Winter Magic

4.❆

He held out the slipper carefully in his hand. Isidore nodded to his son who stepped forward as calmly as he could and took the shoe. Aleyne held it gingerly in his own hand and stepped back. The guard bowed, still looking a bit anxious.

"Thank you. You were a great help," Isidore dismissed Daniel and looked again to his son.

"Well," Morgan demanded, his smile only more pronounced.

"Father, I'm going to go find her."

"I thought that might be the case. Do you have a plan?"

"She's from the outer districts. Most likely from a noble household from what I could understand from our conversation. Probably a daughter of one of the houses out there."

"Probably?"

"I think I already told you I didn't get her name."

Isidore sighed and his wife patted his hand.

"Why didn't she tell you?" he asked, not expecting a satisfactory answer.

"I have a theory." This came from Morgan who was looking like a child with a special secret.

"Enlighten us," Isidore grumbled.

"She didn't want to see him again."

Everyone stopped to look at him.

"I beg your pardon," Isidore questioned. Morgan ignored the king's overly defensive response.

"She didn't give him her name, didn't say where she was from, and left right after the dance, even when he had said he would be seeking her out later."

"She might have been shy," Zetian interposed kindly, hoping to ease the sudden tension in her husband and son. Morgan snorted.

"Which is why she spent most of the evening talking to every person in sight, including those females who you were so keen on excluding from this little adventure, Queen." Zetian gave him a good glare but turned back to Aleyne.

"Think about this, Aleyne. I know you're interested in her, but we don't know who she is. Is this really what you want?" Aleyne sighed.

"I don't want anything. Well, I want to fulfill my duty as the Crown Prince, and since I can't seem to fall in love with anyone, I figure it can't hurt me to marry a girl that I don't completely dislike. This looks like it is as good as it will get."

His parents exchanged a worried glance but said nothing. They had any number of arguments to present to him, but he had heard them before and had made up his mind in spite of them. There was nothing they could do.

"Then I guess you had best get ready to go," Isidore told him. Aleyne nodded. "Percival, you'll be going with him."

"Of course, Your Ma-"

"Father, I don't need someone to go with me. I can travel on my own just fine."

"Humor me," the king begged. "Percival hasn't had a chance to leave the palace in a long time, and I would feel better if you had someone with you. I know you can look after yourself, but you will be gone for a long time."

"Not much longer than a month."

"You'll have to talk with a bunch of scheming mothers," Zetian pointed out. Aleyne paused.

"I think it would be best if Percival came too," he told his father. Percival grimaced.

"Thank you ever so much, Prince," he grumbled. Aleyne patted his shoulder and went to pack.

❆

Once the girls had gotten home, Bethany confronted Avalone about her appearance at the ball.