Bab 20: End of the dark passage
Anastasia stood behind the wall of the next corridor so that she could avoid the Mother Queen questioning her. Earlier, when she found the older woman struggling to stand, she couldn't get herself to walk away and felt compelled to help.
Placing her hand on the wall for support, Anastasia leaned to take a look at the Mother Queen and the minister walking away in the other direction. She heaved a sigh of relief.
"That was close," she said, pressing her hand on the wall, ready to head towards the main hall when a brick moved back, a part of the wall next to her opened like a door. "A hidden passage?"
Anastasia looked left and right before staring at the narrow passage that invited her. Curious, she stepped inside, and when she began to walk, she heard the wall automatically close behind her.
The hem of her green gown brushed the ground behind her as she walked through the passage for a little while, before catching sight of the light at the end which was blocked by creepers. Pushing them away, she stepped outside and noticed it was a balcony.
Anastasia stared at the sight as she murmured, "To think I have spent eight years here without knowing the existence of this place."
The walls and the arch of the balcony had green creepers running on them with little red flowers that gave off a sweet fragrance surrounding it. But it was the view of the sea that shone under the moonlight that captured her attention.
The cold wind greeted her as she walked towards the short railings, and she had to mind her steps. Wondering if the royal family had ships or boats at the bottom, a curious Anastasia craned her neck to look below.
[Music Recommendation: Someone- TSS]
"Lean any closer, and you will see the water closer than you want to," a voice spoke behind her.
Startled by the sudden voice against the silence that had accompanied her until now, she turned on her heels. Her eyes fell on Prince Dante.
"…!" One of her feet moved backwards, and she felt a hitch in her breath when she felt she was about to fall over the railing, when Dante grabbed her.
Anastasia gasped, feeling her heart slip from her ribcage. Her body was no longer leaning towards the sea, as Dante had grabbed her by the waist.
Anastasia noticed how the breeze on the balcony gently moved his dark hair in front of one of his eyes, the eyes that now intently stared at her. He wore a blue shirt that had a circular collar with intricate gold designs that moved down the buttons of his sh— Her throat felt dry when she noticed her hands resting on his chest. She wanted to move, but she felt his firm hold that had prevented her from falling.
"I didn't mean to lean that far," Anastasia whispered, her brown eyes still wide in surprise.
"Surely, you didn't," Dante responded, his eyes slightly narrowing at the young woman standing before him.
He had come to the place to get some fresh air when he caught sight of the female guest leaning over the railings. The balcony was secluded, which is why he hadn't expected anyone to be here at this hour.
The prince's stare wasn't absent from glare; it was another matter that it was how he mostly looked at people. Did he recognise her? Clearing her throat, Anastasia parted her lips,
"Thank you for helping me…"
Dante's eyes fell on her full, pink lips as they moved beneath the veil. Her voice reminded him of the sweet berries at the beginning of summer.
Anastasia finally felt Dante release her waist and was about to step away from the prince to maintain distance when he did it himself. He stated,
"You will miss the commencement of the celebration if you don't hurry to the main hall."
At the same time, Anastasia watched him step away from her and move closer to the rails. He started to watch the scenery ahead of him.
Anastasia nodded even though he didn't pay attention or look at her. She turned when the little belt around her waist loosened, and she caught hold of it and whispered, "Oh no..!"
Moving to the side, Anastasia started to wrap the belt around her waist, trying to push the straight pins, but the position wasn't right, so she fiddled with it.
On the other hand, Dante had come here for some time alone before going to the main hall. But the woman on the balcony fiddled with her dress belt. His eyes moved away from the sea and fell back on her.
The breeze on the balcony moved the thin veil that tried to cover part of her face, revealing her delicate face beneath it. Her dark, wavy brown hair was let down, cascading over her shoulders and back. A half-crown braid ran over the top of her head, which had three shiny pins fixed at the side.
A sigh escaped from Dante's lips, and he said, "I will send a maid to attend you."
"No!" Anastasia quickly exclaimed, not wanting any maids to recognise her. The probability of lower servants recognising her was higher than that of people of high status, as they had never paid any attention to her. Raking through her mind, she politely said, "It would put me in a difficult position if my family knew I was here, away from the main hall. They want me to meet suitors, but I have no intention to. Please… Prince Dante."
On hearing his name roll out of the young woman's lips, Dante's eyes narrowed. He wondered if this woman had purposefully called his name in such a tone, and if she was trained in the art of seduction because every word was a tickle to his senses. Those were also the kinds of women he despised deep down in his bones.
Anastasia offered him a bow before returning to fix the belt, this time not bothered if it was sitting right. All she wanted to do was bolt from here.
"Who are your parents?"
Her hands stopped what they were doing, and she looked up at the prince. She answered, "Mr. and Mrs. Flores."
Flores? Dante hadn't heard that last name and wondered if she was Lady Sophia's guest. He questioned again, "What's your name?"
Anastasia turned nervous with his questions. After all, they did cross paths closely twice, and he was angry both times. Instead of giving her name, she asked wide-eyed, "Why?" Five seconds later, it dawned on her that instead of answering, she was questioning the Blackthorn prince; she quickly gave a part of her name and bowed, "Tasia. It is Tasia."
Dante noted how young women, who were often quick to reveal their names and get near to him, was for once seeing someone who didn't give it right away. But then the woman mentioned stalling meetings with the possible suitors. He tilted his head to the side while watching her and tested her name,
"Miss Tasia."
"Yes?" An anxious Anastasia replied, dropping her hands back to her side.
As a maid, Anastasia was so used to lowering her eyes in front of the royal members, that she tried hard not to look away from Dante's piercing gaze as if he were reading her.
"I believe you know your way to the main hall and won't try to take another look at the water below," Dante remarked as he walked and exited from there through the door, not the narrow passage she had used.
Bab 21: Evening celebration in the palace
On watching Prince Dante leave the balcony, Anastasia brought her hand to her chest and gently patted her beating heart. She breathed the words,
"Quiet now."
Anastasia didn't know why, but her heart didn't calm down for several minutes, and only after that did she leave the balcony in the same direction as the one the prince had disappeared to.
Upon reaching the main hall, her eyes fell on the many pillars that stood away from each other to form a circle. Thin golden curtains hung from the ceiling, which were fastened to the pillars to create a wall-like appearance.
"… to be blessed with such a loving family, subjects," Anastasia heard the loud and authoritative voice that belonged to King William. Passing the curtains, she stood at the back along with the other guests. At the centre of the room stood King William and his wife. He addressed her, "My dear Sophia, I wish you a happy birthday and on the same occasion, I have a present that might please you." He waved his hand for a minister who held a box in his hands.
All the guests, including Anastasia, as well as the other members of the Blackthorn family, who stood not far from the King and Lady Sophia, watched the minister step forward.
When the box was opened, and King William picked up the gift inside it, there was a murmur of appreciation around the hall when their eyes fell on the delicate golden crown with ruby stones.
"Is that a high crown?" Someone near Anastasia asked in a whisper.
"I thought only two crowns existed of that size until now," another person whispered. One was worn by the King and the other by the Mother Queen. "This one looks more than an inch or two higher, so it must be significant."
King William's words were proud as he said, "This crown was specially made for Lady Sophia as my lawfully wedded wife. I want to elevate her to a higher status as she has given birth to the heir who will lead Versailles."
Lady Sophia was more than impressed by her husband's words, and soon her thin crown of an inch was replaced by the three-inch crown. She murmured with a smile, "I never expected this gift, my King."
Slow and soft music began to play from one corner of the room, under the light of the chandelier candles hanging from the ceiling.
And while Lady Sophia, her two children, and the King were pleased, some members of the Blackthorn family had tight smiles, while a few faces were expressionless. It was because Lady Sophia's position was elevated to Queen Sophia, and she was no longer the same status as the other three women who had children with her husband. And with status came power.
King William then said, "Everyone can now enjoy the celebration!"
Some of the guests were quick to go to where the King and Queen stood to congratulate them and wish both of them a long life. The princes and princesses were the first ones to offer their wishes.
"How dramatic," the Mother Queen remarked when she noticed her son's two concubines leaving the main hall, as they were upset with the King's actions. "I should be the one who gets to be dramatic for not knowing about it," her lips setting in a thin line, while Dante accompanied her.
To Dante, his father's actions didn't come as a surprise. Since he had been unable to trigger his Crux, he and his mother had become unfavourable in his father's eyes.
The Mother Queen wasn't pleased that her son had not uttered a word about it and was changing traditions. She asked Dante, "How is your mother? I didn't find the opportunity to visit her."
"She's been doing better than yesterday. The physician's medicine is working well," Dante answered. It had been three days since Lady Lucretia had fallen sick and was resting in her room this evening.
"I am glad to hear that," the Mother Queen replied before they finally reached where the King and the Queen stood. "Happy birthday, Sophia," she wished her daughter-in-law.
"Happy birthday, Queen Sophia," Dante wished his father's wife, who raised her hand forward, and he kissed the back of her hand.
"Thank you," Queen Sophia smiled in pure joy, knowing that her and her children's future was secured.
"Queen Sophia," The Lumbard family came forward and wished, "Congratulations and happy birthday!"
"Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Lumbard. Welcome to Versailles," Queen Sophia welcomed them. Her eyes then fell on their daughter, "You must be Amara. You look like a doll."
Amara had worn a blue gown as her mother had advised her. To cover the lower half of her face, she had worn a golden long tassel veil mask. She offered a deep bow to show her appreciation.
"Indeed, she has grown up," King William nodded and turned to Dante, "Isn't she beautiful?" His wife had already mentioned the hope of a potential alliance between Dante and the Lumbards, who were close relatives to one of the Kings in the East.
Amara hadn't been able to take her eyes off Prince Dante since she had caught sight of him. She was instantly smitten, and couldn't wait to gain his favour.
"Maybe if she chose another colour."
The young woman's face fell instantly on hearing Dante's words. Queen Sophia softly laughed and said, "Dante likes to joke."
"Joke by handing out the truth. My grandson is very honest with his words," the Mother Queen nodded, only to receive a look from Queen Sophia.
Amara fixed her fallen face and asked, "Prince Dante, if I may ask, what colour do you think would suit me?" Even though she was a young lady, she was raised to be able to handle such situations and move on gracefully.
But Amara had never met anyone like Prince Dante before, and he deadpanned,
"I would have chosen one if it existed, Lady Amara. Excuse me, I have to talk to the Vizier about something," offering a slight bow, he left.
King William laughed, and so did Queen Sophia with a little nervousness. The King said, "Don't mind Dante's words. Unlike his two brothers, he has spent most of his time on the battlefield or planning it, rather than learning how to speak to a beautiful lady like you, Amara."
Amara smiled softly, "I can understand, my King. I don't feel offended by the prince's words." She turned to look at where Prince Dante was, who was now talking to the Vizier.
Once the King and the Lumbards had left their side, Queen Sophia tried to keep her tone as polite as possible when she asked, "Mother Queen, may I know what that was?"
The older woman tucked a piece of red hair behind her ear, and with a look of obliviousness, asked, "What? Oh, you mean the Lumbards daughter? Yes, I decided not to go with her."
Queen Sophia pursed her lips before saying, "The marriage alliance with the Lumbard family will be beneficial. It will be good for Versailles, and the King agrees to it. The Lumbards agreed to come this far to cement the relationship."
The Mother Queen stopped a servant walking nearby with a tray of glasses and took one from him. She finally replied, "How unfortunate, as I found another suitable lady. I will let you know once I find her," she took a sip and walked away from her, leaving her daughter-in-law with a gobsmacked expression.
On the other side of the main hall, where the celebration continued, the curious eyes of the men and women followed Anastasia. Most of the young women attending the celebration had chosen to wear soft colours to make them look innocent and mild in nature.
But the green gown that Anastasia wore stood out from the rest, while the veil that covered the lower half of her face raised questions of who she was and where she had come from.
Having never been stared at this much, Anastasia wanted to cave in and leave. But she had come here to see her sister. When she caught sight of Marianne and Maxwell, she moved a little closer. Her sister looked happy, and the prince seemed to be giving her all his attention.
"Milady, would you like to drink something?" A servant asked her.
Anastasia had worked with the servant before, and she quickly took the glass from the tray, "Thank you." But when the servant didn't recognise her, she felt relieved.
Taking a sip from the glass, Anastasia took another step closer behind where Marianne was; she heard Prince Maxwell say to her sister,
"I think the crown will look beautiful on your head."
"I would not dare to dream of it," Marianne shook her head and pointed out, "Your glass is empty. Let me get you another one."
Prince Maxwell caught Marianne's hand to stop her from leaving and said, "You don't have to. A servant will come here. I want to spend my time with you," he offered her a smile. "So, have you decided your answer to my earlier question?"
Question? Anastasia asked herself, simultaneously finishing the drink in her glass.
Marianne smiled and said, "I am still thinking about it, Prince Maxwell."
When Anastasia caught sight of the Mother Queen moving near to where her sister stood, she quickly hid behind the pillar. At the same time, the empty glass in her hand slipped. It was about to fall to the floor, but was caught in time by someone else and given back to her.
"Lady, you should be careful with glasses, because it could hur—Tasia, is that you?!" Prince Aiden blinked when his hand touched her palms, staring at the young woman's face that was behind the green veil.
"Prince Aiden." Anastasia felt blood beginning to drain from her face, "I mean, Juan…"
This time even Prince Aiden's expression fell before a deep frown settled on his face. He exclaimed, "Oh my God! I thought you were a maid of some high-class family, but you are a lady of a privileged background and your family has been hurting you!"
What? Anastasia's speech had temporarily disappeared. She touched her veil in shock and whispered, "Was it my face?"
Aiden stared at her before he replied, "Your hands." Damn glass! He pulled her behind the curtains and a pillar. He said, "Wow, to think you have been hiding your beautiful face so well. And I thought I did it better! Do not tell anyone that you saw me outside the palace!"
"If you promise not to tell anyone about you seeing me out in the city," Anastasia wondered if she was hanging on a thin rope.
"I promise," Aiden nodded, and as his excitement settled down, he stared at the beautiful woman before him. He said, "I thought I was the only one who loved to escape the walls of my house and be a free bird. It is good to know that there's someone else apart from me who feels the same. Wait, what happened to the camels?"
Anastasia bowed at him and apologised, "Pardon me, Prince Aiden. My sister didn't want to ride a camel, so I accompanied her here."
"I see," Aiden gave a solemn nod. "Tasia, you can call me Aiden."
"I dare not," Anastasia nervously smiled. She had no wish to have her tongue severed from her mouth.
Aiden said thoughtfully, "I think it would be strange if someone saw you with me like this. We should go back to the celebration."
"You can go ahead, Prince Aiden. I will come in a while," Anastasia responded, urging the prince to walk back inside, but the young prince frowned.
"Your secret is safe with me, Tasia,' Aiden patted the pocket of his maroon shirt and then asked, "Wait, where have you been staying? In the palace?"
Anastasia quickly replied, "In Versailles. Let us get inside," she smiled before stepping back into the main hall. As if the looks she received earlier weren't enough, some of the guests turned to look at them. After all, Prince Aiden was the next in line to the throne.
Not too far from them, like many other princes and princesses who were surrounded by guests, so was Dante. Families with daughters spoke to him, waiting for the prince to ask them for a dance. And though he could feel a rising headache, he managed to wear a calm and poised expression.
"Prince Dante, I hear that you will be leading the war again? You are a really brave man!" One of the elderly male guests praised him.
"Indeed, Prince Dante. I always tell my daughter, Leilani, about it. To wage so many wars and flourish, it must be so difficult. The entire kingdom of Versailles knows about it," said an older female guest. She then added, "This is my daughter, Leilani. She has excelled in the art of dance and poetry. Come, Leilani, let Prince Dante hear your poetry," she pulled her daughter to the front.
Dante stared at the young woman, who was dressed in gold. As patient as he was in dealing with the guests by now, the prince didn't wear a smile and he remarked,
"That won't be necessary, Mrs. Sharman. I bet your daughter is well versed in it, but perhaps Mr. Gervile would be interested to hear it instead?" he turned to look at the man, who nodded.
"Prince Dante, are you busy tomorrow? I was thinking of taking a stroll in the garden. Would you like to join me?" a young lady eagerly asked him. Dante despised celebrations such as these, as his family thought they could send young women his way so that he could pick one of them for his wife. As if dealing with the concubines and courtesans wasn't enough, Dante thought in his mind.
Another man spoke on behalf of his daughter, "Isla would like to see all the inner gardens with you as you are knowledgeable."
Amara had made her way through the little crowd as she smiled and said, "Prince Dante will be busy strategizing for the upcoming war and doesn't have time for it now. Isn't that right, my Prince?"
Dante wasn't the least bit interested in the woman's words. When he looked away for the briefest moment, his eyes fell on the woman he had met on the garden balcony, who now stood next to his brother, Aiden.
At the same time, King William and Mr. Lumbard appeared. King William remarked, "Young Amara seems to be very thoughtful about my son." He then turned to look at Dante and said, "You should ask her for a dance, Dante."
Amara said, "Prince Dante, if not me, you should at least ask someone for a dance, no? I would be hurt if someone said you are only good at the battlefield and not adept at leading a lady for a dance."
Dante finished the drink in his hand, and handed the glass to the servant, before he said, "I should."
The King had already said what was needed, and Amara was confident with her beauty and status. Amara got ready to be asked but her face fell the second time for the evening, when he walked away from there.
Anastasia was discussing the Bazaar with Aiden when she sensed an intense gaze on her. When she turned to look in that direction, she met Dante's eyes, who now walked towards her.
Dante stopped his footsteps right in front of her, before which Aiden had taken a large sip from his drink and stared at his brother.
Captive under Dante's gaze, Anastasia felt her heart skip a beat. She softly gulped, not knowing what Dante wanted, until he brought his hand forward and requested with a slight bow,
"Dance with me, Tasia."
Aiden spat the liquid on a guest not far from him before coughing, as this behaviour was very unlike that of his brother.
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