Page 47 of Slippers and Thorns
E
lla considered taking supper in her room with the claim of a headache, but it was the family-only night. While that meant less buffer from Michael, it also meant no members of the court or guests to deal with. Also, King Phillip would track her down if she missed it.
Either that, or he would send Michael, which would be worse, because except for the guard that was standing outside her room, they would be alone. At least at supper, his family would be present.
The irony of her about-face right as Michael regained his interest was not lost on her.
She dressed slowly, changing from the clothes she had worn for the food distribution into something more elegant. It was tempting to leave her “work” clothes on since it would only be family. In fact, it was tempting to put herself and her hair in the plainest style possible; after all, she had decided to stop trying to convince Michael to value her…and she now wished for Michael tonotdesire her.
His family had always been good to her, though, despite being royal while she was common. For their sake, to show her respect for them, she conducted her usual toilette.
A knock on her door startled her as Jackie put the final pin in her hair. “Shall I get that, Your Highness?” Jackie asked around the hairpins still in her mouth.
“Yes, please,” Ella replied. She leaned over to slip on her shoes as Jackie entered the sitting room and crossed to the door.
The quiet murmur of voices from the next room brushed against her awareness. She listlessly picked out a simple gold chain with a single small, diamond pendant and attempted to fasten it around her neck, lost in the haze of her fatigue.
“Could you help me with this, Jackie?” she asked when she heard footsteps approaching her bedroom door. “I can’t seem to get the clasp to work.”
The fingers that gently took the chain from hers felt warmer and rougher than she expected. Looking up, she saw in the mirror that it was not Jackie standing behind her, but Michael.
His large hands seemed unsuited to the small clasp, but it wasn’t the first time he had done this. It had been a very long time, though. Ella’s hands dropped slowly to her lap as she watched his reflected look of concentration. He bent lower to better view the necklace in the fading light from the window. It put him close enough that she could feel his breath lightly tickle her neck.
When his hands, after arranging the necklace on her neck, settled on her shoulders before sliding down her arms as his nose nestled in her hair, Ella had to take a deep breath and sternly remind herself that she was angry with him. No amount of caressing would make up for his behavior, nor would it convince her that he saw her as a person rather than as a plaything.
“Shall we go?” Ella asked, placing her hands on the armrests of her chair and pushing herself to a stand. The petty part of her was disappointed that he pulled back in time to avoid smacking his nose on her head. Not that she’d been trying. “I wouldn’t want to keep your family waiting.”
“Father won’t mind as long as we enter late together,” Michael returned, wrapping his arms around her. “I think he’d be delighted, actually.”
“Michael!” she protested, trying to push him away. “Jackie—”
“Is in the hallway with Henry, unless she has prudently retired to the servants’ wing,” he purred. He leaned in and nuzzled her ear. “And what happened to calling me Mike?”
“Enough!” Ella snapped, shoving him roughly in the chest. He finally released her. Straightening her dress as she went, she strode to her sitting room and towards the hallway door.
“What is it, Ella?” Michael asked, frustration written across his face. “Why are you angry with me now?”
Ella stopped to glare at him. The simple fact that he didn’t understand served to infuriate her further. “It is time for supper,” she declared in her coldest, most regal manner as she opened the door and gestured through it. “Are you coming?”
He frowned slightly at her, but he passed into the hallway and offered his arm. She considered ignoring it and stubbornly making her own way to the dining room. However, while she was willing to rebuff his amorous advances in her room, she wasn’t quite bold enough to be rude to him in a public setting. As it was, there were creases in Henry’s forehead from witnessing their exit, and Jackie worried at her lip.
In the back of her mind, Ella wondered at the way her apathy had morphed into this self-righteous fury. It made her feel powerful, but as she knew better than to let it run wild in front of King Phillip, she worked on reining it in during the walk.
Michael released her arm to open the door for her. She waltzed into the room ahead of him, but paused when his long strides brought him alongside her again. He politely pulled out her chair, then slid it back under her as she sat. The last time he had engaged in the gentlemanly behavior had been at a state dinner when they were on display. She couldn’t remember the last time he had done it in private.
King Phillip nodded at them but made no comment. Justin gave them a welcoming grin, but it was a little off. His brow knit as his eyes jumped back and forth between Ella’s slightly raised chin and the way Michael let his hand trail across her back while taking his own seat.
The meal began simply enough. Anne conversed quietly with her mother at the other end of the table while daintily eating her food. Justin, ever hungry, shoveled down his food as quickly as was polite. King Phillip calmly worked his way through his dinner, his sharp eyes studying his family. Ella picked at her food, selecting her favorite bits and pretending she didn’t notice Michael watching her out of the corner of his eye.
“Renovations are complete on Steffan’s abandoned castle,” the king suddenly announced. He wiped his mouth with a napkin and laid it on the table next to his plate.
Ella’s heart soared briefly. Perhaps she could escape to the castle for a little while. If renovations were complete, there would not be cleanup to help with, but there would still be ongoing care. If she could take a minimal crew of servants, she could participate in keeping it in good repair. Of course, the original idea was that she go with Michael, whom she was trying to escape…but with his schedule, maybe if she left soon enough, he wouldn’t be able to come. Or at the least, she would have a few weeks before he joined her.
King Phillip continued. “I have made arrangements for the two of you to leave tomorrow to inspect the work and enjoy a much-needed retreat.” He nodded to Michael and Ella. “You will remain there for a month.”
Michael’s fork actually clattered to his plate as he gaped at his father in shock. “Tomorrow?” he croaked. “Father, I can’t possibly rearrange everything that quickly!”
“As I said, I have made arrangements,” his father calmly replied. “Some of your meetings will simply not happen. However, it is time your brother began participating in the operation of our government, so he will fill in for you at the majority of them.”
