Erivale: The Lost Princess

Chapter 8: Part 1

I hardly slept that night. Gerard offered to stay with me for my protection, but I urged him to sleep in his own room. Whoever had come was clearly gone, and the guard detail was right outside my door if I needed anything.

My mind swirled with theories of why the note was left in my room and who could have left it. Guinevere threatened me just the day before, so maybe it was someone trying to warn me against a plot she had against me? That seemed like the most logical explanation, but the same suspicion associated with the palace and the people were lingering. It felt too easy to chalk it down to Guinevere, but what if the danger wasn't from Guinevere and was something else entirely that I didn't even know yet?

As I glanced at the sleeping form of Fenrir I couldn't help but wonder if the note could have been left by Ulric. He did leave me with Fenrir after all. But how could he have possibly left the note if he was no longer at the palace? There were far too many questions swirling through my head. I needed to try to forget most of them because today was a very big day; it was my homecoming ball.

My morning routine began a little differently than usual. Leda arrived with Gerard, who informed me I would have a private breakfast with the king, queen, and Guinevere. The small aching in my heart from feeling forgotten by my parents quickly dissipated. I was excited to be able to spend more time with them. Guinevere, not so much.

Leda quickly got me ready and took extra care to cover the tired circles under my eyes. Poor sleep the last few nights had me looking a little worse for wear.

"Why am I eating with the royal family as opposed to my room today?" I questioned.

"Your entire schedule will be adjusted today to prepare for the ball," Gerard informed me. "You will have another dance lesson for a few hours after breakfast."

I groaned in annoyance, and Leda laughed at me, "Come now, Amberleigh, dancing isn't that bad. Quite freeing actually. It reminds me of my time in the water."

"Not when you're terrible at it and manage to step on everyone's feet."

Leda laughed again. "That will surely be a sight to see tonight."

When Leda was finished making me presentable, I was hurried off to the same dining room I had been in my first night here. It was much brighter with the morning sunshine illuminating the space. The table was laden with mostly unfamiliar food. About the only things I recognized were the small, round orange fruits that I had eaten on my journey, and the bread biscuits I was usually served for breakfast. I was welcomed with a gentle hug from Luciana as I sat next to her.

"Are you ready for the ball tonight?" Heinrich asked me.

"I sure hope so. I feel confident enough in my etiquette lessons, but dancing is another matter."

Heinrich chuckled, "Just like your mother, two left feet."

Luciana sent him a sharp glare. "Speak for yourself."

A smile graced all of our lips, and I relished in the happy family banter. This is what I had always dreamed of when I thought of my birth parents.

Guinevere entered and eyed the seating situation. It was clear that I was sitting where she usually sat, before taking the chair across from us.

"Are you excited about the ball?" Luciana asked her.

"Oh yes, you know how much I love meeting the people."

"Lovely, I'll be so excited to see you two all dolled up together for tonight." Luciana looked happily between us.

Guinevere eyed me with a smug expression, likely at the memory of her destroying my dress. Little did she know of the masterpiece Jae had created for me.