Page 20 of Vanish

“I’m no expert in the matter, considering my own unconventional courtship with my wife; we didn’t fall in love until we were en route to annul our union.”

I had forgotten my brother’s romance had unfolded in such a tumultuous way, and one less than useful for my circumstances. Though he had begun his own love story as useless at romance as I currently was, in the end he had managed to secure his wife’s heart…though my own journey felt far more daunting considering his wife hadn’t been on the verge of vanishing.

Ryland continued considering the matter. “You could ask Father—his marriage was also arranged—but you know he dislikes speaking of Mother ever since her death.”

I shook my head with a sigh. No matter my desperation, I couldn’t rekindle such painful memories for Father, especially when his full focus was needed for our people.

Ryland rested a hand on my shoulder. In that moment all of our past differences seemed to fade, allowing us to recapture a glimpse the brotherly camaraderie that used to be commonplace between us. “Perhaps the one you should be asking is not someone removed from your courtship, but the very one whom you hope to woo.”

He was right. It might not be ideal circumstances carrying on such a personal conversation in the corridor in front of my brother, but I’d done far too much waiting already. Perhaps my talking to Lisette with Ryland present might even help him begin to be able to hear her.

I turned towards the wall where she hovered just as the door to the meeting room opened beside her. “Ah, Your Highnesses have arrived.” Lord Dorbeaux, the advisor I liked the least, stood in the doorway, eyes narrowed in his usual scrutiny that always seemed to be testing me, looking for ways to find me unworthy to rule.

My mouth snapped shut. I cast Lisette an apologetic glance and steeled myself in preparation to enter the room where I would be forced to temporarily set aside all matters of the heart. I forced myself to strip away any thoughts and emotions that didn’t align with my role as crown prince; I felt my mask settle firmly over my features until there was no hint ofLucienby the time I entered the room, only the crown prince. In a futile attempt to keep Lisette out of the meeting which would bring nothing but pain to us both, I tried to quickly shut the door behind me, but I acted too late; I could feel her presence just behind me as I surveyed the room.

Shock nearly faltered my secure hold over my regal bearing, for it wasn’t just Father and our usual advisors that greeted me, but several I didn’t recognize bearing the Thorndale colors and regalia.

I heard Lisette’s breath catch, a heart-wrenching sound that made me immediately regret that our necessary proximity had forced her to follow me. My stolen glance revealed that her shimmery visage had become even paler, her eyes wide with what almost looked like fear. I instinctively stepped closer, a pointless gesture considering it wasn’t her physical wellbeing I needed to protect but whatever message her kingdom’s representatives would impart, words that would be impossible to shield her from.

Frustration at my continued helplessness simmered. I wanted to turn to my brother and demand an explanation for why he hadn’t informed me of this development, but he looked just as surprised to see the entourage from Thorndale. It took every ounce of discipline for me to endure the courteous bows and polite pleasantries expected when greeting foreign dignitaries, especially as I was not the only one ill at ease; the room was fraught with tension.

When we’d finally concluded our tedious protocol, we took our seats around the circular table, Lisette standing unseen behind my chair. Father began the meeting. “We appreciate you journeying all this way to meet with us.” Though he kept his voice even, wariness filled his eyes—nothing good could come from a foreign dignitary visiting after their princess had met such a terrible fate within our territory.

The head Thorndale representative bowed his head. “Considering the grave risk in traveling at this time, we humbly ask that you excuse His Majesty from visiting in person.”

I gritted my teeth to keep my burning retort firmly at bay. The king clearly hadn’t deemed it too high a risk to send his daughter directly into the heart of the cursed land, nor in disregarding our warnings about which route would be safest for her to traverse.

Father nodded. “You are here to discuss what befell Princess Lisette and her entourage while traveling through Brimoire?”

“Naturally. The King of Thorndale demands compensation.” No expression of regret or condolences for their lost princess before their immediate demands for recompense, as if the King of Thorndale possessed no remorse for the tragedy that befell his daughter. I felt ashamed I’d gone our entire courtship without understanding the indifference Lisette endured in her home life.

Lisette pressed herself closer; my back tingled where her intangible torso brushed against it. I wanted to reach behind and take her hand, but even though she was invisible and the dignitaries she’d likely spent some time around gave no indication that they noticed her, I was afraid to draw any unwanted attention to her presence.

“You must understand that he cannot overlook the loss of the king’s daughter…hispreciousdaughter. His Majesty demands compensation—all the lands that have fallen under the curse’s control, as well as double the resources our alliance promised through trade and the dowry payment.”

Father’s chair nearly toppled as he sprang to his feet. “Our kingdom’s needs are far too dire to spare so much. How can we afford—”

“You misunderstand: it is because His Majesty understands your kingdom’s precarious circumstances that he is choosing to act in mercy rather than invade your land in retribution. Surely this tribute is a preferable price than the devastation that will be caused by war?” While the dignitary’s expression remained impassive, I sensed his silent triumph.

Our mutual horror choked the air as Father fell silent, breathing heavily. My heart pounded wildly as my mind scrambled to sort through the resulting havoc should Thorndale—who possessed much mightier military strength even before our kingdom had been cursed—invade. A shudder ran through me as I realized they had the additional advantage of knowing the current safe route to the palace. Should Thorndale declare war, we would lose much more than what they currently demanded…though there was also a chance that all that would be required of us would be to sit back and sip our tea while we watched their armies vanish.

Though Father and I had feared such an outcome the moment we’d been forced to report the news to Thorndale that Lisette’s entire entourage had truly succumbed to the curse without a trace, the resulting repercussions were far worse than we’d initially imagined.

To think the King of Thorndale was willing to overlook the loss of his daughter for an expansion of his resources? Lisette’s home life had never been a topic of our limited conversation during our courtship, a fact I dreaded now that I was coming to realize the truth of her circumstances—her quietness, her hesitance to discuss anything beyond a surface level, and the way she recoiled whenever she heard a loud voice finally all came together in my mind, painting a loathsome picture. I ached to go back in time and shield her from the life of cruel callousness she’d endured under her father’s command.

My anger simmered and it was all I could do to gather enough discipline to keep it in check. In an effort to ground myself, I finally succumbed to the draw tugging my gaze towards Lisette. My heart wrenched at her utter defeat.

The indignation I felt at Thorndale’s obvious exploitation of a situation of their own causing rose to boiling point when I saw my fiancée’s crumpled expression. Dropping my mantle of poise along with my usually overpowering desire to be seen as wise and collected, I stood and glared at the emissary who had demanded compensation with no regard for the actual person deemed to be lost.

“This is all premature; Princess Lisette is not yet fully vanished.”

Every head swiveled towards me and the Thorndale representative nearly choked, his mouth dropping open as he gaped at me.

“It’s true,” I hastened to add. “I’ve been able to see and speak with her myself. She’s in some sort of in-between state where she’s mostly invisible but can still communicate. She’s trapped until we can break the curse and free—” I broke off as I met Father’s gaze, staring at me in dismay.

I hesitated, realizing I undoubtedly sounded ridiculous, but unwilling to allow my concern for my own image to interfere with the possibility of Lisette’s return. Assuming Thorndale possessed any care about their princess, if both our nations worked together, perhaps we could discover the cure.

Lord Dorbeaux stared at me through narrowed eyes. “Where is the princess currently?”

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