Dreamwalker's Bride - Chapter 139

Chapter 139: Socialization
Anaisa trailed down the hall, turning a corner and resisting the urge to hurry further away from where Barnabas and Denholm were meeting with the royals.

Distaste filled her mouth, but she was exceedingly glad that Sapphira was getting the final say over who she would marry. The woman’s recounting of the meeting with Ben left the maid-turned-companion with a fair amount of hope that romance could blossom between them.

Another forced marriage where love would have to come later.

The auburn-haired woman sighed, making her way to the kitchens. She felt a huge wave of relief that she had told so much to Sapphira. Now, someone else knew her burdens, her fears, and her hopes.

Sapphira had of course been horrified and fascinated by Barnabas’s plot against the crown, but she had almost been more interested in Anaisa’s feelings for Trace.

Strong feelings, hampered by the inability to trust him entirely.

Anaisa shivered as she remembered the kisses they’d shared in dreams… she didn’t go into detail on that point with Sapphira. It felt too complicated to try to explain that they’d never really kissed, but that their dream kisses were nothing short of–

This train of thought was going to drive her to distraction. Her stomach grumbled. She’d spent all her time and energy this morning urging the princess to eat or drink, to the point of neglecting herself.

She was starving.

Glancing out a window as she passed it, Anaisa determined it must be close to lunch time by now, at least for the servants. They ate at off-peak times, when there were not a large number of tasks for them to be doing. Surely Anaisa could beg for a plate, though it would not be so fine as sharing the princess’s meals.

The servants’ dining hall was bustling with activity, and Anaisa paused on the stairs. Aside from the ball, which had been bustling with far too many people, she had largely been rather isolated these past weeks. Trace and Sapphira were her main companions.

Perhaps some socialization would do her good…

She was glad she had the princess’s token in her pocket in case her appearance should confuse anyone. No one downstairs really knew her apart from the two lower-ranking maids who slipped in and out silently each day to clean the princess’s chambers.

Maybe she would see them here, now?

Stepping down into the hallway, it appeared the servants were getting plates from along the wall and then serving themselves from a central platter of food before they sat down. Nervously, she followed suit, and found herself sitting amongst people who seemed to have very little curiosity for who she was… at least for now.

They seemed enthralled with discussing some intrigue between one of the footmen and a maid.

“Admit it, Susie!” One woman was urging another. “We all know it’s true.”

The girl who must be Susie blushed deeply. “I would never do anything…”

“Paul, tell us,” The interrogator turned on a man who was sitting far down at the other end of the table. “Your day off and Susie’s coincide every week, and I find that highly suspect! I saw you two leave the palace separately, but I’m sure that you met up somewhere else and spent the day together!”

“What would make you think such a thing, Jacklyn?” The footman replied calmly. “Or do you entertain yourself with such fancies because you have no romance in your life?”

The room reacted strongly, with people taking sides on whether his statement was accurate, or offensive, or both. Anaisa quietly ate her food, watching everyone in fascination. The servants were so subdued in every other part of the palace, to see their free and easy taunting was a different side to the people.

“You pointed out I have no romance in my life, could that mean that you have some in yours?” Jacklyn was undeterred from her quest for information.

“Whether I had or not, you think I should tell you, for the entertainment of the servants’ hall?” Paul gestured around them. “Take your accusations and hurl them at Vinny instead. He’s quite the womanizer, and he’ll have more tantalizing and salacious details to keep your active imagination engaged on your lonely evenings.”

“That’s true,” The man next to Anaisa spoke up and winked at her, “I can hardly keep the ladies off me, handsome one that I am.”

Anaisa’s lip curled in involuntary distaste at the jest and she scooted away from the flirtatious man, to the sound of uproarious laughter.

“And what’s your secret for landing the ladies? You seem to have quite alienated this one,” Jacklyn laughed, happy to find a new target for her questioning.

“My secret? It’s easy as pie,” Vinny smiled at the cook. “Not that pie is easy. I’m sure your complex and beautiful pies are overwhelmingly difficult to make, but you’ll pardon the expression.”

“I’m nigh on sixty, don’t waste your flirting on me,” The cook rolled her eyes.

“Ah. Well. Then, back to my point,” Vinny turned back to Jacklyn. “My very, top-secret, absolutely guaranteed method for getting a girl to fall madly in love with me.”

“Absolutely guaranteed?” Paul lifted a skeptical glance from his plate. “I believe you have failed on more than one occasion. Persistence in pursuing every available woman until you find a willing one seems to be the crux of your method.”

“Not since I discovered the secret,” Vinny lowered his voice to a dramatic whisper, and the rest of the table hushed to hear what he would say: most in mocking curiosity, but Anaisa noticed a couple of the younger men leaned toward Vinny with obvious interest.

“Do tell.” Paul responded sardonically.

“Notes,” Vinny whispered, and his face broke into a broad grin. “You write the lady a letter, a wonderful love letter, and hide it where you know she’ll find it. Once she does, she practically falls into your arms. Message might as well be made of gold, if you write it well enough.”

Anaisa’s paused, a bite halfway to her mouth. It took most of her self control not to jump up from the table and run as the idea settled into her mind.