Page 3 of A Heart Too Tender

Colette

The invitation arrived late in the evening gripped in the talons of a startlingly large raven. It clacked its beak at me, and I fed it the few berries I had yet to eat. The elegant, scrawling script was written in gold, on paper that was sturdy and fine. I caught the fading scent of roses as I cracked open the emerald wax seal.

By Royal Decree of The Kingdom of Wimberley

To Her Grace, Princess Colette of Silver Hill

You are hereby cordially invited to attend

The Masquerade Selection Ball held in honor of His Royal Highness, Prince August of Wimberley, on the full moon of Winamonath, within the Wimberley Capital Palace.

At the stroke of midnight, a selection will take place of all the eligible maidens in the realm. Should you be chosen, you will be called to the Summer Palace, to undertake three sacred trials—tests of duty, courage, and heart—bestowed upon all to measure the tenderness of one’s heart. Completion of these trials shall grant the victor the honor of wedding Prince August, and becoming the future queen of Wimberley.

By command of Queen Theodora and King Odo, rulers of the Kingdom of Wimberley.

The full moon was merely a day away and our tiny kingdom was just a stone’s throw from Wimberley. My parents were adamant that I attend. If I packed in an instant, I could be at the palace gates before dawn. It might have been silly of me, but I didn’t want to go. I loved our tiny chateau and our quaint village. I knew everyone and everyone knew me.

If I were being honest with myself though, the wealth and size of Wimberley intimidated me. The tales of the Prince’s handsome face were well known however, and I did find myself intrigued.

“It’d be foolish to think I’d even make it to the trials,” I muttered, stroking the long onyx feathers of the raven still perched beside me.

My father, King Osmond, smiled faintly. His robes were of the finest silk our kingdom wove, but they were well loved and worn. The sapphire color had long since dimmed to a pale blue.

“You don’t have to make it to the trials to have a good time, Poppet. Come, let Alric escort you. Your brother is itching to leave the chateau walls.”

My mother, Queen Lilah, bobbed her golden head alongside his words. “And a ball is a wonderful time! Especially in a place as … exuberant as Wimberley.” She shot my father a secretive smile and he hid his behind a goblet of wine.

“I haven’t anything to wear,” I sighed, feeding the raven a few more berries from the platter nearest me.

Mother tapped a long nail to her chin as she mused, “I’m sure I have something that’s not too far out of fashion.”

Her words gave me pause, and I looked up from my plate with excitement. A new dress, a ball, and an adventure? Maybe I could leave home for a few days. It’s not as though I wouldn’t be back.

“Well, if it isn’t too much trouble …”

Mother clapped her hands together, her opal gown shimmering pearlescent in the candlelight. “It’s no trouble at all! Anne! Anne, find my garnet gown and the trunk!” Her voice carried across the dining room to her lady-in-waiting beside the door.

Anne flashed a brilliant smile and curtsied before setting off down the carpet-lined hall.

It wasn’t too long after she left that my brother, Alric, came bustling in covered in dirt, twigs in his golden hair, and a pair of pheasants in his fists. He chucked them both onto the table with an exaggerated flourish.

“Excellent hunting, my boy?” Father asked, eyeing the dead birds on the long dining table.

Alric stood well over six feet and was built very much like the few knights we had about the kingdom, but he had never lost his boyish charm. It probably had something to do with his dimples. He was the exact mirror image of our mother. Whereas I was the twin to our father, golden brown hair that curled the longer it got, hazel eyes that shone gold or green depending on the light, and a heart-shaped face.

“We have some exciting news!” My mother could barely contain her excitement as she bounced in her velvet chair.

“Easy, Flower, or we’ll lose yet another chair we can’t replace,” King Osmond teased her using the nickname I’d heard him call her my entire life.

A blush bloomed high on her cheeks, but she waved him off.

“You’ve been invited to Wimberley?” Alric asked, studying the raven with a peculiar expression.

I waved the invitation in front of my face. “Not just me but every eligible maiden has been invited. Prince August has decided to take a wife.”

Alric burst into fits of laughter. “You? The wife of Prince August?”

He could barely eke out the words between his laughter and the tears running down his face. Alric must have seen the look on mine because he stopped immediately.