Page 53 of Legacy of Glass
Their arrival back at the palace caused a small sensation, thanks to Mildred’s presence. Stares and whispers followed them through the grounds, and Olivia tensed, worried she was doing damage to Julius’s royal image. But he didn’t falter, and she watched the way his confidence affected those around them. It was a clearly abnormal situation, but Julius made it ordinary and acceptable with his manner alone. Would she ever be able to do the same thing?
He flagged down first a gardener, then a groom, then a guard, and finally the castle steward. On each occasion, he introduced them to Mildred and instructed them to spread the word about her protected status. And every one of them accepted the palace’s newest resident without batting an eye.
Mildred kept up with them easily, trotting along trustingly at Olivia’s side. It had been a relief to see her come over the hill, her soft ears twitching. Olivia was just grateful she had managed to stay hidden for so long.
“She must eat an enormous volume of seeds and grains,” Julius murmured, eyeing Mildred dubiously. “Or does she prefer something else?”
Olivia gave him an amused sideways look. “I know there aren’t many mice in the capital, but didn’t you learn about them in lessons on the Legacy? They are a part of Sovar’s unique landscape, after all.”
Julius said nothing, and she shook her head. He must have been taught by tutors rather than attending school like most Sovarans, and she could only assume mice weren’t considered as necessary to the education of a prince as to a farmer’s daughter.
“They might be enormous,” she explained, “but their size is sustained by the Legacy’s power. They don’t eat much more than a regular mouse. Naturally speaking, the anatomy of a mouse isn’t designed to sustain the pressures of such a large size. She’s definitely smarter than normal mice, too. I’ve heard even our normal, cat-sized mice are smarter than regular mice in other kingdoms. A little like the parrots in Glandore, I suppose. Although Mildred doesn’t talk. Sadly.”
She gave Mildred an affectionate look and a pat, her face softening as it always did when she interacted with the sweet creature. Julius quickly glanced away, clearing his throat.
She eyed him, wondering if he was more upset than he was letting on about her adoption of Mildred. But it didn’t matter since she wasn’t willing to back down on that point. She wasn’t going to leave the mouse to fend for herself.
“Do you want to house her in a stall in the stables?” he asked, no longer showing any hint of annoyance.
Olivia considered her options. “I would prefer to have her sleep in my sitting room if it wouldn’t upset the servants too much.”
Julius chuckled. “I’m sure we can unearth at least a few palace servants who aren’t afraid of mice.”
Olivia snorted. “You have no idea how tough some servants are. But that doesn’t mean they appreciate extra cleaning.”
To her surprise, he only chuckled again at her reference to her previous status. “I defer to your greater experience, my lady. Feel free to request as many servants as you feel the job needs.”
Olivia huffed. “Please, just call me Olivia. You, at least, should be able to do so safely. I feel like a ridiculous fraud every time someone calls melady.”
Julius gave her a piercing look that made her heart skip a beat. “You have no reason to feel like a fraud. You’ve been working hard since the moment you arrived to earn that title.” His mouth twisted. “From what I understand, you’re back in lessons this afternoon.”
Olivia sighed. By the time she finished with all the lessons, she would know the etiquette of court better than someone born to the position.
Julius didn’t leave her until servants had arrived to begin making arrangements for Mildred. At that point, she had to leave herself or risk running late for her lessons, so they parted at her door in unexpected amity. She returned in the evening to find Mildred settled on a giant nest of straw tucked into one corner of her sitting room.
But her warmer feelings toward him evaporated when she tracked him down the next morning. She managed to make it all the way to his personal courtyard with only one stop for directions, and she arrived just in time to catch him and Cade finishing their final bout. None of the other three were in sight, so she dove straight into the topic of Marigold after the briefest exchange of morning greetings.
Julius clearly didn’t share her enthusiasm.
“I’m not convinced this is necessary,” he said with a deep frown. “You have quite enough to do here without wasting time trying to work out where Marigold is hiding herself.”
He cast a long-suffering look at Cade, but when he saw Cade’s expression of serious concern, he huffed and looked away.
It would be easier if they could tell Julius the truth about Marigold and Cade. It would not only bolster their claims but provide Julius an incentive to help find her. Surely he would want to help his best friend if he knew. But it had to be Cade’s decision to tell Julius, not Olivia’s. She wasn’t going to betray the confidence she had forced out of him.
“We can’t just abandon her, Julius,” Olivia said instead. “How can I enjoy my new life in the palace when my friend might be in serious danger?”
Julius wiped the back of his neck with a cloth and began replacing the various items of clothing he had discarded for the bout. “I know you feel responsible for everyone around you,” he said as he buttoned his vest. “But extending that to the friend who stabbed you in the back and then ran away is going unnecessarily far. We don’t actually know she’s in danger, and for myself, I have no desire to see Marigold again any time soon.”
Olivia cast a despairing glance at Cade who grimaced and shrugged.
“But what if she didn’t run away?” Olivia asked, trying again.
“Oh, what if she only stabbed you in the back, you mean?” Julius shrugged into his jacket.
“If I’m not upset about that, I don’t see why you should be!” Olivia shot back.
Julius tugged his clothing into place as he looked up and met her eyes. “Maybe because she stabbed me in the back too? I’ve known Marigold far longer than you, remember?”
