The Wild Swans (4 page)

The twins exchanged a sort of secret glance between them
, and although Steffen and Gabrielle wore their usual serene expressions, Elise was certain they exchanged some sort of signal because they did not look at each other.

Elise looked to Falk
, whose eyebrows lowered over his piercing brown eyes. Gerhart was unsettled. Elise knew this because he did not ooze charm and instead sipped wine from a goblet, hiding his lower face as he studied his father’s companion.

“It is our pleasure to meet you
, Lady Clotilde,” Gabrielle said, speaking on behalf of the king’s shocked children.

“Thank you
,” Lady Clotilde said with a deep, throaty voice. She spared Elise and her foster siblings a glance but focused most of her attention on King Henrik, Steffen, and Gabrielle. “I am delighted to be here.”

“I m
et Lady Clotilde in the woods not far from Brandis. She lives there in a charming house,” King Henrik volunteered. “I have visited her many times during these winter months. She has become a dear companion.”

“You are too kind
, My Lord,” Lady Clotilde said as the servants started bringing in trays of food and setting them down on the table.

Elise and
her family immediately began helping themselves to the food, selecting sliced apples, stewed carrots, parsnips, and cuts of beef and pork.

On
ly Lady Clotilde did not reach for a dish or food of any sort. Instead, she frowned. “Why do the servants not serve you?”

“Why should they? We’ve got perfect
ly capable arms,” Nick said.

“We general
ly dine with informality. Times of serving are restricted only to dinners involving politics, visiting monarchs, and matters of the country,” King Henrik said, patting Lady Clotilde’s arm.

“You should change
that. It’s not proper,” Lady Clotilde said.

“If you wish
, my dear; you may change it later.” King Henrik said.

Falk straightened up. “I beg your pardon?”

“Ahh, yes. That brings me to the news I wish to share with all of you. I have asked Lady Clotilde to marry me, and she has consented,” King Henrik said.

Elise choked on her apple slice
; Nick spewed out the mouthful of beer he was in the process of drinking, and Mikk—who was cutting his beef—made his pewter plate shriek when his knife slide across the surface. Gerhart dropped the gravy bowl he was passing to Falk, spilling gravy everywhere and making a tremendously loud crack. The noise was eclipsed, though, by a servant who was in the process of bringing in a meat jelly and dropped the pan in surprise at the proclamation.

On
ly Falk, Steffen, and Gabrielle were composed.

Steffen
’s eyes still crinkled in his perpetual smile. “You are to wed? You have our congratulations, as well as our deepest sorrow that Father did not think to introduce you to us sooner, Lady Clotilde,” Steffen said.

“When do you plan to hold the marriage?” Gabrielle asked.

“The first of spring,” King Henrik said.

“In a
month
? Are you mad?” Gerhart yelped.

Falk kicked Gerhart under the table after Mikk nodded
at him.

“
That is a brief courtship,” Gabrielle tactfully acknowledged.

“I want you children to warm
ly welcome Lady Clotilde into our family,” King Henrik continued, unaffected by Gerhart’s remarks. “Love her and treat her as you would your own Mother, for she is to replace her and eclipse her in your hearts.”

Silence reigned over the table.

Elise and her siblings stared at their father, stricken more by this proclamation than by King Henrik’s sudden intent to marry. Queen Ingrid was the family treasure. Although the Arcainian royal family was closer than most ruling families, there was tension between them. Queen Ingrid was the one person who was able to pull them together, regardless of the situation.

She could never be replaced.

The stubborn stillness betrayed the royal family’s thoughts over King Henrik’s bride, and King Henrik grew stormy in the open sign of rebellion. His frown turned into a scowl as his children remained silent.

Sens
ing the mounting pressure, Elise stood. She walked to Lady Clotilde’s seat and folded herself in an ornamental curtsey. “I welcome you to our family, Lady Clotilde. I look forward to learning more about you, and I hope you will enjoy your new life here in Castle Brandis,” Elise said.

One by one
, the other royal siblings stood and joined Elise in front of Lady Clotilde, bowing or curtsying to her.

“Brown
-noser,” Gerhart whispered to Elise.

“Noth
ing good will come of angering father and alienating his bride,” Elise said.

“Of course you would know
that,” Gerhart said before he threw himself back in his seat, angrily mixing his jellied meat with his mashed potatoes.

“Mikk
, send for Erick and Rune,
now
,” Steffen whispered behind a frozen smile before he retreated to his chair.

“Welcome to the fami
ly, Lady Clotilde. If you will excuse me, Father, Lady Clotilde,” Mikk said. He left the room when King Henrik acknowledged him with a hand.

“Of course
, my boy. Go ahead.”

When everyone
was seated, Nick leaned back, using Elise as a physical barrier so he could whisper to Falk, “I guess we should have started watching him closer months ago.”

“So it would seem
,” Falk said.

“So it would seem
,” Elise echoed.

Elise watched a number of Arcainian subjects throw handfuls of uncooked rice and seeds at K
ing Henrik and Lady—now Queen—Clotilde’s open top carriage. They waved banners and flags of Arcainian colors—black and gold—that were embroidered with the country’s symbol, a white swan.

Hav
ing witnessed the marriage, Elise and her siblings were following on horseback and in carriages as part of the marriage procession that wove through the city before returning to Castle Brandis for the wedding feast.

“You don’t know what to make of
the new queen, do you?”

Elise glanced
Erick, the last of her foster brothers to arrive to the wedding. He was seated in the carriage with her and Gerhart. Steffen and Gabrielle were in their own open-top carriage just behind King Henrik and Queen Clotilde’s, and the rest of the Arcainian princes were riding.

Elise hesitated
, trying to find polite words to describe the feeling Clotilde gave her.

“You find her unsettl
ing,” Erick said.

Elise winced. She glanced at the crowds
, but no one noticed the serious discussion held between Elise and Erick. (Who would, after all, with all the handsome princes of Arcainia being aired out at the same time?) “Yes,” she admitted.

Erick smiled. “So do I.”

“There’s something about her. It’s not the way she looks, or that she has said anything unpleasant. She looks at everything as if looking forward to the day that it is hers,” Elise said.

“Indeed
, why else would she marry a man nearly twice her age?” Erick said.

“Erick!” Elise said
.

It
was a good thing Gerhart was in the carriage with them. He smiled and waved so beautifully at the crowds no one was likely to notice Elise’s shock.

Erick smiled again. “Tis true
,” he said before his eyes lost the sparkle of his smile. “She feels likes magic.”

“I
n Arcainia? That cannot be,” Elise said.

“I
have met quite a few enchanters and enchantresses at the Arcainian Royal College. I know what magic feels like, and Clotilde has it,” Erick said.

“
But magic is outlawed here. It has been since Father married Mother,” Elise said.

“No
, performing magic is against the law. Any magic user can enter Arcainia’s borders,” Erick countered.

Elise looked to the carriage K
ing Henrik and Queen Clotilde rode in. The new queen was smiling. It was a thin, brittle gesture, and although she looked beautiful, she did not look particularly happy.

“What do we do?” Elise asked.

“What we’ve been doing. I’m reaching out to some of my contacts. If we can get a high-level magic user here, they could at least tell us if Clotilde is something to worry about or not,” Erick says.

“You are go
ing back to the college?”

“For now. I am the
chancellor; I cannot abandon it. However, I will return home more often. Rune will remain here at least through the spring and summer. By then, a magic user should arrive,” Erick said.

Elise
nodded.

“You will
have to keep being the Perfect Princess,” Erick said.

“What do you mean?”

“Father isn’t happy with our reaction to his marriage. From what Steffen tells me, only you and Gabrielle reacted with any decorum. You are still in his good graces. You
must
stay there,” Erick said.

Elise offered Erick a
weary smile. “Isn’t that my job already?”

Erick chuckled as the carriage rolled to a stop in front of Brandis. “And
that is why the country treasures you.”

Elise squared her shoulders
before she stepped down from the carriage with Erick’s assistance.

Servants and attendants swarmed the carriages as everyone stepped into their places for Clotilde’s first entrance in
to Brandis as its queen.

Mertein was there
. Elise managed to grasp his hand and linger by him for a moment.

“You look stunning
,” Mertein said, squeezing her hand.

“Thank you
. I will be glad when the feast begins, though,” Elise said. “My cheeks hurt from all the smiling.”

“But it is such a happy occasion
,” Mertein said.

“Yes
,” Elise said, slow to agree.

“Fürstin
, Fürstin! Here, your flute,” an attendant called, presenting Elise with the gold-leafed instrument.

Elise took the instrument with
a smile. “Thank you,” she said, before turning to Mertein. “If you’ll excuse me, I had best get into position.”

“Of course. Will you save me a dance?” Mertein asked.

“With pleasure,” Elise said, extracting her hand and curtseying. She clenched the flute in her hands as she hurried up the stairs. She waited on the top stair with the rest of the royal family, stretching her fingers into the right position.

She
was the only member of the royal family who played an instrument to a degree of expertise. As such, she was usually required to play on important days, like today.

“Everyone ready?”
Steffen asked as the Arcainian flag—a white swan set on a background of black and gold—unfurled above them.

“I hate formal wear
,” Nick complained. “We look like fairies, or a set of tiara brothers,” he said.

“Hush up
, and smile,” Gabrielle said, straightening the Nick’s crooked circlet.

On
ly the king and queen of Arcainia wore crowns. All other members of the royal family wore artfully crafted metal circlets studded with gems…or, as Nick had called them, tiaras.

When K
ing Henrik and Queen Clotilde started up the wide, sweeping stairs that lead to Brandis, Elise started playing her flute.

She played perfect
ly. The song was bright and cheerful. It was meant to sound like a welcome to the new queen, and it did even though Elise privately wanted to do everything
but
welcome Clotilde to Brandis.

Elise’s tim
ing was exactly on, and she finished the song just as King Henrik and Queen Clotilde joined Elise, Gabrielle, and the princes on the top step.