The Beauty In Love And Murder

Chapter Thirty Four - Adrienne

Theodore pulls my chair out for me and I sit down quietly. I expect to see him enter my peripheral on his way to his seat across from me, but he leans down to kiss my cheek softly. I feel blood rush to my cheeks and I clench my hands in my skirt as he settles into his chair and winks at me.

We don't begin eating yet— it's customary to wait for the king to take a bite of his food before we do, but he doesn't seem to be paying attention. He has his gaze narrowed and fixated on a figure on the steps across the room.

Zena stands in a pink dress at the top of the stairway. Her hair is done up in pretty twists and decorated with flowers, and her lips are a light, glossy pink. Everyone is already here; she is late, and probably on purpose. Well, she got the attention she clearly wants. I roll my eyes in disgust. I steal a glance at Theodore and immediately regret doing so; his eyes are fixed on Zena too, and I feel an unwelcome pang of jealousy in my chest as I look away from him.

Zena advances down the stairs and sits delicately in her seat next to Theodore. She greets the queen warmly, and Her Majesty responds in kind happily. "Good evening, Verena. Thank you so much for throwing all this together just for me." The queen beams at Zena. "Of course! Anything to welcome such an important guest to the Isle, darling." Theodore's eyes darken at the deliberate exclusion of myself as a guest here sets in.

The king stands and raises his glass. "Let us begin." He says commandingly. I suppose he was tired of hearing his wife and the blonde airhead exchange empty compliments, too.

Once the king makes his command, the dining room fills with the sound of courtiers making conversation with one another. A servant steps forward from his place by the wall and removes the silver cover off of my plate and my neighbour's with a flourish. The woman sitting next to me thanks the boy at the same time as I do, and we look at each other in surprise as we speak at the same time. There's a moment of surprised silence and then we laugh. "It would appear fate had some kind of design for us," The woman says with an amused and friendly smile. She's quite pretty; she has curly brown hair that glints with hints of gold in the light and flows past her shoulders, and blue-green eyes. She wears a cream dress covered in shimmering lace, with two tasseled strings for straps. The neckline plunges behind a sheer fabric, and she wears a necklace with a single diamond pendant that lays on her chest.

I decide that maybe she and I will be friends, so I reply with much less hostility than I would have four days ago. "It would appear that way, indeed. I'm Lady Adrienne Winger, by the way." We shake hands with a laugh at our awkward introduction. "I'm Lady Avenne— Lady Sophia Avenne. But please, call me Sophia." Odd. Her name sounds familiar, but I'm sure I've never seen her before.

I reply warmly before the silence gets too long. "Of course, but only if you call me Adrienne. 'Lady' makes a name such a mouthful." I take a bite of the roast pheasant on my plate and close my eyes as I savour the taste. "Good, isn't it? I always love coming to the palace for the dinners— but only for the food, not the people." She says with a slight curl of her lip. I stifle a laugh and nod with a mouthful of wild rice. "I must confess, I already knew who you were. Everyone does." Sophia says the last part in an exaggerated whisper. "Really? They do?"

"Yes, unfortunately. Showing up here on the arm of the most desirable man in the country will do that to a girl." Sophia says seriously. I snicker in an unladylike manner. "Oh, yes. I noticed my arrival had some... negative effects on some of the courtiers. I met Lady Opal Rian last night, and I don't think she took a liking to me at all." Sophia giggles. "Yes.. She's not exactly well-liked around here. Not to her face, at least. Everybody here is quite two-faced, that's why I dislike being here. You're the only nice person I've met so far."

Lady Sophia and I chat and laugh all through dinner, and I learn much about her from our laughing banter. She lives alone in a manor not far from the palace. She's twenty-one, and she enjoys reading more than anything, which secretly interests me but I'm too shy to as her if she has any book suggestions for me. I listen intently to her and we have a lovely time talking and laughing over our food, but I can't help looking over at Theodore every so often. He's talking to Zena politely, but once or twice I catch her with her hand laid overtop of his. I grit my teeth and force myself not to say anything, but I'm not entirely sure how long I can go without making a snide remark about it to the princess' face.

At some point during the meal, Sophia points it out herself. "I'd be willing to bet that all of that hand touching action over there," She points discreetly, "Is driving you insane." I nod grimly. "If I had my way I'd—" I cut myself off before I start nonchalantly talking about murdering the princess. "You'd what?" Sophia says curiously. "I'd tell her to keep her hands to herself and not anywhere near my fiancé." I reply lamely. Sophia raises her eyebrows. "Why don't you, then?"

I look over at Zena and Theodore. Zena has gone from laying her hand on top of his to rubbing his shoulder casually as they converse, and I feel my eyes narrow the way they do when I'm about to loose an arrow or throw a knife. Theodore looks merely polite and, possibly uncomfortable.

Impulse takes over. I clear my throat loudly and the princess looks over at me with an irritated expression, staring at me expectantly. "Can I help you, Lady Winger?"

I smirk at her slowly. "I'd greatly appreciate it if you'd keep your hand off of my fiancee." Zena freezes. Her condescending expression becomes angry, but she hides it well. Wordlessly, Theodore picks up her hand and lifts it off his shoulder, placing it on the table next to Zena's plate. 

The princess flushes and stares at me with so much hatred that the tension between us is palpable. I stare back at her coolly. "Thanks so much." I say with false gratitude dripping from my words. Deliberately, I turn to Theodore, who is smiling at me unrestrainedly. He winks at me and I cover my mouth to laugh. I love you, he mouths and for a split second I forget that we're 'engaged' right now and I blush. Then I catch Zena exchanging a look with the queen, and give both women a prim smile.

Sophia grabs my hand as I turn back to her. "That was so funny, I nearly died trying to hold my breath to keep from bursting out laughing." She whispers to me. I cough, hiding a laugh as I feel Zena and the queen's eyes boring into me. "I think I may have offended them," I whisper back. "This may not bode well for me." I cover my mouth with my hand as Sophia and I convulse into laughter again.

As Sophia and I breathe heavily after our bouts of laughter, I look down the table and observe the other guests for the first time. I spot Zephyr sitting only a few spots down from Zena, and I catch his eye. He winks at me conspiratorially and I know he witnessed that entire exchange with the princess, and is definitely going to make fun of me for it later.

I sigh, and I lift my face up to feel a cold puff of air that washes over my face. Zena is still trying to coax Theodore into flirtatious conversation, and he sneaks a glance at me from the corner of his eye. The air around me warms as we maintain eye contact, and I can almost imagine him saying 'help me' mockingly.

I want to rise and ask him to leave with me, but just as I'm working up the nerve to actually do it the queen rises and claps her hands. "Dinner has lasted long enough, I should think. The tables will be cleared, and the dancing will begin soon!" Delighted voices fill the room and Sophia and I rise from our seats together. "Are you going to dance with the prince?" Sophia asks me slyly. "I should think so," I reply loftily. "I certainly don't want Zena to try and get her hands all over him." Sophia laughs and kisses my cheek quickly. "I'll see you later then! I'll be standing by the beverage table, downing drinks as I watch you and His Highness over there dance." I laugh and wave as she walks away, then trip over to Theodore.

"Hello, darling." I purr. "May I steal you for a moment from Her Grace? I'd love a dance." Theodore opens his mouth to reply, but Zena cuts in before he can answer. "Much as I am loathe to keep a man from his lady, I asked the prince for a dance just now. Before you did." She pouts condescendingly. "But I'm sure you wouldn't object to taking turns." Zena beams at the prince and lays a slender hand on his chest. "Shall we?" 

Theodore smiles at me wolfishly and before I can stop him, he replies to Zena. "I'd rather not." And with that, he turns and takes my hand, tugging me with him as he walks towards the circle of dancers, smirking at his mother as he passes her by and leaving a shocked and furious princess in our wake.