Page 29 of Legacy of Glass
“Prince Julius danced with you because of a mistake?” Hattie sounded bitterly disappointed. “Then why is he here this morning?”
“Because of all that Legacy power,” Olivia answered dully. “The royal family think we have to go through with the betrothal now.”
“So you do get to be a princess?” Nell asked with returned excitement.
“Not just a princess,” Hattie said in a dreamy, breathless voice. “She also gets to marry Prince Julius.”
Olivia wanted to set them straight about her feelings on the matter, but she wasn’t sure the royal family would appreciate her frankness. They might approve the narrative that she had been chosen at Julius’s request. If so, they wouldn’t thank her for spreading stories about her own dissatisfaction.
She was also, admittedly, relieved to be able to leave Marigold out of the conversation. Both her cousins seemed willing to accept that the Legacy’s power was enough to explain the misunderstanding, and neither had yet asked about the actual chosen girl. Apparently, their determination to see her situation as a romantic fantasy was too overwhelming.
“If you didn’t know this was the prince’s betrothal year, does that mean you don’t know about this morning, either?” Nell asked suddenly. “Is that why you ran off and haven’t even dressed properly?”
“If you mean, did I know the prince would turn up at our house first thing, I certainly didn’t,” Olivia said with spirit.
She still thought it was ridiculous that Prince Julius would be hounding her so soon. Wasn’t she even allowed to catch her breath?
Nell and Hattie gave a second pair of synchronized gasps. It was usually a trait Olivia found endearing, but she was too tightly wound to appreciate it that morning.
“It’s tradition!” Nell cried. “The chosen bride has to leave the ball early and go home—that’s part of the original story—but they condense the timeline for the rest. It’s not as if the prince needs to search every household to find where she lives. So he always comes first thing the next morning to collect his betrothed and take her back to the palace. If you don’t hurry, you’ll be late.”
“Late for what?” Olivia tried to ignore the sinking sensation in her gut.
“For the betrothal announcement.” Hattie dragged Olivia through their front door. “It’s at the palace this morning.”
“Quick,” Nell said, trying to tug her toward the stairs. “We need to get you properly dressed before…”
Her words died as Prince Julius stepped out of the front sitting room, clearly drawn by the sound of their arrival. Olivia swallowed at his appearance. His attire was much closer to the magnificence of the ball the night before than to the well-made but practical clothing he was wearing the first time they met.
He stopped abruptly at sight of her, a strange look on his face, and she was suddenly conscious of her own appearance. No wonder her cousins had been so concerned about how she looked.
The prince cleared his throat. “You’re not ready,” he said, his deep voice catching her off guard.
She flushed. “Since I wasn’t expecting you, no, I’m not.”
His eyebrows rose. “Not expecting me?”
“Please accept my apologies, Your Highness.” Aunt Helen came out of the sitting room behind him. “I must take responsibility for my niece’s ignorance regarding the traditions surrounding your betrothal. I’m sincerely sorry for the mistake.” She cast a swift, assessing eye over Olivia. “If you will grant us just a few minutes more, I will ready Olivia for departure. My daughters will keep you company in the meantime.” She sent Nell and Hattie a silent command, and both girls curtsied deeply.
“Departure?” Olivia tried to protest, but her aunt already had her by the arm and was starting up the stairs. “In minutes? But?—”
Her aunt shushed her, throwing a warning look back down the stairs. She didn’t speak until she’d bustled Olivia into Nell’s bedchamber and shut the door behind them. Olivia braced herself for a scolding, but it didn’t come.
Instead her aunt embraced her, a beaming smile on her face.
“My dear, dear niece,” she said. “I don’t know how you managed it, but I should have put more faith in the machinations of the Legacy. Even so…You’ve done very, very well, Olivia dear.”
Olivia blinked at her. She had expected her aunt to be happy, but not until after a barrage of questions and perhaps some blustering.
“No, don’t try to explain the circumstances,” her aunt said, although Olivia had made no attempt to speak. “There isn’t time.”
She pulled open Nell’s wardrobe and rummaged through the gowns inside. “Thankfully, while you have your mother’s coloring and face, your figure comes from your father’s family. You and Nell could be twins in that regard since she grew those last two inches.”
She emerged from the wardrobe, a triumphant smile on her face. “Thank goodness we negotiated a deal with the seamstress by buying several dresses at once. I was planning for Nell to wear this to the royal wedding, so it’s unworn.”
She held it up to Olivia, who hadn’t seen the soft blue gown before. It was hard to take in what was happening, but she couldn’t deny a pang of appreciation at the elegant fall of the skirt and the intricate embroidery on the bodice. The material was luxurious, but the style was more understated than her aunt’s usual taste.
“Quick!” Aunt Helen said when Olivia didn’t move. “Undress as fast as you can, and I’ll help you into it.”
