Chapter 8 Change Of Plans

• *Bexley*
• The soft, warm embrace of a thousand goose feathers wraps around me. I sigh and stretch, not wanting to leave the most comfortable sleep of my life, but when I open my eyes, I see sunlight peeking through the edge of the curtains, and I know it’s time for me to get up.
• I take in the beautiful bedroom and smooth down the comfortable satin nightgown I’d found in one of the drawers as I make my way to the attached restroom. This one is so much larger and nicer than my bathroom at home. I could spend hours in the huge bathtub. Unfortunately, I haven’t had a chance to try it out, and since I’ve obviously slept in, I decide to take a shower instead. As much as I am enjoying my time here, I need to get home to Mother.
• Despite my best efforts to hurry, I take a long shower using all of the amazing products I find on a shelf within the massive stall. When I’m afraid I’m about to drain the hot water out of the entire castle, I make myself turn the water off and grab a towel. I dry off and put on a robe before stepping back into my bedroom.
• Anna is there, bustling about. “Good morning, dear,” she says with a cheerful smile. “I was just coming to check on you. Would you like your breakfast in here? I’m afraid everyone else has already eaten. It is half-past ten, after all.”
• My cheeks flare at the realization that I’ve slept so late. “That would be lovely, thank you.”
• “Of course.” She presses the button on the wall and speaks into the tube, giving the staff instruction to bring up my breakfast. I imagine whatever the chefs have prepared, it will be magnificent.
• Anna opens the armoire and pulls out a lovely pink day dress. “What do you think of this one for today, miss?”
• “It’s beautiful.” I sit at the vanity and brush out my damp hair. “But don’t you think I should wear my own clothes for the journey back?”
• I’m not looking directly at her, but I can see Anna’s expression in the mirror. Hesitation takes over before she says, “Uhm, I think this one will look lovely on you. It’s yours.” She sets the gown on the bed, along with the undergarments I’ll need.
• Any thoughts I’ve had of asking her what is troubling her disappear when my food arrives and the scent of bacon and eggs hits my lungs. I can’t remember the last time I had a slice of crispy bacon, and my mouth is watering already.
• Anna thanks the servant and sets my food on a little table near the window. “I’ll leave you to it, dear. After breakfast, I believe Ellison will be in to see you.” She smiles, but I see something other than cheerfulness in the curve of her lips.
• It looks a bit like pity.
• I thank her and finish getting ready for the day, slipping on the dress she laid out for me before I eat my breakfast. While it’s a bit boring to eat alone, I take my time and savor every bite.
• The curtains are open now, so I can take in the forest. I see several birds fluttering around and a smaller creature I think is either a squirrel or a chipmunk. It’s hard to tell from here. I smile, thinking about all of the secrets the forest must contain, but it’s a bit disheartening knowing I won’t be here to explore them.
• The sky is overcast, and I have to wonder if we’ll get any snow. It seems fitting that I would leave this cheerful place and return to my home village on a blustery day.
• I think of the king. When I first laid eyes on him, sitting in the shadows in his office, it was frightful. But the more I think about it, the more I realize my eyes must’ve been playing tricks on me. He couldn’t possibly be a half-human, half-monster. Maybe he just has long hair and an underbite. Regardless of what he looks like, he is our king, and I should think kindly about him.
• I do remember Fiona saying she’d seen him when he was a prince. He used to come to the villages some. She said he was a handsome man with caramel blonde hair and hazel eyes. Unless my mind is playing tricks on me, that’s not who I encountered last night.
• None of it matters, though. I will be leaving soon, and that means either I’ll somehow forget all about it or I’ll be pledged to keep what I’ve witnessed to myself.
• I can’t imagine how they must convince women not to say anything because this place is so fantastic, but I don’t believe in magic either, so that’s the only answer that makes any sense. Unless they have some scientific way of making us forget.
• I’m finished eating and continue to stare out the window, sipping on a second glass of orange juice, when there’s a knock on the door.
• It’ll take me a moment to get there since this room is so large, so I call, “Yes?” and it opens. Ellison sticks his head in, his curly mop of hair unruly as always. I can’t help but smile.
• “Good morning, Bex,” he says. “Can I come in?”
• “Of course.”
• He leaves the door open a bit, which I assume is because I am an unmarried woman, and this is—for now—my bedchamber, and he is an unmarried man. Ellison is always the gentleman.
• With his long legs, he’s at my table in a few strides. I offer him a seat, and he takes it. “How was your breakfast?”
• “Delicious.” I slide the platter closer to the window so it’s out of our way. “Did you eat already?” I don’t have much in the way of leftovers, but I’d feel rude not to offer him anything.
• “I did,” he says with a nod. “We missed you at breakfast, but I understand why you might want to sleep in. The beds in the castle are divine, aren’t they?”
• Giggling like a schoolgirl, I say, “They are.” I’m not sure why I’m embarrassed. He sleeps here every night, so he knows how comfortable it is. “Are you here to collect me?” I’m going to miss this place, but I can’t wait to see my mother’s face.
• His disposition shifts. “About that….”
• My eyebrows raise as I try to figure out what has brought upon the sudden change. Ellison looks down at his hands, which he is slowly rubbing together. “What’s the matter?”
• “We, uh, aren’t going back to your house today.” He lifts his green eyes and stares at me for a moment.
• “Oh?” I take a deep breath and swallow down my disappointment. “I thought it was just for one night.”
• “It is,” he says quickly. “I mean… it usually is. But, uhm, you’re a little different than some of the other girls. The staff just adores you, as does everyone else in the house, myself included.” I think I see his cheeks turn a bit pink at that comment, but he rushes through it. “The king thinks you’re quite intelligent and lovely, and he’d like for you to stay a bit longer.”
• He almost had me convinced with his comments about the staff and the other people who live in the castle. I wasn’t much of a conversationalist at supper, but I did enjoy getting to know everyone. I thought Olive and Naomi were nice and could see myself being friends with them, particularly Naomi who seemed to take an interest in my love for animals.
• But the king? There’s simply no way that he wants to keep me here. Based on the few seconds I spent in his presence the evening before, how could he possibly? I stumbled through a greeting and then took off like I thought a monster was about to chase me down and eat me for dinner.
• “No.”
• The word leaves my lips before I can even attempt to check it. Ellison raises an eyebrow and looks at me hard. “Come again?”
• “I said no,” I repeat. “I can’t stay here. Not because, as you claim, the king wants me to. Ellison, I belong at home with my mother. While you and everyone else I’ve met has been kind to me, and I appreciate it, the king didn’t even turn the light on in his office for me to see his face. There’s no way he wants me to stay here, and if he does, well, it has to be for something nefarious.”
• “Nefarious?” he repeats, and then he bursts into a rich chuckle that makes me feel silly. My face is on fire. He shakes his head, his curls dancing. “No, Bex. It’s nothing like that.”
• I do rather like this little nickname he has for me, but I can’t let it distract me. “Then what does he want me for?”
• “To get to know you better,” he insists. “King Canaan doesn’t let many people into his inner circle, but he’s always looking for people he can trust. He didn’t turn the light on because he has… a condition, one you may have seen traces of when you encountered him. It’s embarrassing for him. Hence, he doesn’t go out in public. He’s looking for someone who can see past that and get to know him for himself. He thinks you might be that girl, and I concur.”
• I stare at him, unblinking, for what seems like an eternity going over all of that information in my mind. Ellison concurs? I might be the girl who can get to know the king for himself? Is he implying he thinks I should court the king? It’s preposterous. Not only am I the furthest thing from princess material anyone could ever imagine, I’m disappointed that Ellison would so readily hand me over to another man.
• I guess the spark I thought I felt with him is nothing more than friendship. He probably flirts with everyone. Still, I’ve been feeling this tug inside of me since I first met him, and I foolishly thought perhaps he felt it, too.
• Now, I just feel embarrassed.
• “I don’t want to,” I say, folding my arms. “I want to go home and see my mother.”
• He seems exasperated as he blows out a breath. “Not today, Bex.”
• “Bexley,” I correct him. He doesn’t get to call me that anymore.
• “Sorry. Just…” He shakes his head. “I wish I could make you both happy, but I can’t, and my first duty is to the king.”
• I want to believe that he’s telling me the truth, that he cares about my happiness, but now I feel like everything that’s happened to me so far today has been nothing but a ridiculous lie. Before I know what I’m saying—again—the words leave my mouth. “I want to see him.”
• His forehead scrunches. “Who? Garth?”
• Bile rises in the back of my throat. “Goodness, no. I never want to see him. Why would you say that?”
• “Sorry. I just thought—” He stops and shakes his head again. “Who?”
• “The king!” I blurt. Even to my own ear, I sound aggressive. This man is an important noble, and I’m practically shouting in his face. “I would like to have an audience with the king, please.”
• His mouth moves a bit, but no words come out at first. Eventually, he says, “I’ll see what I can do.”
• Ellison steps out into the hallway, and I take a deep breath wondering what in the world I have gotten myself into? If I get an audience with the king, what am I going to say? And if I don’t…. That means I’ll be trapped here indefinitely.