Realizing that she was not the only person grieving in the small kitchen, she looked back across the table. Lady Cabril could barely hold up her head. Ashlin had not seen her stepmother this dejected since those terrible days after the shipwreck.
“I suppose I could try speaking to the steward,” she offered, “to see if there is any way to request an invitation for my sister.”
“But then you would have to reveal your true identity, which we cannot do.”
Ashlin held her breath, hoping her stepmother was too preoccupied to ask whether she had already revealed her identity.
“Unless...” Lady Cabril lifted her head, blinking her tear-filled eyes. “This could be an opportunity to overcome your fault of selfishness.”
Ashlin could suddenly feel her heart beating. She swallowed. “In what way?”
“You could let Stasiya go in your stead.”
“What?” Ashlin knew this request would have far-reaching consequences, but for some reason her mind was too tired to decipher what they might be.
“No one of consequence knows that you are Ashlin Cabril, right? Stasiya could come with me instead, and they will announce her name as your own.”
Ashlin’s tongue grew dry. She had just told one of the royal princes her name. “What if... what if she attracts the attention of one of the princes?”
“If?” Lady Cabril wiped her eyes and sat up straighter. “Of course she will. She will gather the attention of everyone in the room.”
Ashlin merely nodded. Stasiya’s red hair and fawn-colored skin made her stand out in a delicately beautiful sort of way.
“Good, good. This will make everything right again. Stasiya will finally have the chance she deserves to find a suitable match, which can save us from this miserable life. And you...” Her eyes narrowed. “You can become a member of this family again by proving your willingness to be a part of it. Are we clear?”
Ashlin felt as though everything she had was being taken away from her, but everything she wanted was also being offered to her at the same time. Was it worth it?
“Unfortunately, it does not change your current circumstances, as it will be all the more important to separate the servant girl from Lord Cabril’s daughter, but when we can afford to hire staff again, you will have the time and resources to pursue something more suitable. Perhaps an apprenticeship?”
Ashlin nodded, wrapping her mind around this new idea. She could tolerate some difficulty now in order to have a family and pursue her passion. “I’ll do it.”
“I knew you had the strength to grow past your faults. We will have to see about getting Stasiya a dress, though. We will go to Mistress Cedrice tomorrow to buy the fabric.” She stood up, her face completely transformed, as though she had not been in tears moments earlier. “No expense will be spared! Except you can make the dress, of course. That will give us more to spend on fabric, and you can work towards that future apprenticeship.” She swept out of the small kitchen.
Ashlin was too stunned to move from the table. She wanted to focus on the small hope for her future, but she was too exhausted from the day’s work to fully appreciate it. At least she would get to make a dress for the ball, even if she was giving up her name to do so.
What would happen after Stasiya caught the attention of a rich nobleman? Would she admit her deception and go back to being Stasiya? Surely her stepmother did not mean for Ashlin to permanently switch places with her sister.
Her head ached.
Amidst all her tasks throughout the day, she had not had time to refill the molded hay mattress in her new bedroom. She could solve her problems in the morning. Folding the still-dirty brown wool under her head, she fell asleep by the hearth.
Chapter 10
Onric gritted his teeth behind the trained smile on his face as he bowed to the lady in front of him. He had seen firsthand the poverty that was spreading throughout his kingdom, so he knew he was incredibly lucky to be living in a palace, but it did have its downsides. One of which was being expected to cater to the palace guests.
Invitations had only been sent out yesterday and the event itself was still two weeks away, but the ladies who had been invited to stay at the palace had already started to arrive. Onric and Aden had been frequently summoned to escort and entertain the young women who were trying to garner the attention of their older brother. The entire situation made Onric very uncomfortable. Though he was often jealous of his older brother, he had no desire to take Ian’s place in this forced dance.
Onric straightened his back from the bow he had cordially dipped into and attempted to smile at the woman in front of him. Her dress was the same deep purple his mother and sister preferred, and it was lined with so many furs that the woman looked nearly as wide as she was tall.
“Would you like to see the ballroom?” he inquired. This was the third time he had been asked to accompany a young lady on a tour of the palace. And he had quickly figured out that if he showed her the ballroom first, he could extricate himself from the situation as soon as possible. Well, actually, Aden had come up with the theory, but Onric was happy to adopt it.
She giggled. “Oh, can we?”
A very good theory indeed. He kept his face steeled in a smile and reached out his arm. She slipped her hand inside his elbow and followed his lead. As they walked through the painted hallways, she made flattering remarks about the palace, but he only heard half of them. Fortunately, his mild nodding seemed to be all the affirmation she needed. After a few short minutes, which felt like an eternity, they finally entered the elaborate ballroom.
The girl on his arm gazed up in awe.
It really was magnificent to anyone seeing it for the first time. In the center of the room, one could look all the way up to the distant ceiling, where elaborate candelabra would illuminate both the dancers below and the paintings above. Around the sides of the room, three layers of slim balconies extended out, accessed by a web of spiral staircases. The open doorways flooded the room with fresh air, and Onric caught a light whiff of clove along with something else. The centerpiece of the entire hall was a raised dais against the back wall. It was currently empty, but no doubt during the ball it would seat his entire family. Normally, he loved sharing a meal with his family, but under the watchful eyes of the entire kingdom it was going to be miserable.
