Page 22 of The Midnight Blizzard

“But, but the thing is…”

“Lady Noelle!” Octavius puffed as he jogged up to us. He gave a bow to the prince. “My apologies for interrupting, Your Highness, though if you’re planning to walk with another woman tonight, you need to begin now. Besides, Jack said this was of the utmost importance and wouldn’t give me a moment’s peace about it until I agreed to speak with Lady Noelle immediately.”

“No trouble at all. Noelle, I look forward to speaking with you again tomorrow. I’d like to hear more about Kody then.” He stooped to kiss my hand and took his leave.

“But you don’t understand—” I called after him. Before I could explain, Octavius inflated himself once more.

“Don’t talk back to the prince!” he squawked, flapping one of his hands so that he briefly looked more like a chicken than a rodent. “Have you no sense of propriety?”

I neglected to point out that Octavius had committed a similar breach in protocol himself when he’d interrupted the prince.

“Jack insisted that you want to be moved to a private room.” Octavius wrinkled his nose, and I couldn’t help but imagine whiskers poking out from his cheeks. “I can do so, but not until tomorrow, assuming you’re invited to stay an additional day. Until the next round of women leaves, I simply do not have any available lodging.” He flipped through the sheaf of parchment he always had with him and added under his breath, “I don’t see why it is so difficult for you to simply get along with your family for a few more days, but no, it isOctavius do this, Octavius change that. If it weren’t for Jack insisting…” He let out a frustrated huff. “If you see me tomorrow, I can see what isavailable.”

“Thank you,” I said, wishing I had Jack’s meekness and patience in such situations. I wanted to set a cat on Octavius.

Chapter 7

Jack howled with laughter and wiped tears of mirth from his eyes as we walked down to the lake. “He thought Kodiak was your son?”

“Don’t laugh!” I said, shoving at his shoulder. “I was so embarrassed! What am I going to do now?”

“What did he say when you said that you meant a dog?”

I dragged a hand down my face. “Octavius interrupted us, then Prince Stephen was with other women for the rest of the feast so I couldn’t find time to correct him. He thinks I was talking about some cute little boy who misses his mommy!” I swung the ice skates that Jack had given to me. From where he’d unearthed them, I had no idea, but at least I had managed to change out of the overly tight pink gown from Trista back into my original dress. “I just need to find the will quickly so I can go back home and never have the shame of facing him again. Until I correct him, he’ll think that I’m a struggling single mother who was widowed at a young age or something. What if he sends me away and I don’t have time to find the will?”

“But what if your touching story moved him so muchthat he picks you?” Jack’s roguish smile still played about his lips.

“Ugh, don’t wish that on me,” I groaned, covering my eyes with a hand. “I have no interest in Stephen. He is very kind, but…there’s just no connection between us.”

Jack’s smile faded slightly. “Maybe on your end. I’m beginning to think that the prince may feel differently. He certainly looked happiest when he came back from his walk with you. I’m sorry I couldn’t get Octavius to give you lodging for tonight. I tried my absolute best, but he was insistent that one more night with your stepfamily wouldn’t kill you, and I didn’t want to tell him that you weren’t sleeping there. I already have my room set up for you.”

“I can’t thank you enough.”

A servant came into sight, gathering up firewood, and Jack and I went silent as we passed. Even if it wasn’t technically a crime for a non-mage to give an ice skating lesson to a mage, sneaking off together would still look very suspicious to anyone who wasn’t aware of our perfectly platonic arrangement. “Jack, what if he thinks I’m leading him on? I can’t do that; that must be an imprisonable crime.”

“Stephen isn’t that cold-hearted,” Jack protested. “He wouldn’t throw some girl into the dungeon for?—”

“For toying with his affections and leading him on even if she has no interest in him?” I stared up at the full moon. “I’m a fraud.”

“Do you think he expects any less?”

My expression grew even more horrified. “I don’t want him to think so poorly of me!”

“No, you misunderstood me. I only meant…girls have been flocking to him for years, all intent on winning the prince’s affection. All of them would happily lead him on if they thought it would advance their own position.”

“So I’m just like Vanessa,” I groaned. “I never thought I’d see the day.”

“Did you ask him about the school or your father’s will?”

My shoulders sagged. “No. I was just trying to get to know him a little bit. I worried that if I asked for too much right away he would just send me away, and I still haven’t found anything yet.”

Jack nodded sagely. “It was probably a wise move. One of Stephen’s biggest concerns going into this was that people would come just to take advantage of his power and position.” He threw out his hands to balance as he slid over an icy spot then regained his balance. “We’re nearly to the lake. But I meant to tell you before, since the next ball isn’t until tomorrow evening, I’ll have time in the morning to go over to the records room and help you search.”

“I thought it was off-limits.”

“Not to me.”

Trees coated in a heavy layer of snow stood around the lake. The trail we’d been following sloped down, and Jack turned back to give me a hand as I slid over some of the ice that had formed on the path. Boulders were scattered around, and I brushed the snow off one to sit and do up my skates, cinching the laces tightly. Once they were sufficiently tied, I scooped a large rock from the ground and threw it out onto the lake. It skittered across the surface without any cracks appearing, and my confidence that the ice was thick enough grew.

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