Page 11 of Betraying Korth

“I’m glad you arrived safely.” Korth took several deep breaths as if to ask another question, and though I waited expectantly, he closed his mouth each time.

“Tess,” I said, turning to his sister, “how old are you?”

“I just turned twelve,” she answered proudly. “I’m old enough to help with trials now.”

“Oh really? How exactly do you help with those?”

As Tess eagerly told me all about the duties assigned to the royal family’s representative at each major criminal trial, Korth discreetly slipped a piece of paper from his pocket and examined it, unsuccessfully trying to hide it behind his large hands before replacing it again.

When Tess drew a breath, Korth asked in a rush, “Odette, what are your hobbies? It has been some time since you mentioned them in a letter.”

“Sewing, dancing, playing the harp, and taking long walks,” I said, listing off several of the pastimes that Odette’s tutors encouraged her to pursue.

“Good, good.” Korth fell silent again and stared out as the carriage trundled over a bridge spanning a river. Tess jumped back in again, clearly used to her brother’s poor conversational skills and made up the difference.

As Tess continued her monologue recounting several trials she had attended to watch her mother or brother oversee, Korth slipped the paper back out of his pocket and glanced at it, his eyes skating back and forth.

“What’s your favorite food?” he asked, returning the paper to his pocket.

“My favorite is yams with tappa rolls!” Tess piped up. “It’s even better with a glaze dip.”

“I asked Odette,” Korth gently reminded her, turning his attention back to me.

“Sugared figs,” I said. Then, because I couldn’t immediately recall any of Odette’s other favorite dishes, added one of my own. “And clam stew.”

“We don’t have many figs on our island,” Korth said slowly, then brightened and added, “but we have plenty of clams. I’ll have the cooks serve them every day.”

I was about to say that there was no need to go to any trouble when I remembered that I wasn’t Dahlia anymore. I was Odette, and Odette would demand special treatment. Although, if I wanted Korth to fall in love with me as Odette, I would need to be a tolerable person. “That is extremely generous of you. I appreciate your consideration and look forward to trying some of your local cuisine as well.”

Korth’s mouth remained in a firm line, but he inclined his head, which I took to be a good sign.

“You need to try the tappa rolls,” Tess chirped.

“We’ll have to have some at the feast when your brother and I get married. How does that sound?”

“Good! When will you get married?”

“In two months,” Korth interjected. “But it can be extended if needs be. I don’t want her to feel rushed.”

“It isn’t like I haven’t waited for years already and written to you as often as possible,” I quipped, my mouth twitching. “I feel like I already know you very well.”

Tess laughed. “I think Korth is the one who doesn’t want to rush. He never hurries.”

I winked at her. “Then we won’t rush him.” If Korth was too shy to accept my flirtations, the next best thing was becoming friends with his sister. Sisters have a way of convincing their brothers, which would come in very handy for me.

CHAPTER 7

The chambers I was assigned were spacious and well-decorated, but not nearly as lavishly as Odette’s had been back in Ebora. The balcony opened onto a majestic view of the waves in the distance, with vividly green palm trees waving in the wind between the castle and the beach. Ship masts broke up the flat line of the reflective ocean meeting the sky.

An ornate bed frame filled the majority of the sleeping chamber, with depictions of oceanic creatures carved into the four posters, and pink lilies overflowed the delicate crystal vase sitting on the bedside table. Their fragrant scent mingled with the salty tang of the breeze that made the thin blue curtains sway and dance about, looking just as much a part of the ocean as the view beyond the castle’s grounds.

“Your things, my lady.” One of the handmaidens waved in several footmen, all laden down with Odette’s trunks, which were deposited in the antechamber. “We’re here to help you settle in. There is a bath already prepared.”

“My deepest gratitude,” I gushed with a gracious smile, determined to win favors and influence rather than replicate Odette’s personality. “I sincerely appreciate your efforts to makeme feel at home here, especially since my own handmaiden was unable to make the voyage.”

The handmaiden beamed as she dropped a curtsy and busied herself with unpacking the trunks, hanging gowns, and organizing Odette’s—nomy—belongings. I allowed myself a brief moment to imagine Odette’s arrival at whatever servants’ quarters she was to be assigned. How I hoped her bedding would be filled with mice or mold. Her shrill, squealing voice echoed inside my head, panicked over what commoners regularly endured, and I didn’t think I would ever hear a better sound than the one I dreamed up.

The bath that followed my arrival was the longest and most luxurious I’d ever taken in my life. Gone was the frigid water, harsh soap, and stiff-bristled wash brushes of the servants’ communal bathing area back home, replaced by warm water scented with oils and flower petals. By the time I emerged from the bath, I had not only scrubbed away the salt from my voyage and any residual dirt that had settled on me from the last hour of traveling, but also my lowly status and any possible reservations about the mission ahead of me.

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