Shadows & Lace (Spellbound Prequel)

Chapter 4: Dinner for Schmucks

The evening was not going as planned. Not even close. Braithe suppressed a groan as she waited for the servants to bring out the dinner plates. Instead of meeting her companions in Nowhere, she was stuck having dinner with her family and their visitor from Messina. Her mother had insisted. Normally Braithe would either skip dinner, grabbing a bite in the kitchens, or make excuses early. She was only ever expected to stay for a long sit-down dinner if they were entertaining. Like tonight.

A handful of quasi-important people had been invited as well, mostly nobility that was currently in residence. She suspected that her parents were trying to show off for their visitor in the hopes of him returning to the High King with only praise for the royals of Breoch.

"Sir Aurelian," her mother was saying from her seat next to the king at the head of the table. "Are you originally from Messina?"

He put his glass of wine down and gave the queen his typical pleasant smile. It was always the same one, and by now Braithe wasn't convinced it was entirely genuine. "No, Your Majesty," he said. "I'm from the Kingdom of Lyndor. My father is the Duke of Clare."

The Queen's silver-grey eye's lit up. "Oh! I don't know much about the nobility in Lyndor, but a duke's son! Are you related to the royal family at all? I have met them, of course. Wonderful people."

"The king is my father's cousin."

Braithe didn't like the calculating glint in her mother's eyes. "Did you know that my daughter is as of yet unattached?"

Smooth, Mother. Giving Baudwin a look of desperation, she only received a grin from across the table.

"I, eh..." Aurelian cast her a glance, probably worried now about having been seated next to her. She didn't blame him. He cleared his throat. "I'm surprised to hear it."

Oh, if only she could bang her head against the table to let out her frustration. Even better, her mother's head. Yes, that would definitely make her feel better.

"Yes, she's very beautiful our princess."

Braithe couldn't help staring. It was as if she was watching a badly rehearsed play acted out in front of her. Had this been a theatre she probably would have been throwing tomatoes at the actors. Could she throw a tomato at her mother? The idea was tantalising, but unfortunately, the food had yet to arrive.

"Sadly there's a lack of suitable prospects for her here in Breoch," he mother continued. "I would have loved for her to meet a nice, young prince from one of the neighbouring kingdoms..." but a duke's son would do. The unspoken words hung in the air above the table as palpable as if the queen had written them on a plaque and waved it in front of his face.

"Her Highness certainly is beautiful," Aurelian agreed, and Braithe looked down at her hands as she could feel his eyes on her again. This was excruciating. And to think she could have been in Nowhere celebrating a - hopefully - successful raid. Instead, she was stuck in this surreal tragedy of a discussion.

"Are you married, Sir Aurelian?" The king seemed to have honed in on the exchange, but whether he was thinking along the same lines as her mother, or was just politely interested, she didn't know.

Braithe dared a glance at the handsome knight at her side. His mouth was twitching as if he was trying to suppress a smile.

"No, Your Majesty, the Gods have not seen fit to bless me with a wife." His face looked solemn, but his blue eyes were glittering with suppressed mirth. Or possibly tears of pain from having to endure this conversation.

They were saved from continuing down the preposterous line of questioning by the dinner arriving. A flock of servants appeared at the table, placing plates of food in front of them. Quail, potatoes and vegetables. A whole quail each, while the citizens starved. There was a bitter taste in her mouth, but Braithe was thankful when everyone seemed to eat rather than talk. In fact, she might prefer if they never spoke again.

When her parents seemed preoccupied with their food and chatting with each other, she inclined her head slightly towards Aurelian.

"I beg your pardon for my parents, Sir Aurelian," she said quietly, making sure they couldn't hear. "They are a little too keen to marry me off these days."

He raised his dark eyebrows in mock surprise. "Is that what they were hinting at? But they were so subtle!"

Braithe suppressed a smile. She didn't want to like him. Her parents may want her married, but she had no such inclinations. Life was busy enough these days. If she was married, she never would be able to disappear into the streets of the city at night time.

"In all honesty, Your Highness," he said, a charming smile playing on his lips. It was completely different from the pleasant smile he usually had plastered on and lit up his face. If she'd considered him handsome before, he was absolutely stunning when smiling naturally. It was as if the alluring dimple in his left cheek was taunting her. "I am honoured that they would even consider me."

It took her a moment to remember what they had been discussing, his smile had thrown her off. Her mouth suddenly dry, she managed a slight smile herself. "Don't be. You don't know why I'm still unmarried."

"Cloven foot?" Aurelian suggested, taking a swig from his wine glass. "No, don't tell me! A tail!"

Against better judgement, Braithe laughed, which garnered some curious looks from her parents. It sobered her up, but she was still smiling as she shook her head slightly. "I would never say, Sir Aurelian."

"Oh, but I could keep your secret," he promised teasingly, never realising how much those words affected her. She'd love to tell someone her secret, but it was a little worse than a cloven foot.

"You say so now," she said, keeping her tone light. "But how could I ever trust you, Sir Aurelian? We barely know each other."

Aurelian set his glass down and met her gaze. "Your highness," he said. "I would love to get to know you better."

Unable to tell whether he was still jesting, Braithe looked away. Catching her brother's eyes from across the table she realised that he had been listening on their conversation, and her cheeks heated even though she'd done nothing wrong.

"Sir Aurelian, I heard that you wanted to see more of the castle," Baudwin said as he pushed his plate away. "I'm sure that my sister would be happy to give you a tour after dinner."

Braithe stared. Traitor!

"I would be most honoured, Your Highness," Aurelian smiled and as he winked at her she was struck again by how handsome he truly was. She had no time for charming, handsome men.

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