Page 9 of The Ostler's Boy

M y hands trembled with a velocity I could not control. I’d barely made it into my bedchamber and to the washing pan before I puked. Miss Jocelyn hurried across the room after me, and she helped to hold back the loosening parts of my braid to keep them from the bowl.

“I’m quite fine,” I told her, wiping the corner of my mouth with a cloth.

“You don’t look fine,” she said. “What’s happened? Are you ill?”

“I…” I tried to catch my breath, sitting on the seat before my mattress. “I’m alright. I am.”

She looked at me suspiciously but had no time to press the matter as the Prince entered through the door next. He promptly realized what he had done, then turned back, found himself in the corridor again, and made an effort to knock at the frame as if he hadn’t trespassed at all.

“May I come in?” he asked, worry painted to his face.

“If you must,” I said.

“My love ,” he cried, looming into a crouch and collecting my hands with both his. “I cannot express my apologies enough. I-”

“You completely abandoned me in front of your father? Yes. I recall,” I snipped. “I was there.”

Josie busied herself at the mirror.

“Yes.” He took a deeper breath and inched closer to the settee. “That is my weakness,” he confessed.

“What is?” I asked.

He swallowed hard. “My father. I struggle to defy his ideals of tradition, especially in the presence of him or the council….But just because I do not speak against them does not mean I agree with them.”

I straightened. “A few men burn a few horses and say leave the woman queen, and you cannot defend her? Your wife? Our marriage?”

“I did not know what to say,” he said.

“I cannot decide if you’re misogynist–”

“No!” he cried.

“Or if your prejudice lies with my heritage instead?”

“I assure you, no.”

“Do I not disgust you? Your outsider wife?” I asked.

“Of course not,” he said. “You do not disgust me. I’ve told you many times that you are beautiful.”

“I’m so glad my face pleases you, but obviously, it is not enough to merit protection from your–”

“You’re absolutely right,” Sam pressed. “I was wrong. So wrong. I will humble myself for it.”

I sat a little taller. Josie pretended to fiddle with something near the desk, but she did arch a brow my way.

“I have hardly the time for games, Your Highness,” I said. “I think I should return home.”

“Please don’t,” he said. “Not before the ball. How bad that would look?”

I closed my mouth, glaring down at him. “Is that all you care about? Appearances?” I asked.

“It’s not,” he said. “But they are important; you cannot disagree.”

Reluctantly, I nodded.

“I am sorry,” he said. “I absolutely should have said more in your defense.”

“Yes,” I added.

“I will do better by you,” he promised. “I will.”

I pulled myself free of his grip. “You said we would use our histories to define a better future.”

He paused. “Yes, I think I said that.”

“You think?” I asked. “You did. To me.”

“I trust you,” he said.

“Well, I–I want to trust you, but how am I expected to react when you… You make me feel so foolish? You make me look so foolish?”

Elías arrived at the door, first upset and ready to pounce on poor Sameer, but then he saw Miss Jocelyn and relaxed, opting to lean against the wall and watch. I felt sorry for the Prince.

“You left me to fend for myself,” I said.

“If you’d have it, I’ll march back into the hall and express my immense disapproval,” Sam said.

“It was more than just your father. There were strangers there. Mr. Adeline. Yosif. A citizen.”

“I’ll haul everyone back in. I don’t care. I’ll gather them all, and I will tell them, all of them, that I agree, you are my Queen, nay, my partner , and I support you, in spite of anyone who does not. And that’ll be that, Svana.”

“You’d do that?” I asked.

“Yes. And further, I will send riders out to the bandits to inform them of my will and of my intentions to still marry you and maintain the Treaty’s cost.”

I felt the temper slide from my face. “That might be a bit dramatic,” I muttered.

He dared a laugh. “I will do it if you ask.”

“You don’t have to do that,” I decided. “I forgive you.”

“You do?” he asked. Sam stood excitedly. “Truly?”

“Yes, as long as you actually mean what you’re saying now. That we are partners.”

“Yes. Of course. Husband and wife, not then.”

“Not then?” I asked.

He trilled his lips. “It’s a saying here. Husband, then wife,” he explained.

I frowned.

“I don’t agree with it,” he added. “That’s why I said and not then.”

Elías offered a lazy shrug; I eased.

“Alright,” I said.

“And you will stay?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” I said.

“Please?” he asked. “I’ve already told my friends you will be there tonight.”

I thought of Lord Evergreen, but I didn’t know why.

“And they wish for me to stay as well? Or are they, too, offended by–”

“They wish for you to stay,” he said. “They know it’s what I want. My friends support me.”

There was a silence.

“Please, beautiful Svana, I do not wish for our evening or our marriage to be blundered by burning horses or by the differences in our cultures. Deliver me a second chance. Allow me to prove my devotion, starting with tonight.”

I nodded.

“Yes?” Sam checked.

I nodded again. “Yes,” I said. “You seem sincere.”

“God be good, thank you,” he said. He clapped his hands together and shook them at me. “We will have such a lovely evening, my love.”

Ser Elías stepped closer; he craned toward me and asked, “Are you alright?”

“Yes, Ser,” I said, standing. “I was just bothered by the meat.”

“The meat?” Sam asked.

I danced on my shoulders indifferently. “Yes, sir. The horse. Meat bothers me. Especially when it’s been…cooked, I guess.”

“You eat raw meat?” he asked.

“What? No. I’m a vegetarian,” I said.

“You’re a vegetarian?” Sam nodded diligently. “I didn’t know. I’ll inform the staff of that immediately.”

“No. There’s no need to make adjustments. I-”

“No,” he pressed. “No, Svana. My princess will feel at home in my home, and that’s the end of that. Now, excuse me. I’ll see to it right now.”

“Wait–”

With a noble half-bow to myself and the other two, he exited the room in a flurry. I gawked. Josie stifled a girlish laugh, and Elías scowled at both of us.

“You are so cruel,” she teased. “The poor man was actually on his knees, miss.”

“He was what?” Elías huffed.

“She meant when he was apologizing,” I told him. “God, Elías. For a knight, your mind travels to the seediest of realms.”

“I was young once,” he said. “And as it is, my mind must, if I am to protect you from all the horrors of the world or the greedy hands of princes on their knees.”

After a second, I laughed. “I’m not sure I understand the image, Ser,” I said.

“Good,” he replied.

Confused but wildly impressed, I twirled around in place, letting my skirt whisk around my body once in one direction and twice in the other. In a daze, I walked to the mirror and sat down to fuss with my hair.

“How long before I can start getting dressed, do you think?” I asked.

Josie joined me, plucking one of the tiny flowers from my vase and holding it to my braid. She said, “We can dress you as soon as you should like, but that may mean waiting in all that fabric for a while. There are a few hours yet.”

I caught my knight’s reflection as he paced a few feet.

“Will you be in attendance tonight, Elías?” I asked.

He sighed. “I am in attendance to everything you are, am I not?”

“I suppose. Do you follow my father around the same when he is here?”

“Yes,” he said.

“Oh.” I nodded. “Does my father dance?” I asked.

“No.”

I replayed Sameer’s apology in my head, dreaming of his eyes. “...Do you?”

“Do I dance?” he asked.

“...What?” I stumbled out of the thought.

“You asked me if I danced,” Elías said.

“Oh!” I shook my head. “I’m sorry. How silly.”

“Are you sure you’re alright?” he asked.

“Yes,” I said, smiling proudly. “I’m all right. Thank you. I was upset, but now I’m just so very excited about the ball.”

“As all girls are before their dances, Ser,” Josie beamed.

“This is actually my first,” I told her.

She seemed confused, but Elías explained.

“Svana never had a season.”