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“Put on your nicest working clothes. The dignitary is arriving soon and we’re all to be in the courtyard to provide a welcome.”
Freida, at least that’s what Nicole called her the few times I’d heard her interact with the woman, snorted while giving me a few glances up and down and then turned, leaving my room with a slight slam of the door.
The dignitary? We never had to be outside for the arrival of those coming to wish the queen well. And I couldn’t recall ever being told to wear something nice except when dressing for the council meeting with Noah.
I slipped into a green frock, one that I’d worn to the second council meeting I attended, hoping it was good enough for whoever we were about to greet. Hopefully by greet, Freida just meant curtsey and smile.
I ran a comb through my hair, yanking at the knots impatiently and throwing it in a quick braid.
As I ran out into the hall, I fell in line with the other castle servants. We broke out into the sunlight, and I was filled with gratitude that it was a gorgeous morning.
“Freida is a tornado, that old hag.” Nicole looped her arm through mine briefly as she leaned in to talk in my ear.
I laughed. “She woke you too? That woman can move fast then.”
“You’re telling me, she woke half of us apparently.”
I shook my head and we moved with the rest of the staff, orderly and obedient.
“Any ideas why we’re being put on show this morning?” I asked Nicole.
She shook her head but didn’t seem to care much.
We lined up, positioned by Ms. Trapsbury. The royal family was present on the stone steps. Noah was smiling at his mother, dressed with his blue cape and a smaller version of the king’s crown. He looked so excited.
I frowned, immediately wanting to know what had him in a good mood this morning.
Unless of course it was Vanessa.
No. No. I wasn’t doing this anymore. I stood straighter as Ms. Trapsbury clapped her hands together.
As if she was the director, the sound of a horse neighing sounded across the courtyard. The tide of people straightening slightly and stiffening was like a wave at a sporting event. We all waited as a horse-drawn carriage came into view.
Good lord, it looked like it had rolled off the pages of a children’s fairy tale, led by white horses and all.
The carriage drew to a halt and the king and queen, along with Noah, stood, looking ahead but not moving to approach. The door opened, blocking our view, and after three knights wearing a different crest than that of Unseelie like our knights wore disembarked, a fourth person exited. They were still blocked from view.
I felt like I was the only one inching my head higher trying to see who it was that the red carpet was rolled out for today.
The procession made its way up the stairs toward the royal family, knights still blocking from view the person who had emerged from the carriage.
It wasn’t until there was a loud squeal that any of the servants even flinched.
The squeal was followed by an all too familiar laugh, and as the knights shifted, I saw a woman wrapped around Noah in an embrace that seemed far too personal for comfort.
Noah’s laugh made it seem like he was happy to see her too, and as he looked at the woman who had grabbed onto him, a woman who appeared about our age, he touched her shoulders and stayed looking at her, speaking as if she were the only person there.
One of our royal guards stepped forward, sounding a trumpet and blowing it a few times before lifting his chin and calling out to the staff and a small gathered crowd of fae.
“The crown king and queen of Unseelie are pleased to welcome Lady Vanessa Elspeth, duchess of the Willowbrook territory.”
My blood raged through me like rivers running wild. My face heated and that only served to make me feel worse. Jealousy was back.
It was her. The dignitary was Vanessa.
The very fae Noah was courting and seeing.
Here at the Unseelie palace.
Here at my home.
