Mortal Enchantment (8 page)

The mountain air grew colder. I rubbed the sides of my bare arms wishing I would have worn something more than a tank top and yoga pants.

Ariel suddenly approached, out of breath. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

My eyebrows furrowed. “What’s going on?”

“Didn’t Rowan tell you?” she asked.

I shook my head.

For the first time since I’d met her, she looked really irritated. “He was
supposed
to send you to me so we can get
you
dressed for dinner.”

Dinner? “That’s news to me. Who will be there?”

Ariel’s face lit up. “The entire air court council, of course. They will be here in less than an hour. We need to move quickly.”

She waved her arm and I followed. I still wasn’t fully recovered as I struggled to keep up with her. We sprinted across the grassy courtyard toward the castle entrance. Once inside, we marched up the stairways until we were back in my bedroom when she all but threw me into the bathroom. Clearly, I wasn’t the only one who thought I needed refreshing. I turned the faucet on in the tub and prepared for a quick bath.

Once I’d finished, I walked out with a towel wrapped around my chest. Ariel had a dress laid across my bed. I strolled over to the mirror and held it against my body. This was more than a dress; it was a golden yellow ball gown. The tiered, skinny-strapped, floor length gown had a jeweled black belt around the waist. It was something I would expect Princess Catherine to wear while dining with the Queen of England.

“The dress goes on last,” Ariel said, getting my attention. “First, we have to do something with your hair.”

Twirling a few wet strands around my finger, I said, “I usually let it air dry. That’s about the only way to contain the curl.”

She made her way behind me, twisting my hair into a loose bun. “Which is exactly why you’ll be wearing it up.”

I raised an eyebrow. “You say that like I have no choice.”

“You always have a choice, but this is part of my job.” She let the bottom portion of my hair hang down my back, maneuvering the top into another style. “You’ll end up loving what I do, I promise.”

“So actually, I don’t have a choice.” I teased.

Ariel smiled. “Not really.”

I sat in a chair, watching her through a vanity mirror. She primped and curled my hair into all kinds of formal designs that I’d only seen in prom magazines. For a moment, I pretended I was back in my old life preparing for a school dance. Mom would have been part of every step from picking out the dress to perfecting the hairstyle. A knot settled in my throat and I swallowed hard.

It had only been one day and I already missed her so much. I thought about contacting her a thousand times, but how could I tell her Dad was missing? She would insist on coming here. I refused to put her in any danger just because I missed her. I couldn't allow myself to get depressed. Right now, Dad needed my help. I had to stay focused on finding him and learning to control my power. Otherwise, we would lose everything. “Is all this really necessary?” I asked. “It’s just a dinner, right?”

“Yes,” she said, patting my shoulder. “It is imperative that they see you as the princess you are.”

It only took a moment to remember their distaste when I spoke at the council meeting. To them, I was nothing more than what they saw—a halfling, covered in muck and blood. The dinner was important. I had to show them I was one of them. I had to earn their trust so they would help me. But how?

When Ariel was done, the hair at the crown of my head had been pinned up with tiny white flowers sewn within. Loose curls hung down my back. Without a doubt, this was the most stylish my do had ever been.

As I reached for one of the strands, my chair spun around. “Not so fast,” Ariel said. “Let the artist work.”

Ruffling through a silver pouch, she pulled out brushes of every size and lined them on a small glass table. In no time at all, she had applied glittering make-up on each eyelid and cheek. With the tip of her finger, she slid a gloss over my lips. The grin across her face gave me the impression she was pleased with her efforts.

“What do they typically discuss during these dinners?” I asked.

“I can't say for sure. Only members of the royal family, the council, and high ranking knights are invited.” Ariel bit her lip. “I would guess you can learn quite a bit about the inner workings of the court by attending.”

If she was right, this dinner might provide all the answers I had been looking for. And at the very least, I could get to know some of these council members. Perhaps even make some alliances of my own. My chest burst with hope.

Ariel turned my chair to face the mirror. I suddenly felt like I was on one of those make-over shows. Hardly recognizing myself, I stepped closer to my reflection. My brain couldn’t accept what I was seeing. This was about as polished as I could get.

And for once in my life, I actually looked like a princess.

“I can’t believe it’s me.”

Ariel’s expression turned serious. “Not so fast, Cinderella. You’re not ready for the Ball just yet.”

“What could be left?” I asked.

“Princess training; the crash-course version.” She pulled back on my shoulders to straighten my posture. “When you enter the dining hall, look straight ahead. Never lower your eyes. You must exude confidence.”

“Anything else?” I didn’t mean to sound rude. After all, she had done nothing but go out of her way to try to help me. Truly, she was the first and the only elemental friend I had. Rowan didn’t count. I had no idea what the hell he was.

My impatience for the situation got the best of me. None of this should have been necessary. The council should be on my side because I’m their princess. Whether they liked me or not was irrelevant. Helping me meant getting their king back, unless that wasn’t what they really wanted. I pursed my lips. Could Dad have been taken without help from someone within our court? Is there a traitor amongst our council? I quickly shrugged off the thoughts. No, it wasn’t possible. My irritation toward their behavior made me suspect them without any proof.

Ariel cleared her throat. “It’s important that you wait until your chair is pulled out before you sit. Once seated, thank everyone for joining you for the evening.” She glanced out the window, letting out a defeated breath. “Unfortunately, we don’t have enough time to go over food etiquette.” Her tone turned harsh, I wondered if she was internally cursing Rowan for not telling me about the dinner. “When it’s time to eat, follow what everyone else is doing. No large bites. No talking with your mouth full.”

“This is lame. Are you going to tell me to keep my elbows off the table next?” I crossed my arms. “If you really want to help me, figure out how I can get the council on ‘Team Kalin’.”

“It may seem
lame
, but proper manners will help them see who you really are. This may not be power training, but it’s just as important.” She turned away, obviously offended.

Tension spread across my shoulder blades. What she was teaching me was important. My mind drifted back to my training with Rowan. He’d also tried to keep me focused. I lowered my head; I had acted childish. Why was I standing in my own way while they tried to help me? “I’m sorry, Ariel. I appreciate what you’re trying to do for me and everything you have already done.”

She helped me step into the dress, throwing the towel to the side. “I know you do. I honestly don’t understand how you’re handling all this so well. I think I would’ve run away by now, or at the very least, went into a full-on breakdown.”

We both broke into a laugh. I reached out, pulling her into a hug. I’d waited my whole life for a friend like her. Someone who knew all about me. Someone I could be completely honest with. If it weren’t for her and Rowan, I definitely would’ve lost it by now.

“All right now, I don’t want you smudging my masterpiece.” She fluffed the bottom of my dress. “Now, get down there and make me proud.”

Golden doors were held open by two male palace guards, both dressed in satin yellow robes. I stood beneath the entryway, holding in a gasp of breath. The vaulted ceiling was made of glass. Intricate wood cuttings covered every wall while large white pillars framed every corner. A musician sat in the farthest corner playing a harp. Servants rushed in and out of the room with glasses of amber colored wine and plates of various appetizers.

The silver crown Ariel insisted I wear felt awkward. As I made my way toward the table, I ran through everything she’d said only moments ago. I needed to exude confidence, so I tilted my head slightly, relaxing my face. A smile didn’t seem appropriate.

Members of the air council were seated around a massive wooden rectangular table in the center of the room. Each wore lavish yellow robes and dresses. A large plant with multi-colored flowers, bright berries, and fruits covered most of the table. I came to stand next to the only empty seat, which happened to be at the head of the table.

The music stopped abruptly and each person stood. ‟Welcome, Princess,” Jarrod said, bowing. Every other member gave a respectful nod, and I did the same in return. They stared at me for an uncomfortable minute until I realized they were all waiting for me to sit. One of the female servants helped to bundle my gown and I plopped into the chair. Immediately everyone seemed to sit in unison.

No one spoke. My hands shook in my lap. I cracked my knuckles—a nasty habit I picked up to hide my nerves. Sweat pearled on the nape of my neck as the temperature of the room rose. I had to do something to break the tension, but what? Normally, I would have said a joke or something sarcastic, but would a princess do the same?

‟We are very pleased to have you in Avalon. To Kalin, heir to the House of Paralda.” Jarrod raised his wine glass filled with the amber liquid. ‟Welcome home, Princess.”

Welcome home?
The cold shoulder reception from the council wasn’t anything resembling a long-awaited homecoming. They made me feel more like a tightly lodged pebble, stuck in the crevice of a shoe. I wished more than anything that Dad was by my side. I had a feeling his presence would wipe those nasty looks right off their faces. An ache swelled in my chest as I worried over his continued absence.

The council members held out their glasses, but no one glanced in my direction. They reacted as if they were being forced. ‟Welcome home,” they said, their voices sounding monotone.

I wanted to give them a proper one finger salute, but the gesture wouldn’t win me any allies. Tipping my wine glass forward, I said, ‟Thank you.” I focused on the wine swirling inside the glass, thinking about what Rowan had said. Was this one of the drinks he had warned me about? Would it be like chugging ten shots of vodka? Rather than take my chances, I took one tiny sip.

A council member with incredibly long white-blond hair turned to Jarrod. ‟Any word from the search party?”

Jarrod cleared his throat. ‟They haven't found anything near the area where we believe he was taken. Not a single clue was left at the scene. They have searched through every inch of our territory and found nothing.”

This was exactly as I’d feared. They were no closer to finding him than they were the day I arrived. And instead of helping them, I was preparing for the Ball, where I was sure to embarrass myself. I tried to hide the panic brewing in my chest. ‟What about the other courts?” I asked. “What have they found?”

A few of the council members let out an irritated gasp. It seemed even the sound of my voice annoyed them. ‟We must be cautious when requesting information from the other courts,” Jarrod said.

‟Why?” My voice was sharper than I had planned.

A pixie-cut blond woman with purple jewels in her hair turned to me with eyes squinted. She seemed pained to make direct eye contact. ‟This is a delicate situation we're in and protocol must be followed. We cannot simply ask the courts for their results. It would be taken as an insult. We must trust that they will tell us when they have new information.”

Her snotty tone was enough to earn her my bitch stare. It took every ounce of my patience not to give it to her. ‟So, the plan is to wait on them for information?” I shook my head. “We have to come up with something better. Perhaps, if I could go to the council meeting and speak to the leaders of the other courts directly? Maybe—”

‟Princess Kalin,” Jarrod interrupted, a softness to his tone. ‟We empathize with your urgency for results, but you have to understand, we have our own methods for getting these matters resolved.”

What I understood more than anything was that my father would not be found anytime soon and the system I was working within was only making the situation direr. There had to be some way for me to move the search along. I had to find a way into those council meetings, but how? Learning my power and preparing for the Ball took up the entire day. I didn’t expect either to let up anytime soon.

Rowan had said he wasn’t part of my court. Because of that freedom, he probably knew Avalon better than anyone. Maybe I could persuade him to help me? My muscles weakened. It had been a while since I’d eaten. The servants had already left with the appetizers before I sat down. I reached out, plucking a few of the berries from the massive centerpiece. I popped them into my mouth.

A large piece of the bitter fruit lodged in my throat. I gagged, unable to breathe. In a panic, I grabbed the tablecloth. The tug on the fabric was enough to knock the wine glasses over, spilling on several council members. They collectively shrieked. I tried to stand. Jarrod raced around the table, positioning behind me to perform the Heimlich maneuver. After a few seconds, I spit the berry onto the table.

‟They're not edible, Princess. Only meant for decoration.”

In between my heavy panting, I heard curses and laughter. I wished I could sink into the floor. This evening had been a total disaster in every way. I had to get out of here. Without another word, I headed for the door while Jarrod pursued me.

‟You don't have to leave,” Jarrod said. “We can go back.”

‟No,” I croaked.