Finding Lady Hildegale was the easy part. Off season she practically lived in her sitting room. She was always entertaining; food and drinks at the ready, exotic fruits and delicate sweets. I could go to Lady Hildegale's any hour of the day and expect to see people there. Important people sometimes, the up and rising, the latest singing sensation or the brightest new poet. No one entertained more than Lady Hildegale, except maybe the King.
The hard part was getting to speak to her. Everyone wanted to speak to Lady Hildegale. She was exactly the kind of woman I wished was my godmother. She knew everyone, and could introduce you to anyone in the Circle Kingdom. Since we arrived in Catha I'd been trying to get Lady Hildegale to take me and Joli under her wing. Every day I got a little closer to her. Now would be my last chance.
I took a deep breath as the footman announced my name and I entered Lady Hildegale's sitting room.
"Princess Iantheia of the Kingdom of Winding."
Heads turned in my direction, until they realized I was no one truly important and they returned to their conversations. I ignored them as well.
Lady Hildegale stood near her picture window, a bowl of fruit in one hand, her other gesturing wildly as she spoke to the circle gathered around her. She was always nibbling on something. It was a marvel she wasn't two feet wide, but she had so much energy she sometimes made me nervous.
This morning she wore a salt and pepper dress with cloud-like gauzy sleeves. Her hair was stalk white, set off by a tiny black hat with a large blue feather in it. Even with white hair she had a youthful face. I had no idea her real age.
Sitting on her right shoulder was an owl-faced elf, who used a feather pen to scribble into a fat book, open to the middle, recording all the conversations around Lady Hildegale so she could refer to them later. The elf was invisible to most people. I shocked Lady Hildegale once by asking her whether his hand ever cramped. She warned me not to mention the elf again, said it was our little secret.
I glided across the floor toward Lady Hildegale's circle. I patted down my hair and smoothed the folds of my dress, my favorite aqua-green skirt, grateful once again to Joli who kept me from looking like a pauper princess. Lady Hildegale had not looked, had not even twitched, when my name was announced, but that only hightened my determination to win her over.
I was not the only one hovering outside Lady Hildegale's circle, hoping to slip into the conversation. A thin faced man bowed to me, then said. "I heard your name, and I believe I'm right in thinking your mother, was it, before she married into Winding had a contention to Catha's throne?"
"I, uh, yes. That's right, but no longer, I'm afraid." I managing a slightly curtsy in his direction.
"What a shame. Had the fates been kinder, then you wouldn't be standing on the fringes here, you'd be the very center of attention. And then I'd be talking to one of the mos sought out Princesses in the Circle Kingdom." He chuckled to himself. Then he began to babble at me about the succession laws.
The ruler of Catha rotated in a system so complicated it took days to explain. The laws and lineage of the kingdom was common a topic of conversation, as everyone tried to figure them out. Had my mother not married the King of Winding, she might have inherited the throne of Catha at some point.
It was nothing special to be a Princess in Catha. Princes and Princesses were quite common. Any children of the King and Queen were given a title that they kept after their parents gave up the crown. Being a Princess didn't matter, what mattered was the names of your parents, or your proximity to the crown.
It was a lot of complicated nonsense if you asked me. But even I'd memorized the lineage, so I knew the names of the current royal family, King Graybark and his daughters, all nine of them, and I knew the names of all the sons and daughters of the next King. The crown would pass to King Elder at the next full moon, I'd really looked forward to seeing the ceremony.
"Oh my, you know it never crossed my mind that my mother might have been Queen of Catha." I said, playing modest. Of course, I'd thought about it. Catha's queen didn't have money problems.
The thin faced man nodded, stepping closer to me as if I'd invited him. I hadn't wanted to encourage him and I only half listened, and nodded along to be polite, while I kept an eye on Lady Hildegale still hoping to squeeze in beside her. Part of me wished I could turn invisible like her elf. Another part hoped someone might step in, coming to my rescue. I didn't really expect it though, I just had to escape on my own somehow, without being rude either.
"You'll have to excuse me, Sir . . . ." I began.
"Prince Flairon." And he described his place in Catha's lineage. We were related in some diagonal way. That was the trouble in Catha. I was related to almost everyone in some fashion. Except where it mattered. Lady Hildegale and I had no relation whatsoever.
"Please excuse me, Prince Flairon. I haven't eaten yet this morning and I don't want to faint from hunger." I moved for the breakfast table, and its delicacies.
Of course, he followed me continuing his lecture.
I ate my food as fast as I could without choking, while Prince Flairon talked. Then I went back to stand near Lady Hildegale and, like a persistent terrier, he never left my side.
He wouldn't take my subtle hints to leave and I began to wonder what would be the least insulting thing to say. I became so desperate that I blurted out, "I need to speak to Lady Hildegale."
Prince Flairon stumbled mid sentence. "Eh, sorry?"
"I need to speak to Lady Hildegale," I repeated, trying not to sound as desperate as I felt.
"Oh, oh I see." He looked at Lady Hildegale. She was still surrounded and speaking in an enthusiastic manner. There was no way to sneak in without looking rude.
Then before I could say or do anything else, Prince Flairon waved his hand. "Oh Amelia, do you have a moment? This girl here would like to speak to you!" He shouted at Lady Hildegale, interrupting her conversation.
I was mortified, my face went beet red and the color spread down my neck.
Lady Hildegale's entire circle broke and turned to stare at me and Prince Flairon.
to be continued...
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