Chapter 75: Promise
After Willow left, she stayed in the chair another ten minutes. Sometimes she needed to organize her thoughts. She had agreed to meet Willow in two nights, more or less publicly. Was that advisable? Someone was going to notice. Someone was going to talk
She didn't care. And that shocked her. If she didn't unburden her mind to someone, she was going to lose her sanity. The brief complaint sessions she'd done with Heidel had not relieved her. She needed to talk to Willow, and no one else. She would tell him everything.
Doom! Doom! Doom!
That would be their first caller of the day—after Willow. And Coralina had gone to work on her play. Maelyn pushed out of the chair and left the library. Maybe just for today she could steal back her old seat.
She passed the entry hall and turned her head to see who'd come. No one. The door had not been opened, and she saw no sign of Arialain in any direction. Another insistent knock boomed through the hall.
Maelyn exhaled and headed for the door. That girl. Always running away from her responsibilities. She had a good idea where she had probably gone and with whom she was wasting her time.
She pulled the door open and was surprised to see Sir Brunner, dressed in official livery. He bowed quickly, looking just as surprised to see her.
"Beg your pardon. I wasn't expecting you to answer," he said.
"Quite all right. Are you here for...." No—he could not possibly have come for Coralina, not after their disastrous evening by the lake. "Is something wrong?"
"Came to report on the bandits. Not that I wanted to be the one to do it, but the other fellows don't care about my problems. I was going to ask for you, anyway."
"Of course. Come in." Maelyn stepped back to let him enter the castle. Yes, it was usually Brunner who brought her reports from Lumen Fortress, and he had used those occasions as excuses to see Coralina. Now he was stuck with the task.
She accompanied him to the throne room, hoping Briette had found a chance to clean up Coralina's wreckage, since her sittings always turned into impromptu parties. She found the room clean. With vases of fresh lilies in the windows. And Uncle Jarrod sitting on her throne.
She flinched and knew Brunner saw it. Why was he there? She had last seen him at breakfast, a meal he never rushed through, and had left him working on his second plate of sweet cakes. A stack of correspondence had been delivered to him last night, and she'd expected him to be tied up with that for several hours, hopefully in his chamber. But no. He decided to conduct his business in her throne room.
He looked up from the parchment he was reading, but made no remark.
"I'm sorry, Uncle. I didn't know you were in here." Maelyn turned around, hoping he wouldn't speak to her.
"Is the knight here for me?" Uncle Jarrod asked.
"No, he's here for me," Maelyn said as calmly as he could. She already knew he was going to interfere.
"Tell him to come forward," Uncle Jarrod said. His eyes returned to the parchment.
Brunner promptly walked up the room and Maelyn followed, heaving a sigh. She supposed he must have realized Coralina was not remotely capable of ruling responsibly and was stepping in to cover for her. By now, most everyone in the kingdom knew King Jarrod was here. They were probably wondering why—as Maelyn was.
Brunner stopped before the throne. He glanced once more at Maelyn before raising his eyes to Uncle Jarrod.
"Greetings, Your Majesty. And Princess Maelyn. I came to report on the bandits. I'm happy to say we caught two of them on the kingdom's border, leaving for Kurzha. A search of their belongings revealed bundled hair tresses, carefully tied. Of course, the men tried to claim they had gotten them honestly. We're holding them at Lumen Fortress for trial."
"Their names?" Uncle Jarrod asked.
When Brunner spoke the names, Maelyn felt horrified. One was unfamiliar to her. But the other belonged to a shoemaker of Creaklee, someone she had always thought respectable. She'd once given him a loan for his business.
Doom! Doom! Doom!
"Is that all of them?" Uncle Jarrod asked.
Brunner shook his head. "There are more. We're questioning them; trying to get them to reveal names and numbers. I don't think we've caught the leader yet."
Doom! Doom! Doom!
Uncle Jarrod made an impatient grimace and looked at Maelyn. She walked out through the side archway, grinding her teeth. She needed to hear about this. And couldn't because Arialain had shirked her duty again.
The next visitor turned out to be Kerrick. Ironic, Maelyn thought, how Coralina's lovers kept returning to the castle. Like Brunner, he showed some surprise at seeing Maelyn answer the door.
"Can't find Ari." Maelyn let him inside. "Did you see her out there?"
Kerrick shook his head. He looked out of temper. Maelyn felt truly sorry for him, and for any man who got entangled with Coralina. Kerrick was like a brother. Although Maelyn had never been especially close to him, they had played games of Insurgence together, and he had once chased a rat out of her library. Always friendly, always helpful, always eager to please the princesses. He deserved so much better than Coralina's treatment of him.
"Came to work on the blasted play," Kerrick said. "Two more rehearsals and we're done with it. Can't wait."
"Yes. I agree." Maelyn fervently hoped Uncle Jarrod would leave right after the play. Just pack up and leave. She didn't care if he gave no explanation for his visit, she just wanted him gone and her life to return to normal.
"Do you have a minute?" Kerrick asked. "I need to tell you something."
"Of course. We can go to the library."
"It won't take that long. Will you escort me to the ballroom?" He offered his arm, as was customary.
Maelyn took hold of his elbow and walked beside him as he made his way through the passages. He didn't look well. His eyes suggested sleepless nights and something still bespoke an agitation of spirit, as she had witnessed the night beside the lake.
"I've decided I'm not going to marry Coralina," Kerrick said. "She doesn't want it. I don't think she's ever wanted it. I let myself be deceived."
"I'm sorry," Maelyn said because she knew this was true. "Have you told her?"
"I'll tell her when the time is right. Not now. But I wanted to inform you first, and thank you for giving consent. I wish it didn't have to be this way. I also wanted to tell you that once the play is over... I'm leaving."
"Leaving?"
"I'll probably go south," Kerrick said. "Kurzha maybe. Or Bella Reino. I'm a baker; I can work anywhere. And there's nothing to hold me here. Not Coco. Not even—" he laughed "—my father."
Maelyn stared at him. "I would hate to see you go, Kerrick. If I may... please don't leave us just yet. Take some time to let things settle."
"Nothing is going to settle," Kerrick said with sudden bitterness. "I'm just leaving. I've already found a buyer for the bakeshop."
Maelyn felt this like a blow. He was serious. "I'm so sorry, Kerrick," she said softly.
They reached the ballroom doors. Kerrick surprised her by giving her an unexpected hug. "No. I'm sorry," he whispered.
Maelyn patted his back maternally. "It's not your fault."
Her walk back to the entry hall was filled with outrage. When would Coralina learn she couldn't just use and discard men as her toys? A broken heart was a dangerous thing. She seemed to think she would never suffer any consequences.
On returning to the entry hall, she found Arialain sitting dutifully on her wolf stool as if she'd never left it.
"Oh. There you are," Maelyn said coldly. "I missed some important information because you weren't at your post. I had to answer the door twice."
"Oh my goodness. Twice," Arialain muttered.
"Don't talk back to me!" Maelyn marched over to Arialain's corner. Ari stood, knowing she was in trouble.
"Where were you? Answer me!"
"I was walking," Arialain said sullenly.
"Alone?" Maelyn asked.
Arialain averted her eyes and made no reply.
"I asked you to keep away from Tofer," Maelyn said in a hard voice. With Uncle Jarrod on her throne, and everything else, her patience had burned itself out. She was tired of no one taking her seriously.
"He's only a friend," Arialain said. Unconvincingly.
Maelyn folded her arms. "Has he kissed you?"
Arialain shook her head. Color rose in her cheeks.
"You're lying," Maelyn said. "So he's taken liberties with you. The son of a merchant. You know Mother wanted noblemen for all of us."
"Why?" Arialain said. "We weren't born noble."
"But we are now." Maelyn's tone hardened. "It would be ungrateful to our parents to throw that away on a commoner."
Arialain raised her green eyes. Her yellow hair hung in delicate wisps around her face. "Forgive me, Mae. I—I don't think that's why."
Maelyn frowned. "What?"
"Most people think we're not truly princesses," Arialain said. "And... I believe that frightens you. You think if we marry commoners... it will be like surrendering. Admitting they are right about us."
Maelyn lost her words. She knew Arialain was right. But it changed nothing. "We're not bargaining this time. You will stop seeing Tofer. Promise me!"
"Oh Mae!" Arialain instantly dissolved into tears. "He's the only real friend I have!"
"He's not... your friend." Maelyn watched her steadily, knowing her sister usually succumbed to a hard look. This had to be done.
Arialain wept into her hands for several minutes. When she lifted her wet face, her green eyes were filled with hate.
"I promise."
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