Page 87 of If The Crown Fits
“No,” Lara said, standing up. “This is your past catching up to you.”
“Think of it this way — once the King is gone, the more power the lords of the land will have. The more money for you.”
“Get the support of the other lords. Should the royal line fall, the royal council would stand together with whoever came into power. For the good of the kingdom, of course,” Lara said. “Or else.”
* * *
Lara rushed to her cabin when we arrived back at camp and I followed in the hope of dumping my uncomfortable jacket and meeting Alastor or Jack in the fighting ring. I could use a good swordfight or two. Maybe I could even have a go at Conner, see if he’d actually been taught anything.
“Damn it!” I heard Lara say as I grabbed my sword from where it lay at the door.
“What’s the matter?”
“I can’t find Cordelia. I looked for her on my way here, but she’s gone as always. Where that girl runs to, heaven only knows.”
“And the company of your female confidante is important because...?” I ventured.
“I can’t get out of the dress by myself. The strings are too difficult to reach from the front.”
“Oh.” The air around us became awkward with silence. “I can help,” I offered, and then quickly added, “If you want.”
She turned to me, hesitating for just a second. “If you don’t mind.”
Her back was towards me again and I walked over to inspect the dress. It was the first time I had actually paid attention to it. The bodice appeared to be decorated with the same materialas the skirts, and it laced up at the back. Lara’s shoulders were bare, so I assumed she wasn’t wearing a shift underneath.
I stood awkwardly and stared at the laces, though there didn’t appear to be an obvious place where they came to an end.
“What’s wrong?” Lara asked.
“Nothing.”
“Then what are you waiting for?”
“I’m trying to locate where to untie it.”
I didn’t expect her immediate chuckle.
“Come on, Cai, you don’t seriously expect me to believe that.”
“Believe what?” I still didn’t know where to start pulling the laces free.
“That you never undid a lady’s bodice before.”
I let out a snort, which awkwardly turned into a cough, and started pulling at random parts of the laces, seeing if something would loosen.
“You’d be surprised.”
“Oh . . . I see.”
“See what?” Nothing would give and I started to get slightly frustrated.
“There was no need.”
I looked up and stared at the back of her head, the smell of wildflowers in her hair overwhelming me.
“No! It’s not like that.” I could feel myself getting slightly flustered, though I wasn’t entirely sure why. “Just tell me how to unlace this damn thing!”
She remained laughing as she pulled out the end of the lace from the front of the bodice and unwrapped the part that encircled her waist. I hooked my fingers around the lace and, wanting to get out of there as soon as possible, started pulling it loose.
