“I’m sorry, Father. I’ll apologise to Lady Fiona.”
King Aurelio coughed, pressing an embroidered handkerchief to his mouth. “That’s right, you will. And the modiste—you have made a mockery of this family today, Isadora. I am not impressed, not in the least.” He coughed again, bending double over his desk.
Issy considered moving to his side and putting a hand on his back, but she thought better of it. It was probably allergies. Unless he had unintentionally consumed some of the infected grain. She would have a quiet word with the kitchen staff and suggest keeping bread off the menu for a little while.
She still couldn’t agree with her father’s decision to cover up the grain issue and endanger the lives of the Southern people. She knew he was preoccupied with the curse and the missing nobles and princes, but harming the public by allowing infected grain to be consumed? It wasn’t right. She intended to speak to him about it as soon as possible, but this clearly was not the time.
“Yes, Father. I’ll find Livia and we’ll go and apologise to Lady Fiona, right away.”
“Wait, one moment. Hand me a glass of water, please.”
Issy poured a glass from a pitcher on the table beside her and passed it to him. He drank long and deep, draining the glass and setting it down on the desktop.
“I know you miss your mother, Isadora. As do I. But it’s no excuse to behave like a wild animal. You will apologise for your actions today and promise to listen to whatever advice Lady Fiona has from now on. Am I understood?”
Issy’s stomach dropped. She didn’t want to follow Fiona’s advice, she liked her own style of dress. And she had no interest in finding an advantageous match, she wanted to be free to be herself and fall in love naturally. Like her mother had. But the expression on her father’s face told her she had no choice. She’d put herself in this position, and it was up to her to get out of it.
She nodded, eyes cast downwards. “Yes, Father. I won’t let you down.”
Chapter 20
Anders
Anders paced the floor in his room, waiting for the guards to fall asleep. He’d peered around his door three times already to see Paolo yawning, and hear Marco snore, but the guards stationed outside the Princesses’ rooms had still appeared to be awake.
He needed to get to Isadora and Livia before the bell chimed midnight and the enchantment began.
He’d warned the Princesses not to eat anything that was brought to them, in case their food and drink was being tainted too. They’d both hidden their food in their napkins at dinner, sneaking it under the table to Lady Fiona’s fat little dog, Zorro, according to Livia. Anders had laughed at the image, although his stomach had clenched painfully at the thought of the delicious meal he’d missed out on. The scent of roast beef and pureed potatoes drifting from his abandoned plate on the side table almost made him cave in. But he needed to be strong. This was his third and final night, his last opportunity to uncover the truth and reveal to the King who and why someone had cursed the Princesses. Failure would mean imprisonment, or death.
But, if he could just make it through this evening and help Isadora to break the curse, tomorrow he would be a free man once more.
A bell began to chime and Anders let out a sharp exhale as he wrapped himself in shadows and cracked the door open. The guards were now all fast asleep at their posts. He slipped out, closing the door silently behind him, and darted across the hall to Issy and Livia’s rooms. He knocked gently, but after waiting a few moments with no answer, he opened the door and stepped inside.
The scene before him brought back memories of the previous night—he saw the two Princesses dressed in their ballet dresses, standing before the mirror hanging on the wall. Anders’ breath caught as he took in the sight of Isadora. The pale, lemon yellow of her gown made her bronze skin glow, and her dark hair fell in soft waves, woven with matching yellow ribbons. Her bare shoulders and exposed ankles would have been scandalous in the Northern Isle, where the temperatures called for layers and warmth. But here, in the heat of the Southern sun, she simply looked elegant. Beautiful, even. He shook himself mentally, this wasn’t the time.
“Isadora,” he hissed, letting his shadows dissipate. When she didn’t turn, only continued to lift her gold locket and press it to the frame, he spoke louder. “Isadora!” But she didn’t respond. He put a hand on her arm and turned her to look at him, and the sight of her glassy, vacant eyes made Anders’ heart leap into his throat.
No, no, no. She couldn’t be under the spell, he needed her help. He wouldn’t be able to break the curse without her.
He gripped both of her shoulders and gently shook her. “Issy, it’s me, Anders. Wake up. I need you to wake up, now. I can’t do this without you, Issy. I need you.”
She blinked, her brow furrowing, and when she opened her eyes they had cleared. “Anders? What—what's going on?”
He let out a relieved breath. “You were under the enchantment. Did you eat or drink anything?”
She shook her head. “Nothing, just like you said.”
“Hmm. Your trances must not be caused by food or drink then. They must be something else—some part of the magic.” Realisation dawned on him. “The entire palace must be under the spell, and only new arrivals, like myself and the other young men, need to be drugged with sleeping potion.”
Issy grabbed Livia by the arm and spun her little sister to face her. “Livia. Livia!”
The younger Princess’s eyelashes fluttered and she shook her head, as though trying to clear a fog. She rubbed her eyes with her fists. “Am I sleep walking?”
“No, Liv. It’s the curse. You were in a trance.” Issy looked around the room then, taking it all in. “What were we doing? Where do we go?”
“Here,” Anders said, gesturing towards the mirror. “You were standing in front of it, pressing your locket to the frame.”
Issy held the gold pendant in her palm. “This locket? It was my mother’s.” She studied it, and then the mirror. “Like this?” She pressed the necklace to the gold frame, but nothing happened.
