinner is just us two tonight.”

            “That sounds wonderful,” I said, grabbing a skirt. “Here. Try this one on.”

            She took it, looking at it. It was a black, floor-length skirt with a slit up the side. “Are you sure this is appropriate?”

            I nodded. “It’s your anniversary. I’m sure the king will want you to feel beautiful and sexy. Don’t you think?”

    Linsey looked at the skirt again, and a small smile crept onto her face. She took it and darted into an attached changing room. I sat on the chaise that stood in the middle of her closet. A few minutes passed, then she appeared in the skirt. This was much better. She looked stunning, and I could tell she felt it. She strutted around the chaise, showing off.

            “What do you think?” She asked, stopping in front of me.

            “I love it,” I told her. “It’s perfect. The king won’t know what hit him.”

            She laughed. “Thank you, my dear. Now, I know you came here for something. Let me see what you designed.”

            I handed her the notebook. “I drew three different dresses for you. Let me know what you think.”

    Linsey nodded, taking the notebook. She looked over the pages, flipping between the three dresses I designed for her. She flipped to one of the pictures, then handed it back to me. I looked down. It was a red form-fitted gown that was almost wholly lace. I smiled.

            “Good choice, my queen.” I looked up at her.

            She smiled down at me. “Now, I have something to ask you if you’ll allow me.”

            I nodded. “Of course, my lady.”

            She sat down next to me, taking my hand. “I know my son, Jacob, is harsh on you. He’s always been this way. Don’t let him get to you. If you pull this off, you’ll be here for a long time. I have faith in you. Also, put him in his place. He deserves it. Don’t let him intimidate you.”

    I smiled. “Thank you.”

            “Now, I believe you have other people to see.” She said. “Go on now. I’ll see you soon.”

            I left the room. The guard stood outside the door, waiting for me. He led me back downstairs to the wing where all the children’s bedrooms were. The first child we visited was Princess Melinda. I showed her a pink A-line gown that she loved. Next was Prince Jacob. The guard knocked on the door. No answer. I looked up at him. He shrugged, turning away.

            “We should try some other time.” The guard said. “Let’s see another child.”

            I nodded. We started to turn away. Just as we started walking down the hallway, I heard the door open. I looked over my shoulder, finding Jacob poke his head out. He was only wearing a towel. Our eyes met for just a moment. We both turned away quickly and heat filled my cheeks.

    “Come see me later, Bri.” He called, then shut the door.

    I couldn't help but think about a moment a few short weeks ago. Before I had been hired to design for Arvendon's royal family, I had created a men's line for my previous employer. We had a fashion show here in the capital of Arvendon. As strange as it was, Jacob had been somewhat forced to be a model in that show. Backstage, he could tell I was nervous, and the prince did something unexpected. He held my hand. My cheeks burned warmer at the memory. Jacob was something I could never figure out, no matter how hard I tried. Cold one moment and then warm the next. There was no telling what was going on in his mind.

            We visited all the other children. Julia, Ashely, and Brenda were all in Ashley’s room. They all oohed and awed as they looked over my designs. Then, I saw Geoffrey in his bedroom. His nanny, Camille, was there. The young prince was so excited to see the drawing. He hugged me when I showed him. Camille smiled at me.

            “Thank you for being so open to him.” She said as I was leaving. “Most servants won’t let him touch them.”

            I made a face. “Why not?”

            “They don’t want to get in trouble.” She told me. “But, he’s just a kid and doesn’t know better. He appreciates you.”

            I smiled. “Geoffrey is a sweet kid.”

            With that, I left to find the last three princes. Prince Cory and Emerson were playing tennis outside while Rory was sitting in the shade, watching them. I walked over and sat next to him on the bench. He gave me a small, sly smile.

    “My lady Bri.” He said. “To what do I owe this pleasure?”

            I handed him my notebook. “Just need your approval on my design for your outfit for the ball.”

            He huffed. “Is that all?” He took the notebook. “You don’t have to make that excuse to come to see me.”

            I laughed. “Oh, Prince Rory. You’re such a charmer.”

            He looked at the notebook, then handed it back to me after a quick glance. “This will do, Bri. I had faith in you. Good job.”

    I smiled. “Thank you, Prince Rory.”

            Footsteps approached. I looked up, finding that Cory and Emerson had finished their game. Cory sat next to me, and Emerson sat down on the other side of Rory. Rory raised his eyebrows at me. I shrugged.

            “We’re not interrupting anything, are we?” Cory asked.

            I shook my head. “Not at all, your highness. I came to show you all my ideas for your outfits. Would you like to see yours?”

            He nodded. “Of course.”

            I handed him the notebook. Rory stood up, taking a few steps. He started stretching his arms, showing a little bit of the tattoos on his arms. It didn’t seem like his brothers noticed. He looked back at me, winking, and I had to stifle a laugh. Cory looked up at me, frowning.

    “Is something funny?” He asked.

            I shook my head. “Not at all, my prince.”

            He handed back the notebook. Before I could take it, Emerson snatched it out of his hands. I sighed, waiting for them to finish. Rory turned around, watching his brothers almost as he was afraid they were going to take me from him. Emerson handed me back the notebook.

    “This looks good, Bri. I approve.” Emi said.

            “Agreed,” Cory said.

            I nodded, rising. “Thank you, your highnesses. I’ll see you all around.”

            I walked back into the castle. As I neared my studio, I could hear faint talking. When I got closer, I found Jacob and Tanner, Jacob’s steward, outside my studio. I stopped, wondering if it would be dangerous to interrupt their conversation. Neither of them seemed to notice me. They were arguing, but I had missed most of it, it seemed.

            “Why should I? I’ve got nothing to be sorry for,” Jacob said.

            Tanner raised his eyebrows. “You know why, Prince Jacob. If not just because the queen ordered you to, do it because you feel bad. You should feel bad, anyway.”

            Jacob huffed. “Well, I don’t. Why should I?”

            I thought I saw Tanner roll his eyes. “Rule number one. Respect your people and your servants. Remember that?”

    Jacob turned away. “What volume was that?”

            “One.” The steward answered. “Chapter one.”

            Jacob huffed. “Fine. If you say that is what I have to do, then fine. I’ll do it. When she gets here, I’ll apologize.”

            That was when I had heard enough. I walked up to Jacob and Tanner. They both turned to me, surprise flitting across their faces. Jacob opened his mouth to say something, but I held my hand up to stop him.

            “If you have to be forced to apologize, I don’t want your apology. Will this work for you?” I shoved the notebook in his hands.

    Surprise returned to his face, but he took the notebook. He looked down, scanning his eyes across the image. He showed it to Tanner, who also studied the drawing. I didn’t know what they had to consider. It was a modest black suit with a pattered dark blue shirt underneath. I watched them, waiting, and then Jacob handed the notebook back to me.

            “It’s not white, but it’ll do.” He said.

            “Thank you for your approval,” I said, opening the door to my design studio. “Good day.”

            “Have a good day, Miss Bri!” I heard Tanner yell into the room as I closed the door.

            Before I had a chance to walk into the back room, I heard them start up a conversation again. Jacob cleared his throat.

            “Do you have a thing for her or what?” The prince asked.

            The steward laughed. “Of course not. But I know Rory does. And so do you.”

            I could almost hear Jacob scowl. “Do not! And how do you know Rory has a thing for her?”

    Tanner laughed. Their footsteps started to sound, moving away from the door. “He’s never talked about any other servant. He brought her up at tea earlier today with Luigi. His steward always gets him to confess his secrets.”

            Rory? Interested in me? I shook my head. There was no way. He was a little flirty, but I was sure he wouldn’t be caught dead with a commoner. Neither would Jacob. I didn’t know why Tanner would accuse him of having a thing for me. Jacob hated me. This I knew. I turned away from those ideas, getting to work on the outfits for the royal family.