Mermaid_ A Twist on the Classic Tale - Carolyn Turgeon [74]
“Princess Margrethe,” he said. She was surprised by the warmth of his reception. “You are every bit as beautiful as I have heard. And Lady Edele, it is a pleasure. You are a great friend to your mistress here, to accompany her on such an arduous journey, and for such a noble cause.”
The queen looked them up and down as her husband spoke. Margrethe sensed in her the same uneasy feeling she’d gotten from some of the soldiers, and she saw right away that king and queen did not share the same mind.
“Thank you, Sire,” she said, curtsying, Edele following suit next to her. “I am happy to be here.”
“It was nothing less than divine providence that led you here. I have thought for a long time that God was speaking to me and wanted me to die with my heirs secured and my people content, not ravaged by war the way they have been. I have grown more philosophical with age, it seems.”
She smiled. “I pray that my father will follow your lead,” she said. “I am sorry I had to defy him by coming here.”
He nodded. “You are a brave young lady.”
“I thought that I might see your son here today,” she said. “My betrothed.”
The king looked to the queen and then back at Margrethe. “I am sorry he is not here to greet you. But … The truth is he does not yet know about our arrangement.”
“He does not know anything about you at all,” the queen said bluntly.
Margrethe felt her insides cave in.
“My son is a headstrong young man,” the king said. “With his own ideas. It has been necessary to wait to introduce you to him until we could present you in person. To ensure both your safety and his cooperation.”
She stopped, confused. He did not know she was coming?
“Do not worry,” the king said. “You are safe here, among friends. The main thing now is to get word to your father. I understand he sent men up north to search for you, but they must have returned at least a few days ago now. I do not know if he yet suspects that you came here.”
“Have you sent word to my father yet?” she asked.
“I have just dispatched my men,” he said. “You must make yourself as comfortable as possible here in my land until everything has been arranged. Your father will not take kindly to an offer of peace, I suspect, but he will come around. It is best for all of us, and our heirs.”
“Yes, Your Highness,” she said, curtsying again, her heart in her throat.
It occurred to her, for the first time then, that the prince himself might not want her here. He might not want her at all.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
The Mermaid
LENIA STOOD ON A SMALL STOOL IN THE MIDDLE OF HER room. The chair next to the window was covered in rich fabrics, each with a different feel and hue—the plush softness of velvet, the smooth wetness of silk, the swirling hardness of woven brocade. Lavenders next to pine greens next to the palest, most delicate yellows. She was draped in a gorgeous deep blue satin dotted with red roses. Two seamstresses knelt at her feet, talking between themselves and hemming the skirt that flowed around her.
“You will have the richest gowns of anyone in the castle,” one of the seamstresses said, smiling up at her, “and be the most beautiful woman at court.”
“Not if Princess Katrina can help it,” the other said and then laughed.
Lenia smiled politely. She knew that the prince, and the rest of the court, would find her pleasing in these new dresses the prince was having made for her, but she was still not used to the feeling of fabric weighing down, cold and heavy against her skin. Her waist cinched in, her breasts confined and pushed up, the sleeves tight against her arms. Even under the flowing skirt, there were layers of lace that brushed against her legs and made them ache.
But she did not mind. She had been in the castle for nearly two months now, and she had no doubt that he loved her, even if he did not remember her. At meals he could barely take his eyes off her; he had even started leaving the king’s table to sit next to her. Everyone was talking about the