Roy received the news of the duke’s insurrection the minute it began, and, thanks to his uncle, it came as no surprise. Roy had already removed the duke’s allies from power and reorganized the army in preparation. The corruption under the late king ran deep, leading to traitors working for the duke having infiltrated even the highest levels of command in the army before Roy could remove them. This was what led to Roy’s decision to publicize the truth about his marriage with Fielle alongside the news of the insurrection.
Roy also wanted to eliminate the nasty rumors about Fie, but his ministers cautioned him against it for fear of harming the king’s influence on his people just before a war. Ultimately, Fie herself stopped him, and in the end, Roy was unable to use any of his kingly influence to make even the slightest amends to her. If anything, up until he learned of her true identity, Roy cared not one whit about those rumors. And now, with Roy pretending to be perfectly honest in these public announcements, he knew those awful stories about her would never change.
This was the first time in Roy’s life that he had ever worried about a girl. Even though he detested women, he believed being a wonderful king was all that was necessary to make even the most loathsome of women happy. And yet, looking at Fie and her unhappiness caused solely by his actions, he finally realized how egotistical this line of thinking was.
The head maid conveyed the younger maid’s report to King Roy. “It appears that Her Highness Princess Fie is lonely, Your Majesty,” she said.
Roy stopped what he was working on the moment he heard Fie’s name. “Is she really?” he asked.
The head maid had known Roy for many years but had never seen him react like this before. Ever detesting wasting time, he always worked through every one of her reports to him, and even though he listened courteously and gave all the correct responses, he never showed signs of feeling any emotion about what he heard.
He scratched his head, looking unusually worried. “I wonder what we should do about that,” he said.
This was the first time the head maid had ever seen him show any concern for a woman, which, she thought, was a step in the right direction.
She suggested, “Would you be amenable to chaperoning Her Highness to the circus? According to our younger maidservants, it is ever so disappointing if one lacks the opportunity to see it.”
“Really? Very well,” said Roy with a sigh of relief. “Please make a reservation for one seat in the royal box.”
It sounded like the king planned to send her off alone. The head maid hesitated, unsure of whether or not she should take the next step and advise him further. If the princess was lonely, then shouldn’t she be wanting for company? Perhaps King Roy’s lack of experience with women prevented him from understanding this sort of thing. Yet, as she fretfully watched King Roy attack his pile of work, she concluded that she would have to save this for another time. The weight of supporting a kingdom must have been ferociously heavy. What he needed in a woman was someone to help support him, but Roy and Fie could develop their relationship later. It was not too late for Fie to slowly close the metaphorical gap between them.
✦ ✦ ✦
Fie was overjoyed when she received the invitation to go to the circus.
“Does that mean Captain Y—uh, I mean, His Majesty the King—is coming with me?!” she cried.
“No... I apologize, but I’m afraid I can’t,” the minister who gave her the invitation said.
Her face fell. Having to go by herself made her even lonelier, especially since she had planned to see the circus with Queen and her other friends.
Concerned for her, the minister asked, “Should I ask His Majesty on your behalf?”
She quickly shook her head. “No, he’s busy. I’m sorry for being so selfish. I’ll be okay; I can have fun on my own.” She smiled at him, but it was clearly forced.
The minister sighed. Contrary to all the bad rumors, she really was a sweet girl.
Crow and Roy were swamped with work. Even though Fie’s usual convoy of maids and guards would accompany her, they weren’t exactly her idea of fun companions. Sure, she had come to know them all better, but they still weren’t her friends. Her real friends, the squires, were separated from her due to the recent, sudden circumstances. Where was the fun in visiting the circus without them? Yet Fie could not tell either Roy or Crow the way she felt, because doing so, she thought, would be selfish.
The day of the circus finally arrived, and Fie left the palace for the first time in weeks, flanked by her guards and maids. However, no matter how much Fie tried to strike up a conversation with them, the maids kept their distance from her, which only made her feel lonelier. Still, she resolved to enjoy the show, especially after all the trouble her captain had gone to in order to secure her a seat.
Fie and her companions were admitted on the opposite side of the tent from the entrance where a crowd of commoners thronged to enter. As she walked in, the ringmaster and the performers bowed deeply before the queen consort. Fie was led to a fine box meant for the royal couple; it afforded the best view in the house.
The circus tent was deserted, with the space at the center of the tent where the performance would take place surrounded by rows of empty seats. The maids soon excused themselves as well, leaving Fie completely alone.
The other attendees began to stream in through the entrance. Oh... Fie thought. The squires had come to see the show! Slad, Gees, Remie, Gormus, Queen... All the friends she had spent so much time with settled in their seats in front of her, faces lit up in excitement for the upcoming show. But she was not among them. If she still was one of their number, would she have been there, watching the show beside them? The moment she thought that, her positive attitude vanished, and a chill wind blew through her heart.
A maid appeared at her elbow carrying a cup. “Your tea, Your Highness,” the maid said.
“Ah...”
“Is something the matter, Your Highness?”
Fie dearly wanted to ask, “Won’t you watch the show with me?” However, she knew from their time together that these maids had received an elite education in serving, and if Fie presented her with this choice, it would only bewilder the poor girl. Fie couldn’t possibly bother her more than she already was.
“No, but thank you for asking,” she said, and forced herself to smile. Relieved, the maid left her again, and Fie was once more alone.
If only she could have turned back the clock and prevented her secret from ever slipping out. Then she’d be down there with her friends, watching the show, and, if their schedules aligned, maybe the knights from the 18th platoon would be there too.
Fie longed to leap the railing surrounding the royal box, run to her friends, and enjoy the show with them. But she couldn’t. It hadn’t been long since she had met her maids and guards, but she already understood that running away would cause them no end of trouble. Gone were the days in which she could slip out from the castle and hang out with her friends whenever she wanted.
The ringmaster signaled for the show to begin, and clowns took the stage, juggling balls and cracking jokes at the crowd. A breathtaking duo, a man and a woman, soared on the flying trapeze near the ceiling of the tent. A lovely young woman performed a show in perfect sync with a troupe of trained hounds. A dexterous man threw knives at another performer, making the whole audience gasp.
Smiles lit up the faces of every person watching the show, and yet the only light in Fie’s eyes was the reflection of the stage lights. She sighed as another spectacular act finished. Suddenly, a voice behind her said, “What’s wrong? I thought this was your first time seeing the circus, Your Highness. What’s making you frown?”
Fie’s eyes opened wide, and she spun around. “Sir Crow?” She gasped.
He was supposed to be busy, and yet, here he was. His blond hair shone in the lights, making him look every inch the handsome knight. There he was—a wannabe Casanova, yes, but also Fie’s strong, captivating, and respectable mentor, the one who was always there for her whenever she was upset.
“I heard you were going to the circus alone,” he explained. “I was worried you’d want company, so being the awesome mentor that I am, I decided to show up. Here, I bought you grilled chicken with herbs that I bought at a stall outside. It’s your favorite, right?”
Crow passed her a heavenly smelling skewer wrapped in paper. The scent made Fie realize how hungry she was.
“To tell you the truth, I wanted to bring Yore along too, since I figured he’s the one you really wanted to see. But he’s too busy right now, and I’m not, so I came instead,” Crow said with a sheepish chuckle.
You liar, Crow, Fie thought.