“He gets what he wants, but he doesn’t do a thing to keep it,” Daland interjected from across the room.
Casper and Sienna both jumped in surprise. Casper hadn’t realized that their conversation had an audience, and he felt the tips of his ears start burning from where they were hidden under his hair.
“Thank you, Papa,” Sienna answered with a grimace. She began filling bowls with the contents of the pot—some kind of soup, it turned out to be—and gestured for Casper to set them on the table. “Erik was my fiancé,” she explained quietly, avoiding his eyes. “He called off our engagement about six months ago.”
Then he’s even more of a buffoon than I thought.
He kept the thought to himself and instead simply repeated, “I’m sorry.”
Her laugh was hard and brittle. “Don’t be. Now that we’re not together and I’ve seen his true colors, I’m glad that we won’t be tied together for life.”
Chapter seven
Schemes
Casper
She motioned for Daland and Jem to join them, and the conversation was dropped as they all gave their attention to filling their bellies with the hot, delicious soup. When the meal was over, they leaned back in their chairs, each with a cup of steaming tea. Casper could not recall the last time he had felt so contented after a meal, and, judging from the relaxed, satisfied smile on Jem’s face, he felt it as well.
“Alright, Senta,” Daland began. “I think it’s time you tell me what all that nonsense with Erik was about earlier. Why does he think he’s getting our lighthouse?”
Sienna’s eyes flicked between Casper and Jem. “I think we can save that conversation for a time when we don’t have guests, Papa.”
He waved her words away. “They’ll be staying with us until the Midwinter festival. Besides, they’ve already seen me at my worst. What’s a little bit of extra spectacle?”
“Besides,” Jem added enthusiastically, “maybe we’ll be able to help. As my dear old Mormor used to say, ‘Many hands make light work, and many heads make better plans…as long as one mouth is talking at a time.’”
Casper raised his brows. “I think that was her way of telling you to stop talking and get back to work.”
Jem held a hand to his heart. “Your insinuation wounds me, Casp. I am a very hard worker.”
Sienna chuckled. “Your Mormor sounds like an interesting woman.”
The first mate’s eyes took on a sad, distant look. “She was,” he murmured softly.
“Right.” Daland cleared his throat. “About Erik.”
Sienna slowly spun her empty teacup on the table. “He wants the lighthouse.”
“So I heard. He seemed to think that he was going to get it.”
“That’s the thing…he technicallycanclaim it.”
Daland shoved back his chair and flew to his feet. “What?! What do you mean? Queen Celesta gave the lighthouse tous. I signed the keeper agreement myself!”
The young woman sighed and motioned for him to sit back down. “Celesta and Drosselmeyer were here this morning, before you came back.”
“Why?”
“It seems there’s a law, put in place under Regent Stahlmaus, that basically says that any land or building that serves a public purpose can only be owned by an elf. It was all part of his grandidea to set up elves as the ruling class. Celly is working on getting the law repealed, though it might take a little while. But she said that we shouldn’t worry about it, and she’s not just going to give the lighthouse to someone else.”
Jem drummed his fingers on the table in thought. “If the queen is the one who decides who takes care of the lighthouse, why doesn’t he go to her?”
“He did. That’s how she knew he was up to something, and it’s why she stopped by. She wanted to make sure that I heard the news from her first. She said that she told him that she wouldn’t do anything until she had looked into the matter thoroughly.”
“And by looking into it thoroughly she means removing the law?”
Sienna nodded. “Erik might bluster and bully, but he can’t actually do anything. The lighthouse is still ours until Celesta says otherwise, though she did mention that the salary might have to be put on hold until everything is ironed out.”
