Of Blood and Roses

Chapter 14

The play that evening was much better than the last. It was another comedy, but this one featured no Rose Queens or Garnetti Kings.

The story was about a Prince cursed with a rather large nose, and a Kingdom that convinced him only very large noses were beautiful. Pierre remained by my side throughout the entire thing, laughing with me. We drank glass after glass of wine as the actor paraded about the stage with a comically large nose, trying to convince everyone to look past the small nose of his betrothed, who he had fallen in love with despite her "flaws."

Several courtiers joined us again that evening,  and I struggled again to keep track of their names. Everyone flocked to me after the play. They prodded my hair, and brushed their hands over my silks.

"I absolutely love your hair, do you use any powders or dyes to give it such a vibrant color?" said one.

"This dress is divine, I think I might prefer Roserian fashions!" exclaimed another.

Everyone blurred together, and I found myself smiling and laughing with them, letting the ladies run their fingers through my hair to prove it was real. In a few days, I had already earned myself more friends than I ever had back in Verenice. It was exhilarating. Perhaps, I should have gone to Elliotte's parties more back home. To think, I had been missing out on this all this time. I had hoped if I behaved properly, devoting myself to my purpose, Mother might see how good I was being. Mother might be proud. Yet, for all my efforts, I doubted Mother had even noticed.

And all I had done was withhold pleasure for myself.

"Oh, Angel's Above," I exclaimed sometime later. "Only they could gift us with such wine!"

I had grown rather fond of wine. "Angels?" said one courtier. He wore rings studded with Jade, a stone I knew was found near the coastline separating Garnette and Perle. "Why, it is obviously fairies."

"Fairies!" I laughed outright. "There is no such thing as fairies."

The courtier looked slightly put off, and I could tell he was struggling to speak his mind, his gaze darting over to Pierre who was silently observing our conversation.

I leaned forward, finding myself boldly clasping the courtier's hands. He looked at me in surprise. He was handsome, with thick naturally dark hair and the angular eyes of northern Perle.

"You may speak freely with me, sorry if I have offended you. Please, tell me about your fairies. I know nothing of them."

The courtier smiled back at me, obviously pleased by my interest. "Well, fairies once walked the land among us, long before wars or Rose Queens. Now they live somewhere far away, watching over us. I think sometimes they still intervene, playing with our fates."

I tilted my head at him. His stories of the fairies were quite similar to how we regarded Angels in Rosailles. Was it possible that his fairies were the same as my Angels?

"Fascinating," said Pierre leaning forward. He wrapped an arm around my waist placing his chin on my shoulder. I stiffened in alarm, the courtier in front of me shifting uncomfortably. "Now leave us."

The courtier stood rather abruptly, seemingly eager to leave the room. I frowned after him as he left.

"But he was talking about fairies..."

"Now, now love. It is well past midnight, you can harass the poor man about his fairy tales some other time." Pierre said, pressing himself to my back. He tightened his arm. "Perhaps you would like to spend some time alone?" His voice was low, seductive.

Alarm bells blared through my wine-addled mind. I stood abruptly, and Pierre released me, gazing up to meet my eyes as he leaned back on the couch, a mischievous smile playing along his lips. They still held traces of his red paint, though most of it had been washed away by the wine and champagne and spirits.