A Curse to Break; Chapter 2

"Where are you going, Lena?"

I turn in surprise at the call. Tanya stands at the next intersection, looking at me curiously. There's no cunning or calculation in her gaze. I just couldn't get a read on her. She was the daughter of one of the lower nobles and only in her fifth month of life at court. I know she knows all the whispers; she had blatantly asked me about them shortly after her arrival. I figured she had only singled me out as a potential friend upon her arrival as I had seemed to be as much of an outcast as her. She was starting to make friends with the other ladies of the court, yet she still acted as if nothing had changed between us. Was this an act? Part of some larger scheme she was planning?

"The library," I answer calmly.

Tanya's head cocks to the side. "What about the tea party?"

I keep my expression neutral. "What about it?"

She crosses her arms, beginning to close the distance between us. "It's for all the ladies of the court that are our age. That would include you," she says pointedly, stopping before me.

"It's being hosted by the queen for the princess," I counter. "I doubt either of them will miss me."

"And if I want you to come?"

I turn away from her. "You'll find someone else to talk to."

Tanya catches my arm. "No, you don't, come on." She begins to drag me along. "If you never try to get into their circle, you never will."

"And if I never try, I never have to listen to them whisper about me while I sit there," I object, trying to pull my arm free as she pulls me along.

"Ignore them. Start whispering about them." She gives me a look over her shoulder. "For having grown up at court you really don't seem to understand how it works."

I bite my tongue as she looks away.

It wasn't my fault. My mother hadn't bothered taking me with her any time she was visiting the other ladies as she had Daniel and Dimitri. The other ladies, knowing the whispers, hadn't wanted their daughters near me. They didn't want their daughters to lose a chance to become ladies-in-waiting to the princess. Even when we had all grown up, daughters of the higher nobles didn't want to fall out of grace with the princess, and daughters of lower nobles didn't want to risk the chance to rise through the ranks of the ladies by their association with me.

Tanya didn't seem to care about all that, at least for now. How much longer before she started ignoring me? Going out of her way to avoid me?

Thankfully, when we reach the party, Tanya has the good grace to sit us towards the back with the maids-in-waiting. While Princess Claudia misses our entrance, laughing with the girl sitting next to her, Queen Daphne doesn't. Her smile turns to a grimace, the warmth leaving her eyes. She looks away as we take our seat, turning her attention back to her daughter, smile returning as if nothing had happened.

I can hear the maids-in-waiting whispering. Ignore them. That had been Tanya's advice. I didn't dare try the other advice she had given. When I look to Tanya, I find her already talking to another of the noble's daughters, discussing what sounded like the latest fashion. I defiantly couldn't join that conversation. Being dragged into it would be just as humiliating.

I was grateful when the servant steps up, setting the tray of tea on our table. It gave me something to do, to busy my hands with. As I set to fixing myself a cup, I can't help but notice that the maids-in-waiting at the table behind us have seemed to have grown in number. Two more have drawn chairs up to the table to join the conversation.

I can't deny that I was curious. If they were gossiping about me so intently, it had to be something new. I can't help but wonder what new whispers were circling the court. Tea fixed; I lean back in my chair as I sip from my cup.

"I've never seen my brother so relieved to be back. He said it was the worst assignment he'd ever had," one tells the group.

"What?" Another asks in surprise. "I heard it was a simple routine job. Out to the border and back."

"It wasn't the job." I can see her lean forward from the corner of my eye. I expect to miss the explanation, but I have no trouble hearing her stage whisper, "It was King Axel." She sits back up with a distinctive nod.

"Is he really as bad as they say?" Yet another asks one of the two that had joined the table. "All those things I've heard. . ." her hands tighten on her teacup as she dramatically shivers. "I think the princess is a fool for wanting to marry such a man."

I quickly lift my cup to my lips to hide my small smile. It wasn't often I hear people call Princess Claudia foolish, but it was nice to know I wasn't the only person here who thought she was. I can't help but cast a glance in Princess Claudia's direction. She claps in delight, smiling wide at whatever it is her mother is saying to her.

The maid-in-waiting with the news continues on, drawing my focus back to their conversation. "My brother's not the superstitious type," she says defensively, "But after this job," I can see her shrug as she takes a sip from her cup, "He thinks there might be something to those rumors about Solveria."

"How could an entire land be cursed?" One of the maids-in-waiting asks, clearly not buying the first's story.

Another shushes her, pressing the first for more.

"According to my brother, the whole way back to the palace, the only people that didn't seem to be on edge were the king and his men. I told him it's probably because they're used to it," she says definitively taking another sip.

"But what happened?" Another presses. "Something must have happened."

"Apparently, the king hardly said a word unless it was an order. Every time my brother saw him, he would be absolutely still, even on his horse, just looking around and you couldn't tell what he was thinking. He always seemed to be in a mood of some kind, just glowering." The two maids-in-waiting to her left exchange a look, almost as if they were expecting the story to be a bit anticlimactic. The one speaking carries on talking, either not noticing or ignoring them, "But that wasn't the strangest thing that happened."

I notice Tanya glance over. She was also clearly listening to the gossip. Catching my eye, she arches an eyebrow, smirking. She rolls her eyes as the maid-in-waiting continues.

"When they were in the wilderness, some nights, they'd heard things. Things that even their most experienced hunters were leery of. He said the sounds just weren't natural. And those nights, he said there was always a feeling of being watched. One of the hunters claimed it was the feeling of being hunted. On one of those nights, one of the braver ones ventured out on a dare and when he came back, he swore up and down he'd seen a dragon."

Gasp flit across their table. In a second, they're squabbling over whether or not the man was drunk.

Tanya leans closer to me. "Did your brothers say anything about this?" She asks in a hushed tone.

I give her a look. "They never tell me anything."

"Fine," the one telling the story huffs, "Maybe there wasn't a dragon." She's clearly not happy that her story was ruined. "But can you explain away the king going missing?" She asks haughtily.

Silence falls across their table as Tanya shakes her head, no longer impressed or interested in their gossip. Pulling away, she turns back to the girl she had been talking to, striking up a conversation with her again.

"Missing?" A naysayer asks doubtfully.

I can see the one nod. "For a whole day, no one saw the king. Not a single trace of him. My brother swears he even saw his horse riding along with the king's men, saddled and everything, but he wasn't there. Then at night, after a whole day of traveling, he was just back at the camp. My brother's friend said he saw the king walking out of the forest, looking like an absolute mess. His friend couldn't be sure, but he swears there was blood on him. Yet none of his men seemed to even notice his absence. When one of our men asked one of his about his absence, the man wouldn't answer, just told him not to concern himself with it."

"I think your brother is pulling your leg," the naysayer weighs in again.

This causes another argument to break out at the table. As quickly as they had started squabbling, their voices fall silent. None of them speak either. The story was over I suppose.

"Is that. . .?" One breathes.

"For a man like that with a crown, I'd ignore the rumors too."

My eyes flick about the garden before I can stop myself. They land on the man standing before the table Princess Claudia sits at with her mother. He has no sword to drape his hand over, but he stands just as casually. Unlike yesterday, as he talks with the princess and queen, he allows himself a small smile. What was he doing out here?

Princess Claudia laughs at something he says, tossing a loose strand of hair over her shoulder. She pats the table beside herself, clearly inviting him to sit. After a second, he seems to relent, taking the seat next to Princess Claudia.

The maids-in-waiting suddenly return to their chittering, though much more hushed than before. It must be about him. I can't blame them. For some reason, I also find his presence unsettling. He had been so grim and serious yesterday, yet now he was smiling and seemed pleasant. I pull my eyes away from King Axel and Princess Claudia as she takes something from his hand.

Tanya is still talking with the other girl. That's fine. She had wanted to come. I had had enough of the party. As I rise from the table, Tanya doesn't so much as glance over at me.

"Leaving so soon, Lady?"

The voice cuts through the chatter and noise around me. It carries more authority than it had in the courtyard, but I recognize it and I desperately hoped it wasn't directed at me.

I turn to look back and sure enough, he's looking right at me. His easy smile is still in place, but his eyes are dark as he studies me. I find his gaze much more intimidating than Princess Claudia's scowl and the queen's scathing glare. I needed to leave, and quickly.

I force myself to smile. "I'm afraid I feel a bit unwell. Enjoy the party, your majesty."

As I curtsy, I can feel myself starting to shake. Tanya suddenly rises, catching my arm.

"You look pale," she tells me, beginning to guide me back towards the palace. "Let's get you back to your room."

I find myself oddly relieved our path doesn't take us by the table King Axel sits at with the princess and queen.

Once we're away from the party, Tanya gives me a look. "For all the fuss you make about not being seen, you're rather horrid at making getaways."

I want to snap back that I hadn't expected King Axel to take note of my exit or call attention to it. "Sorry. You could have stayed. You can go back. I'll be fine."

Tanya waves me off. "I meant what I said in the garden. Besides, I was getting bored anyway."