Page 20 of Tangled Sails

When the sun started to dip in the sky, I returned to the castle and was shocked when I was invited to dine with Queen Ondyra in her private sitting room. Part of me was illogically disappointed that I wouldn’t be able to spend time with Tavric, while the other part of me was deeply flattered.

“This is so kind of you,” I said as I nervously cut a bite of meat.

“The pleasure is all mine, my dear. I’m surrounded by far too many men in my life, and to be frank, your lack of pretense is most appealing.” She gave me a conspiratorial smile over the rim of her wine goblet.

“I…am not sure what that means.”

“Precisely,” she said with a wink.

Her obvious comfort quickly put me at ease, and she told me stories about her life and family. She asked me a little about myself, and I told her that my parents had died and that I had lived with my aunt. She must have seen my discomfort concerning the topic and didn’t press me further, which was a relief. I didn’t want to lie and say I’d fallen off some unknown ship, but I couldn’t tell her the truth either.

Since the queen had other responsibilities, I left as soon as the meal was done, but as I returned to my room, I wondered at the fact that underneath her kindness, she’d seemed melancholy or distracted.

The next morning was more of the same. Tavric was again surrounded by people clamoring for his attention or approval, and I had to stuff down my disappointment at not having the chance to speak with him. Since the last thing I wanted to be was an added burden on his time, I instead dove into another glorious day of freedom with Harlan’s help.

When I suggested I wanted to explore the countryside, a horse was provided for me. When I told them I had very little experience riding, they assured me that my horse would simply follow along behind a groom who would ride just ahead of me. It was extraordinary. The hills and fields kept going, on and on. Whenever I wanted to stop, the groom would help me down and hold both of the horses while I picked flowers or waded through a stream.

The backs of my legs were quite sore the next morning from all the riding, so I decided to content myself with an exploration of the castle grounds.

The servants gave me curious looks, no doubt confused by my sudden and unexplained presence, but they weren’t exactly unkind, just…obviously too busy to bother with me. The only exception I encountered was a laundress by the name of Amilee. She was younger than I, perhaps only fifteen, and when I offered to help her hang laundry, she accepted gladly. It eased my anxiety after so many of the castle’s inhabitants had ignored me. I wished to explore the world of people just as much as I wished to explore nature, but that was difficult when no one would speak with me. Thankfully, Amilee loved to talk; she told me all sorts of interesting facts about Islewyn, its people, and yes, its monarchs.

“They are benevolent rulers?” I asked. I couldn’t imagine Tavric being anything other than kind, and yet all my experience with the High Court of my own country had led me to believe that in the end, greed and cruelty usually ruled the day.

“I’d say so,” she answered as she shook out another piece of clothing. “They always try to be fair. But when Prince Tavric becomes king, that will be the real test.”

“How so?” I asked, handing her another piece of clothing.

“You never really know what a ruler is going to be like until they actually get the crown. If they have a greedy heart, they aren’t going to bother hiding it once there’s no one in their way.”

It was an astute but disheartening observation. “You think Prince Tavric will be that way?”

She shrugged. “What do I know? He’s a quiet one, though. Always likes to be by himself. Not like his younger brothers.”

“Where are the other princes? I’ve only seen Prince Dorian.”

“Yes, he returned from a diplomatic mission to Ravencairn the same night you arrived—and has been in a mood ever since. Prince Kavian is at university and Caelmir went on a voyage, but no one knows where.” She tilted her head in a conspiratorial way. “Rumor is the queen asked him to go.”

“Why?”

“Might be in search of a wife. Might be looking to make diplomatic relations. Might be searching for buried treasure, for all I know.” She laughed at her own joke.

Strange. I wondered if Prince Tavric would answer me if I asked him about Prince Caelmir’s voyage. Not that it mattered. If his schedule ever slowed down, there were plenty of more important things I’d like to discuss with him. As it was, I had continued to breakfast in the dining hall the past few days despite all the commotion and knowing we would not likely have a chance to speak. I did my best to catch his eye and give him a smile as often as possible, because for some reason, no one ever seemed to smile at him despite the fact that he was clearly uncomfortable.

Unfortunately, with each passing day, the amount of sideways looks I received from staff and nobility alike increased. All the important people who milled around the prince did not like my presence, but they never said anything about it; they just wrinkled their noses and looked away.

I fully expected someone to tell me to leave. Or ask when I was leaving. Or insinuate in any way that I should be leaving. But none of those things happened, and I realized it was time. Tavric had been so welcoming, and Queen Ondyra was a delight, but I couldn’t continue to rely on their hospitality. I wasn’t afraid of hard work, and when I’d climbed from my tower, I had never imagined living in luxury and being waited on day in and day out. I’d planned to work, and there was no better time than now to do something about it.

So I returned to the village the next day, dressed in my own dress instead of the very fine ones that the queen had lent me, and instead of exploring and looking for ways to spend a few coins, I inquired about work. But the tailor said he didn’t need any help, and the way he looked at my homemade dress—which was admittedly a different style than most wore—made me think he wouldn’t have hired me even if he were desperate.

I spoke with the owner of a tavern, but he just waved me off with a brusque, “Can’t afford to pay no one else.”

The result was the same at the bakery and the dress shop, which left me standing in the middle of the town square, chewing on the side of my thumb, feeling small and inconsequential and wondering what to do next. I couldn’t think of anything else that I would be good at. I was happy to learn a new skill, but if no one would even give me a chance…

I let out a sigh and turned to the young boy who was playing the role of my tiny escort. “What am I doing wrong?” I asked, not expecting an answer.

He squinted as he looked up at me, which made his nose wrinkle. “You come from the castle.”

My brow lifted. “What?”