Page 75 of Fated to the Vampire Prince
I stared back at her, unsure what that meant. “Friends?”
She nodded. “Yes. Friends.”
I’d never had a friend before. I wondered if Tansy would still want to be my friend if she knew the truth about my birth. If she discovered I’d been shunned by the very goddess who’d given her magick, she’d never want to be my friend.
“Come, let’s pick out one of the dresses His Grace had made for you.” She grinned, adding, “I saw them get brought up before you arrived and there were enough to fill a whole closet.”
I let Tansy lead me to a door Ihadn’t noticed before, and as I did, a warm feeling I wasn’t wholly accustomed to spread through my chest, and the ache of loneliness eased.
If only just a little.
Chapter 34
Explorer
CLAIRE
Arm in arm, Tansy led me around Château Rose, showing me the grander parts of the castle while explaining what she knew about each room and introducing me to members of the household staff. I soaked in every detail, trying to learn all I could about this place.
“Do you like living here?” I asked her.
“The weather is shit, but you get used to it.”
“But do you like it? Are you happy?”
“Truthfully?” She gave me an affectionate look. “As happy as I’ve ever been. Mostly because of the people. His Grace demands acceptance and respect of all who come here. They’re values I’ve come to cherish.”
Acceptance and respect.
I swallowed hard. Acceptance wasn’t a value I was raised with. In fact, I’d been taught the opposite. “You know,” she said, setting her hand on mine, “I think it must be one of the reasons why His Grace likes you so much.”
“Oh, I don’t know that helikesme?—”
“He is very protective of you. I think it’s because you’re not just here for the money. You’re running from something too. Aren’t you?”
I stilled, my breath catching in my throat; the lies I was trained to recite about the convent refused to come. Instead, the night Mama sealed my life to the choker and my mission came screaming back. She’d packed me and Sera into a coach and sent us off to the capital like I was nothing more than a lamb to be sacrificed. It was only by chance that I was still alive. Chance… and my mate bond with Bastien.
“I’m sorry,” Tansy said. “I didn’t mean to assume.”
I shook my head. “No, don’t be sorry.”
What I couldn’t say was that I couldn’t run away. I tried to put on a reassuring smile as we continued the tour, but the knot in my throat refused to loosen. I needed to know the truth.
Tansy squeezed my hand. “I think it’s time for my little surprise.”
I eyed her suspiciously. “I don’t really like surprises,” I admitted, not quite sure what she had planned.
“Well, if it will put your mind at ease, I’m taking you to the ballroom so we can dance like real ladies.”
I stopped walking, my eyes widening. “Oh, I don’t think that’s a very good idea. I don’t know how to dance.”
“Neither do I!” she said, tugging on my arm to restart my feet. “But after a few sips of wine, it doesn’t matter what you know and don’t know. Besides, Devlinn and Alec are waiting for us, and I told them to bring lunch.”
I let her lead me to the ballroom even though nerves twisted inside my stomach. Wine. Dancing. A huge room all to ourselves. Alec. The combination would surely draw Bastien, who seemed unable to spend time with me unless it was tointervene on behalf of my virtue. Well, if he showed up just to lecture me, I resolved to ignore him or send him away when he inevitably appeared.
He could accept and respect that.
After what felt like a mile of walking, we arrived at a set of massive double doors stained black and inlaid with gold roses.
