19
Afew days later, Istill had not touched the shirt. Perhaps it was the sewing needle that reminded me of a different time. The linen sat on my bedside table collecting dust—and that was where I was content to leave it.
“Lady Narcissa. Lady Narcissa!”
I was on my way to the library. Ulysses trotted up behind me, lugging his usual pile of papers.
“Are you off to lunch, Ulysses?”
“Not yet.” He paused to catch his breath. “And you, milady?”
“I’m trying to find Misty.”
“Apologies for the interruption, but I have urgent news about tomorrow’s schedule.” Ulysses adjusted his spectacles. “His Highness is delivering a speech at city hall tomorrow morning. You’re expected to make an appearance.”
I blinked rapidly. “Tomorrow? Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“Alas, it wasn’t scheduled,” he said with a sigh. “The lord mayor—Lord Irving, his name is—contacted me this morning. He says the people want to see the crown prince.”
“Does the lord mayor make it a habit to obey their whims?” I asked. “He can’t possibly expect us to deliver a speech on such short notice.”
“Crowds in Vandil are known to be rowdy. The first inklings of the riots originated here. He’s attempting to calm them in the meantime.”
I bit my cheek, wondering how the people of Vandil would react to my presence. “Should I be prepared for anything else?”
Ulysses waved his hand. “Nothing to worry about, milady. There will be guards aplenty. And His Highness will do most of the talking. I’ve prepared a script for him beforehand for the press, but it can easily be modified into a speech.” He cleared his throat. “Tomorrow will be a good opportunity to make your relationship appear more...convincing.”
“I see. Is that all?”
Ulysses lowered his spectacles. “I’m hoping, Lady Narcissa, that you understand how important this opportunity is. It’s still early in the tour. Better now than later to paint the picture we want.”
“I told you I’ve done all I can,” I said stiffly. “Whether His Highness deigns to put in the same effort remains to be seen.”
I turned and strode away before he could reply. If only the steward knew how impossible winning over the crown prince was, he wouldn’t be so pushy.
***
