Aurelie established a schedule of sorts in the mornings. First, she lay in bed and attempted to remember her dreams, a lost causeâsince vivid dreams only came with a journey to the Dream Realmâbut she tried nonetheless. And then she sat on her bed and said, 'No," to Cassandra over and over again as she attempted to sneak over-the-top dresses onto Aurelie's bed.
"You have such a nice and lean body," she said. "And that won't hold for long." Cassandra gave her a knowing look and put her hand over her mouth while she spoke, "I can see that stomach already."
"Would you mind saying it louder?" Aurelie whispered back. "I don't think everyone heard you."
She heard giggles rise from inside the cupboard and raised her own knowing brow Cassandra's way.
"So we're dressing for a funeral or a walk with the pigs today?" Casandra said with the corners over her lips dramatically pointing down. "Or perhaps a day in the cathedral with the faith workers? Black, grey or pale red?"
Aurelie smiled and rubbed at her eyes, shaking her head ever so slightly. "Alright," she pointed her finger at Cassandra, "if I allow you to pick whatever you wantâ"
"Whatever I want?"
"Yes." Aurelie nodded. "But only for today. Will you leave me to my taste?"
Cassandra narrowed her eyes in thought and nibbled at the loose skin of her bottom lip. "If... you let me take part in the making of your ball gown."
Aurelie brows sagged. "There better not be any colors from the rainbow in there."
"Sure," she said. "Girl, bring the yellow dress."
"The yellow one?" Aurelie asked between clenched teeth.
"You said whatever I want. That dress is gathering dust."
"That's because it's hideous."
"Nonsense."
"Please," Aurelie rubbed her hand over her face, picturing running into anyone dressed as a sunflower, "don't make me look ridiculous."
"Dressing for young Michael perhaps?"
Aurelie's eyes widened in response to her answer, she turned to the girl approaching with her dress and took it from her. "What do you mean?" she asked with her back facing Cassandra.
"Shoo," she told off one of the maids who had just started laughing.
"Michael's her son, Princess," the girl said, starting another fit of giggles in the cupboard.
Aurelie stood still for a moment, clutching the dress, and lost for words.
"Handsome boy, isn't he?" Cassandra's voice was gleeful, but stern. She made sure that the sternness stood out above the glee.
Cassandra walked over the cupboard, and leaned through the door, asking the girls to leave. She spoke once they all left and the door was closed behind them.
"I didn't know," Aurelie began but was stopped by Cassandra's shake of the head.
"Princess, I'm not your mother. I am, however, his and to make matters worse, I work for you and your father. I will make a small suggestion and that is that you think about this for a moment. Now, Michael can take care of himself, he is rather fond of the girls, I'm not surprised at all that he took a liking to you. Your hair has grown back a littleâthere it was the damn hair againâand you're beautiful, you really are. But that boy of yours is out there somewhere, I beg that he's alive for your sake, but if he isn't I don't want you to fill the hole he left behind with my son. It won't be fair, because you'll move on and heâwell, he's never been in love with anyone for more than one night and by God... Life will make him love you just to get back at him for dropping all those other girls."
Aurelie took off her nightgown and climbed into the skirt of her dress, pulling it up. "I've only ever and I will only ever love one man," she said as she pulled shiny, yellow straps of the dress over her shoulders. It has little white flowers, sewed in from top to bottom, and was really, truly horrible, but she wore it and didn't make a single peep about the ugliness any further.
"But you are you."
"What does that mean?" she snorted, "He's had an impression, I won't lie about that, but I assure you that it was nothing more than that"
Cassandra fastened the buttons of her dress from behind and paused once she had finished speaking to lean her head against Aurelie's back. "That boy! He can't leave a single woman be, that one."
"Well, he'll have to this time," Aurelie said. "The King didn't seem too pleased either."
"Perhaps that's because you're a pregnant princess and my son is a simple soldier who got his position only by the good grace of the King. I thought it was his brains that got him there, but clearly, he doesn't have any... And please do not insult me by telling me that you've simply gained weight."
"I won't," Aurelie said softly and ran her fingers down the crisp fabric of the dress. "I don't know why you're making such a big deal out of it. We spoke once at dinner in front of the King."
Cassandra put a hand on Aurelie's shoulder and walked around until they stood face to face. "Thank God for that," Cassandra took Aurelie's hands into her own and leaned down to kiss them, "He might be the son of a maid, and you the daughter of a King, but my Michael won't make it easy for you to say no to him."
Aurelie tried her hardest to keep a smile on her face. This was a massive overstep on Cassandra's part. Her jaw clenched. Cassandra, without intending to, was suggesting that Aurelie could forget Kirin and move on with some handsome stranger. Michael could have been a King himself and still, he would have never stood a chance with her. The problem wasn't that he had a maid for a mother but that he wasn't the bloody love of her life, Kirin was.
*****
When she crossed the corner, Michael stood on the other end talking with Nina. She didn't intend on seeing either of them today and backed away quickly before either of them could see her. Seconds later, a pair of footsteps sounded behind her. She didn't have to turn to know it was him. A musty sort of vanilla scent hit her before she had to guess. Being stealthy in a neon dress proved to be a more difficult task than she thought.
"Avoiding me, are we?" He caught up and kept her pace.
"No, not at all.
"So you just decided to run away in a separate direction once you saw me?"
Aurelie shrugged. "Actually, if you must know, I was avoiding Nina," she said, smiling brightly. His arrogance might have been charming to some, but Aurelie found it less so after her talk with Cassandra. Not to mention that she was a married woman, and she would have burnt to ashes any woman that dared even think about talking to Kirin in the same way. So no, he did not charm her, he damn well infuriated her.
Michael moved to the front of her, blocking her path. She looked up, face blank and eyes steady.
"I'm glad to see you again," he said, seeing her expression and moving out of her way. His eyes were extra bright this morning, she had to look away in order to avoid feeling incredibly guilty. "I hope I may do so more often.
Aurelie nodded and passed him without saying a word. Her pulse beat into her ears.
Damn it! He sure was handsome though.
She made her way up to Daerious' chamber, hoping that he and Shaelyn were still there, and cursing both Michael and Cassandra as she climbed the stairs and absently passed his chamber doorâtwiceâwhile thinking how much easier her life would become if her father just sent him away again. She had known him a day and had already been hiding from him around corners. As if she needed more people to hide from. The castle wasn't nearly big enough.
Two quick knocks did not rouse anyone, so Aurelie opened the door and let herself in. Daerious was still in bed, but the side next to him where Shaelyn sleptâdespite his complaintsâwas ruffled but empty. She plotted herself down onto his bed, sending a puff of air to sound out of the covers and his head to lightly shake. Still, he slept. Aurelie ran her finger along his foot, softly and watched as his eyes began to twitch. Daerious pulled his foot back and moaned.
"How many times have I asked you not to do that?" he asked, sounding annoyed.
"None," Aurelie said with a smile.
Daerious shot out of bedâ his wild, long curls flattened by sleepâand looked at her through squinted eyes. "Morning."
"I want to talk to you about something."
"Ugh," he grunted. "Sounds important, and really I'm in no state for important."
"Castle life treating you well?" Aurelie felt a small crease form between her brows.
Daerious head sunk back down into his pillow. "You have no idea. What did you want to talk about?"
"Romance."
"Aww," Daerious lifted his head and folded his lower lip over his upper, "does Aurelie need a kiss?" He pursed his lips and closed his eyes. "Come on then, I'm waiting."
Aurelie clunked her tongue. "Where are all my girlfriends when I need them?"
"You have those?"
Aurelie slapped her hand down on his stomach and saw him jerk up in response. Shaelyn walked out of Daerious' lavatory and eye the two of them with some suspicion.
"Morning," she said and hung her dress out on a chair that stood by the window. Slipping her fingers below the strap of her nightgown, she swept it off her shoulders and slid out of the dress.
Aurelie looked away and caught Daerious staring. "I'll leave you two alone," she said with a smile..
"It's no bother, Princess," Shaelyn said.
"Alright then," she said, turning back to see Shaelyn bend over slightly to reach for her dress, and looked up at the ceiling. "I intended to talk to you, Shaelynâabout your parents and what I did."
"Nonsense, Princess Aurelie," she said. "You saved my life."
"Butâ"
"No, please, let me speak." Shaelyn turned back with the dress in hand, but no apparent intention of putting it on. "I know why you did what you did. You saved my life, and I couldn't be more grateful for it. I was bitter, mad and I hated you for it, but now I feel that I am coming to terms with my grief and I see you clearly."
Aurelie wasn't sure how to take the last part of her statement; it seemed both sincere and sinister. The latter could just be because it came from a girl who had spent the majority of the time they knew each other looking at her with a desperate need to jump up at any second and punch her in the face.
"I don't expect us to be friends," Shaelyn added. "But I would like to be on speaking terms with you since we live in your home now and your friends have become mine and," she smiled at DaeriousâAurelie just wished she'd put her damn clothes onâand turned back to Aurelie, "so much more."
"I feel exactly the same way, Shaelyn," Aurelie said."I hope the two of us can begin again."