Of Glass and Glamour Read online

  Sprawled on the ground, I concentrated on the button in my hand, feeling the warmth of the magic spreading across my skin. My dread intensified as a shadow fell over me. I squeezed my eyes shut and held my breath.

  The last thing I needed was for him to realize that a daughter of Eville had indeed trespassed where they were not wanted.

  “What is the meaning of this?” Prince Evander’s stern voice told me that my glamour must not have worked.

  “I can expl—” I opened my eyes and looked into his almond-colored eyes and lost my train of thought.

  “Why are you here?” he demanded.

  Glancing down, I was relieved to see that I was in uniform, that the glamour had worked. I was safe—for now.

  “I’ve come to offer my services to you,” I said, keeping my voice low as I got to my feet.

  He snorted. “You’re already in service to my household and kingdom. What more could you offer me?”

  “Friendship.” I wasn’t sure why it came out of my mouth. It was not appropriate to be so casual to the royal family.

  The prince looked at me strangely.

  I bowed. “I’m sorry, Your Highness. It was foolish of me to offer.” I turned to leave, hearing the prince’s deep baritone laugh follow after me. How stupid to say friendship? I couldn’t possibly be friends with the prince, but for a moment, I felt sorry for the prince being forced to marry a stranger.

  “No. Stay. I need to ride for a bit. You can be my escort.”

  I nodded and quickly put a blanket over the horse and went for the saddles. There were quite a few to choose from, all of fine leather. I grabbed one that I thought would need the least adjusting for the prince’s legs and tossed it over the thoroughbred horse. If there was one thing I knew how to do, it was saddle a horse.

  “You know we have stable boys to do that?” he said when I led the horse out to him. I shrugged, not wanting to answer him in my feminine voice. “Why don’t you grab Chestnut over there instead of going all the way back to the soldiers’ barracks. I’m in the mood to leave rather quickly.”

  Nodding again, I followed suit, only this time grabbing the least fancy saddle and bridle. I began to lead the horse over to a stepping block used for women to get onto the horse. I didn’t even think before I stepped up onto it and mounted Chestnut sidesaddle.

  A loud guffaw came from the prince, and I gave him an affronted look. He doubled over, leaning onto the stirrup, laughing uncontrollably.

  “Oh, ha ha.” He wiped his eyes with his sleeves before pointing at my posture, and I realized my mistake. In Derek’s height, I could easily have mounted from the ground, but what was worse, I mounted and sat sidesaddle like a girl. I gave him an angry glare and flung my much longer foot over the horse’s head and sat like I did when I was a kid.

  “That is funny. I sorely needed that. Thank you.” The prince gave me a despondent look. “Today has been extremely stressful. I’m sure you understand.”

  I nodded again and nudged Chestnut out of the stable. The sooner we got moving, the farther away from the stable and my horrible mistake I could get.

  I let the prince lead, being careful to stay a few paces behind him but always near. My plan was going better than I expected, but there were a few problems I hadn’t thought of. What happened if we were attacked? I knew nothing about being a soldier or using the sword on my belt.

  Maybe being attacked would be a blessing. Maybe they would do the work for me. He could get injured or killed, and it would make the king miserable. Voilà. My job would be done, and I could go home. But it wouldn’t give me answers about my parents.

  I scanned the forest in anticipation, hoping for an attack or raiders, looking for boogeymen in the darkness. The prince took it another way.

  “You can relax your vigil. We are still within the palace grounds. There’s nothing that can hurt us here.”

  My shoulders fell as another plan went out the window. Prince Evander noticed. “I’d say you were actually disparaged at the prospect. Were you hoping for a little bit of excitement?”

  I shrugged.

  “Then follow me,” he yelled. He took off galloping down the field. I had no choice but to follow his breakneck speed. At first, I was terrified, but then I realized how well the horse followed the prince’s horse, and all I really needed to do was just hold on. He slowed when we came to a side gate. The prince demanded the guards open the doors. Moments later we were back to running, the wind rushing past my face. It felt different, and I missed the feel of the wind’s fingers grabbing at my long curls. Instead, it brushed past the short style of the soldier Derek.

  The prince slowed and dismounted when he came to a river and began to rub his horse down. I didn’t want to like the prince, but I had respect for someone who took care of his animal after a run. I followed suit and was surprised when he handed me an apple for the horse.

  We both stood there in silence. After a few minutes, he motioned for me to follow, leading the animals to a smaller stream. The horses eagerly rushed forward and drank. The prince was careful to monitor how much they consumed, and I couldn’t help but compare him to his father. Here was someone who cared for animals deeply, and I couldn’t imagine that he’d mistreat his subjects or soldiers.

  I was careful to not speak out of turn; I didn’t know how to speak to royalty.

  He began to undress. My cheeks flushed, and I looked away. He took off running for the stream wearing nothing but his bottoms; I followed at a slower pace. Surely, he wasn’t going to jump in—yes, he was and did.

  Feeling at odds and not really sure what to do with a half-naked prince swimming in a stream, I decided to turn my back and face the woods—let him think of it what he may.

  “What do you think I should do?” he asked. I could still hear the splashing of water.

  I had to clear my throat and focus on sounding like a man. “About what?”

  “The king’s orders. Marry the richest lass at the ball. . . or should I marry for love?”

  “Love isn’t real. It’s a façade like the masks the ladies will wear.” My mother’s cynicism dripped from my voice.

  “That so? What woman scorned you then?”

  “I’ve never been scorned by a woman,” I scoffed.

  “Then a man?”

  “Ah, no!” I said even faster. “I’ve seen what it did to my mother. It cursed her and us. Nothing good comes from love. It makes you weak.”

  “You’re right. I saw what it did to my brother. Better to marry someone who can strengthen my hold on the throne.”

  The waters stilled, and I heard a loud sigh from the prince. A few minutes later, he came out of the river, water dripping off his hair and running down his chest. He stood next to me and shook his head like a dog. As the water splattered my uniform, I gave him a frustrated look, slapping the drops from my coat. He smirked.

  “Are you done, Your Highness?” I asked, trying not to show my extreme discomfort at being in this situation.

  He sighed again and looked back toward the palace. His face was forlorn. It seemed that it was the last place he wanted to go.

  A moment of pity overcame me, and I asked him out of curiosity and a way to delay his return, “What do you want to do?”

  “Hmm?” he asked, walking back to retrieve his clothes.

  “About your future.”

  “I wish to be a great ruler, the likes of which our kingdom has never seen before,” he said firmly. “But I can’t do that when a forest of obstacles stands in my way.” He was speaking metaphorically.

  “Then forge a path through.”

  “I’d rather burn it down,” he said and began to get dressed.

  I wondered if I had overstepped my bounds. Maybe I had offended him? Well, he needed to know his own mind, and he couldn’t even be a good ruler if he didn’t know how to make decisions.

  Keeping my hands and mind busy, I prepared the horses for our departure. A few moments later, he was ready, fully dressed, his royal rid
ing robes perfectly in place. Even his hair looked immaculate.

  The ride back to the palace was uncomfortably silent. I tried to say something, but each time the words became lodged in my throat like a nasty swig of medicine that wouldn’t go down. I worried on the corner of my lip. A few times, the prince turned in his saddle and gave me an odd look, and I just sat straighter in the saddle. Did he suspect that I wasn’t who I pretended to be? Was the jig up? Maybe I needed to make a hasty exit.

  I was so preoccupied with thinking of ways to escape or run away that I didn’t notice when we came back through the gate or entered the stable. A stable boy came to greet us, taking the reins from the prince first. As I slid off the horse, my legs almost gave out and I stumbled. The prince’s dark eyebrow rose up in a furious question.

  Gah! I was a horrible soldier. Maybe I should pick a better disguise next time.

  I must have offended the prince because he left without saying another word. The stable boy came and took the horse from me, and I felt a moment of sadness at seeing the beautiful beast leave. We only had one sorrel horse for the seven of us sisters, and she didn’t quite have the personality or spirit of this one. We all learned how to be a lady and ride sidesaddle for when we had to mingle with polite society. Too bad those lessons never included how to be a soldier.

  Sneaking back out of the palace turned out to be harder than sneaking in. The guards were patrolling, and I thought for sure I saw Derek by the front gate. I couldn’t possibly pass him wearing his own guise. Slipping back behind the barracks, I tucked the button into my satchel and felt my body slowly changed into my younger, shorter self. A smile of satisfaction donned my face. It felt good to be me again. I pulled a scarf from my handbag and placed it over my head. I concentrated on aging myself, putting gray into my hair, wrinkles on my face. It was easier to change and alter my own image than to put on a full glamour of another person.

  I was satisfied with my appearance when the watering trough’s reflection showed an older Eden. It was time to leave.

  The easiest way to throw off doubt was to leave slowly, not at a dead run. Walking across the courtyard, although only fifty yards or so, seemed like a mile. I turned my foot in, making sure to limp. Keep going, Eden. I encouraged myself. Keep going.

  I had made it to the gate, where the guards were speaking among themselves. I looked up and saw Derek; he gave me a curious look and turned to speak to me. “Do you need assistance, ma’am?” He gave me his elbow, and I recoiled.

  “No, I do not,” I snapped.

  “Well, it seems you do, since you can’t decide which leg to limp on.”

  “Maybe both my hips hurt.”

  “Hey you!” a demanding voice carried across the courtyard, and both Derek and I turned to see Prince Evander coming down toward us, his face an unreadable mask.

  My knees began to shake; he must have figured out what I had done. I couldn’t help it, but I began to sway. Derek reached out and caught my arm, his other arm wrapping around my shoulders to help keep me upright and from falling over.

  “You… Derek.” The prince stopped in front of us. Ignoring me completely, focusing all of his attention on the guard who was holding me.

  “I would like to accept your offer.”

  “My offer?” Derek repeated, confused.

  “Yes, and to start, I would like you to be one of my personal attendants at the ball tonight. Perhaps you can keep me from making a horrible decision and not falling in love.”

  “I… uh, I…,” Derek stammered, unsure how to respond to the request since he didn’t know why it came out of the blue. “I would be delighted to, Your Highness.” His hand squeezed a little too hard on my elbow.

  “Good, I’ll send a servant with instructions later.” The prince turned on his heel and marched back up the steps to the palace.

  Still locked in Derek’s strong grip, I pulled to get away from him, bringing his attention back to me.

  “I don’t know you, and I know most everyone in this town. I also know that you’re lying about something. I’m very good at knowing when people lie. There’s something off about you.”

  Great! He may be one of the few with the natural ability to tell when people are lying.

  His brown eyes studied me carefully. “Where do you live?”

  “I just moved here,” I croaked out.

  “From where?”

  “Very far away. You really shouldn’t harass an old lady.”

  “It’s my job.” His eyes narrowed again. “Let me warn you. I never forget a face.” His fingers released one by one from my arm, and I turned, hobbling away, unsure which way to limp. Oh, forget it. I ran.

  Chapter Seven

  I kept the old-lady glamour going as I walked through the town, pondering what I had learned. The prince didn’t seem cold or heartless at all. In fact, he seemed nice, and I was finding it hard to dislike him. His father, yes, I could understand why my mother detested him. He seemed shallow and corrupt; whereas his son wasn’t. They say the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, but that wasn’t true in the case of Prince Evander.

  I didn’t want to hurt Prince Evander; he seemed a victim. But how could I take the sails out of wretched King Ferdinand?

  Just then my mirror began to hum in my drawstring pouch.

  I ducked into an alley, and scrambled to open the bag, being careful to pull my hair to the side and make it look presentable before turning the mirror to face me.

  Mother Eville’s nose filled the mirror. “Eden!”

  “Yes, Mother.” I winced at the tone in her voice. She moved the mirror farther away, so that I could actually see more of her face. This time all I saw were her eyes.

  “You look horrid, child. Is it a glamour?”

  “Yes, it is because the king knows I’m here. He plans to stop me from coming.”

  “Of course he does. That’s because he fears the prophecy.”

  “What prophecy?” I asked.

  “No, not yet. All in good time. If you know too much, then you will inevitably try to alter the future.”

  “You said I had a choice.”

  “And you do. Sort of. But I already know what will happen.”

  I sighed in frustration. “Doesn’t matter. There’s no way I can get into the ball.”

  “Really? There’s no way?” she said, leading me. “You, who are the most talented at glamour, can’t find your way into the palace. If I know you, you’ve already snuck in and out by now.”

  I couldn’t hide the truth. “Yes, barely, but they will have a truth seer at the gate, and they can see through all glamour.” It was a weak attempt to back out.

  Mother sighed. “Yes, I see. Then you will need a magic item to amplify your gifts.”

  “I didn’t bring any.”

  “Well, did you get the shoes?” she asked irritably.

  “What shoes?” I waited as it sounded like Mother began to speak into another mirror. She was communicating with our fae friend Lorn. After a few minutes, she came back. “That’s right, I hadn’t told you where they are.”

  “What do I need?”

  Her lips turned up in an evil grin. “Do you know anyone with a shovel?”

  Mother spent the next mark going over very specific instructions about a certain enchanted item that she knew was buried nearby. How she knew was highly suspicious, but I trusted her.

  Right?

  The mirror went black.

  A shrill voice carried through the air, and I turned in disdain to see a beautiful brunette girl push a smaller servant girl down. “You stepped on my dress! I should have you whipped.”

  “I’m sorry, sister,” the younger strawberry blonde girl whispered and immediately leaned down and began to wipe the patch of dirt from the edge of her dress.

  I carefully tucked the mirror back into my drawstring purse and watched.

  “Tess, don’t you dare call me sister in public. You are a disgrace to our family and our name.” The older girl ripped her dr
ess from the girl’s hands, giving her a rough push on the shoulder.

  “Sorry, Nessa.” The sister acting as a servant looked up, her eyes filled with unshed tears.

  I stepped back behind a stall and watched the two sisters interact. The taller one was loud, brassy in voice and appearance. She carried herself with an air of importance. The other sister, Tess, was meek and kept her head down, being careful to stand in the shadow and out of the way.

  What was their reasoning for having the other pretend to be a servant? Why was she cruel to her? I chewed on my lip and pretended to shop, all the while keeping an eye on the two of them. The sister in the fancier dress would pick up a particular ribbon or broach and then scoff at its price before loudly disregarding the item, her obvious contempt drawing the shopkeepers’ attention.

  They created quite the spectacle. Studying them, it was easy to figure out the girls’ plan. Nessa moved away, walking into a store, all eyes still on her. The servant girl was nowhere to be found. And before I even glanced back at the table, I knew the brooch was gone. She swiped it—not Nessa, but the quiet one.

  “Very interesting.” I smiled.

  They were con artists, thieves, and it looked like they were darn good ones too. No one ever paid attention to the servant. I followed the brunette, Nessa, into a dressmaker’s shop, where she was getting fitted for a dress for the ball.

  “I’m not sure about the dark orange. I hear that Prince Evander favors pastels. Do you have anything else?”

  “Miss, I’ve already told you, it is too late to change your dress. We are swamped with custom orders because of the ball. Would you like to try your luck elsewhere?” the shopkeeper said.

  “No.” Nessa waved her hand and stuck out her lip in a pout. “It will have to do.” She kept glancing out the window nervously, as if she was waiting for something.

  “Would you like me to wrap it up for you?”

  “No,” she said hurriedly. “I think I’d like to take a look at your trimmings, if you please. I feel that this dress needs something else.”

  “Very well.” The shopkeeper bowed his head and went into the back wall and began to pull out drawers of lace and pearls.