A Dove's Tale

Chapter 6

The day started off so well.

What was I even doing before any of this happened? An eternity ago, before Prince Leon came into the library? I couldn’t remember. My mind was still reeling. Princes Chevalier and Leon, arguing about the purge, about the people who Prince Chevalier had killed. Prince Clavis’ teasing, his warped sense of humor. Whatever that had been with Prince Chevalier. I was just a maid, and I didn’t want to deal with any of it. Why couldn’t they all just leave me alone?

I found my discarded cleaning supplies and got back to work, trying not to think about it anymore - unsuccessfully. Menial labor was just that, menial, and it didn’t do much to occupy my mind. The thoughts whirling around in my head wouldn’t settle. Chief among them was Prince Chevalier. I didn’t know what to make of him. One minute I was a foolish, fragile little dove, the next he was teasing me in an almost flirting manner. And the way he could read me like a book made it all even more unnerving. I’d never had to think about managing my facial expressions before, but it was a necessity now. What I needed was a mask - a good little maid mask. And I needed it fast, before Prince Clavis returned at five o’clock, because he was clearly trying to use me against Prince Chevalier in his twisted games, and I had no idea how to handle him.

Who was I kidding? I had no idea how to handle any of the princes. Maybe Prince Jin. He was easy enough. Prince Leon wasn’t so bad, either. But Prince Chevalier…

What was it he said? ‘Show me your worth.’

I hadn’t heard him use anybody’s name so far. He’d referred to Prince Leon as Black, a physically accurate descriptor, but certainly not broad enough to summarize an entire person. It was dehumanizing, reducing a person down to an adjective. But then again, he didn’t really value people at all. He’d said as much himself in his argument with Prince Leon regarding the purge. I didn’t know his reasons to justify so much death, but they probably wouldn’t make sense to me, anyway. And, really, I didn’t want to know. I just wanted to be left alone to do my job.

At least nobody bothered me the rest of the afternoon.

A few minutes to five, I presented myself to Prince Chevalier for any final requests and to bid good day. My new mask was getting its first test run as I worked to remain completely calm and professional.

“You handled Number One well yesterday. What is your clever plan for Noisy?” he asked, a teasing smirk on his lips.

Noisy must be Prince Clavis. He really didn’t use anybody’s name, did he?

“I’ll manage somehow, your highness,” I said, much more confidently than I felt. “If that will be all-”

“Ready for our date, then?” asked Prince Clavis, bursting through the open door with a wide grin.

“Prince Clavis, I really don’t-”

But he had already grabbed my hand and took off. A few minutes later, I was sitting in a carriage, bewildered, and Prince Clavis was taking his seat beside me. The door shut, the carriage was in motion, and, as if I needed another reminder, his sly grin confirmed that he held all the cards.

“So you’ve met me, Chev, Jin, and Leon,” he said, counting on his fingers. “Four down, four to go. Quite an accomplished little dove, aren’t you?”

I didn’t feel very accomplished, and I didn’t feel like talking. I felt like the mask had fallen off somewhere in the library when he grabbed me.

That hadn’t lasted long.

“Prince Clavis, I have to go home right away.”

“I know, I know. But you normally arrive at six o’clock, right? We’ve got some time to kill.” He grinned at me, but I made a point of looking out the window, away from him.

“Don’t be like that,” he said, grabbing my chin and turning me to face him. “It’s very rude to ignore your boyfriend in the middle of a date.”

He was asking to be slapped, and I had to remind myself that he was a prince, and he had me trapped in a carriage. I pushed his hand away instead. “You’re not my boyfriend, and this isn’t a date, Prince Clavis,” I said firmly.

That did nothing to wipe the smile off of his face. If anything, it widened. “Tell me, how is it that a common little dove has managed to throw four beasts into a feeding frenzy?”

“I don’t know what you mean, your highness,” I replied, hating how easily I blushed.

He laughed. “I think I’ll arrange a little meeting with you and Nokto tomorrow. That should be amusing.”

“Prince Clavis, I’m not a toy,” I said, unable to keep the annoyance out of my voice.

“No, you’re not. You’re a beautiful little dove who flew into the palace for my endless amusement,” he teased. He leaned toward me, putting his hands on the carriage wall on either side of my face, trapping me. “Tell me, little dove, are you enjoying this as much as I think you are?”

Enjoying this? Why on earth would I be enjoying this?

The carriage came to a halt with a jostle that brought his face even closer to mine. “I need to go, your highness,” I said evenly, trying to ignore his breath on my lips and the ever-increasing urge to slap him.

He pulled away, laughing. Maybe I could start breathing again - maybe. He opened the carriage door and hopped out lightly, turning back to offer me his hand. I took it, reluctantly, and stepped down. My heart dropped to my feet. We were right in front of the Rose and Thorn.

“You’ve got time for one drink,” Prince Clavis said, pulling me inside. The smell of alcohol and the noise of laughter overwhelmed me as soon as we walked through the door, and I scanned the room quickly to ensure a certain man wasn’t there. Just about every table in the place was full, but there was one at the very back with just one occupant.

“Well, this is a pleasant surprise,” Prince Jin said, smiling as Prince Clavis pushed me into a chair.

“I managed to trap this little dove, but I don’t think we’ll be able to hold her for long,” Prince Clavis said, grinning as he took a seat next to me.

A busty barmaid came over, smiling coyly at Prince Jin’s bold stare. “Can I get you anything?” she asked.

“Another beer and an orange juice,” Prince Clavis said before I had a chance to speak. Prince Jin had a mug in his hand already. The barmaid left, Prince Jin’s eyes following her longingly.

“They’ve got the best service here,” he said with a sigh.

“I’m more of a leg man myself. What about you, Ivetta?” Prince Clavis’ golden eyes had only drifted to the barmaid momentarily, and now they were back on me.

“I hope you don’t think I enjoy ogling other women.”

“So, what do you enjoy ogling, then?”

I frowned and looked around again for a clock. “Prince Clavis, I really don’t have time for this.”

“Oh, come now, there’s got to be something you look for in a man,” Prince Jin chimed in.

“I’m not looking for a man, Prince Jin,” I said firmly.

The barmaid returned, setting the beer and orange juice on the table and sharing a meaningful look with Prince Jin. I reached for the orange juice, but Prince Clavis took it first.

“Sorry, that’s mine,” he said with a look that said he wasn’t sorry at all.

I sighed and reached for the beer, sniffing it and wrinkling my nose. “You like this, Prince Jin?”

“Don’t you?” he asked, surprised.

I pushed it over to him. “Enjoy.”

“You’ve never had beer before?” Prince Clavis asked, sipping his orange juice.

“No, I haven’t, Prince Clavis.”

His eyes sparkled. “Have you ever had any alcohol?”

He was getting an idea, I was sure of it, and I didn’t like it.

“No.”

“What do you do to unwind?” Prince Jin asked, clearly baffled.

“There’s more to life than drinking and women, Prince Jin,” I said, fighting a smile at his expression.

“I’m curious, too. What do you do to unwind?” Prince Clavis repeated.

“I like to read.”

“So, Chev is your type‌,” Prince Clavis said with a sly grin.

“Just because I like to read doesn’t mean I get along with everybody else who likes to read, Prince Clavis.”

“He’s not her type, Clavis. She’s too sweet and innocent for the likes of him. I bet Leon’s more her style.”

I glanced over at the clock again. “Prince Clavis, if I’m going to make it on time, I need to go.”

He downed the rest of his orange juice. “Be back soon, Jin. I’ve got to deliver our little dove safely to her nest.”

He helped me up into the carriage and again sat beside me with that devious smile. “Alright, so the tavern isn’t your thing. I guess I’ll have to come up with something else for our next date.”

I sighed heavily. “Prince Clavis, I’m not interested in you, or Prince Jin, or anybody else.”

“You are a tricky one. Don’t worry, I’m not giving up on you.”

I looked out the window for the remaining few minutes of the ride. He didn’t say anything more, but I felt his eyes on me the whole time. Finally, the carriage came to a stop, and he helped me out, kissing the back of my hand.

“Rest up, little dove. You’ll have a busy day tomorrow.”

I pulled free and left without so much as a goodbye.

As much as I hated to admit it, Prince Clavis was partially right. There was a part of me that was enjoying the challenges this new job presented. It was mentally stimulating. I was figuring out how to be a demure little maid, while maintaining just enough spunk and sass to assert myself without crossing the line into disobedience. The princes made for an interesting cast of characters with their individual quirks. Prince Chevalier, the most feared of the princes, was certainly deserving of his reputation, but somehow, I had found my way into his good graces. And although I still didn’t always know what to expect from him, at least he was slightly more predictable than Prince Clavis.

Prince Chevalier had given me no orders, but he clearly liked his routine, and he seemed pleased with how the morning had gone. So, at eight o’clock the next day, I put in his breakfast order and headed to his room. At nine o’clock, I opened his drapes and woke him up, and then I headed to the kitchens for his breakfast. I had my hands full with the breakfast tray on the way back to his room when I saw what had to be another prince coming down the hall toward me. He was incredibly handsome, with silver hair and striking crimson eyes, but he looked like he’d just crawled out of bed. He wore white boots, laced all the way up to the knees, dark gray pants, a white shirt, a light blue vest and dark blue tie, and a long white jacket. His shirt was untucked, his top button was loose, and his tie was barely hanging on. The jacket had an inner lining of light blue, and he wore it casually resting on his shoulders, sleeves dangling empty and limp by his sides. He wore a sword on his right hip, not the left, as all the other princes so far seemed to do.

“You’re the new maid, Ivetta, right?” he asked, stopping in front of me. His voice was smooth as butter, and he gave me a seductive smile.

“Yes, your highness,” I said, racking my brain to figure out which prince he was. Clearly, I should have done my homework before taking this job.

“I’m Nokto. When you’re done with King Highness’ room, perhaps you could see to mine?”

Now alarm bells were ringing in my head. Prince Nokto was a playboy like Prince Jin, but he operated through seduction instead of a friendly, disarming charm. I knew Prince Clavis had to be behind this apparent chance meeting, but I couldn’t very well refuse Prince Nokto’s request.

“Of course, your highness.”

“Good. Don’t be long,” he said with a sly grin.

It was really a shame that I’d spent so much time cleaning in Prince Chevalier’s room a couple of days ago, I reflected. I had finished tidying up by the time he was done with breakfast yesterday, and that would probably be the case again today. And then I had to go to Prince Nokto’s room.

“Do you have anything you need me to do after this, your highness?” I asked hopefully as Prince Chevalier emerged from the bathroom.

“Do you ‌really enjoy being tormented so much?” His icy blue eyes appraised me. “Or perhaps you’re hoping to get out of something Noisy has lined up for you?”

He didn’t miss much.

“Just trying to be helpful, your highness,” I said lightly.

The corner of his lip curved up just slightly. “In that case, there is something you can do for me - when you’re done with Noisy’s chore. I’ll be in my office.”

Darn it.

“Yes, your highness.”

I didn’t actually know how to get to Prince Nokto’s room. Should I ask Prince Chevalier, or should I just wait and ask another servant? I debated back and forth as he finished his breakfast, and then he stood to leave as I stepped out of the bathroom. He took one look at me and stopped, an irritated expression on his face.

“Ask your question.”

I really needed to work on my mask.

“Prince Chevalier, how do I get to Prince Nokto’s room?”

His expression didn’t change at all. “What business do you have with that Clown?”

Prince Nokto was Clown. Noted in my mental compilation of Prince Chevalier’s nicknames.

“He asked me to clean his room, your highness,” I explained, picking up the dirty dishes.

“Drinks with Number One and Noisy last night, a tryst with the Clown this morning. My, you are a busy little dove,” he sneered.

Not this again.

“Please stop making such comments, Prince Chevalier.”

He walked back over to me and spun me around to face him, catching my chin firmly so I couldn’t look away. “You didn’t manage Noisy too well, did you?” he asked, smirking.

I pushed his hand away, blushing. “Prince Chevalier-”

He put his arm around my waist and pulled me up against him. “And you are foolish enough to think you can handle a Clown?”

“Don’t do that!” I shouted angrily, shoving him away.

He laughed scornfully and turned back to the door. “Turn right when you leave, and then three doors down on the left. Make sure you behave,” he said as he left.

I glared at the closed door, fuming. How dare he treat me like that? Clearly, the rumor mill was very active here in the palace. I had only to smile at somebody, and stories would start flying about how I fell into bed with him. But I needed to calm down. I needed to put the mask back on and stop letting Prince Chevalier get to me. It took several deep breaths, but eventually my hands stopped shaking enough for me to pick up the tray of dirty dishes safely and head for the door. I would drop them off at the kitchens, pick up some clean bedding on the way to Prince Nokto’s room, and be fully under control by the time I got there. Everything would be fine.

Hopefully.