The Lady Knight

Chapter XXX: Dances and Dames

Prince Nicholas

The conductor lifted his baton.

I broke into a smile, as an upbeat, lively number began to resonate throughout the ballroom. It was a good thing I decided to sit this one out. The evening was still young, but the exhaustion from riding all morning to Roche was beginning to settle in my bones.

At that moment, I noticed a beautiful young woman across me, dressed in a deep maroon silk gown for the evening's festivities. She was craning her neck above the crowds, no doubt searching for me.

My smile widened, as I raised my hand to wave Tess over to where I stood.

I could not believe that my mind had managed to wipe her out of my memories. It was no wonder that Julie had been so shocked when I had told her I could not remember her cousin sister.

There was suddenly so much to catch up on – ten years' worth of stories to exchange, problems to confide, laughter to share – and the few hours we had before the ball was far from sufficient.

What more, it had been as effortless as our friendship used to be when we were children. Tess had been, and still was, one of the best listeners I knew, and it was one of the reasons why I had gotten along with her so well in the past.

She neared me now, beaming and holding up what appeared to be two, full glasses of red wine.

"Thank you, my Lady, but I do not drink," I chuckled, "not at social events, in any case."

A faint smile crossed her lips. "A pity. There is no joy being the only sober individual at any event," she answered wryly, "but rest assured, this is not wine." She held out a glass towards me.

I gazed at it with some apprehension. "Then what is it?"

"One of the many specialties of Roche," her eyes twinkled, "come now, Sire, do not judge it before you try it." She pushed the glass into my hands.

"All right, all right," I raised it to her, "to...our friendship."

Her smile was tinged with the slightest of sadness, as she silently raised her own to me.

I took a careful sip, and almost at once, a rich, sweet flavour exploded in my mouth. In that moment, I could have sworn that I saw stars burst forth before my eyes. I had never tasted anything quite like it before, and I felt my eyes widen with wonder.

"Merde," I whispered, gazing at the glass, "what is in this?"

"Cranberry juice," Tess laughed softly at the expression on my face, as she sipped on her own glass, "and of course, some sugar and apple juice to sweeten it."

I frowned in bewilderment. "I beg your pardon, cran...?"

"Cranberry. Canneberge in French, if I am not mistaken," she pondered, before smiling, "a fruit that is very good for your health, and one that is also used to make a variety of spreads and compôtes that are absolutely delicious. One taste of them, and you will forget your Marzipan."

I took another eager gulp of my drink. "I can see why that might be a possibility," I conceded, "why have I not heard of this before today?"

"I am not surprised. It is not very well-known," she shrugged, "cranberries are grown and harvested under very specific conditions, and Roche is the only duchy in Monrique that produces them. One of our specialties, as I told you earlier, and very popular among the upper echelon of society."

"High in demand, but low in supply," I mused, "the secret to Roche's wealth."

She smiled in approval. "One of many. You are learning already, Sire," her voice was soft, "you will prove to be a good student when Papa brings you around the duchy from tomorrow onwards."