Storyteller's Series 4 - Heir of Roses by McCombs Victoria

Author:McCombs, Victoria
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Victoria McCombs
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty

“ROWAN.” LUCILLE SHOOK ME from my content slumber. “You have to get up.”

Darkness loomed outside the window, and I groaned. “You must not have met me before. I’m a person who sleeps in. Even the turtles in the moat aren’t up yet,” I complained.

“The sun has already peeked over the hills,” Lucille countered. She peeked out the window. “And the turtles are up.”

I glanced at the window, where I’d previously missed a hint of light. Perhaps she was right, but it still didn’t make it an acceptable time to roll from the comfortable bed.

“The blankets are so warm.” I drew out the last word to enunciate my disapproval.

The familiar creak of the front door pierced the air. “Is she here?” Nicolas’s voice woke me faster than Lucille ever could.

“Nicolas?”

He poked his head to the room. I slid my feet over the bed and into my slippers.

“You are needed in the throne room,” he said. He wore a thick, teal jacket and pointed shoes, with his hair ruffled and bags under his eyes.

“What’s going on?” I asked at the same time that Lucille pushed me into the closet to get dressed.

“I don’t know,” Nicolas called through the door. I slipped from my nightgown and into a simple day dress the color of peaches with a laced bodice. It was long enough to conceal my slippers, which I kept on my feet.

I pushed open the closet door and ran my hands through my wild curls. “You don’t know? Is this the second competition?”

He shook his head and shrugged. “I don’t know.” Worry filled his tone and his hand fiddled with the doorknob. “I only know you are supposed to go to the throne room immediately. I don’t see any of the other girls.”

My interest was piqued.

“King Silas is going to announce to the court that I am their future queen, and we can be done with these silly competitions,” I wished. “This will be wonderful. I’m ready.”

Lucille gave me a look, but I feigned a confident stance to ease some of Nicolas’s fidgeting. He kept a tight brow as he offered an arm to me.

We strolled through the morning halls as an early sunrise pushed orange light through open windows, and outside the bluebirds sang of blessings and joy. The air was as crisp as apple pie, which it also smelled of, and I silently promised myself I’d investigate later to find the dessert. Perhaps I could sneak some to Nicolas’s room and we could enjoy it together—a fine way to soothe the tension in his arm.

He looked straight ahead, gnawing on his lip with each step until it might bleed.

“I’m sure it will be fine,” I whispered to him. He ducked his head to smile at me, but his eyes didn’t soften.

“It’s my mother I’m worried about. She was too happy this morning. I never trust someone who is that happy so early in the morning.” He paused. “Are you wearing slippers?”

The tip of my slippers peeked out from under my dress to wiggle at him.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.