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AFTER the events of the past year flashed through my head, I came to my senses and caught myself, standing on my own two feet.
“My apologies, Your Royal Highness. Thank you.”
I gently pushed his arm away, distancing myself. Engaged as we were, it was hardly proper for a lady to be so close to a gentleman in public. He readily removed his arm from around my waist but clasped my hand in his, determined not to let go.
I knew it… Something about him is off, isn’t it? Could this all be a dream?
Just in case, I dug my heel into my other foot. It hurt as much as I’d expected.
Around the ballroom, everyone except for Prince Vincent and myself was frozen, still as statues. The spell he’d cast must have blanketed the entire hall. I was impressed that he had affected so many people at once, but it also made my skin crawl. It was as though I had wandered into a wax museum.
I shot Prince Vincent a look, bidding him to undo his spell, and he understood my intent.
“I’ll return you all to normal in a moment,” he spoke loudly to the room. “But first, consider your expressions.” He looked straight at the devilish smirk on Lady Yulisse’s face, then surveyed the rest of the hall. “The truest measure of nobility is keeping one’s emotions hidden. Those of you who turned a blind eye to these troubles are truly deserving of your titles. But the rest of you, especially you in the front…”
When I looked at the students, I realized he was right. Everyone bore one of three expressions on their face: excitement, disappointment, or apathy. The ones closest to us—no doubt those most enthralled by Lady Yulisse’s act—seemed beside themselves with excitement. Edward Norden was especially pleased, frozen before a cheer of joy.
I must admit, I never thought him to be such a fan of Lady Yulisse.
“You’ve confused fiction for reality,” Prince Vincent continued with an air of finality. “You are slow-witted at best and ignorant to the harm you cause others at worst. Consider yourselves fortunate that your parents aren’t in attendance; else you would receive the scolding of your lives. I sincerely hope you will reflect on this whole affair.”
His point made, he snapped his fingers, and everyone started moving all at once. The low hum of chatter echoed throughout the hall. Some stayed paralyzed, disturbed by their recent actions. Others let out sighs of relief, and a few students who were closest to us tried to blend into the crowd. They no doubt had plenty to think about. I, for one, was amazed at how eloquently Prince Vincent had struck at the heart of the matter.
Lady Yulisse slumped to the ground, like a marionette severed from its strings. Her face was a mask of rage and resentment.
Prince Vincent looked down at her coolly, speaking in a low voice. “Lady Yulisse. You were smiling at Elizabeth’s discomfort, weren’t you?” He let out a short sigh. His tone was resolute. “Elizabeth, how did that make you feel?”
He didn’t face me as he spoke. No doubt he knew exactly what I had felt. His question was for everyone else to hear. For the first time, I understood why he chose the ball for this decisive moment, just as the book had described.
“I thought that us separating, no matter the circumstances, would be disastrous for the kingdom,” I said in a clear, resonant voice.
Lady Yulisse shot me a baffled look. She likely expected me to feel defeated or frustrated at having lost to her. That wasn’t my concern, however.
“If you had meant those words,” I continued, “then either House la Montlivere would have fallen, or you would have lost your inheritance and right to the throne—perhaps both.”
Lady Yulisse’s eyes flew open, and the color drained from her face. “What…?!”
The thought had never crossed her mind. In other words, she had never wanted Prince Vincent from the beginning. Her goal was to be queen, nothing more.
The prince shook his head at her. “Your accomplice no doubt told you that you would become queen should I choose you, but you were deceived. Could any precocious upstart take the throne on such a whim? Could any mere lovestruck fool do it? No, impossible. The best you could achieve is eloping with me into exile. You never had a chance at the throne.”
“B-But that’s… That’s not fair!” Her voice, once like a songbird’s chirping on a spring breeze, was now hoarse and frail. For the first time, she spoke words of her own instead of mindlessly reciting that book.
Prince Vincent’s expression was firm. “That’s reality.”
The entire room was tense. The spell that novel had held over them was broken, and they remembered their noblesse oblige all at once.
“Why…?! So this was all pointless?! What was it all for?!” Lady Yulisse’s wail broke the spell. Her shoulders shuddered, and large tears spilled from her eyes. Even I felt a pang of pity for her. She was likely nothing more than a tool for the true mastermind, naively led to believe her life was a fairy tale.
“Your Highness?” I whispered into Prince Vincent’s ear. “There are too many people here. Perhaps you should finish this later?”
He cast his gaze towards the door, and a handful of soldiers and ladies-in-waiting came forward. They wordlessly urged Lady Yulisse to her feet and led her away. Her will had been shattered; under questioning, she wouldn’t be able to cover for her deceiver. At best, she would be tried for sowing discord and, at worst, for treason against the Crown.
It was strange to think that a mere story was the start of it all, and most everyone had forgotten the gravity of such crimes. Prince Vincent had used Lady Yulisse to remind the future lords and ladies of that harrowing fact, and most of them now looked at His Highness with a mix of awe and respect—myself included. He himself was unwavering in his resolve as he watched Lady Yulisse be carted out of the room.
If anyone has ever truly deserved to be king, it’s him.
He no doubt had plans to catch the mastermind as well, and I was overcome with unease that I would ever be able to match him at his side.
“Liza,” he said, turning to face me. “As an apology for this whole ordeal, allow me to gift you anything you desire. Anything at all.”
“O-Oh, no, I couldn’t possibly accept! If anything, I should apologize to you for handling this affair so ineptly. You’ve taught me what it is I lack.”
With that, the hit novel Star Maiden returned to fantasy and became nothing more than a story once more. Only one lingering question was left unanswered.
Why did His Highness seem so distant when I looked up at him?