Gigi woke the next morning to a crack of lightning and the patter of rain on the window pane. The storm had come overnight and washed the world in gray. She snuggled deeper into her blankets. A quiet smile slid across her face as a giddy feeling bubbled in her stomach. Curling her fingers around the blanket, she remembered Raif's voice, the rhythm of his voice.
Though she knew no one could see her, Gigi hid her face in her pillow, trying to suppress the grin that overtook her. Every time she tried to think of something else Raif's smile would pop into her head. His gray eyes would consume her thoughts. Even the thought of his laugh would jolt her heart. Eventually, she gave up trying to push it away and let him take hold of her mind.
The rain blustered on, but Gigi could only hear Raif's voice. The way his rich cadence moved around words. She heard the distant sound of footsteps in the hallways, as the palace woke up. She didn't move, hugging the edge of her pillow and staring at nothing. The door to her room opened and Margo walked in. She moved to the curtains and pulled them open.
Beyond the windows, the world look vastly different than it ever had. The bright colors of the grounds were subdued and the crystal blue sky was hidden behind thick dark clouds. To Gigi, it made no difference, for the gray only made her think of Raif's eyes.
Margo turned and looked surprised when she saw Gigi wasn't asleep.
"Morning, Lady," she said. "I did not expect to find you awake."
Gigi smiled for the mere fact that she couldn't seem to stop smiling.
"The lightning must have woken me up."
"I'll ring for breakfast then."
Margo left Gigi to slowly pull herself out of the comfort of the blankets. She gave a long stretch, watching as raindrops splattered the window. Grabbing her robe, she slid off the bed and moved to the window. She pulled her arms through the silken material and stared out on the world. The sky looked like an ocean in tempest. Clouds rolled and collided with each other, sending shocks of blue lighting coursing through them.
For a moment, Raif retreated from her mind. The uneven patter took her back to days spent beneath the cozy canvas tent. The warmth from candles and the presence of her parents kept the cold at bay. Their soft murmurs always accompanied the beating rain. The day was spent reading as the candle's shadow danced on the wall.
Gigi hugged the robe about her, suddenly feeling chilled in the huge, open room. The sound of running water stirred her from her memories. Margo walked out of the bathroom.
"How was the ball last night, Lady?" she asked.
That one question was all it took to wash away Gigi's memories and bring a wide grin to her face.
"It was pleasant," she said working to keep her voice even.
She remained looking out on the grounds, trying to rein in the smile that would immediately give her away. It was a struggle Gigi kept losing. Eventually, she contained it and turned to look at Margo. The maid's expression was open with a hint of expectancy, but Gigi found that she wanted to hold close this one small moment.
"I danced with the Prince," she said, knowing that was a topic she could hide her smile beneath. Margo's face lit up.
"This is the second time you have, Lady. What was it like?"
Through getting ready and breakfast, Gigi recounted the night's events, leaving out Raif. Margo was an avid listener and Gigi found room to let her smile loose.
By the time her dishes were empty and cleared, the storm had calmed. A more gentle rain fell over the palace, the pitter-pat of the drops soothing. Gigi looked to the window, feeling a pull to curl up and read. Her gaze shifted to her nightstand and the stacks of books that lay there. They were all ones Davin had handed to her, suggesting they were worth the time. She stood and moved over, reading the titles. When she saw a title she knew, she snatched it, holding it to her chest.
"What will you do today, Lady" Margo asked.
Gigi smiled, the sight distant and whimsical. "I am going to hide away from suitors and read."
Margo let out a tinkling laugh. "You must be the only lady of the Court that would say that."
"Yes, but we both know that I am nothing like these ladies."
"Indeed not, but a lady all the same."
Grinning, Gigi opened the door and peered out, making sure the hallway was clear. When certain no suitor would jump out of the shadows and take command of her arm, she slipped out. She moved away from the center of the palace, winding through hallways and upstairs until she was positive she was lost.
Down one of the corridors, she found a secluded alcove with a ledge wide enough to sit on. She sat, her back pressed against the wall and her feet resting on the edge. Thick velvet curtains hung on either side, concealing part of her.
Before her, the palace grounds and the city stretched out. Sheets of rain fell in waves over the city. From this distance, she could barely make out the tiny figures as they ran from one protected building to the next. Her thoughts drifted and took her again to the night before. She sat in the vivid memory, playing it over and over. When the smile on her face threatened to break her cheeks, she forced herself to open the book.
The words took hold of her. As she read she could almost picture her parents lying on their bed together, whispering to each other. Almost feel the heat from the candle. See the light swaying on the canvas. She absorbed the feeling of the memories as much as she did the writing before her.
The thing that broke her little world was the sound of a voice and two sets of footsteps.
"...tell them I will meet them at the usual tavern by the docks," a deep familiar voice said. "We will discuss the matter then as well as any other..."
The voice trailed off and the footsteps paused. Gigi glanced over and found Thayer looking at her. His steward Jayis was beside him, scribbling down notes. Gigi felt an embarrassed blush rush up her cheeks.
"Hello," Thayer said, his tone caught between amusement and surprise. "I do not believe I have ever seen someone sit on that ledge before."
Gigi brought her feet down. "I am sorry, your highness, I did not think-"
Thayer stepped forward, raising one hand, halting her. "Do not move. I was merely saying that it was surprising to find you there, but you have done nothing wrong. Stay there as long as you wish."
Gigi smiled but didn't return her feet to the ledge. A moment of silence passed between them. Thayer's gaze dropped to the book in her hand.
"What are you reading?" he asked.
Gigi relaxed with the topic.
"It is Tolston's Calling," she said. "It is one of my mother's favorites and I have read it twice. His portrayal of human thought is riveting and truer than I have read in other books."
Thayer's gaze took on a curious look.
"It seems I have been missing out," he said.
"I can have it sent to your room when I am finished."
He bowed his head. "I would greatly appreciate that."
Jayis cleared his throat and Thayer took a step back.
"Enjoy the rest of your day, Lady Genevieve." He gave her spark of a smile. "And that ledge."
"Thank you, your highness."
He had barely taken a few steps away before he started talking to Jayis, his tone direct. They turned down a corridor and his voice grew distant. Gigi curled her legs back up, shifting her dress so it covered her shoes. She reopened the book and had just found her spot when a new set of voices caught her attention. This time it was a feminine tone and faint as if coming from the opposite end of the hallway.
"...with him last night," a soprano voice said. Her tone was low and conspiratorial. "I saw them leave the ballroom after just one dance."
"Do you think," another voice said, this one a bit softer but still matching her companion in volume. "That she knows these men only seek her attention because of her grandparents and the Estate?"
Without knowing why, Gigi was frozen, her ears straining while her body was stone.
"From the interactions I have had with her, I do not think she does."
"I think the same, though it shocks me that anyone could be so oblivious."
The voices were clearer and Gigi felt her lungs stop working.
"I will say this for Lady Genevieve, she is not letting any of those suitors get away."
Gigi felt like she had been punched. All the air escaped her lungs and she couldn't move.
"I would do the same if I were in her shoes."
The voices shifted as the two girls turned down the same corridor Thayer had taken.
"Did I tell you I saw Duke DeVoe the other night with Baronet Celeste."
"When?!"
The voices trailed off, leaving behind a stunned Gigi. She sat there unable to do anything but stare at the window. Her mind was a storm of confusion, trying to make sense of the conversation and the meaning behind the words. What did her grandparents have to do with anything? What did they mean by estate? Her thoughts ran themselves ragged, getting more and more disoriented by the minute.
When she felt herself going in circles, she stood. But still, she felt at a loss of what to do. Her grandmother seemed like an option but there was a barrier that kept her from moving in that direction. She gripped the book, wanting answers to questions she hadn't even been aware she should be asking.
She turned away from the alcove, knowing she needed to move. The smile she hadn't been able to wipe away was nowhere in sight. As she wandered her brain scrambled to make sense of something she didn't understand. Of words that hadn't had any meaning until they were connected with her name. The rain battered the windows relentlessly, the feeling in accord with Gigi's thoughts.
Eventually, she found herself before the library doors. Staring at the intricate carvings she returned to herself. She blinked, trying to shove her bafflement away. A thought struck her and she pushed through the doors, knowing why her feet had led her there.
Davin was lounging in one of the chairs, his feet propped on the table, ankles crossed. He was reading and seemed unaware of Gigi's entrance.
"Is it true?" she blurted out, unable to form a straight thought.
Davin didn't look up from his book.
"A lot of things are true, Genevieve," he said, his tone dull, "to which of these things are you referring?"
"The one about the noblemen of the Court seeking my attention because of my grandparents and the Estate."
Davin looked up, his expression barely changing.
"I thought you knew," he said.
She blinked, dumbfounded. "How could I possibly know that?"
He snapped the book shut and tossed it on the table. "Because it is common knowledge that you will inherit your grandparents' Estate. Any man who was to marry you would be in command of it."
"I have no intention of marrying," she said.
Davin shrugged and laced his fingers. "That will not stop them from coveting your grandparents' Estate."
"But it is my grandparents' Estate, not mine."
"But on their passing, it will be yours. You are their only heir."
Gigi was stunned into silence. She could not refute his words, he did not know her true parentage and that she had spent her whole life barefoot and among vagabonds. Seeing her shock, Davin frowned.
"Surely, he said, "you understand this? Your grandparents sought you out for that reason. It's the only reason no one in the Court knew of you until the passing of your father, Lord Alton."
Gigi found her thoughts tangling, trying to sort through what was truth and what was a lie that had been told to cover up the real truth. Frown deepening, Davin slid his feet off the table and stood.
"Genevieve?" he said, his tone cautious.
Through all her confusion one thought seemed to be the clearest.
"All the attention I have received is because of this?" she said, one vivid memory cutting through everything else. She looked at Davin, wanting to see the truth in his eyes as well as hear it.
"There may be some you might find to be true affection from but to most, it's your inheritance that holds the biggest sway."
Gigi nodded, humiliation flooding her cheeks. When Davin took a step forward, Gigi moved back.
"Thank you for your honesty, I must go."
She turned and left. There was only one person she could think of seeing next.
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A storms a bewin'!
Great seas! We all saw it coming but poor Gigi is as clueless as Link!
It's hard to imagine someone could be so innocent to the world, but I guess that's what happens when you grow up with the vagabonds, you're not wise to the cruelty of the world.
Who do you think she's going to see?
Now that that's settled we must discuss something serious. It was a mixed bag as to the casting of Thayer and Raif last chapter, but I believe one of the general thoughts was that Theo James should remain as Thayer. I think it's fitting, he's hot and has the look of a prince.
So with that set it now means we must strive to discover who fits Raif!
If you think is should be Ben Barnes (the other hot guy in the previous chapter) let me know.
And I know that finding who fits Raif might take awhile, I might have to post countless pictures of attractive guys but *slams fist on to table* gosh dang it I'm determined to do this! I don't care how many hours I have to slave over searching for hot guys we will do this! WE WILL PREVAIL!
Haha I got so carried away I forgot to mention to vote, comment, follow and whatnot!