“Alright,” Lady Treveon breathed out. “Drusilla, Stasia, come.”
The little beasts rounded the corner and made for their mistress, despite Stasia taking the opportunity to nip at Luci’s heels. Luci let out a whispered curse and glared at the creature. Whatever she had done to earn their ire must have been terrible, given how well they nursed their plan for vengeance.
When Lady Treveon disappeared, Brielle turned to Luci with silver lining her eyes.
“If he loves you, it should be you who goes to see him. Explain, and he will understand everything,” she pleaded.
What a mess. Though Luci had never asked to go to the ball, her decisions once there were now firmly her own. Decisions that had now led to her best friend being engaged to a man she had never met. The best outcome was that Brielle would convince him that, though she was flattered, she could not accept, and then they would hide away at Blythe for the rest of their lives. No more princes, magic, or castles.
An image of Brielle, frolicking through the field, bright with life, flashed in her mind. A possibility of more, but then she had also seen Prince Ira there. He and Brielle are reaching out to one another. And the words he had spoken.You are everything.
Was that where this led? Brielle would walk down those stairs and win his heart and everything the magic had promised? Brielle.
“Luci, please,” Brielle begged, tears falling.
It was enough to bring her back to the present, and she quickly wiped at Brielle's tears and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
“It’s not love, Brielle. Most likely, he felt guilty about what happened last night and felt responsible,” Luci said.
“By proposing marriage?” Brielle sniffed with incredulity.
Luci shrugged. “It’ll be fine, Bri.”
“I feel like I’m taking something beautiful from you,” she said.
“You aren’t. It was one night. I am not in love, nor do I ever plan to be. You are it for me, Bri.”
Sniffing, Brielle wiped at her slightly red nose. “You say that, but I don’t believe that’s true. Everyone wants to be loved.”
Rolling her eyes dramatically. “And so I am. By you, Calcifer, and cook. I even think Mrs. Blakesley might love me even if she’d threaten me for saying so.”
Brielle snorted.
“There’s that perfect lady, I know.” Luci grinned. “Go, go send away prince charming, or sweep him off his feet if you so choose. The world is yours for the taking, Brielle Treveon.”
There was that smile that Luci loved.
“I’ll probably just send him off. He’s probably terribly needy.”
“Probably allergic to cats,” Luci added.
They shared horrified glances with each other as if that were truly the ultimate fault of a person. Calcifer meowed next to them and rubbed his fluffy body against Luci’s leg in agreement.
“All right. I’ll tell him I will not be accepting his proposal, but that he should go on to have a perfectly lovely life,” Brielle said.
“How reasonable of you,” Luci agreed.
A firm nod and a quick squeeze of the hand, and Brielle was off to break the crown prince’s heart. Leaving Luci to stare at her black hair and sit on the top of the stairs. With precisely nowhere to go. A thousand images sped in her mind, and before she knew it, she was anxiously tapping her feet up and down, legs shaking.
What had he been thinking? What were his reasons? Would he be upset at her rejection? Too many questions and too many possibilities. If only she could see for herself. It was like the sun’s light had finally fallen over her. Lady Treveon had said to meet her in the parlor. The parlor, which was directly beneath Brielle’s room, had a perfectly loose piece of wood that held a small hole. It was how Brielle and Luci had spied on Lady Margaret and the terrible luncheons she used to host. They would spend hours laughing about the ridiculous posturing and outfits the ladies were capable of until Brielle was old enough to be dragged down to them.
On quick feet, Luc returned to Brielle’s room and leaned forward, pushing the bed with all her strength. It groaned against her weight and scraped loudly as it shifted just enough so Luci could pry the floorboard up. Lying her body against the wood floor, she found herself with a perfect view of the center of the parlor. Right where Lord Treveon was enveloping Brielle in a long hug.
“Well done, my girl. At first, I was frustrated with your method- leaving unchaperoned with Ira and then worse, not returning. I assumed one of your spells came on, and you were forced to leave, but the ends always justify the means, and I can’t begin to begrudge the outcome. Engaged!” he said.
Every word dripped praise, and Luci could only imagine how the words affected Brielle. There was nothing Brielle wanted more than to make her father proud, even if he didn’t deserve it. To hear him praise achievements she hadn’t truly done, nor did she want, must have been crippling.
“Father, I don’t-”