The Silver Crown

39.

The hour was late and my friends surrounded me. Marek, Daivon, Arabelle, Cynthia and my other brothers and sisters were gathered around me. I kept my eye out for the captain but never spotted him. Many people would stop by to introduce themselves to me and I tried, I really did try, to remember their names. Even Maisa stopped by to greet me and introduce me to the high priest, Edard. I was surprised to see that he was even younger than the priestess.

Occasionally someone would be pulled off to dance but I was able to avoid most of that as I was seated in the middle of the group and any young man that wanted to dance had to brave walking through my family and asking me in front in them.

Thankfully Tristan seemed to have gotten the message that I didn't want anything to do with him and stayed away.

When Dionisa swept into our little gathering a few minutes later and told the youngsters to go to bed, the king took the opportunity to draw me out onto the dance floor with him.

"I was looking for a chance to dance with my beautiful daughter," Peter said.

"I'm sorry that Cynthia was busy then," I replied.

Peter stared at me for a moment before throwing his head back and laughing. He shook his head full of curly red hair and continued to guffaw.

"My other beautiful daughter," he finally choked out.

"Well, you finally found her," I grinned and tossed my black hair over my shoulder.

"I did." He spun me around and I enjoyed the feeling of security that dancing with him gave me. I had never felt so safe and I hadn't even known this man for more than three months. It probably had to do with his large stature and kind eyes.

"Are you enjoying the ball, Kade?" I had asked him to call me Kade during one of our evening dinners, and although he had looked sad for a while, he had agreed.

"It is actually better than I imagined. Although we should talk about Tristan of Denthorne tomorrow, father." I sighed.

"What about Tristan?" The king's voice was sharp.

"Tomorrow."

We finished the dance and I vowed that it would be the last; my feet were suffering in my pretty shoes.

"Excuse me, princess," a coarse voice said from behind me. I spun around slowly, ready to be done with the evening. Based on the multitudes of dancing couples and the servants still running around with trays full of drinks in crystal glasses and morsels of delicious food, no one else thought that it was late.

A short but heavyset man with a white tunic and black trim was standing patiently. "My lady, you want to dance with me."

"Meaning no disrespect, sir, but my feet are killing me. I do not want to dance again. I want to sit down," I turned to go sit down and felt a hand on my shoulder. Suppressing years and years of instinct, I did not drive an elbow back into his stomach. Instead I slowly turned around again and looked at the man. His brown hair was thin, cut short and combed back. His receding hairline and the light situated a few feet away made his forehead glint. He didn't look like a man I would want to dance with even at the best of times.

"Sir, I said no."

"I know what you said, but I also know that you want to dance with me. Let's go, princess," He took his hand off my shoulder and held it out. I sighed heavily and put my palm into his. I didn't want to make a scene and disappoint my family. I followed him into the middle of the floor. The man was the same height as me, unlike most of the people I had danced with today.

"Kade, right?" he said a moment after we had begun our dance. I nodded, too tired to question how he knew.

"I am with Icas," the man whispered.

I stiffened and glanced around; had anyone heard him?

"What are you doing here? And at the ball, much less?" I burst out after reassuring myself that no one was close enough to hear our conversation.

"We were not sure how well you had assimilated yourself into palace life and how well you had convinced the monarchs to trust you." He said.

"We heard the rumors, of course," The man explained. "But you must know that there are always rumors. And in the beginning, they were not promising rumors. Escape attempts? Duels with guards? How could we believe that you had even begun to play your role?" He spun me around. I almost fell, too nervous to relax into the steps.

The man gave me a look of disapproval. "Act natural!" He demanded. "I thought you were a good actress."

I nodded and the man continued. "Often rumors are not even true. So it was only once we intercepted the invitation to the ball that we realized you had actually done it. You had actually convinced the monarchs that not only were you their daughter, but that you were fit to be the heir. In a very short amount of time, too. Icas is pleased."

"Let's stop with the amazement and explain what's next please." I knew that I should have been thrilled that the priests had contacted me but all I could conjure up was annoyance.

He swirled me around, my blue skirts billowing around his legs.

"Here." He passed a small piece of folded parchment to me as part of the dance move. "Read that quickly and tell me if you can do it."

I used the hand that was supposed to be holding up my skirts and unfolded the paper. Written in black ink and in curling letters were the words:

The following people need to be in the same room in the left wing of the palace at the tenth hour on the fourth day of Travelers Moon.

I looked at the man in bewilderment. That was tomorrow!

"Keep reading," He instructed.

The rest of the page was a list.

King Roger

Queen Dionisa

Prince Marek

Princess Cynthia

Prince Jovian

Prince Gavin

Princess Joyce

Royal relatives

Maisa Mattson

Edard Sornsi

And anyone else deemed important by the operative

Could I get everyone into a meeting room at the tenth hour tomorrow? The answer was yes, if I had to. I only needed a good excuse to have everyone come and lying was my area of expertise.

"Can you do it?" the man asked. I folded the parchment back up and tucked the paper into the bodice of my dress. I picked up my skirts again and finished out the dance.

"When I have done this, you will carry out your next plans and I will get to take Tobin and go wherever I wish. You and your cohorts will never bother me again, is that correct?" I queried. "My name will be left out of everything?"

"Those are the terms." He replied, annoyed.

"Then, yes. I can do it. Except for Edard Sornsi. Maisa said the High Priest was heading back tonight, as it is difficult for them both to be gone at the same time. So he will not be there. Also, there is a sitting room adjacent to my quarters—princess Alyssandra's quarters. That is where I will have them all. At the tenth hour. Tomorrow." I promised, already picturing Tobin running into my arms. I couldn't even picture the features of his face perfectly and it had only been three months. I couldn't imagine how awful these past three months must have been for him. I hoped he returned to me the same Tobin who was taken.

"Don't screw this up," Theman instructed. Then he turned haughtily and left. I was happy to see him go.