The Rose Kiss: Beauty and the Beast Retold (Fairy Tale Love Stories Book 1) by Esme Rome

Author:Esme Rome [Rome, Esme]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Parako Press
Published: 2021-05-01T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

Lana’s room overlooked the castle’s front courtyard, the gate, and the forest beyond. A platoon of mounted soldiers stood sentry on the path, facing away from the castle. Even from this far away, the commander, and one redheaded soldier, looked familiar.

Perhaps I will see Hadrian now, she thought, since the curtain will conceal him from them, not me. Her heart leapt at the thought. If he was her handsome prince, she would know it right away, even at this distance. If he wasn’t…if he wasn’t, at least she’d know.

The women’s singing echoed from deep inside the castle. Who were these women, singing day and night? Why had Hadrian never mentioned them? Because they don’t exist, she thought. No; they must exist. They led her to this castle. Where were they? Was she the only one who could hear them?

These thoughts made Lana uneasy. How could you know where your imagination ended and reality began? She’d once listened to a fire crackle for hours, only to turn and see the hearth black and cold. But there was no fire here, no way to check her perceptions against reality. And here, in a castle with moving hallways and magic rooms, her perceptions were always suspect.

No curtain appeared in the courtyard. A black horse appeared instead, wearing royal regalia. It was Felix; she could tell by the way he lifted his feet. She laughed and watched, entranced, as the drawbridge lowered and Felix trotted through it. She could see the soldiers through the opening.

The soldiers stared at Felix, then looked to each other. Their eyes settled on the redheaded soldier, who sighed and dismounted. He walked up to Felix, fiddled with his saddle, then pulled out the letters and handed them to his commander. His commander took the letters, looked vaguely through the drawbridge’s opening, then dropped them on the ground.

Lana cried out before she could stop herself. Only one man looked vaguely in her direction. The commander raised his whip, but Felix fled. His regalia fell from him as he ran. None gave chase. Felix disappeared behind a bend in the road.

The redheaded soldier bent down, picked up the letters, and walked away from the other soldiers. He did something to the letters that Lana couldn’t see. When he turned around, she gasped. The letters were on fire; the soldier dropped them on the path. The men crossed themselves as flames rose from the papers; their horses whinnied, reared up, and backed away. When the paper was thoroughly burnt, the soldier stamped on the letter, grinding it underfoot. A small column of smoke rose from the ashes.

In another minute, the soldiers were gone. Lana stared in disbelief as the drawbridge rose again. No one would destroy a letter from a prince. Not in full view of the castle. It would never happen, unless…

Unless he’s not really a prince.

The thought hit her square in the gut. Of course he wasn’t a prince. Why use the curtain? Why refuse the title? Why live

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