Page 20 of Glass Hearts

This is why I stay away from trying to find a romantic partner.

Men are so confusing; they say one thing but mean another.

They will tell you sweet words, bring down your defenses, only to plunge a proverbial dagger through your heart.

I’m a downright fool for believing his sweet words last night.

After he left, I heard rustling outside the door.

When I approached, I overheard their conversation.

It confirmed all my suspicions about Gray’s intentions.

“Look. I am just trying to get her out of my system. All I did was go down on her. She wanted me just as much, and I obliged. I won’t marry the thief. I have already sent for Adrianna to warm my bed next week.”

The door remains locked this morning. The waitstaff dropped off some breakfast at least. Sylas quickly let her in before leaving just as fast, barely looking at me.

The big brute was dressed in all his royal finery.

So they must be getting ready for the other ladies to arrive for the courting events.

Games. That is all royalty is, and it doesn’t matter if us little folk get squashed in the process.

Just as I finish the last bite of breakfast, a sudden knock pounds at my door. I can’t exactly answer it, but before I can say as much, an older lady comes in with a basket in tow.

She’s radiant, with a smile so wide it felt like sunshine warming the whole room.

Deep laugh lines crinkled around her eyes, the kind that told you joy was a lifelong habit.

Her tan skin gleams, and her presence feels comforting and magnetic.

Like she’d been born knowing how to make people feel at home.

“Well, howdy do, missy! The name is Margaretta, but you can call me Margie. Grayer wanted me to give you this.” She hands me a basket full of items. Before I can even look at what is in the basket, I turn to the lovely lady.

“I am Arabella, but you can call me Ella. How’d you get in? From my understanding, it is only Prince Sylas who has the key?”

“Ha! As if there would be just one key! I’ve known Wallace, who serves as their butler and castle steward, for a long, long time. I wanted to hand-deliver Grayer’s gift and meet the little mystery that has my boys all fussed.”

I simply shake my head. “That’s not quite how I’d put it, ma’am.” I smile; her bright demeanor lifts my sour mood.

“Pfft, ‘Ma’am’ is my mother! Call me Margie, please, sweetie. Are they treating you all right?”

“Well—” I look around the room, “—the room and accommodations are quite nice, for a prisoner,” I tease.

“Foolish boys. I will smack them next time I see them.” She winks at me. “Regretfully, I must get back to the kitchens”

“Wait! You are a chef in the kitchens?”

“Why yes, I am—head chef, that is.” She elbows me conspiratorially.

“The food has been delicious, thank you so much. I would give anything to get my hands on that petit four recipe.”

Unexpectedly, she embraces me in a hug. “Of course, deary. Hopefully, they will release you from solitary confinement soon. I apologize; I must lock you back up. But Sy can be a bit of a hard-ass if you didn’t notice.” She chuckles.

“We like her, Arabelly, but what gifts did the dark prince bring us?!”

“I understand. It was nice meeting you, Margie.”

My mice and I take apart the basket as soon as Margie leaves. It has lavender bath salts, vanilla soap, candles, two more bottles of wine, chocolates, two little pieces of cheese wrapped up, and book two of the Duchess and Rake series. I open the book and notice a note on the first page:

My dearest Duchess,

I am not much of a rhymer, but you fill me with desire.

For words cannot describe,

How much you’re on my mind.

Your body is divine,

Can’t wait until you’re mine.

-Gray, your rake and future husband.

PS: I asked Margie to add one corked bottle, you will have to get me to uncork your bottle ;)

P.S.S: Please mark the chapters you would like to try with me.

See—CONFUSING. Why send such a sweet and considerate basket and silly little poem?!

I pop one chocolate into my mouth and decide to continue my education of the duchess and the rake out onto the balcony. It’s a lovely spring day, the birds are bickering (you would think it’s just chirping, but they are yelling at each other), and the sun is shining with no clouds in the sky.

The romantic scenes have me swooning. The rake finally makes his move to the duchess, confessing his undying love after her father forced her to marry an uptight duke.

My body feels like it’s heating until I hear the shrill voices of my stepsisters, breaking the mood instantly.

Trying to stay hidden, I overlook the gardens from my patio.

I see my stepsisters dressed in their finery, with a prince on their arm. My heart aches at the sight.

Four sets of eyes meet mine, as if they could feel my eyes on them from up here. I go back into my dark room, hiding to avoid my stepfamily from seeing me. Before I can close the door, a crow flies in.

“Mistress Arabelly! Finally found you, been flying all over this darn castle!”

“Petra! I am so happy to see you!” I offer her a bit of my toast from this morning’s breakfast. Seeing a note attached to her neck, I go to untie it.

“Mistress Elora was quite upset. So she asked me to find you immediately with this note.”

“Thank you, Petra. Must you be off right away, or can you stay?”

“I’m sorry, Arabelly, I spent most of the night and this morning flying. My murder must be quite worried about me.”

“Of course, I understand, friend.” I scratch her head right before she takes off in flight.

“I will be back soon!”

I unravel Lo’s note:

Ella!

All I want to do is scold you for getting caught by the princes!

But I won’t; I am just too worried about you, my friend.

I am going to see if I can try to get into the castle somehow.

I already miss you desperately. Not sure if Petra will even be able to get this to you, especially if you are in a dreary dungeon.

After all that you have been through with your stepfamily…

you do not belong in a dang dungeon! I will try to find a way to break you out!

Be safe. Love you.

-E

Tears run down my face at my best friend’s statement. My girl Lo isn’t the bravest; she likes to err on the side of caution and rules. Yet here she is, already trying to figure out how to rescue me. Who needs a man when you have a best friend like Lo?

Maybe I can ally with Margie, the head cook.

If she has a spare key, maybe she will let me out.

Even if I can’t exactly escape the castle, I could help her with the kitchen.

Especially if I could bake. It’s a castle, so they must have a wide variety of baking supplies and ingredients. A girl can dream.

Many hours pass. I read, I go through the room again, clean what I can, and nap occasionally. But a familiar restlessness is starting to creep in. When I sit outside once more, I notice an increase in different feminine voices filling the garden.

“The other ladies must be arriving. That means the princes are probably busy all day greeting them.” Jealousy rears its ugly head. They are not mine.

“We can go scope the competition, Arabelly?”

I snort. “Oh, boys, there is no competition for the princes and their uptight hearts. I am not even on the roster.”

“We aren’t so sure, Arabelly. We see the way they look at you. It may differ from us mice, but they look at you like that young accountant looked at you.”

Derek. We had a few quick hookups, and he wanted to court me with proper intentions, aiming to make me his wife.

But I felt nothing for him. I will not be a wife and subject myself to unsatisfactory sex and confusing male emotions for life.

They can be so… emotional. He was quite a nice man, though, last I heard, he had a fiancée. Good for him.

It’s late at night before I hear any footsteps in the hallway. No dinner came by for me earlier, so I imagine they are coming from a late night of dinners and courting conversations.

A part of me hopes they come to visit.

But they don’t.