Chapter 32 The Proposal

Chapter 32 The Proposal


Janelle

I shouldn't be here. Night servants aren't supposed to attend grand feasts, but Cook Martha fell ill, and they needed extra hands to serve the nobles. Mrs. Crawford reluctantly pulled me from my shadowy exile for this one evening.

The great hall buzzes with conversation and laughter. King Magnus holds court at the head table, resplendent in deep blue velvet. Princess Sophia sits beside Adrian, looking radiant in cloth-of-gold that makes her hair shine like spun sunlight. And Adrian...

I try not to look at him, but my eyes betray me. He's dressed in black again, his dark hair perfectly styled, his face an emotionless mask as he listens to whatever Sophia is whispering in his ear. They look perfect together, the golden princess and the brooding prince, like figures from a fairy tale.

"Janelle."

I turn to find Lord Darius standing beside me, elegant in midnight blue silk. He's been nothing but kind during the past weeks, visiting me during my brief rest periods, bringing small gifts, books, flowers, sometimes just conversation when loneliness threatens to swallow me whole.

"My lord." I curtsy quickly, aware that other servants are watching. "Can I get you anything?"

"Actually, there's something I need to do." His brown eyes are bright with an emotion I can't identify, excitement, nervousness, determination. "Will you stay close? I may need your answer to something very soon."

Before I can ask what he means, he's walking toward the high table with purposeful strides. Conversations begin to die as nobles notice his approach, curious about what could be so urgent that he'd interrupt the king's dinner.

"Your Majesty," Darius says, his voice carrying clearly across the suddenly quiet hall. "Forgive the interruption, but I have a request that cannot wait."

King Magnus leans back in his chair, wine goblet in hand, clearly amused. "A request? How intriguing. Speak freely, Lord Darius."

"I seek your permission, Your Majesty, to formally court one of your... staff members."

The silence that follows is deafening. I feel every eye in the hall turning toward me, and my cheeks burn with a heat that has nothing to do with the room's warmth. This can't be happening. Not here, not in front of everyone.

"How fascinating," Magnus drawls, his eyes glittering with cruel amusement. "And which member of my staff has caught your fancy?"

"The lovely servant girl Janelle," Darius replies without hesitation, his gaze finding mine across the crowded hall. "I find her intelligent, compassionate, and utterly charming. I would consider it the greatest honor if you would permit me to pay her proper court."

The hall erupts in whispers and shocked gasps. Ladies hide behind their fans, whispering frantically to each other. Lords shake their heads in disbelief or chuckle at what they assume must be some elaborate jest.

My eyes darted involuntarily to Adrian. His face has gone completely white, and his knuckles are white where they grip his wine goblet so tightly I'm surprised it doesn't shatter. For just a moment, I see raw pain flash across his features before the mask slams back into place.

"My, my," Princess Sophia's voice cuts through the whispers like a silver bell. "How wonderfully romantic. A noble lord and a servant girl, like something from a minstrel's tale." She claps her hands together, her smile bright as starlight. "How could anyone refuse such a heartfelt request?"

King Magnus chuckles, clearly entertained by the spectacle. "Indeed. Lord Darius, you continue to surprise me. Tell me, what exactly are your intentions toward this... servant?"

"Honorable ones, Your Majesty. I seek to court her properly, to offer her protection and care, and perhaps, if she'll have me something more permanent."

The whispers grow louder. Several nobles look scandalized, while others seem fascinated by this break from convention. I stand frozen in place, unable to process what's happening.

"How delightfully unconventional," Magnus says, taking a long sip of wine. "Very well, Lord Darius. For my honored guest's entertainment, I grant permission for you to court the girl. Though I can't imagine what you see in such... common stock."

The casual insult stings, but I barely feel it. I'm too busy watching Adrian, who has gone completely still, his breathing shallow and controlled.

Lord Darius turns to me, his expression earnest and hopeful. The entire hall watches as he crosses to where I stand, takes my trembling hand in both of his, and speaks words that will change everything.

"Janelle, beautiful Janelle, would you do me the incredible honor of allowing me to court you? To show you the respect and care you deserve?"

His voice is gentle, sincere, and every word is meant to heal wounds that have been carved too deep for too long. I should be grateful. I should be overjoyed. A lord, a kind, handsome, wealthy lord is offering me everything I could never hope to achieve on my own.

But all I can think about is the way Adrian's hands are shaking where they rest on the table.

"I..." My voice comes out as barely a whisper. The hall is so quiet that everyone can hear my every word. "I would be honored, my lord."

The hall explodes with reactions. Some nobles applaud the romantic gesture, while others mutter disapprovingly about "knowing one's place" and "disrupting the natural order." Lord Darius's smile is radiant as he brings my hand to his lips and presses a gentle kiss to my knuckles.

"You've made me the happiest man in the kingdom," he says softly.

That's when Adrian moves. He stands so abruptly that his chair scrapes loudly against the stone floor, the sound cutting through the buzz of conversation like a blade. Without a word, without even a glance at anyone else, he strides from the hall, his black cloak billowing behind him.

Princess Sophia watches him go with a slight frown, but then turns back to the festivities with renewed brightness. "How exciting! We simply must plan a proper courtship celebration."

The rest of the evening passes in a blur of congratulations and barely concealed gossip. Lord Darius stays close to my side, protecting me from the worst of the stares and whispered comments, but I feel like I'm drowning in a sea of attention I never wanted.

When the feast finally ends and the nobles begin retiring to their chambers, I escape to the one place where I've always found peace, the stables. The familiar scent of hay and horses usually calms me, but tonight even this sanctuary feels tainted.

That's where I found him.

Adrian stands in Thunder's stall, violently brushing the stallion's already-gleaming coat. His movements are sharp, aggressive, like he's trying to scrub away something that won't come clean.

"Adrian?" I speak softly, not wanting to startle him.

He doesn't turn around. "Shouldn't you be celebrating with your new patron?"

The venom in his voice makes me flinch. "He's not my patron."

"Isn't he?" Adrian's brush strokes become even more violent. "A wealthy lord offering protection, gifts, and promises of 'something more permanent' to a servant girl? That sounds like a patronage arrangement to me."

"It's not like that. He genuinely cares about me."

"Oh, I'm sure he does." Adrian finally turns to face me, and I'm shocked by what I see. His eyes are wild, desperate, filled with a pain so raw it takes my breath away. "I'm sure he cares very deeply about your... many talents."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means," he says, stepping closer, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper, "that men like Lord Darius don't court women like you out of the goodness of their hearts. They court them because they want something in return."

The accusation hits like a slap. "You think I'm selling myself to him?"

"Aren't you?" His laugh is bitter, broken. "A comfortable life, pretty dresses, protection from people like me who've been so terribly cruel to you. All you have to do is smile sweetly and warm his bed when he asks."

"Stop it." Tears sting my eyes. "Just stop."

"Why? Because the truth hurts?" He moves closer, and I can see the barely leashed violence in every line of his body. "Congratulations, Janelle. You've finally found someone willing to pay for your company. I'm sure you'll serve him as well as you've served everyone else."

The words are designed to destroy, and they succeed. Each one cuts deeper than the last, until I feel like I'm bleeding from wounds he can't see.

"I hate you," I whisper, the words torn from somewhere deep in my chest.

"Good." His smile is sharp enough to cut. "Hate is honest. Hate doesn't pretend to be something it's not."

Thunder shifts restlessly in his stall, sensing the tension crackling between us. Adrian turns back to the horse, his movements jerky and uncontrolled.

"You should go," he says without looking at me. "Your lord will be wondering where his new pet has wandered off to."

I want to scream at him, to demand explanations for his cruelty, to shake him until the real Adrian emerges from behind this mask of cold hatred. Instead, I turn to leave, my heart breaking with every step.

I'm almost to the stable door when I hear the clatter of tack and the jingle of spurs. I look back to see Adrian saddling Thunder with quick, efficient movements, his face set in lines of grim determination.

"Where are you going?" I ask despite myself.

"Away from here." He swings into the saddle with fluid grace. "Away from the celebration of your good fortune."

Thunder prances nervously as Adrian guides him toward the stable entrance. The first rumble of thunder echoes overhead, and I can see lightning flickering in the distance.

"Adrian, there's a storm coming. You shouldn't.."

"Shouldn't what?" He looks down at me from Thunder's back, and I see something wild and broken in his eyes. "Shouldn't ride out in dangerous weather? Shouldn't I risk my precious royal neck?"

More lightning flashes, closer now, and the wind picks up, carrying the scent of rain and ozone.

"Please," I whisper. "Don't do this."

For just a moment, his expression softens. I see a glimpse of the man I fell in love with, the one who saved me from a bear trap, who caught me when I fell, who looked at me like I was precious beyond measure.

But then thunder crashes overhead, and the moment shatters like glass.

"Enjoy your new life, Janelle," he says quietly. "I hope it brings you everything you deserve."

He spurs Thunder forward, and they disappear into the storm-lashed night, leaving me standing alone in the stable doorway as rain begins to fall in sheets. Lightning illuminates the empty courtyard, and I watch until even the sound of hoofbeats fades into the howling wind.

I don't know if it's rain or tears streaming down my face as I whisper into the storm, "Come back. Pleas
e, just come back."

But there's no answer except thunder, and I'm left alone with the terrible certainty that I've lost him forever..