A Dove's Tale

Chapter 15

I didn’t think Prince Chevalier would return to his room during the day, but I only let myself hide there for a few more minutes before I forced myself back into the hallway. No princes were in sight. I kept my head down and hurried to the library, trying to recover my composure, trying not to think about Prince Licht. A few more hours of cleaning, and I would get to escape, back into the sunshine where there were no bloody daggers and boxes of bandages hidden under the bed.

I couldn’t get it out of my mind.

Work. I needed to get back to work. The chandeliers wouldn’t clean themselves, so I got a ladder from a supply closet and set it up next to the alcove, where the sunshine was the brightest and the view was the prettiest. Sunshine, candlelight, bright gold fixtures - brightness and happiness, with no place to hide dark secrets. I paused in my dusting to look down into the gardens. It was such a nice day outside. I loved working in the library, but it was days like today that got me wishing I was outdoors a bit more. I let my eyes wander around the gardens, just for a moment. Prince Luke was up in a tree, sitting on a branch, his arms folded over his chest. He looked to be asleep. The sight made me smile. And down by the pond, there was the bench where Prince Chevalier had taken up residence yesterday, and the tree where I’d enjoyed an hour of reading. That had been oddly nice. I’d never thought the day would come when I’d be able to relax around Prince Chevalier.

The library doors opened, and my heart sank as I turned to see who had entered. It was too early for Prince Chevalier to arrive. But the honey-blonde prince dressed in shades of maroon was a welcome sight.

“That’s dangerous,” Prince Yves said reproachfully, frowning as his deep blue eyes took in my precarious situation. He held a small brown paper bag in one hand, and he came to a stop at the bottom of the ladder, resting his free hand on the lower rungs to stabilize them.

“Hello, Prince Yves. I was just coming down, anyway.”

I wasn’t, but it was probably rude of me to stay atop the ladder if he wanted me for something.

“You shouldn’t be doing this alone,” he said, watching me climb down.

“No, but I’m the only one here. Is there something you need, your highness?” I asked as my feet touched the floor.

He held out the paper bag. “This is from the café. I stopped by to give it to you yesterday, but I guess you were at the festival with Chevalier.” His inflection on the last few words evidenced disapproval.

“Oh, thank you, your highness,” I said, my eyes widening in surprise as I took the bag.

“Don’t thank me. It was Licht’s idea,” Prince Yves said, blushing and averting his gaze.

“Prince Licht thought of this, your highness?” I asked in disbelief, peeking into the bag.

“Of course he did. He’s the sweetest, kindest person you’ll ever meet,” Prince Yves insisted, his deep blue eyes coming back to mine.

I stared at him in shock. “Prince…Licht?” I repeated, unable to wrap my head around what Prince Yves was saying. The man sitting alone in the dark, cutting himself, scaring the life out of me when I arrived unexpectedly, was the same man who suggested buying me a croissant after a chance meeting on the road?

Prince Yves scowled. “Yes, Prince Licht. Whatever you think of him, you’re wrong. Just because he pushes everybody away doesn’t change the fact that he’s really a gentle person.”

Sweet? Kind? Gentle? I ran back through the events that occurred in his room, and I realized that he never once threatened me. He didn’t want me intruding, and he didn’t want me telling anybody, that was all. I took his actions as a threat because I didn’t understand what was going on.

Why was he doing that to himself?

Did anybody know?

“I’m sorry, Prince Yves. You’re right. I don’t know him, and I shouldn’t pass judgment on him,” I said apologetically.

“That’s better,” Prince Yves said haughtily. “He’s nothing like Nokto, even if they are identical twins.”

I hadn’t put that together yet, but it made perfect sense. They looked so similar.

“Well, thank you, Prince Yves, and please thank Prince Licht for me,” I said politely. “I’ll look forward to eating this later.”

He turned to go, but stopped after a few steps and looked back at me. “Does Chevalier know you’re climbing around on that ladder all by yourself?”

“Of course, your highness.”

Prince Yves frowned and turned back. “I’ll hold it for you.”

“You don’t have to do that, your highness,” I said quickly, scrambling for a reason to make him leave before this turned into another bizarre encounter. “Do you like to go to the theater?”

Prince Yves raised an eyebrow curiously. “Yes?”

“Then perhaps you should go see Prince Licht right now. Prince Clavis just had me deliver a pair of theater tickets to him for a performance tonight, and since you two seem so close, maybe he’d want you to accompany him.”

“Theater tickets?” Prince Yves snapped, narrowing his eyes angrily.

“Is something wrong, Prince Yves?” I asked, suddenly wishing I’d kept my mouth shut.

He spun on his heel and stormed out of the library without another word. I stared after him in shock, replaying the conversation in my head, trying to figure out what I said that was so upsetting.

How many hours until I could go home?

I turned back to the alcove and stowed the brown paper bag next to my book. The warmth of the beautiful gardens down below seemed to mock me. If only I were a little dove, then I could fly away, and I wouldn’t have to deal with these princes anymore.

Back to work.

Prince Chevalier was exceptionally irritable when he arrived at two thirty. I was already on guard, even without hearing his curt response and seeing his sharply narrowed blue eyes when I delivered his tea. His permeating chill sank deeply into my bones, and I was careful not to say a word more than was absolutely necessary. The last thing I needed was trouble with him. He dismissed me, and I returned to the main library, counting the minutes until I could leave.

One hour of blessed silence. Only an hour and a half left. I climbed down the ladder for the last time and was in the process of folding it up when Prince Nokto burst through the library door. He immediately focused on me, his crimson eyes narrowed and angry. I automatically took a step back as he approached me and held the ladder between us, as if that was enough to protect me from any of these princes.

“Leave Licht alone,” he said venomously.

“I was just following Prince Clavis’ orders, your highness,” I replied, my heart pounding all over again in the face of his anger. He wasn’t the carefree, frivolous man I was used to seeing. He was tense, and he was dangerous.

“That was your first mistake.”

“I’m sorry for upsetting anybody, Prince Nokto, but it’s not my place to question orders.”

“If you hurt him-”

“Nokto, stop.”

Prince Licht had joined the fray, fully dressed and buttoned tightly closed, even with his expression. Prince Nokto took a step back from me, but his anger didn’t fade, nor did the threat he posed.

“She doesn’t know.”

Prince Licht came to a stop beside Prince Nokto. They stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity, long enough for me to wonder if there was truth to the idea that identical twins could communicate telepathically. Their similarities were even more striking when they stood side-by-side like this, their differences more glaring. The same shaggy silver hair, worn longer by Prince Nokto; the same crimson eyes, blazing with life in Prince Nokto’s face, cold and lifeless in Prince Licht’s face; the same build, about the same height as Prince Chevalier, maybe slightly shorter, and broad across the shoulders, but more slender about the waist than the taller and bulkier Princes Jin, Leon, and Luke.

I studied them because I had nowhere else to go. They had me trapped against the door to Prince Chevalier’s private library, and the ladder seemed less and less helpful as a defense mechanism. I didn’t know what was going on; I didn’t know why everybody was so mad at me; and I wanted nothing more than to escape and curl up in a corner somewhere.

It could be worse, I told myself, reminding myself to breathe as I awaited the twins’ judgment. It could definitely be worse, especially if-

The latch clicked behind me, the wood of the door left my back, and now the twin princes had me trapped between them and Prince Chevalier.

This was worse.

Prince Nokto broke Prince Licht’s stare and smiled, all anger and tautness leaving his body as he shrugged nonchalantly.

“I suppose I’ll go find Clavis, since he engineered this situation. Sorry for disturbing you, King Highness.”

He turned to go, waving lazily over his shoulder. I still couldn’t breathe. Prince Licht’s crimson eyes shifted to mine, drilling a hole through me.

“Stay away from me,” he said coldly, and then he turned to go.

“Prince Licht,” I blurted out, stopping him in his tracks. I swallowed hard, forcing the words from my mouth. “Thank you.”

He didn’t respond, simply started walking again. I stepped away from the cold emanating off of Prince Chevalier behind me, who still hadn’t spoken a word.

“I’m sorry for the disturbance, Prince Chevalier,” I said, dropping my eyes to the floor as I turned back to face him.

“Come,” he said coldly, spinning on his heel and returning to his library.

Because this day would not be complete if he didn’t lecture me or threaten me in some way. I reluctantly propped the ladder against the nearest bookcase and followed him, shutting the door behind me. He was just inside the door, standing with his arms crossed over his chest.

“You are only taking orders from me and the head maid,” he snapped, towering over me.

“Yes, your highness,” I said meekly, keeping my eyes on the floor.

“If Clavis gives you a note, bring it to me. I’m the only one who can read his handwriting.”

There was something less chilling about his voice, and I chanced a look up at him. His icy blue eyes weren’t angry.

“That’s his handwriting, your highness?”

“Yes. Others call it Clavisese or Lelouchian for its indecipherability, but it is in our language.”

He was still standing over me, but his tone was venturing into an almost conversational direction, and I felt myself relaxing against my better judgment.

“If it’s not too bold of me to ask, would you mind telling me what it said, Prince Chevalier?”

“‘The bearer of this note is entitled to one date with Ivetta. Tip: She doesn’t like beer.’”

I felt my face flush hotter with each word he recited, and his lips curled into that mocking smirk.

“Please tell me you destroyed it, Prince Chevalier.”

“The Mime still has it.”

The Mime. That must be Prince Licht. He certainly didn’t talk much, so it made sense, in a very insulting way. The most I’d ever heard him speak was in those awful few minutes in his room. The memory sent a shiver up my spine, and I suddenly realized that Prince Chevalier was going to know something was wrong if I stayed any longer. He noticed everything that bothered me at the festival, and he asked about it. He was going to ask about this, and I couldn’t answer him. I could still feel Prince Licht’s rough hand clamped over my mouth, his deep voice in my ear telling me not to scream.

“May I get back to work, your highness?”

The moment of silence before he responded was too long. His appraising blue eyes were too piercing. He already knew.

“Yes.”

“Thank you, your highness,” I said, trying not to sound too relieved, trying not to bolt out the door. I grabbed the folded ladder outside and left for the supply closet.

There was still too much time left in my day.