Page 47 of Legacy of Glass
“The rooms are lovely,” Olivia offered, glad they were one thing she could praise unequivocally.
“Almost as lovely as the prince?” Hattie asked with a giggle, and Olivia barely managed to keep her face steady.
“I’ve come to fetch something from my room that Aunt Helen missed,” she said, hoping Hattie wouldn’t press her about what the item might be.
But Hattie’s mind was focused on Prince Julius, not fetching mundane belongings.
“I’m sure I’d make a terrible queen,” she said with a dramatic shudder, “but I do wish the prince had danced with me at the ball. I’m sure I would have treasured the experience my whole life.” She clasped her hands together and sighed wistfully.
“I’m sure you can dance with him at my wedding,” Olivia said without thinking as she hurried up the stairs.
Hattie gripped her arm with both hands, nearly unbalancing her.
“Really?” she gasped. “Do you mean it? At your wedding? So we really will be invited? Mother said she was sure we would be—we’re your only family in the city after all—but Father said not to be counting chickens, eggs, or even baskets.”
Olivia wished she’d kept her mouth shut. She couldn’t meet Hattie’s eager eyes. If she did marry the prince, she would certainly invite every relative she had. But she wasn’t planning on actually marrying him, which meant she had little chance of following through with her thoughtless offer.
“Of course you’ll be invited to my wedding,” she said which was true, regardless of the identity of the groom. “But I’ll arrange a dance for you with Julius sooner if there’s an opportunity.”
“Julius!” Hattie sighed, her eyes shining. Apparently she was impressed merely by Olivia’s use of his first name without a title attached.
Olivia’s gratitude at Nell and her aunt’s absence grew. Fielding Hattie’s enthusiasm so early in the morning was difficult enough.
Thankfully Hattie didn’t insist on accompanying Olivia into her bedchamber, and Olivia was even more grateful to see the room looked undisturbed. She’d been a little afraid that her aunt might have ordered a deep clean following her departure, resulting in the discovery of what she had hidden.
Closing the door firmly behind her, she collected a few odds and ends and a book she had been halfway through reading, placing the items in the small bag she had brought. But those things were inconsequential and wouldn’t have inspired a trip into the city. What she had really come for was hidden beneath her mattress.
She withdrew the small, flat object. It was wrapped in soft, uncolored linen, and she hesitated for a moment before unwrapping it with quick fingers. The material fell away to reveal a tiny mirror, adorned with an elegant silver frame and handle.
She looked down into the polished surface and saw her own face reflected back, barely able to fit, given the mirror’s small size. Olivia appeared just as the larger mirror at the dressing table showed her to be—a little pale but otherwise giving no indication of the dramatic transformation in her life.
For once, she was almost relieved at the mirror’s failure to show any fantastical properties. Avery had warned her that it didn’t always work—it had been made by an apprentice and was faulty. So while it sometimes showed a person’s true emotions, sometimes it only worked as a regular mirror. Not that Olivia minded. It was the only reason she’d been gifted such a rare and valuable item.
The Auldana Legacy allowed people in the distant kingdom of Auldana to make mirrors with all sorts of fantastical properties, but they didn’t easily part with them in trade. She had never even seen an Auldanan mirror before receiving the gift from Avery, and she suspected her cousins had never seen one at all.
But as she gazed down at her reflection, the image rippled slightly, her expression changing although her actual face never moved. Worry lines sprung up around her eyes, along with shadows that suggested either a lack of sleep or deep distress. Her mouth turned down, her overall visage shouting her internal disquiet.
She quickly turned the mirror over, working to calm her rapid breathing. She had feared she didn’t have the ability to project a calm mask, but apparently she was better at it than she had ever suspected. And it was a good thing, too. If the people of court saw her true emotions, they wouldn’t be sighing to each other over the prince’s dream romance.
Not bothering to wrap the mirror properly, she thrust it and its cloth wrapping into her bag. As unnerving as the mirror’s effect could sometimes be, it would be a useful tool at court.
Hattie suggested she stay for a belated breakfast, but Olivia had already eaten at the palace. Despite her early waking time, the meal had appeared as soon as she unlocked her suite door, just as usual.
She did tarry long enough to look over Hattie’s new dresses, however, amazed at how quickly her aunt had gotten to work. Hattie’s pure excitement was contagious, and Olivia didn’t mind losing some time to humor her. Her sweet young cousin didn’t resent Olivia’s apparent good fortune in the least, and she was brimming with excitement about the possibility of attending court functions—although Olivia caught the note of anxiety as well.
She wanted to reassure her cousin, but Olivia was anxious enough herself about court functions, so she wasn’t sure how to achieve the feat. And she needed to leave before any more members of the household could return. Using the excuse of her day’s lessons, she extracted herself and escaped outside.
Standing in the manor’s front courtyard, Olivia glanced toward the back gardens. She still needed to find Mildred, but she had one more visit to make, and she didn’t think a giant mouse would be of assistance in making a good impression.
Gathering her courage, she exited the courtyard and walked the short distance to the neighboring courtyard. Last time she had approached Marigold’s family home, she had done so from the back. But her status had changed since then, and she wasn’t looking for a conversation with a gardener.
Olivia clanged the great door knocker with more confidence than she felt, waiting on the ponderous footsteps she could hear inside. In the past, she might have fled from the tall butler who answered the door. But she hadn’t spent two days with a queen for nothing.
Raising her chin, she met his eyes, silently daring him to send her away. The man froze, clearly unsure how to handle the unprecedented situation.
“Who is it?” called a tired, strained voice from inside.
An elegant, middle-aged woman came into sight, her face wan. As soon as she caught sight of Olivia standing awkwardly in the doorway, a stream of emotions flashed across her face.
