Dreamwalker's Bride - Chapter 65

New Letter
‘You have done beautifully! Absolutely marvelous! Your new sleeping place will be ideally located for the next step of your assignment.’

Trace silently re-read the first lines of the letter with disdain before continuing. Best to get this over with.

‘The ball is upcoming, and time is short. Both the princess and the king look forward to a good match for her future mate, and they will find one. Give the princess pleasant dreams of dancing with a man in green and yellow. I have enclosed a drawing of the costume he will wear. The king, likewise, must have visions of such a man dancing gracefully with his daughter. I will know whether you fulfill this assignment or not, and the consequences for failing to complete it would be dire indeed.

‘Should your conscience bother you, rest assured this match is best for the kingdom. I know you will do well!’

Trace sat back a moment in trepidation. This was a strange assignment, and a highly manipulative one. This was tantamount to trying to make a woman fall in love with a stranger via dreams.

A wave of guilt washed through him. Had he not been subtly or overtly manipulating Anaisa’s dreams for some time now?

No, that was different. He wasn’t trying to make her fall in love with him, he was trying to give her good, peaceful dreams… until he was drawn to interact with them. Holding her in her dream was glorious, and yet… it wasn’t done with her waking consent.

He grimaced. This was different. He didn’t know who he was supposed to make the princess favor! Was this stranger in green and yellow a good man, or bad? Was there really some evil purpose behind it?

He considered the previous instructions, and tried to remove Conlan from the equation. The fact that most of the letters had been delivered by him colored his impression of the one behind the directions.

Firstly, the assignment to help with the war effort was, objectively, good for the kingdom. Secondly, the task of discovering and revealing the plot to kidnap the princess, that was a good deed by any standards, even if accomplished by less than straightforward means.

This task, the letter assured, was also for the good of the kingdom. Could it be so? The methods, certainly, were deceptive, and his blackmailer had garnered his cooperation by unsavory means; namely, threatening him and his family.

Still… was there some horribly misguided person behind all this that thought the ends justified the means? Perhaps they ultimately intended the good of the kingdom, but were using questionable means to accomplish it?

Trace sighed and rubbed his forehead. He didn’t know what to do about this. Try to find a time for an audience with the king?

What would he even tell the king, if he had the chance? There was no good way of broaching the topic, especially since it could be easily interpreted that his blackmailer had maneuvered to get him close enough to the king to affect his dreams.

“I just don’t know how to get out of this,” He murmured to himself. He didn’t know how to get his wife out of it. He felt stuck, and helpless.

“Out of your uniform? That would be quite the show for Annie!” The Princess’s voice rang out as the ladies emerged from the bedchamber.

“Princess, please refrain from making inappropriate comments about me.” Trace stood and looked at her evenly. “Your father’s instructions are clear that our interactions should remain professional at all times.”

“You’re no fun,” She complained with a pout.

“I’m not supposed to be fun. My orders from His Majesty distinctly failed to mention any responsibilities with respect to entertaining or amusing.” He deadpanned. Anaisa covered her mouth to avoid laughing out loud. “I gather you have finished with your nap?”

“Yes, I have, thank you for asking,” Sapphira’s blue eyes flashed at him, but they seemed dull and grey compared to Anaisa’s.

“Her Highness has decided on going for a walk before dinner,” Trace’s wife announced.

“So you two will be switching places,” He filled in. He noticed for the first time that the ladies had changed dresses, and that his wife was in royal garb. Even now, the princess was putting a scarf over her head.

“Yes. Annie will walk ahead, with you beside her as her guard, and me behind as the maid.” The princess finished tying the scarf under the back of her hair, tucking in as much as she could.

“Your Highness,” Trace frowned. “I am supposed to keep you safe. I think it would be best if I walked behind you so that I can see you at all times.”

“No, then you will alert everyone that I’m the real princess!” Sapphira exclaimed. “Wouldn’t that be terrible? Father would have a fit!”

“You’re not going to slip away from me.” Trace’s eyes narrowed. “I’m going to keep you in my sight so I don’t lose my head to the executioner’s ax.”

“Father was being dramatic,” Sapphira rolled her eyes. “He’s never serious about beheading people. I haven’t seen him do it in…” She paused, “Well, never mind that. We will go as I said!”

“No, Your Highness. You both will walk ahead, and I will be behind to watch you.” Trace insisted. The more she didn’t like his plan, the more determined he was to stick to it. Was she trying to escape from him on his very first day as her guard?

She glared at him.

“Fine,” She snapped. “Have it your way. Come on, Annie! We have a call to pay.”

“Wait, where are we going?” Trace asked.

“Yemi was my hairdresser and beauty expert. Without her, I need a new one. I’m going to search for a suitable replacement.” The princess declared.

“You already have servants,” Anaisa shook her head, “is there none suitable amongst them?”

“Annie, you should know better. In order to be magically glamorous, I require magical help.” The princess confided. “Let’s go.”