room together. The room hushed as we stopped just inside the archway. My Uncle came over to me and took my arm, Reginald took Celia’s, and they led us to where Emmaline stood. Unfortunately she was right next to Julian, whose eyes I refused to meet. I turned my gaze and saw that Leo and Li were talking intently across the room. I started at the sound of someone saying my name.
“Tamsin, my how you look like Annaliese in those colors.” It was Reginald, and he smiled at me, but I was distracted with seeing Li looking so comfortable with her step-cousin Leo. Once I was free from my Uncle’s arm, I excused myself. I brushed passed Julian and met his eyes for the first time since we last saw one another. He grinned oddly as he grabbed my arm.
“Shall we go and check on my poor, helpless step-cousin?” I did not hide my revulsion at his touch and I saw that my Aunt was giving me that old look of consternation. Julian led me away.
“Now there’s a look you must have missed horribly while you were away.” I rolled my eyes.
“What? Not even a smile for your dear old friend?” he asked in mock surprise. I remained silent and walked faster, leading him over to where Li stood.
“Li, I came to your room. You did not wait for me...” She was taken aback.
“Is something wrong? I did not mean to upset you. It has been such a long time since I last saw Leo...” She stumbled on the words. I realized then that Leo was looking at me. I shook my head.
“No, Li, I was just worried that you might feel out of place.” Leo took my hand and kissed it. Li looked stricken as he did so and I knew that my initial thoughts were correct. She was already in love with him. I remembered that last summer while we were separated, I had no letters from her except for when she wrote to tell me of her step-grandmother’s death. Leo was there all that time, and they must have shared their grief.
Dinner was announced. Julian grabbed my arm and hung back while everyone made their way toward the dining hall.
“Let me go!” I said angrily.
“Wasn’t that the last thing you said to me in Stuttgart? How long ago was that, two years? Don’t you think I ‘ let you go’ long enough?” I freed my arm and left him to catch up to everyone else. I arrived in the room to discover that I was sitting next to Li which left an empty seat on my other side which was, sadly, the only place left for Julian.
I sighed.
I tried to hear what was being said to my right, but with Julian on my left it was not long before he stole my attention away from the other side.
“So that’s it? You’ve decided to ignore me completely?” He paused while I took a sip of a red wine that I was not able to enjoy.
“Not a word?” I was still silent.
“Not even an insult?” A faint smile crossed my lips before I could stifle it.
“There!” he said, “You can’t take that back now, I saw it.” I shook my head and released a sigh.
“Really, I thought they sent you to that convent to teach you manners. Did they tell you how rude it is to ignore your dinner partner?” he asked in a mournful tone that reminded me of my Aunt. I turned my head to look at him full on.
“How is your meal?” I asked, and faced forward again.
“Why it is delicious, thank you for asking, though I wouldn’t mind some more talkative company.” He waited, expecting a laugh and received a cool look from me.
“I’ve not amused the queen, then?”
“Must I throw myself on the mercy of the court?” Cool silence, again.
“You would make me beg for forgiveness, then? Plead my innocence?” He got close to me and grabbed my hand until I looked him in the eye. While I knew that the way we spoke to one another was terribly unrefined, I could not help enjoying it a little.
“Tamsin, I made a mistake... what do you want me to say? I was younger, rash, and far less charming!” He dropped my hand and finally got a giggle from me.
“There! Was that so hard?”
“If you truly
“Tamsin, my how you look like Annaliese in those colors.” It was Reginald, and he smiled at me, but I was distracted with seeing Li looking so comfortable with her step-cousin Leo. Once I was free from my Uncle’s arm, I excused myself. I brushed passed Julian and met his eyes for the first time since we last saw one another. He grinned oddly as he grabbed my arm.
“Shall we go and check on my poor, helpless step-cousin?” I did not hide my revulsion at his touch and I saw that my Aunt was giving me that old look of consternation. Julian led me away.
“Now there’s a look you must have missed horribly while you were away.” I rolled my eyes.
“What? Not even a smile for your dear old friend?” he asked in mock surprise. I remained silent and walked faster, leading him over to where Li stood.
“Li, I came to your room. You did not wait for me...” She was taken aback.
“Is something wrong? I did not mean to upset you. It has been such a long time since I last saw Leo...” She stumbled on the words. I realized then that Leo was looking at me. I shook my head.
“No, Li, I was just worried that you might feel out of place.” Leo took my hand and kissed it. Li looked stricken as he did so and I knew that my initial thoughts were correct. She was already in love with him. I remembered that last summer while we were separated, I had no letters from her except for when she wrote to tell me of her step-grandmother’s death. Leo was there all that time, and they must have shared their grief.
Dinner was announced. Julian grabbed my arm and hung back while everyone made their way toward the dining hall.
“Let me go!” I said angrily.
“Wasn’t that the last thing you said to me in Stuttgart? How long ago was that, two years? Don’t you think I ‘ let you go’ long enough?” I freed my arm and left him to catch up to everyone else. I arrived in the room to discover that I was sitting next to Li which left an empty seat on my other side which was, sadly, the only place left for Julian.
I sighed.
I tried to hear what was being said to my right, but with Julian on my left it was not long before he stole my attention away from the other side.
“So that’s it? You’ve decided to ignore me completely?” He paused while I took a sip of a red wine that I was not able to enjoy.
“Not a word?” I was still silent.
“Not even an insult?” A faint smile crossed my lips before I could stifle it.
“There!” he said, “You can’t take that back now, I saw it.” I shook my head and released a sigh.
“Really, I thought they sent you to that convent to teach you manners. Did they tell you how rude it is to ignore your dinner partner?” he asked in a mournful tone that reminded me of my Aunt. I turned my head to look at him full on.
“How is your meal?” I asked, and faced forward again.
“Why it is delicious, thank you for asking, though I wouldn’t mind some more talkative company.” He waited, expecting a laugh and received a cool look from me.
“I’ve not amused the queen, then?”
“Must I throw myself on the mercy of the court?” Cool silence, again.
“You would make me beg for forgiveness, then? Plead my innocence?” He got close to me and grabbed my hand until I looked him in the eye. While I knew that the way we spoke to one another was terribly unrefined, I could not help enjoying it a little.
“Tamsin, I made a mistake... what do you want me to say? I was younger, rash, and far less charming!” He dropped my hand and finally got a giggle from me.
“There! Was that so hard?”
“If you truly
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