Dreamwalker's Bride - Chapter 78

So silly
Anaisa strode swiftly after Sapphira, hoping the cooler air in the hallway would soften the blush in her cheeks.

She hadn’t intended that Trace would overhear her question. And the way he’d looked at her! His curiosity had undertones that she wasn’t prepared for.

Was she in love? She didn’t know!

He still had secrets from her. She should be cautious, shouldn’t she?

Sapphira was attracting some attention as she skipped down the hall. Servants were glancing curiously at her, and Anaisa cleared her throat.

“Maid, you are acting without decorum and I won’t tolerate it!” She snapped. “You, over there, stop staring and go about your work! Have you not enough to do?”

They went down a hallway, turning and twisting and rising into another part of the palace. Finally, they came to a hallway with grand double doors. Guards blocked them, standing at rapt attention.

They eyed the trio as they drew close, and Anaisa cleared her throat meaningfully. Exchanging a glance, one turned to rap on the door and call inside.

“Your Majesty, the princess is here to see you.” He called. “She has her maid and bodyguard with her.”

“Send them all in!” Came the call. Anaisa glanced at Trace, whose mouth firmed. Would he take the opportunity to try to talk to the king about the blackmail?

Would it be enough to take down Barnabas? She fretted. Maybe it was too soon. Maybe they didn’t have strong enough evidence! Anaisa caught his eyes, trying to communicate her fear.

He blinked at her, twisting his mouth and shaking his head slightly, as if disappointed that she was worried about him acting rashly.

Anaisa’s face heated. Of course, he’d already demonstrated fantastic work as a spy. He didn’t need her guidance on something like this! She suddenly felt silly for not trusting him more to navigate the situation.

The guards opened the double doors and Anaisa and Sapphira stepped inside the grand chambers, Trace just behind them.

It was far larger than the princess’s, and very finely furnished. The grand sitting room they were in now had large, cushioned sofas and chairs, tables for snacks or games, and several large windows that let light come streaming in. The doors behind them shut as the guards remained outside.

Anaisa looked around. A voice had come from somewhere, but she didn’t see anyone immediately in sight until the king came striding into the room from a chamber off to the right side.

“Daughter!” He proclaimed as if happy to see her, though his face remained serious. “To what do I owe the pleasure of this early visit? I’m glad to see you following my orders for once.”

The king nodded gratefully at Trace while Sapphira pulled the scarf off her head and shook her hair out, apparently tired of the uncomfortable ensemble.

“Father, I don’t want it to be a masked ball like I told you before. I changed my mind.” She declared.

“The modified invitations were already sent out, Sapphira,” The king shook his head. “I’ve told you that you may make changes to your own plans and ensemble as much as you’d like, but the rest of the kingdom is not subject to your whims. I declared it a masked ball to placate you as you seemed nervous about your first ball, but I will not change it back again. A monarch must be steadfast and stable for the kingdom, not flighty.”

Sapphira threw herself down onto one of the couches in a huff.

“But Father!”

“Your attitude will not alter things now,” He said. “Besides, I think the masked ball is a marvelous idea given the threat against your safety.”

“What do you mean?” Sapphira looked up at him suspiciously.

“I mean, torture has not revealed that there are any other conspirators in the palace currently, but that doesn’t mean that one wouldn’t be able to get in to the ball.” The king raised an eyebrow. “Extra measures must be taken. I was going to summon your bodyguard to discuss this matter in more detail, but it seems you’ve saved me the trouble.”

Anaisa’s breath caught. She saw where the conversation was headed only a few seconds before Sapphira.

“NO!” The princess stood up in fury. “Father, you don’t mean you’re going to have Annie pose as me for the ball??”

It would have been almost comical to watch the princess’s face, if Ansaisa’s own fate weren’t intertwined with the decisions being made. As soon as Sapphira stopped wanting a double to pose as her for the ball, it was decided that it should happen with or without her consent.

“That’s exactly what I mean. You can stand behind me at the throne and watch all the suitors, decide whom you like, but you will not be more than a few feet from me during the entire evening. With the ball being a masked one, it should be easy to pass off your maid as you.”

The king lowered his head and stared at his daughter. “Of course, I have to assume that’s why you asked for the masked ball in the first place.”

Anaisa cringed. It seemed the king missed less than she imagined. How could a man as clever as this fall prey to Barnabas’s lies about her father?

“Father!” Sapphira made a show of being offended, although everyone in the room clearly knew it was acting.

“Trace,” The king turned to the man behind them, “Do you have anything to report on my daughter’s safety or behavior?”

Anaisa watched as Trace startled slightly and considered his words. She could see his mind working behind his eyes as he chose his phrasing carefully.

“I have no current concerns about the Princess’s physical safety,” He began, “but I worry about whether she or yourself might be subjected to magical attacks of the mind. The previous plot did involve a magic user, and of course they can come with all kinds of abilities. I would humbly suggest it might be wise to guard your thoughts carefully to avoid any kind of outside manipulation, since I could not protect Her Highness or yourself from such a thing.”