Page 14 of The Midnight Blizzard

I wandered back into the vacated area where the activities had been held, hoping to find an empty room to change in. One of the rooms had a display of cosmetics and hair styling tools, but was completely empty other than a very bored lady-in-waiting who sat on a tuft in front of one of the vanities.

“Hello,” I greeted her, looking around.

Eagerly, she shot up. “Did you want to get ready for the ball here?”

“Yes, I do. Where is everyone else?”

She shook her head. “Most of the other women wanted to get ready in the privacy of their own rooms. I can teach you some of the latest hairstyles and fashions.”

“Please do.” I deposited my bag with Trista’s borrowed dress on a stand and sat in front of the mirror, deciding that the dress I’d originally arrived in was sufficient for that evening now that it was freshly laundered. “I fear my own cosmetics were damaged on the journey here. I wasn’t sure what I could do, so I’m glad you’re here.”

The lady-in-waiting, whose name was Helena, gossiped away happily as she curled my hair and dabbed rouge onto my cheeks, wondering aloud why other girls would pass up such an opportunity. Shortly before the ball started, Helenaput on the finishing touches and shooed me out into the hall to accompany the thirty or so other women still in the competition, all flocking toward the ballroom once more.

I didn’t even notice who I was walking behind until she looked over her shoulder. It was Vallia.

“I saw you last night and today,” she said, slowing down to walk alongside me.

“Likewise.” I wasn’t sure what to say. At least Vallia was nicer than Vanessa and my stepmother, but they had a knack for squeezing information out of Vallia so that I didn’t trust her ability to keep my confidence.

“I’m glad you’re safe,” she went on, studying her shoes. “I’m sorry about…before. You know.”

“When you left me abandoned in the middle of the forest?”

She flushed. Even embarrassed, she was prettier than almost any other girl, and I found myself hoping vehemently that Jack had been honest in saying that Vallia wasn’t his type. “I’m sorry,” she repeated. “I told them not to, but…”

“I know.” Part of me wanted to forgive Vallia, but the memory of nearly being attacked by wolves stayed fresh in my mind.

“Mama means well, you know. You two are actually very similar.”

All thoughts of forgiving Vallia vanished. “It’s hard to imagine that is the case when she shut down my school and nearly got me killed by a wolf,” I said coldly. “I’ve never behaved so poorly. Excuse me.” I left her looking stricken and made my way into the ballroom and over to the refreshment table, where I found only drinks and light, sugary foods.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Vallia trying to forceher way through the crowd to me, but Vanessa caught up to her and after one glance my way, Vallia didn’t pursue me any longer.

I was so angry with my stepfamily that I barely registered anything that happened at the ball. Prince Stephen did dance with each of us in turn, then advisors and other gentlemen invited us for additional dances. This time, Jack was dancing as well, but the girls he partnered with always kept as much distance between their bodies as possible and only touched him as long as was socially required before hastily letting go.

If only Jack had been one of the advisors to dance with me. As far as I could tell, the advisors were choosing which girls they partnered with, so why wasn’t Jack asking me to dance? Was he aware of my growing feelings for him, so he wanted to distance himself for his own job security and safety? Were his feelings different from mine and he didn’t want to encourage me? Or was he perhaps embarrassed by being seen dancing with a woman in a simple dress who didn’t even have a place to sleep that night? Suddenly, I wished I’d chosen to wear the fancier gown that Trista left me.

My hunger and fatigue did nothing to force those questions from my mind. With each passing dance, my thoughts spiraled downward until I was grateful for the chiming that signified the end of the ball.

Jack didn’t even look at me as he exited the ballroom with the other advisors, but Vallia did whisper a quick, “Good night,” as Vanessa dragged her past me, nose stuck into the air. Most of the girls went up to their rooms, kicking off their pointed shoes and carrying them, groaning in relief as their toes were allowed to spread out on the plush rugs.

I hesitated. Where would I go? Everyone else had lodging.

“—if they still have hot cocoa like last night, I won’t say no.” I overheard a girl chatting with her friend as they passed the staircase leading to the living quarters and headed toward the dining hall instead.

Deciding that my most pressing need was to satiate my snarling stomach, I followed them, eager to find something more substantial than the delicate sweets that had been available during the ball. Though there wasn’t anything hearty, I did find a creamy soup in a large tureen decorated with a pair of carved turtle doves.

Other girls were quick to eat and leave, all eager for a good night’s rest, but I dallied over my soup as I pondered my predicament. Would I be noticed if I found a corner in the servant’s living quarters? At least back home those were communal, but I was sure that the other maids would notice if someone just turned up who wasn’t hired.

Perhaps an empty room? If I could just determine which were unused without Octavius realizing what I was up to… But that idea shriveled and died. Guards patrolled the halls and often opened rooms to search the interior. A girl curled up on a settee in an alcove would be instantly noticed. Only the communal rooms, like the ballroom and the chambers where activities were hosted, were available. Each of the other contestants had a key for their private chambers, and I had nothing.

A blast of snow flurried in as the doors to the side yard blew open. Two girls drinking hot cocoa squealed and ran to avoid the frigid air and I jumped to my feet, reaching the doors at the same time as one of the guards. Together, we closed them firmly against the howling wind outside.

“Sorry about that, miss,” the guard apologized. “It isn’t even fit for dogs to be out in this foul weather.”

“Of course not.” I laughed, but the moment he returned to his post, I slurped up the rest of my soup, gathered up my bag, and hurried through the castle toward the courtyard. From there I fought my way to the dog yard, head bowed against the gale and shivering all over. My cloak’s warmth was little protection against the bitter cold. As I approached the barn, I could hear the incessant barking and howls so typical of sled dogs.

“Shhh,” I shushed them as I shut the door behind me. Each dog had its own stall, similar to horse stables, and the name of each was carved neatly into a wooden plaque. The dogs leapt up and down in their stalls, heads popping repeatedly over their stall doors as they tried to get a good look at the newcomer. “Shhh,” I hushed them again. “They’ll hear you.”

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