Page 22 of A Heart Too Tender

My morning passed in a flurry of swishing dresses, and rude answers—with the exception of Colette. I know I should keep an unbiased mind, but I could not stop thinking about her.

The scars were causing ghastly reactions from the others and it was quelling any feelings I might have felt for them otherwise. Even Zuri seemed to sour in my presence. Her answers to the questions lacked any sort of feeling and were completely dismissive, as if she had better things to do. Her mind seemed miles away, perhaps in her own kingdom.

They all stood before me now. Their gowns billowing and waving in the afternoon breeze. This trial consisted of one activity: To be blindfolded, with a book of our kingdom’s laws balanced upon their head. They are to then navigate an obstacle course.

Mother had put this trial together, and walked through it to prove it was even possible in the first place. She moved with an elegant dancer’s grace, breezing though each obstacle like she was out for a midnight stroll. I could feel her eyes on me from the balcony overlooking the location for the trial, as I explained the rules to the princesses.

Charles doled out each book. The thick leather bound tomes had been spelled from damage, so even if they did tumble to the ground they would not be destroyed.

Princess Zuri stepped up to complete the trial first and proceeded without issue. She reminded me of a swan, with light movements.

Elizabeth proceeded right after, again flying through it with ease. I watched only partially interested. Colette covered her mouth as she yawned, and I could sense my mother pause, and stare at the action. Mothers’s eyes met mine and I nodded.

“Colette,” Zuri hissed. “It’s your turn.”

“Oh, goodness!” Colette stepped forward, book still pressed to her chest. She placed it upon her head, as Zuri blindfolded her, and then she set off across the patio to the first obstacle, a beam she must walk across to the lower part of the garden. Her shoulders seemed hunched inwards, as if the weight of the book was too much.

Her green gown resembled the branches of the willow by the lake. She’d made it only halfway across the patio before the wind had twisted the layers of her dress around her legs and she lurched to keep upright. The book tumbled to the ground at the same time the wind stalled.

She had failed.

Colette ripped the blindfold off and looked down at the book in horror before lunging to pick the book up. She delicately wiped the dust off the cover. Charles cleared his throat and she whirled to face us.

“I don’t know what happened,” Colette breathed.

“That’s quite alright,” I muttered, hoping the emotion in my eyes was apparent when I could not comfort her as I wanted to in front of the others. “That will be all.”

She gripped the book tightly to her chest and rubbed at her eyes, whatever cosmetics her maid had used, wiped away revealing the bluish bruises beneath her eyes. Colette had not exaggerated when she said she had not slept. She was painfully more exhausted than she had let on. I felt a stab to my chest at the torment that I had caused.

Gisela stepped forward and began walking across the patio with ease.

“Friends?” I whispered, catching Colette’s attention.

She nodded, but her pout was more pronounced than ever.

“It will be alright.”

She snorted and shook her head, the golden-brown curls bouncing back and forth. “I just failed,” she snapped. “It’s embarrassing.”

“You’re tired—” I started, but she gave me a look that silenced me, flicking her eyes to the queen and then to Charles.

“Being tired shouldn’t matter. Zuri didn’t sleep last night either and she’s doing just fine.”

“Zuri didn’t sleep?” I asked, surprised.

She hadn’t mentioned any discomfort in our examination this morning, but she hadn’t elaborated either.

“No,” Colette mumbled. “She was up late reading and writing letters to her family.”

I nodded, slowly. Zuri wasn’t having trouble sleeping then. The only princess who had still been impacted by the pea was Colette.

“You can sleep as soon as Gisela finishes, Princess,” I whispered. Using her title as a term of endearment was the only bit of comfort I could offer.

She pressed her lips into a thin line and squared her shoulders, a look of pure determination washed away that of her earlier despair. “Thank you, Julian. You’re a dear friend.”

I couldn’t stop the smile that spread across my face, nor would I want to. I regretfully stepped away from her to follow Gisela through the obstacle course, but my main intention in leaving her side was to speak to Charles. As I watched Gisela make her way from the beam to the hopping stones I leaned closer to Charles.

“Remove Princess Colette’s pea.”