One Hundred refusals (18)

A serialised romantic fantasy.

Previously… Chapter 1. Chapter 17

“I love you, oh, I love you, Lord Valeur!” Pearl whispered, whilst Val held her as tight as he could, and gifted her his sweetest kisses.

“Val, call me Val, my beautiful Pearl! We have shared too many kisses for you to call me a Lord…” he loosened his embrace to look into her eyes.

“Is there something wrong, my Lord…Val?” Pearl asked, looking around. Though Cinnia stood outside the orchard guarding them from being caught, one could never be too careful.

Lord Valeur did something incredible, he went on one knee, pulling out a tiny ring from his pocket.

“Pearl, you are… I did not deserve such joy… would you?” he stuttered.

“Oh…” Pearl fell onto her knees devastated. “I can’t… how could I?”

“Do you not want me?”

“More than anything. But…how? I am to marry Sturnus in a couple of days.”

“Run away with me! Please, Pearl…” Val begged, sliding the ring on her finger. It was a perfect fit; a golden ring with a beautiful pearl gracing it.

“I…cannot! Forgive me…” Pearl cried out, jumped to her feet, and ran through the garden like a mad woman, nearly ramming King Olor on her way. He gave her the most devious look, full of suspicion. Even more so, when he noticed Lord Valeur chasing after Pearl, but slowing down at the sight of the King. Cinnia tiptoed past King Olor with a guilty smile on her face.

“Cinnia!” he bellowed.

“Yes, my Lord?” she turned back.

“Summon the Hebenian Nobles! Summon the court, and my son!”

The court erupted after they heard King Olor’s suggestion; to change the day of the royal wedding. It was to take place a day earlier. Every eye in the hall looked at Pearl. The Queen had the final word. But little did they know that one furious look from King Olor’s black eyes was enough for Pearl to nod approvingly and declare the new date of the royal wedding. The castle, the whole Citadel, and the city was overtaken by manic frenzy of wedding preparations, and king Olor marched among the chaos he caused, murmuring under his black beard, “She will not make a fool out of my son, messing with that blond bastard behind our backs! Enough!”

***

“Do not touch me!” Gema scolded Ash, as he tried to help her out the carriage.

“I’m afraid I will be forced to, or rather you will have to not only touch me, but carry me,” Ash said seriously.

“What?!”

“We must get into the castle. First, I’ll use my Snakeling skin to get inside, then I’ll help you.”

Gema had no other choice but to allow Ash turn into a snake in a dark street corner, and let him slither into the only hiding place she could provide him with; the cleavage of her tight dress. The little snake didn’t seem to mind hiding between Gema’s breasts, as it sat there completely still. She approached the castle from the garden; a whole crowd had gathered there to observe the feast, and heavily armed guards did not let anybody near the castle. Gema pretended to bend down to fix the strap of her lovely shoe; meanwhile the little snake slithered out it’s hiding, into the grass, past the guards, and toward the castle.

Ash crept through the shadows unseen by the servants, and maids; all were running around, because of the feast.

He knew the castle well, and he also knew that many servants and maids were hired on special occasions, such as this. There was no trouble at all for him to creep into the storage chamber where the uniforms hung in neat rows…

Where a snake slithered in, a tall servant came out. A peculiar one, with his long, black hair tucked beneath the collar of his shirt, yet he strived with confidence, carried a tray of wine to the tables laid in the garden, and afterward he marched to the guards on the edge of the garden. After a short conversation they parted, Ash saw Gema in the first row of the curious crowd, and pulled her into the garden.

“Very busy, very busy, we’re in great need of more maids,” he kept murmuring for the guards to hear. “This one will do. Follow me, please.”

Without a word Ash took Gema into the same storage chamber.

“Why should I change into maid’s clothes?!” She objected. “I am the real Queen Geminaris, and I shall declare it openly!”

“Of course, you will, my dear! After we stop the Wedding night. I believe your sister is getting ready for it now.”

“And why should I care?! Serves her right!”

“Gema! It is your sister!” Ash held her hands, and stared into her eyes. The look in his clear green eyes was more than Gema could bear.

How is it I still feel weak in the knees when he looks at me like that? She thought.

“Oh… you’re right. But this time around you shall hide in the pocket of the maid’s apron,” Gema clarified.

Ash gave a heavy sigh, and his cheeks bloomed in red.

“I did enjoy my previous hiding place. So close to your warm…heart,” he said, smiling idly, to which Gema rolled her eyes.

A lovely young maid walked out the chamber, with a little black snake hiding in the pocket of her apron. She went to the Queen’s chamber, where the miserable Pearl stood in front of the mirror sobbing. She knew - king Olor waited by the chamber for the newlyweds, to make sure nobody escapes the wedding night. The guards didn’t stop the maid entering quietly; obviously the Queen had summoned her for some reason. Gema saw her twin sister crying desperately, while Cinnia tried to console her.

No wonder Ash got us mixed up; she looks just like me!

“I cannot, Cinnia, save me…” Pearl cried.

“You must convince prince Sturnus to lay on the rug. As simple as that! If you don’t sleep with him in the Wedding bed, you might survive the curse,” chirped Cinnia.

“I do not want to live, Cinnia, if I must sleep with anybody else but Val! I’d rather die!”

“Oh, do not exaggerate, my Lady! It is only one night. A small sacrifice for Avem,” Cinnia said.

“Was our friendship also a small sacrifice for Avem?!” Gema came up to the two, revealing herself.

“You??!” Pearl jumped back.

“My Lady Gema!” Cinnia yelled.

Ash slithered out the pocket, and turned into a man.

“You cannot sleep with the prince!”

“You’re right, snake! I’d rather die than betray Val!”

“Oh, you devious man!”Cinnia scolded him, “and how do you suggest my Lady Pearl escapes your curse?!”

Everybody stood looking at each other, until Gema said,

“I know how. But that, indeed, will demand a sacrifice,” she eyed Cinnia furiously, while Ash eyed her with great suspicion.

After a while, a maid walked out the Queen’s chamber with a small black snake hiding in her pocket.

The Queen was led by the guards to the Wedding chamber. She wore a lovely silk nightdress with a matching robe, and a tiny blue tit bird hiding beneath it. The Queen avoided looking at king Olor waiting by the Wedding chamber to make sure she enters.

She walked into the candle lit chamber. Prince Sturnus was already waiting for her in the giant bed.

“I cannot do this, my Lady!” The tiny bird chirped only for Gema to hear.

“You must! For our friendship, for my sister, for…Avem!” Gema whispered to her.

“For Avem!” Cinnia chirped back.