The Twelve Dancing Princesses (Faerie Tale Collection) (9 page)

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THE NEXT DAY, CASEY was eager to hear of Aleck’s adventures and if he had been able to solve the riddle or not. But he did not come down for breakfast, nor did he come for tea, and during luncheon he was closeted with her father in the study, no doubt sharing with him all he had found out.

After chattering away in the drawing room with a couple of her sisters, her nerves got the better of her. She finally stood up and wandered into the library. She usually did not mind the fun gossip they discussed, but today she needed something more. Her fingers trailed over the volumes, but she was not focused enough to read the bindings. It would seem Aleck was avoiding her. And she wanted to know why.

Was she too forward last night when she kissed him?

She blushed. Good heavens! Perhaps she scared him away. But then again, he did seem very eager and willing to kiss her back. Casey’s blush grew even warmer. This would not do. She needed to distract herself and keep calm. Quickly she grabbed a book at random and sat down upon the nearest chair. Glancing at the book, she read the title and groaned:
Countryside Excursions.
It would not be the best, but anything was better to occupy her thoughts than Aleck’s behavior.

It was not for another two hours afterward when she met him in the corridor. “Hello.” She smiled and then noticed his nervous glance her way.

“Hello.” He bowed his head. “Forgive me—I need to collect something from my room.” With that, he walked right past her.

Instinctively, Casey caught his sleeve to halt him. “But what happened last night? Am I to know nothing?”

His eyes met hers and then looked away.

A feeling of dread began to fill her. “What is it? What has happened?”

“Nothing. All is well.”

She pulled his sleeve toward her. “Nonsense, Aleck. Tell me what you saw. Is it so horrid than you cannot speak of it to me?”

“No.” He shook his head and turned more fully toward her. “Forgive me—it is nothing to be frightened of. I did not think my quietness would cause you to be alarmed.”

“What did you see? Did my sisters and I dance?”

He winced and looked away. “Forgive me, but I cannot speak about it just now. I will do so later.”

“You promise?”

“Yes. I will tell you all that I can. But first, I need to sort this out myself. Forgive me, Princess.”

“Casey.”

A look of hurt flashed across his features. “Yes.” He bowed once more, then left.

Shocked, Casey watched him turn down the hallway. He acted as though she had harmed him in some way. But if that were the case, how in the world was she capable of doing such a thing in her sleep, and what did she do?

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

MUCH LATER THAT NIGHT, Aleck wrapped the cloak around him and made his way into the girls’ room. He felt along the wall as his eyes adjusted to the darkened room. As before, he sat down next to a large wardrobe and allowed his mind to race.

Earlier that day, he had made a trip down to the cottage to speak with his mother and see what he could ascertain from her, but she was not in. Rebecca and the children entertained him as long as possible, but he had to leave before she returned. He pled with his sister to guarantee that his mother knew he needed to speak with her.

The chat with the king had been useless. The poor man was in such a stupor wondering why he did not know he had been attending the nightly ball that he could not be of much use to Aleck. Several times the king had asked Aleck to describe the people he saw there, and several times Aleck did just that—but each time the king’s mind wandered off and he muttered silliness.

“Are you certain it was I you saw? Could you have perhaps seen another king who looked like me?”

For the tenth time, Aleck replied, “Yes, Your Majesty, you were most definitely there.”

“How odd. How could I not know? How could I have no memory of such a thing? Not even a dream?”

Aleck had sighed and leaned back further in the overstuffed study chair. “Probably for the very reason your girls cannot recollect why their dancing slippers are in tatters every morning—all part of the enchantment.”

The next hour was spent with servants coming and going, bringing the king all his evening wear and shoes into the study for inspection.

Aleck leaned against the princesses’ wall. What a waste of time that was. The king in his agitated flurry at finding he was, indeed, a victim of the spell could not answer one question coherently.

Aleck absentmindedly looked around the darkened room. Tonight the curtains were parted a fraction and a small bit of moonlight reflected upon the marble floor.

The inlaid flooring was definitely beautiful and wholly unique to anything he had ever … Wait a moment. Aleck leaned forward. Where had he seen that marble before? He raised his head and noticed the chandeliers winking back at him in the dark room. He stood up and made his way to the center of the room. It could not be, could it?

Slowly, he turned all around, taking in the whole room. This was it! This was the ballroom where the girls danced last night. If one did not include the magical forest, the main portion was just like this. They were dancing in their own room! Somehow the enchantment brought everyone to this castle.

Interesting.

His mother’s face flashed through his mind and then that mysterious packet at the house and he wondered again how much she knew about this—if she knew anything at all.

Just then, the faint sound of a harp could be heard from far away.

Aleck positioned the cloak tighter around him and stepped back. The harp’s music began to grow a tad louder every few seconds, but not enough to alarm anyone. Slowly the candles in the chandeliers began to light, bathing the room in a soft glow. The girls left their beds and opened their eyes as if they were fully awake.

He made his way to Casey’s side and gently held her nightgown as she twirled and transformed into a bejeweled princess.

In an instant, the beds in the room were gone, and the whole place was alive and brimming with people. The gowns were different, but all the royalty of the night before were there again.

He wandered around the enchanted room looking for clues, anything to make sense of who these people were and why they were chosen to be pawns in this particular game. But most importantly, he had to know who was behind it all. If he could find the culprit, it would be revealed what was truly happening.

He held the cloak tighter about him and quickly side-stepped a chattering couple as they made their way down the aisle where he stood. It was much easier to observe from the outer skirts of the ballroom than to dodge people all night long. There were a couple of close calls early on, but thankfully he was able to avoid stepping upon any dress trains or bumping into someone.

Just then, Casey waltzed past him in the arms of her dashing partner. Her lively eyes were awake and sparkling up at the devilish man. A large jolt of jealously shot through Aleck’s heart. His gaze followed the pair around the floor as if he were stalking his prey. How dare the prince upset everything he had dared to dream?

Casey laughed. She was so beautiful. The prince smiled in return, his eyes focused completely on his fetching partner as he continued to talk to her.

Aleck had never seen a couple more in love in his life. His throat suddenly felt closed off, and it was as if a lump of stone had lodged itself at the base of his neck. For the next hour, he continuously watched them, each minute his heart shrinking more and more within itself. How was he to compete with such a perfect partner for her? And she was happy—oh, so happy—with this man. Had she ever looked that way at him? He closed his eyes briefly from the sight and shook his head. So much for dreaming. Even if he was capable of solving the mystery, he could never be cruel enough to take her away from the man she was most evidently loved.

He moved to run his hand through his hair, but caught himself just in time. Quickly, he placed his arm beneath the shield of the cloak.

The joyful couple passed by again, and his hollow heart jolted within his chest. How he wished life were different, but it was not.

Here was all the evidence he needed within this magical dream—a man was already prepared for her. If he were to take her away from this now, he would be a cruel beast, indeed.

Aleck turned from the crowd of dancers and wandered into the forest.

By the early hours of the morning, he was still not anywhere near where he hoped to be in solving this. His eyes and mind kept wandering back to Casey and her dashing partner. Disgusted with himself for pining for the girl all night long, he folded his arms and slumped against a gold tree. Ouch. His shoulder hit a cold, hard trunk.

Pushing away from the tree, he wrapped his arms around it and felt the smooth, unyielding mass beneath him. The thing was actually solid gold. There was no give at all. It was like its own golden statue. Remarkable.

Curious, he reached up and tugged on the gold-filigreed leaf closest to him and was amazed when it broke off into his hand. Quickly he slipped it into his pocket beneath the cloak lest someone spot the leaf appearing to float. The music changed, and he glanced up to see that the ball was ending and the sisters were already beginning to disappear before his eyes. He hurried over to Casey while she said her good-byes to the handsome prince. The man bowed over her hand and kissed the back of it as she stammered and blushed.

Aleck gave her skirt a little yank to bring her back to the present before he realized what he had done. She furrowed her brow and looked behind her, but did not say anything. When she glanced up, her dancing partner was gone. Aleck held on tight as she swirled before him, and instantly the room became normal again. One by one, the sisters removed their tattered shoes and slipped into bed.

He silently made his way out of the room as the last of the chandeliers went dark and the music faded away.

Once Aleck crawled into his bed, his horrid mind continued to race, and his heart would not remain calm. All he could see, replaying over and over again, was his dearest Princess Cascadia falling in love with another man.

With a sigh, he punched his pillow and rolled over on his side. Just who was that man, and why did he have to come and disrupt everything now?

CHAPTER NINETEEN

THE NEXT DAY, ALECK woke exhausted. How did one justify the aches and pains he felt when he was not the one dancing about the place last night? He stretched and rolled over. His eyes focused for a brief moment on the golden leaf sitting upon the writing desk a few feet from his bed. And then he groaned.

Casey was in love with that prince. No wonder he was sore. His whole body felt as though a ploughman’s cart had traveled right over him. How long could he stay in this room so he would not have to see her? How much longer could he withstand the torture she put his heart through? One more night. Only one more night to solve the mystery, and then he could be out of her life forever.

He rubbed a hand over his eyes.

He would have to find work elsewhere. It need not be too far away, just off the castle grounds so that he would not perchance run into her. If he solved the riddle, he might find favor with the king and be given good recommendations to find another post.

His stomach rumbled, and he sighed.

Very well, he would go and get some food and then come immediately back here to hide away in his chambers. After all, it was not every day that he could spend time in luxury such as this. He might as well take advantage of the situation when it presented itself.

A few minutes later found him dressed and in the breakfast room. It was quite nearly noon now, but the sideboard still contained a few dishes of fruit and cheese and bread. He filled his plate quickly and then scooped up the proper eating utensils and slipped them into his pocket. He was just about to leave the breakfast room, his hands full, when he saw Casey walk down the corridor.

She was talking to one of her sisters and so did not glance in at him.

His heart jolted at that brief glimpse of her. She looked beautiful, far too lovely for his sanity. He had to leave immediately before she noticed him.

Aleck turned around to leave through the servants’ entrance and hopefully find his way up the back stairs to his rooms.

“Oh, there you are!” Casey piped up behind him.

He whipped around, nearly spilling the fruit. She stood not two feet from him. “Hello.”

She giggled. “You looked as scared as a rabbit just now. Did I frighten you?”

He straightened up and took a step away from her. “No, of course not. I just have a lot on mind at present.”

“Aleck?” Her lovely eyes skimmed his face a moment and she took a small step toward him. “Are you well?”

“I—uh, why, yes. I am quite well. I mean, no—no. I am not.” He looked toward the servants’ door again. “I should probably sleep some.”

Worry etched itself all over her. “Oh, of course! How thoughtless of me. You are probably extremely fatigued from your exertions the past two nights, are you not?”

His heart nearly tumbled out of his ribcage at the concern he saw within her. He was a brute to put her through such silliness. Before he could stop himself, he asked, “Do you really care?”

Her brows scrunched low. “Care? What do you mean? Of course I care about you.”

He was a fool. A maddening, heartless, impossible fool! How he loved to hear those words tumbling from her lips and to see her unbidden distress. He knew he was harming her by staying away, but what other choice had he? Did he not have to step away to allow Casey the future she rightfully deserved? What joy could a simple gardener bring her? What happiness was she to ever find with him? No. He had to stay away. He swiftly bowed. “Forgive me, but I must go.”

She stepped aside, confusion and anxiety clearly at the center of her emotions. As he brushed passed her, she clutched his elbow. “Wait, Aleck.”

He paused, but did not meet her gaze.

“Please.”

Perhaps it was the tremor in her voice, or mayhap it was the way her tiny fingers tightened ever so slightly upon his sleeve that convinced him to look at her. Whatever it was, he simply could not look away once their eyes had locked.