Princess Charming

Chapter 16: Charmaine

The door swung open.

Charmaine recoiled slightly at the sight of him: the days old bruise colouring his face; his eye swollen and purple.

"Your highness!" Lebroski said with a tone of surprise that wasn't mirrored on the calm planes of his face. "What an unexpected honour. How can I be of service?"

Charmaine took a deep breath, forcing herself to bite back her anger, swallowing it down into the depths of her stomach where it lay, simmering, while she glared at Lebroski. "A royal decree was issued declaring that every young man in the kingdom should present themselves at the palace. There are two eligible candidates in your household, yet you have not come to court. I am here to find out why."

"But surely your highness has more pressing matters to attend to? Don't you have servants for this?" He gave her retinue a dismissive once over.

Despite the fire flooding through her core, Charmaine smiled sweetly. "This is my most pressing matter of the moment; the three balls you so graciously decided to attend were not merely for public amusement. They served an important purpose. And would you believe, you are the only household in the kingdom that saw fit to interpret my decree as a request? So I felt that I ought to come here personally to make it clear that compliance had not been optional."

Lebroski let out a long sigh. "It had not been my intention to ignore your highness' request; I had an unfortunate accident on my return from the final ball and was in no hurry to return to the public eye for the time being. And my only daughter, Selene, has unfortunately been very unwell. The entire household is currently under quarantine." Charmaine felt some of the women behind her take a step back, but she held her nerve. If Lebroski was so determined to keep her out of the house, that could only mean it was exactly where she should be going.

"This won't take but a moment, and it really is too important to postpone. Besides, we need not trouble Selene at all: it's Helios and Elliot I am here to see."

Before Lebroski could reply, she pushed past him into the entrance-way. It may have been years since she had last been here - the wear and decor significantly altered - but she could still remember the way to the family's large drawing room. She strode straight towards it, pulled the largest chair closer to the fire, and sat down, fingers drumming on the arms.

Her retinue, she was pleased to notice, filled in behind her. While their presence could be annoying, it also seemed sensible to have a large group of witnesses with her if she was going to force Lebroski to comply with her wishes.

"Helios I can summon, your highness," Lebroski said from the doorway. She was pleased to notice that he was looking increasingly disgruntled. "However, my step-son has not been a member of my household for some time, as we have now informed you on a number of occasions."

"Do you tend to your own fires, Lord Lebroski? Mop your own floors? Clean your own windows? You must have servants, surely?" Charmaine said, ignoring his mention of Elliot entirely.

"We do have one serving boy, yes..." Lebroski said, looking rattled.

"Then send him in with Helios," she replied, waving her hand to dismiss him. Once he left the room, Charmaine took the remaining slipper from her saddle bag and placed it carefully on the arm of the chair.

What would he say when he walked in? Would he still pretend that he was someone else? Would he refuse to even enter the room? Would he-

Her thoughts were cut off when he appeared in the doorway.

Elliot. Her Elliot. Not a stranger who spoke and acted like Elliot while looking entirely different, but her childhood best friend. The boy she had left six years ago when she went to school. He was older, sure, with the face of a young man instead of a boy. He was thinner too, his cheeks gaunt, his eyes dull. But he was irrefutably Elliot.