Page 22 of Betraying Korth
That evening after Gerta left, I leaned on my balcony’s railing, staring at the gardens below and the lake in the distance. It was too far to make out Curdy’s, Garrik’s and Odette’s forms; I could barely see bits of the shore between the weeping willows.
Korth hadn’t shown any sign of believing his grandmother’s accusations about my untrustworthiness, and Odette was being kept in line. Even if she did say something, I felt sure that I’d done enough to call into question her credibility that she wouldn’t be believed. But a drop of doubt lingered. There were too many variables. If the real King Raquel sent a missive before Father sent the falsified one, or if an additional ship was sent, or if Odette did manage to give Curdy the slip and her story was believed… There was too much uncertainty, and I hated the waiting game.
Shouts of laughter came up from the courtyard directly below my balcony, and my gaze was drawn down. Korth was chasing Tess around the fountain, periodically splashing her with water so that she shrieked and tried to dodge the droplets. Tess had hiked her skirts up above her knees and was sprinting back and forth trying to avoid Korth.
I tilted my head to the side, cheek resting on my hand. So Korth did occasionally have fun after all. Or at least valued Tess having fun enough to forget a portion of his dignity. No servants were around; perhaps their absence was what gave him the courage to let his guard down. Was Tess the only one who ever saw this side of Korth? What would it take for me to extract the same from him? Our relationship would never develop into anything deep and meaningful for him if we only ever spoke of superficial things.
Tess’s foot skidded on some loose gravel and she fell. Immediately, Korth leapt to her side and eased her up as Tess searched her pocket and then scanned the ground. After a quick word, Korth helped her search for whatever had vacated her pocket during the fall. The last bits of sunset’s light cast a hazy glow over the gardens as Korth picked up a tiny object, too small for me to determine what it was, and handed it back to Tess, who flung her arms around her brother.
Still unaware that I’d been watching them, the two went back inside as Tess tucked whatever she was holding back into the safety of her pocket. Korth’s question from his cheat sheet on my first day came back to me. He had asked about how many children I wanted. Korth would be an excellent father, just from the little bit I’d observed of him.
I shook my head. There was no sense in thinking about having children with Korth when I knew what my future was once I was found out.
The next morning,Korth took me to see his grandmother again. Fresh resolve flooding me, I walked confidently withKorth toward his Nona’s room. I simply hadn’t been confident enough the first time, that was all.
“Good morning, Nona!” I exclaimed brightly the moment the door was opened. “How are you today?”
Nona’s thin eyebrows furrowed so that her face became even more lined and wrinkled than before. “Do I know you?”
“I’m Odette. I’m marrying your grandson, Korth.” I sat on the stool at her side and placed my hand over her bony one, just as if she had been my own grandmother.
Nona’s eyes narrowed once more. Before she could express her disapproval of me once more, I asked quickly, “Can you tell me about your son, Orion? Korth has told me such wonderful things.”
On the opposite side of the bed, Korth gave me an encouraging nod.
Nona’s glare didn’t soften. “I don’t trust you,” she said flatly. “Why are you asking about my son?”
“Be—because I care,” I stammered, unsure what I had done to give any indication that I was untrustworthy—besides the fact that I was. I shot a glance at Korth, who looked appalled at his grandmother’s reaction.
“Odette is wonderful, Nona,” Korth said, coming forward and placing a hand on my shoulder. “If you get to know her?—”
“Idon’twant to get to know her,” Nona grumped, becoming increasingly angry by the second. “I’m going to tell Orion about this. Where is he? Tell him to come here this instant. I want an investigation.” Her voice rose in volume and aggression by the moment.
I pulled back from her bedside as Godfrey bowed to Nona and poked his head out of the door to call for a page boy. My panic grew and I looked to Korth for help.
“Nona,” he began in a placating tone.
“Don’tNoname! Get this woman out of my room, now!”
Godfrey stepped toward me, but Korth blocked him. “We were already leaving.”
Nona’s shrieks continued as I left, fighting down the shaky feeling that was taking over my entire body. How could she know? Was it simply the ravings of an old woman, or would she be believed? What would the royal family say when the page boy brought word that the king’s own mother didn’t trust me?
“I’m so sorry,” Korth apologized, looking incredibly embarrassed. “She really is lovely most of the time. I hoped this time would be different.”
“Perhaps…” Godfrey spoke for the first time, and even his voice made me think of an old hound dog’s yowl. “Perhaps we should give some thought as to why His Majesty’s mother feels the way she does if this is a unique situation.”
“I suggest you don’t question my fiancée’s integrity.” Korth spoke quietly, but there was no mistaking the warning in his voice, and one look from him silenced his manservant. My breath came in short bursts as I scrambled to think of something to say. How could I defend myself and still ensure Korth’s trust in me? The urgency of needing Korth to fall in love with me became all the more pressing. A drop of guilt mingled with my panic. It was a shame, really, that I had to convince an honest man to believe me instead of his own grandmother when she was right.
“We still have time before my next meeting,” Korth said as we reached the ground level. “Allow me to make up for my grandmother’s behavior. Would you like to accompany me on a stroll along the beach?”
“I’d welcome it.” Anything to get as far away from his Nona as possible, even if we had to have Godfrey with us. I resisted the impulse to shoot him a dirty look. The last thing I needed was someone else who suspected me. Instead, I slipped my hand into Korth’s, who tensed for a fraction of a second beforehe hesitantly entwined his fingers around mine. I gave him an encouraging squeeze and swung our hands so Godfrey would be sure to notice.
The beach wasn’t far from the castle, and despite the fear that usually bubbled in my gut along with the somewhat fishy smell lingering in the air, I couldn’t help the feelings of security that swept through me as we strolled up the coast, hand in hand. Korth walked with his ankles and calves in the water, pants rolled up to his knees, as the surf rolled in and covered our feet periodically before retreating in earnest again.
Bits of seaweed occasionally washed up to catch on our toes or wrap around our ankles as we walked through the shallowest water. We stayed silent for a long time, simply soaking in the peace of the seashore. Seagulls screamed overhead, lamenting that we hadn’t brought them anything to eat, and sandpipers scurried over the sand, their miniscule claws leaving the tiniest of scratches as they dashed in to gobble up tiny insects as the tide ebbed. As each new wave rushed forward, the sandpipers would dash away again, eager to avoid getting wet. Occasional gravel-like pebbles dug painfully into my feet, but for the majority of the time, I only felt soft silt beneath my toes. It had a rippled, convoluted pattern that matched the curves of my feet and was compacted enough that it was easy to walk in.
I paused in our walk, letting the waves roll over my ankles, and Korth stared out at the horizon, far beyond the docks where his navy ships were moored. I followed his gaze, hungrily staring at the ships that could be the salvation of my people. “How are things in Ebora?” Korth asked.
