Happily Ever Afters Read online

  Chapter 3 - Sarah

  It was no surprise to see Evelyn in the gold sitting room, still in her guard’s outfit and closely shadowing Ava. She was taking her new role very seriously.

  “Really, Eve!” I put my hands on my hips. “Ava already told you to take the day off. I’ve been waiting and waiting for you in my room. We were supposed to try our dresses on so the seamstresses could make any last minute adjustments.”

  “I was just giving you a longer opportunity to admire yourself in your dress,” said Evelyn dryly. She knew me far too well.

  “I was merely following instructions.” I raised my nose into the air. “Something of which you seem incapable.”

  “Well, I’m here now.” Evelyn sighed. “Let’s see them.”

  I had wrapped the dresses in a long length of plain, undyed cotton so I carefully laid them down on a handy sofa and unveiled them. I couldn’t help a sigh of admiration as they were revealed.

  “Pink!” Evelyn sighed again. “I should have known.”

  “Sorry,” said Ava, speaking up for the first time. “Apparently my mother’s attendants wore pink, and the head seamstress thought it would be a nice way to honour my parents.”

  A brief shadow passed across her face, and I felt a moment of guilt. Today was supposed to be about Ava, not about me. I determined to put the rest of my efforts into cheering her up.

  “It’s a beautiful thing to do, and they’re beautiful dresses,” I said. “And for all she protests, Evelyn will look stunning in it.”

  I looked at my cousin a little wistfully. With her long legs, she managed to make anything look elegant. I often felt she’d gotten a better deal out of our shared genes than I had. And she didn’t even appreciate it!

  “But none of us will hold a candle to you, Ava,” I said, forcing myself back on track. “Have you seen your dress yet?”

  Most of the head seamstress’ efforts had been focussed on the joint wedding and coronation dress that Ava would wear. And somehow, despite the limited time she had surpassed herself.

  “I haven’t, actually.” Ava looked rueful. “There have been far too many other details taking my attention. It’s going to be brought around as soon as we’re finished eating. I wonder where the others are.”

  Even as she was saying the words, the door opened to reveal three slightly nervous looking girls. Two looked to be about my own age, but the third couldn’t have been more than fifteen. They were followed by Clarisse. The older princess looked calm and mature next to the others, and I was once again glad that she had decided to stay in Rangmere to support Ava. With her husband, Prince Konrad, dead, she had been offered the option of returning to her home kingdom of Lanover.

  Ava greeted the new arrivals enthusiastically and was about to introduce us all when the door opened again. We were overwhelmed by a wave of servants bearing a lavish lunch.

  “Goodness!” Ava gazed around in astonishment. “However did the cook manage all this? I would have thought the kitchens busy enough preparing the feast for tonight.”

  “Don’t you worry, Your Majesty,” said the housekeeper. “There will be plenty of food tonight. The castle won’t let you down.”

  We all rushed to load up our plates. We were under stern instructions to eat well since the master of ceremonies didn’t want any of the attendants fainting during the ceremony.

  The food made the introductions less awkward, and soon the noble girls appeared more at ease. I could hardly blame them for being intimidated by Ava. In fact, the Rangmeran court in general seemed a rather dour and intimidating place. One of the many altruistic reasons I was sticking around. Clearly the court needed me.

  “The youngest is Adelmar’s daughter, Annabelle,” said Evelyn into my ear.

  I looked her over curiously. So that was Miles’ sister. There wasn’t much of a family resemblance.

  “I would have expected her to be a little more…poised,” I whispered back, thinking of Lord Adelmar’s subtle composure.

  “Not all parents attempt to fashion their children in their own image, apparently.” Her eyes flicked to Ava as she spoke. The new queen had escaped her father’s plans for her but only just.

  “Perhaps she’s naturally shy.”

  “Perhaps.”

  The head seamstress arrived before the food had been cleared away, but she refused to unwrap Ava’s dress until the servants had returned and removed every remaining scrap of food. Evelyn was clearly impatient with the delay, but I applauded the caution.

  When she finally unveiled the gown there was a collective sigh from the assembled women. My eyes flew to Ava. She was staring at the creation with wide eyes. I smiled. Ava might be tough, but some things were universal. Every girl wanted to look incredible on her wedding day.

  After a communal pause, we all rushed forward to help the queen into her gown. The head seamstress held up her hands to stop us.

  “I only need one assistant. We mustn’t crowd the dress.” She gestured towards me.

  I glowed with pride to be the trusted attendant.

  Within minutes, we had Ava in the dress. Her hair had already been piled up on her head in gentle curls, so I stepped back to admire the effect.

  There was another moment of silence that was broken by Mathilde.

  “Oh, Ava!” She began to cry.

  Evelyn rolled her eyes, but two of the other girls joined in. I settled for a satisfied smile.

  The gown looked even more lovely than I had imagined. Made of ivory silk and decorated with lace, embroidery and tiny glints that came from real diamonds, it hugged her torso before blossoming into the fullest of full skirts. It had cap sleeves and a soft sweetheart neckline and the longest train I had ever seen. The overall effect was elegant, somehow both understated and magnificent. Ava looked every inch the queen.

  The head seamstress produced a deep purple sash, edged with gold, and showed Ava how to put it on over the dress. She would add the sash for the coronation, scheduled to take place immediately after the wedding ceremony.

  Before I knew it, we were being bustled into our own dresses. I was satisfied to see that Evelyn looked as gorgeous – and as unhappy about it – as I knew she would. Evelyn had always preferred looking deadly to beautiful. I shook my head. She underestimated just how effective beauty could be. It was a side effect of trying to succeed in a male dominated field. Sometimes I felt sorry for her, but strangely enough, she liked her life.

  It seemed like only minutes later that we were all gathered in the corridor outside the great hall. The hall was full to bursting with people, members of the court in the front of the room and as many commoners as could fit in the back. The orchestra struck up, and everyone in the room rose to their feet, those on the aisle craning their necks to see Ava.

  She looked calm and more at peace than I’d ever seen her. She stepped forward, walking alone, her eyes fixed on Hans, standing at the far end of the room. He was a long way away, but the joy and wonder on his face were still obvious. I smiled in satisfaction. Even Hans, who had been Ava’s shadow for years, looked stunned by her appearance. That meant we’d done our job well.

  As the only royal attendant, Princess Clarisse walked immediately behind Ava, carrying the end of her train. The rest of us entered behind them, walking in pairs. We’d been arranged by height order, so I took my place at the front with Lord Adelmar’s daughter while Evelyn followed at the back.

  The combined weight of so many eyes felt a little overwhelming, and I clutched my flowers tightly. I carefully held the happy smile on my face, though. Once again I represented my people, the travelling merchants.

  As we neared the front of the room, I spotted Miles out of the corner of my eye. He was positioned in the second row from the front, next to his father, and smiling at his little sister. I was careful to keep my eyes forward, but I still saw the moment when his gaze moved to me. My peripheral vision is excellent.

  His expression changed from friendly encouragement to something I couldn’
t quite place. There was definitely shock, however. I wasn’t sure if he had been unaware I was an attendant or was just surprised to see how well I cleaned up. There was enough admiration in his look for it not to matter much either way.

  One of the noble girls who’d been with him earlier in the day sat on his other side. She tugged at his arm to claim his attention. I quickly transferred my own focus back to Ava and Hans but couldn’t help wondering if Miles and the girl were betrothed. It was common practice amongst the nobles, after all.

  After the ceremony, the attendants took seats reserved for us in the front row so we could watch the coronation. I wondered how it looked to the people at the back of the room. Could they see how seriously Ava was taking her responsibilities? Could they see how much in love the newlyweds were? From the crowd’s tumultuous applause, it seemed like they could.

  For myself, I sternly controlled my impulse to glance over my shoulder and see if Miles was looking at me. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction, just in case he was.

  When all the formalities were complete, the commoners began to stream from the back of the hall, heading towards the celebration set up for them in the castle courtyard. The nobles, however, were all eager to express their congratulations and assure the new monarchs of their loyalty.

  Mathilde had disappeared, no doubt in search of Aldric, so I grabbed Evelyn’s arm and indicated with my head that we should make our way through the press of people and out of the room.

  She looked reluctant, but I rolled my eyes at her and leaned forward to yell above the noise.

  “You’re off duty today, remember? And there are plenty of guards here keeping watch over the queen. Stop worrying and enjoy yourself!”

  She shrugged and nodded her agreement. Together we struggled to our feet and began to make our way through the crowd. I was so hemmed in that it was all I could do to keep sight of Evelyn, and I was afraid that someone was going to step on my dress and tear it. I was just skirting around a particularly large gentleman when I felt a tug at the back of my head.

  I whirled around, but whoever had touched me was gone, swallowed by the throng of people. I patted my hair, checking that it was all still in place and realised that one of the pale pink roses had fallen from the arrangement. I looked down but could see barely a foot around me in any direction. I resigned myself to the knowledge that the flower had certainly been crushed by now. It was a good thing the official part of the day was over. After all, I had every intention of dancing so hard that all of my roses might be gone by the end of the night.

  The thought put a smile on my face and Evelyn’s hand appeared between two faceless members of the court and tugged me free. I breathed a sigh of relief and thanked her.

  The back of the room had been cleared by this point, so we were able to make our more leisurely way out of the room and towards the reception. I did a little skip and ignored Evelyn’s disapproving glare.

  “We did it, Eve,” I said. “We won the kingdom. Hans and Ava are married and crowned and everyone who needed to be was properly impressed. On days like this, I can’t help but think that maybe we really are as good as we think we are.”

  Evelyn laughed and shook her head at me. “I’m glad you’re sticking around, little cousin. Rangmeros wouldn’t be the same without you.”

  “Little?” I raised one eyebrow at her. “I’ll remind you that I’m actually three months older than you!”

  Evelyn just laughed again. “So, have you narrowed down which of the noblemen is going to be your victim?”

  I knew she was only joking, but I couldn’t help a small blush.

  “Oh, ho! Tell me more!”

  She looked entirely too delighted, so I resolutely shook my head.

  “What about you, Evelyn? Seen any guards that take your fancy?”

  She snorted, and not even my perceptive eye could pick out a faint flush. I figured it was probably a good thing since I’d already spotted the perfect young nobleman for her. She’d scoff at the idea of being courted by one of the nobility, so I’d have to tread carefully. I didn’t doubt my abilities though, and the young man in question seemed perfect.

  “Alright, that’s enough of that,” said Evelyn, bringing me back to reality. “I want no part of whatever you’re scheming. And don’t look all innocent at me. I know you too well. What we need is some good food and maybe a dance or two to get your mind off it.”

  “Perfect,” I said, surprised to find that, despite our delicious lunch, I was ravenous again.

  The entire kingdom seemed in the mood to celebrate, and it was all too easy to be swept up in the light-hearted atmosphere. I ate as much as I could hold, knowing I would be dancing it all off before the night was over.

  And sure enough, I’d barely had time to digest my food before the musicians struck up a dance tune, and a young man appeared asking me to dance. The reception was spread throughout a number of rooms in the castle, and all the doors were thrown wide open. With the courtyard and many of the city squares also filled with revellers, it felt as if the whole city was one big celebration.

  I danced with several noblemen, a merchant and at least a couple of servants and had somehow made my way into the entry foyer of the castle before I stopped for a break. I took a drink off the tray of a passing servant before finding a shadowy spot next to the castle doors from which I could observe the revelries outside.

  I had been standing there for several minutes when someone slipped up beside me.

  “We meet again, merchant girl.”

  I stiffened and glanced back into Miles’ golden brown eyes. My breath hitched slightly. In the flickering light from the bonfire outside, he looked mysterious and alluring.

  I once again felt out of my depth.

  “I see you’ve worked out who I am,” I said, forcing my voice to stay light.

  My eyes flicked over his shoulder to where several of the noble girls from earlier were huddled together watching us. They didn’t look happy.

  Miles, however, ignored them, keeping his intense gaze on me.

  “Of course,” he said. “You’re the prettiest girl here, and I always know who the prettiest girl is.”

  There was laughter in his voice, but I wasn’t sure if it was aimed at himself or at me.

  “Dance with me?” He held out his hand.

  I ignored it.

  “And you’re Lord Adelmar’s son,” I said, trying to resist his undeniable appeal. “I don’t know if I want to get involved with Lord Adelmar’s son.”

  “No.” He moved a step closer. “Tonight I’m just Miles. I’ve heard a lot about you in the last few hours, merchant girl, and I want the chance to find out how much of it is true.”

  He reached into his breast pocket and drew out a pale pink rose. It looked familiar. He flashed me a grin and twirled it between his fingers before slipping it back into his jacket.

  I stared at him, considering.

  After a long, silent moment, I placed my hand in his, giving him my most charming smile. “Only the good bits are true, of course, but I’ll let you find that out for yourself.”

  “I look forward to it.”

  He smiled down at me and led me back into the whirling dancers.

  Chapter 4 - Evelyn

  I’ve always loved to dance. It’s such an entirely physical activity. It reminds me of the sword exercises I used to do when I was young, before I’d won enough respect to find a sparring partner. I would have preferred not to be dressed in pink, but there was no getting around a royal decree. I just hoped that the majority of the guards didn’t recognise me as Her Majesty’s new personal guard. I was going to have a hard enough time earning my place as it was.

  My first partner was a young footman, tall enough not to be intimidated by my own height. He was a beautiful dancer, but I didn’t let myself get entirely swept away. Staying alert was second nature at this point.

  Sarah was right about Ava – for tonight, at least, the queen had enough eyes on her. She didn’t n
eed me. My cousin, on the other hand, was a little too likely to lose her head at an event like this.

  To be fair to her, I trusted that she could look after herself in the social game she seemed determined to play with the younger members of the court. It was the older courtiers that concerned me. In the single day that had passed between Ava winning the crown and the coronation, I had already seen just how calculating some of them could be. I didn’t want anyone deciding that their next pawn would be the young merchant girl who was such a good friend of the queen.

  So I subtly steered my partner through the dance, keeping one eye on Sarah as she danced with one of the young noblemen. As she moved from partner to partner, I shadowed her through the rooms. When nothing untoward appeared, however, I relaxed my vigilance and began to observe the celebrations more broadly.

  The majority of people seemed genuinely delighted at the joint coronation and wedding and were throwing themselves into the festivities wholeheartedly. For this one night, the social divide had disappeared, and people danced with whomever they happened to grasp hands. I could hardly blame them after the brief but repressive rule of Ava’s brother.

  But the true state of things would only be known once the celebrations were over. And I knew firsthand how some men resented having a young woman in charge. Having Hans as king would help. He was well respected amongst the people. The captain of the guard wasn’t alone in viewing Hans as a hero. It was the nobles I worried about. To them, he was still a guard.

  I had just ended a dance with a young nobleman, and I hoped he couldn’t read any of the thoughts in my face. I smiled up at him and noticed that his focus wasn’t on me. He was eyeing a small knot of older courtiers who were half hidden in the shadows of the room. They looked far too serious for the occasion, out of place amidst the enthusiastic revellers.