Page 9 of Enchanted Kingdom
I smiled, not disappointed in the least. Maybe flying in under the radar for this was going to be even easier than I had first anticipated.
Other than noting the grand staircase, marble-looking flooring, and the multiple opulent chandeliers placed across the largest room I had ever seen in my life, the next thing I noticed was there were lots more windows in the castle than I would have thought.
I weaved my way through, staying towards the back, and headed for those windows. I wanted to see out. To see what the kingdom looked like from all the way up here. We’d barely had a chance to see any part of the castle when we pulled up. We’d walked through a hallway, gotten to freshen up in a lavatory with a glass sink, and were then led directly to the grand staircase. There had apparently been an exact timing for every carriage, so we hadn’t had time to stand and gawk at the tall ceilings or shiny floors we’d seen on the way in.
Attempting to avoid all the skirts and elbows, I took note of what people were eating and drinking as I continued on. Surely, they wouldn’t poison us first thing, would they? I wasn’t putting anything past our king, so I decided maybe I should wait to eat anything until others had eaten first.
A row of royal guards lined the back so I couldn’t get to the huge windows I had aimed for. I supposed I could go behind them, but since all or most of them were Enchanted, I decided to stay away. There were a lot of Enchanted in the room. I could just feel it.
A smaller window on the side of the room was free so I headed directly there. It was now dark outside, so I couldn’t see much of the view. This ballroom must have been somewhere in the middle of the castle though, as I could see lights from rooms all the way around the castle. It was a breathtaking view. I almost wished I’d be here in the morning for the sole reason of being able to see this view again to compare.
“Drink, miss?”
An older-looking male server presented a black tray with more flutes of whatever the liquid was we were all supposed to be drinking. He was wearing a royal blue suit, probably to distinguish himself as a server. And as a server, he was one of the few in the room who was surely not Enchanted. My own grandfather had long since passed, but I thought there was something about this man that reminded me of him. “Would you be so kind as to tell me what it is?”
The server gave me a sympathetic smile. “This is champagne, but I can get you a glass of water, if you’d prefer, miss.”
I gave him a smile. “Water would be fantastic. Non-poisoned preferably.”
His eyebrows shot up as he gave me a nod. “Yes, miss. I’ll be right back.”
I took a deep breath, realizing that my nasty habit of blurting things out when I was nervous could be a serious problem here. I continued looking out the window a few moments more, unable to help myself. I stood angled, so I could also see the throng of people before me. I could see what looked like an unorganized line in one area of the room, and assumed a prince was the source for it. There was another clump of tulle and silk in the middle of the room, and it was safe to assume the other prince was there.
But then my eyes caught some sort of movement and I looked up to one of the balconies of the ballroom to see none other than our king. The silver Wylan crown sat atop his head as he watched, overlooking the ballroom. He had gray hair, but even in the way he sat looking over the room, he exuded power. His eyes were what caught my breath and left me unable to look away. At the distance I was standing, I couldn’t see the color, though I knew from his portraits they were blue. It was the way he used them to watch the room that had me tensing up. He was constantly surveying the entire room. For what exactly, I had no idea.
All I could think of was years ago, possibly ten years ago, there were some people that had been fetched from Nerede by the king’s request. People we assumed became servants of sorts at the castle. It was celebrated that they were chosen for such an honorable position. But those same people were also never heard from or seen again. I remember sitting on the stairs of our cottage and listening to my mother and father whisper about what became of them.
“Here you are, miss.” The same server was back now, handing me a flute of water.
“Thank you, sir,” I said kindly.
He shook his now free hand at me. “Oh no, I am not a sir, miss.”
“Well I do not know your name, so what else am I to call you?” I argued.
His lips twitched. “You needn’t know my name. You only need to know that I deliver unpoisoned water upon request.”
I took a sip of said water. “What does it matter if I do or do not know your name?”
He pressed his lips together and said so quietly I almost didn’t hear him, “It is Rinaldi.”
I smiled freely. “Thank you, Rinaldi.”
Deciding I had avoided the rest of the people for long enough, I made my way forward to blend in with the others. It was time to try some food next. No one had keeled over dead from the food in the last ten minutes and I had seen numerous women try it, so it must be fine.
I passed two different trays before I saw something else that made me smile.Chocolate.I popped one of the truffles into my mouth and sighed in pure contentment. It was possibly the most decadent chocolate I had ever had. Granted, I had only had chocolate a few times, but still.
I sidled up to Ivy shortly after. “How are you?”
She gave me a look. “I got cut in line three times to meet Prince Keiran before I decided I should just wait a while.”
I gave her a nod and moved in to whisper, “But thereisat least chocolate.”
She let out a loud laugh that made a few of the women scowl in our direction. Apparently having casual conversation was frowned upon tonight. Or maybe it was just because we were from the lower levels.
Then the room was moving, everyone shuffling a few steps and stopping to look in the direction of the commotion. Two men in black tailcoats with smaller versions of the silver crown the king wore made their way together up the stairs and to the balcony where the king still sat overseeing the room. I could only see their backs and shoulders as they walked up the stairs, but they both carried themselves as I imagined a prince would. Pompously.
Everyone just stood there watching them go, wondering what they were doing. Most of the women in the room were probably imagining walking the stairs on either prince’s arm. Some fantasizing about becoming queen someday, and some dreaming of the drop of magic that was up for grabs if either prince would be so inclined to become bonded to them in addition to marrying them.
