Dreamwalker's Bride - Chapter 132

Chapter 132: Confidant
Anaisa woke with a blush and bit her lip. She could almost feel Trace’s mouth against her own, and her fingers moved to check of their own volition, though there was no one else in the room.

Her face heated further, wondering how she was still so much bolder in her dreams than in reality.

Well, that part, at least, was easy enough to deduce. They lived in the palace, and slept in separate rooms, and were constantly around Princess Sapphira or others. They had been alone so little after that first week… What a strange marriage it had been so far!

If only they had stayed out at the little farm… but then, poor Katia! What poor state would her sister be in now, if Trace had resisted or ignored the blackmail letters?

Still, the idea tugged at her thoughts of how lovely her life could be now, working alongside Trace. Beloved.

Did he love her? He hadn’t said so. Anaisa was sure he cared for her, deeply. The way she cared for him.

And yet… if he could be controlled not to say things, was that all that was being controlled about him? She didn’t doubt his feelings, but could he be commanded to do something heinous? Harm her, betray the kingdom in a time of need?

It worried her. Immensely.

A soft knock at her door piqued her curiosity. Sapphira rarely wanted to come in here. Anaisa rose and opened the door into the princess’s chambers, and the worried young woman paced inside, looking restless.

“I can’t stand it, Annie.” She walked right past her companion and to the far wall, which wasn’t far since the servant’s chambers were rather small. “I can’t do this. Any of it. I can’t stand the waiting. Who will Father choose? What if I hate him? What if he’s old, and ugly, and power hungry?”

Anaisa swallowed her words. If Barnabas’s plot was going to move forward, the king would likely choose Denholm. But had the man gained that much influence?

“When will you find out His Majesty’s decision?” She asked as the princess continued her rabid pacing.

“This morning. He’ll come and tell me before the announcement is made,” Sapphira sighed heavily and threw herself across Anaisa’s bed as the servant dressed and prepared for the day.

“Did you sleep at all?” She asked curiously.

“Barely,” Sapphira rolled to one side in despair. “It was my last evening without being engaged to some wretched stranger, how could I?”

“Well, perhaps getting ready and pretty for the day will help you feel a little better,” Anaisa encouraged. Sapphira was typically in a better mood when she felt beautiful.

“Any man should know I’m far out of his league…” Sapphira pouted, “but I suppose pressing the point home by looking dazzling wouldn’t hurt, would it?”

“Of course not,” Anaisa grinned slightly, getting dressed and finishing her own preparations so that she could better help Sapphira. It took some time for the princess to be fully satisfied with her appearance.

“I don’t know what I’ll do,” Sapphira fretted.

“There’s nothing to be upset about,” yet, Anaisa added mentally, “It could go very well or very poorly, and until you know which, is there much point in worrying?”

“You’re right, but I can’t help it!” Sapphira fretted. “I’ve been listening for Father to knock, but so far, only the breakfast tray has come. Why is he so delayed?”

“It’s still very early.” Anaisa tried to smile, but the weight of the secrets she knew were heavy.

Anaisa wished she could speak frankly with Trace and learn everything… if only there were someone she could tell absolutely everything to, she would have thought it was him. But she didn’t know what he was keeping from her, and didn’t know whether she could work out the details without him being compelled to report her findings to Barnabas.

She had to get Trace’s freedom, and her own revenge against the man who had ruined her life.

And so, she could not pour out her heart, at least not entirely, to her husband. She glanced at the princess. Although the young woman was spoiled, much of this did involve her future. Perhaps keeping it from her for so long had deprived Anaisa of an incredibly powerful ally.

“May I tell you something, and you promise to keep it a secret?” Anaisa bit her lip at what she was about to confess. How much could she even say? She didn’t want to implicate Trace, to give away his secret for him, or to make him seem like a willing participant in the plot.

“Oh, wonderful! A distraction from my own troubles!” Sapphira whirled on her companion with eager eyes. “Tell me everything, all about how you love Trace but it’s tragically hopeless since he’s probably married to some ugly bride assigned to him by my father!”

Anaisa blinked. That was not what she had intended to talk about at all. “He’s not…” She paused, not really knowing where to start.

“In love with her, no, he can’t be, with the way he looks at you,” Sapphira nodded, “but the fact remains, they are legally bound. Goodness, Annie, you aren’t planning on having a full-blown affair, are you?? He’s a servant, and you were raised as a Count’s daughter!”

“What??” Anaisa struggled to keep her voice down. “Where to start… First of all, I am a Count’s daughter, I just need to prove it. Secondly, I might as well tell you that I’m the ugly bride who was assigned to Trace; we entered service to the palace together but didn’t say so because apparently the butler doesn’t hire married women. Thirdly, what I actually wanted to tell you was entirely unrelated to either of those things!”

Sapphira looked like her eyes might pop out of her face as she gasped. “What? Really? No! It can’t…” She blinked rapidly several times before sitting down on the bed. “I suppose you’d better tell me everything at once before I faint from surprise!”