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Bishop, however, didn’t pick up on my lack of desire to speak on the subject. Rising to his feet, he followed me into my bedroom. “You seem like chums, that’s all.” He leaned against the wall, crossing his arms against his chest. Once more the need to flee rose up in me. Why did everyone have to bring this up? “She’s ineligible to rule, so I don’t see why she’s still h—”
“Because I need her!” I whirled to face him, chest rising and falling faster than needed for such a simple phrase. I dropped my volume, bringing my emotions into check. “She’s… special.”
“Fine.” Bishop showed me his hands and straightened, a sign that he was backing off. “I’ll be in the wings watching tonight. Gotta say, I wouldn’t want to be in your shoes, Cousin.”
As I listened to his footfalls leave, I counted my breaths, trying to find some sense of control. I couldn’t explain my reaction. Dread filled my chest at the thought of the ceremony. One thing was certain—Bishop wasn’t the only one who didn’t want to be in my shoes.
Michaela
I knocked on Sadie’s door. While waiting, I adjusted the eight dresses slung over my arm. With everything stacked against her, I was determined fashion wouldn’t join that list ever again.
“Michaela,” her wide eyes stared at me for a few seconds after she opened the door, “what are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be getting ready?”
“I will.” I held up the dresses. “But I thought you might want to raid my closet before the ceremony tonight. You’re tiny, but I think with a little last-minute tailoring, I can make it work.”
“I—that’s—” She shook her head, unbelieving. “Why are you doing this?”
Sadie looked at me like I was going to bibbidi-bobbidi-boo the whole night, and I was good, but I was no fairy godmother. Just someone who’d been in her shoes before. I didn’t deserve the credit she was giving me.
“Let’s just say I’ve been the poor girl up on stage before, and I know how it feels. Can I come in?”
She backed away and opened the door. To my surprise, Blair sat on the edge of her bed, just as surprised to see me.
“Michaela? What are you doing here?”
I entered Sadie’s room, noting it was a third smaller than mine, with no balcony, and certainly no secret passage bookcase either. She had only four goats in the room as well, whereas I had counted at least seven in my room. It felt strangely satisfying being a seven-goat woman… Not that I understood the significance.
Blair stared like I had intruded on something. Were they friends? I hadn’t seen them talk before, and yet Blair looked guilty beyond belief. It reminded me of when I would leave the dressing room at a pageant and when I came back no one would talk to me. It didn’t take long before I figured out that it was because they were talking about me.
“Blair’s room is just around the corner. She came by for tea and a chat.” Sadie’s hands tangled together as she explained the situation, like a child caught in the middle of a divorce. “Michaela brought some dresses for me, so that… well… you know.”
“So those arrogant ladies of court will stop making you the git in every joke? Fallon certainly took her swipes at you today.” Blair’s anger spiked as she looked at the dresses on my arm. “You’re flogging a dead horse, Michaela. We shouldn’t have to dress up like a sideshow to get anyone’s attention.”
“Uh… sorry. I feel like I’m coming in late on something.” I set the stack of dresses on the navy-blue and gold bedspread. The divide between them and the others wasn’t new, but they were acting like shots had been fired recently. “Is everything cool? Did something happen?”
The crackle of the fire filled the silence, paired with the faintest whiff of smoke. They exchanged glances, but other than annoyance, I couldn’t read their minds. Blair refused to talk, but Sadie found the courage to explain. “They rigged the competition. Blair had wet wood.”
“Everything out there was damp.” I didn’t like making excuses when we’d clearly lost. “The other team probably had—”
“Dry wood,” Blair finished. “Fallon was quick to gloat when we got back. She let me know there was no chance I would ever get time with the prince. She called Sadie a gutter snipe and told her she belonged under a bridge with the rest of the trolls.” Her volume dropped. “Even worse, I probably belong with her. I’m still the token common girl, the chauffeur’s daughter, title change or not.”
What she was saying wasn’t fair. Blair, Eirene, and Sadie all had too much stacked against them as it was, but to literally force their loss with a rigged game…
“Prince Leonidas couldn’t have been behind it.” I had to stand up for him. “If he had known then he never would have let it happen. He’s—”
“Like the rest of them,” Blair spoke over me. “I thought maybe he wasn’t, but it looks like I was wrong.” Her face tipped toward the ceiling as she blinked back tears. “Maybe I should leave before this gets any more embarrassing.”
“No.” I wouldn’t let her, or Sadie, or Eirene give up because there were bullies out to get them. I knew how to navigate rocky waters, so to speak, and I usually did it while wearing stiletto heels. “I’ll coach you. Hair, makeup, the works. We’re going to blow the competition out of the water. Starting tonight.”
“By looking like them?” Blair wasn’t convinced.
“By leveling the playing field.” I held up one of my dresses. “I competed for years with rich girls who didn’t care if I fell face first on stage with a whole auditorium watching. I learned that I could use my appearance to show those judges that I had a lot more going for me than any one of those snooty brats.”
Sadie’s excited stare bounced between me and Blair. “Can you make my eyes look like yours? Smoky and posh?”
“Even better,” I promised. To Blair, I made a final plea. “If you leave the competition now, all those spoiled nobles will win. But you have more brains and substance to you than they could ever hope for. You are a force to be reckoned with. Give me twenty minutes and I’ll have the whole kingdom talking about you by morning.”
Michaela
