Page 32 of Once Upon a Woven Wish
She dipped a low curtsey.“Yes, your majesty.”
“His Grace has told me about you and your miracles,” he said, then punctuated that with another cough that sounded dreadful.“I wish for your help.”
“My help, your majesty?”She tried to keep her voice even and calm.
Next to her, Maris shifted uneasily.Papa placed a hand on her arm to steady her and, hopefully, keep her quiet.
“Your majesty, my daughter is not a healer,” Papa said then.
“Ah, so you’re the one.”
The king moved to stand in front of Papa, giving him a good once over.Papa, to his credit, remained calm and still and his eyes forward.
“But your daughter, Master Windriver, is the one who gave you this mysterious elixir to cure you.”Then, he gave his attention to the Grand Duke.“Isn’t that what you told me, Lachlan?”
“It is, sire.”When he replied, his gaze was fixed solely on Serena.
Her nerves jangled.Fear clawed its way from her gut to her throat, and her mouth had gone dry.
Papa gave a weak smile.“She is indeed the one and is good with herbs, but—”
“Then I wish for her help.”He sidestepped back down to halt in front of Serena.
Behind him, the Grand Duke did not bother to hide his smug expression.The queen, next to him, looked on with a mix of curiosity and contempt.The mayor wrung his hands together trying to decide if and how to intervene, his expression pinched with a mixture of fear and worry.
Serena swallowed hard.“How may I help, your majesty?”
“My son is ill, you see.Desperate times, and all that.I should like you to return with us to the palace.Of course, you’ll have whatever herbs you need and my staff will be at your disposal.”
Serena was stunned into silence.Heat crawled up her neck at the idea of leaving the village to go to the royal palace.“I…don’t know what to say, your majesty.”
She cut a glance to her father, who stood rooted in place.His face had drained of color.Maris nearly vibrated out of her skin.Either from jealousy or excitement, or perhaps both.
Papa spoke up then.
“Your majesty, it will be a…loss…if my daughter leaves.She keeps the household running and—”
“Yes, yes, Lachland explained all that to me.”He waved the thought away as though it didn’t matter.Then to her, he added, “The crown will be indebted to you if you succeed in curing my only son.He is, after all, the crown prince.”
He left the reward unsaid, but the promise clung to the air.
Maris emitted a strangled gasp that, thankfully, everyone ignored.Papa remained tall and stiff in the cold, his apprehensive gaze remaining on the king, then landed on her.His expression was guarded, as though he understood she dare not refuse.He started to speak, but she gave one quick shake of her head.He pressed his lips together in a thin line.
Refusal would be ruin.Higher taxes, harsher punishments, the village crushed beneath the crown’s heel.But acceptance…acceptance meant stepping into a trap.Her mouth was dry.Her throat raw.
Slowly, she turned to the king, dread clawing at her, but her chin lifted all the same.
“I would be honored, your majesty.”She dipped a low curtsy.
“Good, then, can we go home now?”the queen asked.She didn’t wait for a reply as she stepped back to the carriage, waiting for the door to open and grant her entrance.
The king ignored his wife as he reached for Serena’s hand, holding it between his gloved ones.Warmth pressed though her chilled fingers.
“We leave at first light.”
Then he released her, climbed into the carriage after his wife and the Grand Duke.Moments later, the entourage was off leaving her with a wickedly pounding heart and the dread coiling low and hot in her belly.
Chapter 12
