Kingdom of the Sea, page 7
“That was different,” Luciana said, crossing her arms.
“Why?”
A great question. Luciana couldn’t just admit that she’d meant the last time as an apology. It seemed silly. She shook her head and tried to deflect, saying, “How would you feel if you had something deeply personal. Something you kept for yourself, that you’d never shared with anyone, and suddenly it was on display for everyone to see?”
Daniel shrugged. “I’d be nervous, but I’d do it anyway. What’s the point of having a talent if you never share it?”
“Spoken like a man with no hobbies,” Luciana huffed.
Daniel held a hand to his chest in a dramatic gesture. “Rude!”
“Am I wrong?”
“I’ll have you know, I write—”
“Books?” Now he’d piqued Luciana’s interest.
“I’ve been keeping a journal for the past two years.”
Luciana giggled. “Really?”
Daniel nodded.
“And you’ve never shared this with anyone?”
“Nope. I mean, people know I keep the journal. It would be crazy if they didn’t. But no one has ever read my writings.”
“I have to see it!” Luciana laughed, delighted.
“No way,” Daniel said lightheartedly.
“What’s the matter?” Luciana teased. “Afraid to share?”
“No, I just… it’s silly, but I’d like to share it later. When it’s finished. I’m writing down everything notable in my life so I can tell the stories to my children, you know?” Daniel said, suddenly serious.
Luciana imagined an older version of Daniel, sitting by a fireplace, reading his journal aloud with a smile on his face. The thought was unexpectedly charming. “I can respect that,” she said. “But if you want me to play for you, I’ll need to hear some of your writing in exchange.”
“I don’t have my journal with me right now,” Daniel protested.
“But you brought it with you to Askaña?”
“It’s in my chamber.”
Luciana cocked her head and said, “If I play something tonight, will you bring your journal here tomorrow?”
Daniel considered this for a moment, then said, “It’s a deal.”
Luciana smiled. This was the perfect test to determine his trustworthiness. If he brought his journal tomorrow and shared his most intimate writings with her, she might consider asking for his help to claim her throne.
“What instrument do you want me to play?” she asked, taking stock of her options.
“Piano is fine,” he said. “I’d like an encore.”
Luciana didn’t know why, but his request made her blush. She nodded. “Piano it is.” She looked through her sheet music. “What do you want to hear?” she asked. “Something dramatic? Something sad? Something upbeat?”
Daniel leaned forward, looking into her eyes. Luciana’s breath caught in her throat as his eyes darted to her lips. He was close enough to touch as he said, “Play something beautiful.”
7
Day 19 of Summer
After taking her time at the breakfast table, Luciana stood and made her way to Camila’s study. She’d purposely lingered this morning so she could give her sister time to attend to any duties she might wish to. Camila would likely spend the rest of her morning in the garden after that, giving Luciana time to read the morning post uninterrupted. Ideally she would have woken up early and gone before breakfast, but she was tired from the night before. She’d only promised Daniel thirty minutes a day until the ball, now five days away, but they’d stayed in the music room much later than she’d intended.
Daniel was an excellent audience. Every time she glanced over at him, she’d seen him listening intently. He seemed to enjoy listening to her play, and to her surprise, she enjoyed showing off her skills. There was something satisfying about seeing all of her practice pay off. Losing track of time had come at a cost, but his smile as her fingers floated along the keys made it all worth it. Luciana stifled a yawn as she shuffled towards Camila’s study. She hoped something interesting had happened in the realm, otherwise she wasn’t sure that she could stay awake.
Reaching Camila’s door, Luciana slowly turned the key and opened the door slightly, peeking in as she always did to ensure the room was empty. Luciana did not see Camila, but she did see a bodice thrown haphazardly to the ground. Luciana furrowed her brows. This was unusual. Luciana soundlessly stepped inside, and as she stepped closer, recognized it as the same garment her sister had been wearing just that morning. She picked it up. It seemed to have been unlaced in a hurry and tossed aside. Luciana heard a rustling noise from behind the couch and stopped in her tracks. Something was wrong.
What was Camila doing down there? Was she alright? Luciana silently edged her way toward the couch.
“Camila?” She called softly.
The faint scent of perfume and sweat filled Luciana’s nose. She edged around the couch and caught sight of her sister. Luciana’s hand flew to her mouth and she instinctively stepped back, a cornered animal, frozen in place. Camila and Esmeralda sat up. They had both lost their gowns, their hair tousled as if they’d been…
No.
She had to be imagining things. There had to be a different explanation. Except there were the faintest beginnings of a love bite forming on the exposed flesh of Camila’s neck.
No, this was real. Camila and Esmeralda had been having sex. And Luciana had walked in on it. Luciana’s face burned red-hot. She was vaguely aware of her mouth falling open somewhere in the process, but she didn’t care. She couldn’t look away from the scene.
“Luciana?” said Camila, sitting up slowly.
“Don’t mind me. I was just going,” Luciana said, edging toward the door.
But Esmeralda, who was quicker than Luciana in her shocked state, dashed to the door and slammed it, blocking Luciana’s exit.
Luciana and Esmeralda stared at each other for a second that stretched into an eternity. Luciana could think of nothing to say, and apparently neither could anyone else. She found herself hoping that the castillo would swallow her whole so she could escape from the humiliation. She supposed this did eliminate Esmeralda as a suspect for Nicolas’s daughter, but that was hardly a consolation given the circumstances.
Finally, Esmeralda said, “Kindly give Camila her bodice back, please.”
Luciana slowly obliged, crossing the room, and handing Camila her bodice. She had forgotten that poor Camila was still topless, but then again, Esmeralda wasn’t exactly fully clothed either. Her shoes and petticoat were missing, and her top was gone, leaving her in a thin shift. Camila snatched her garment from Luciana’s hands and put it back on the best she could manage by herself.
“What were you doing in here?” Esmeralda demanded.
Luciana should have been rattled by so direct a question, but all she could manage was a gesture at Camila, who was trying desperately to appear as if she and Esmeralda hadn’t just been on the floor together. “I could ask you the same question.”
“I don’t know what you think you saw but—”
Luciana cut Esmeralda off. “I know very well what I saw, thank you.” That seemed to shut her up.
“Please, Luciana, you mustn’t tell,” Camila begged.
“Is this a common occurrence? Or was this just a temporary lapse of judgment?” Luciana asked.
“Luciana—”
“Need I remind you, you cannot marry a woman! She cannot give you a blood heir, and after what I’ve seen today, you could never be an Ambassador of the Sun.”
“I love her!” Camila cried.
When Luciana looked at Esmeralda, her cheeks were bright red, but her lips curled into a soft smile. So, it was true. Luciana had known they loved each other. She just assumed the affection was sisterly. Luciana’s heart melted at her sister’s desperation. Camila was a traitor to her title, but she’d found something genuine in Esmeralda. She had no right to judge Camila for what her heart wanted.
Luciana sat on the floor with her sister and wrapped her in a tight hug. “Camila, I am so happy for you. I wish I could find a love of my own as deep as yours and Esmeralda’s.”
Camila’s tears fell onto Luciana’s gown. She was undoubtedly afraid and rightfully so. If her secret was to be made public, she could be cast from the family for betraying her title. Or maybe this could be the ticket to Luciana taking the throne in her sister’s place. Her heart fluttered at the thought.
“Camila, look at me,” Luciana said. “I would never do anything to hurt you. You needn't worry about me.”
Camila nodded in response. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying, her corset askew, her hair in tangles. She looked like a mess. Esmeralda no longer blocked the door but stood over Luciana, almost daring her to try anything.
Luciana looked back and forth between the two of them. “How did this happen?” she demanded.
“It was two years ago,” Esmeralda said. “I had already begun living here at the castillo.”
Luciana remembered the time well. Esmeralda’s parents had been caught in a nasty winter storm on their trip home from Osmain and perished on the treacherous mountain slopes. Following their deaths and thanks to Camila’s long friendship with their daughter, Nicolas had offered Esmeralda a room in his home. The two of them had been inseparable since childhood, and now Esmeralda performed her duties as Condesa from the comfort of the castillo.
“We went for a walk in the garden and something just clicked. It was as if I could suddenly see the world the way it was meant to be seen. Beautiful and full of life, and it was all because of Camila. She brought me out of my despair.”
“I didn’t care what might happen. All I knew was I wanted her. The rest is history,” Camila cut in.
Luciana saw the way they looked at each other, as if she wasn’t in the room at all. She wondered how she’d been so blind to this in the past.
“Who else knows?” Luciana asked.
“Not a soul,” said Esmeralda, “and we had intended to keep it that way.”
“But now that you know, we won’t have to hide in front of you any longer! I am truly happy you know. I just wish things were different for us, so we didn’t have to hide at all,” Camila said, taking Luciana’s hands and giving her the most genuine smile she’d ever seen.
“Perhaps…” Luciana said softly. “Perhaps you could just tell everyone. Then you could be together without hiding.”
“I’m going to be Reina one day,” Camila said. “I don’t want to abandon my title.”
Luciana fought to keep her composure at Camila’s blatant dismissal of the obvious solution, but nevertheless, her gaze became steely. “So, then what do you intend to do? Keep this a secret forever?” Luciana asked, dropping Camila’s hands and crossing her arms.
“Essentially,” Esmeralda said. “Camila and I will choose husbands eventually, and hopefully we will take residence close enough that we will be able to still see each other.”
That was a horribly bleak outcome to imagine, the two of them sneaking around behind the backs of their husbands and children forever. Luciana made a mental note to search the law books for anything that might help them. “Surely you’re not going to settle for that,” Luciana said.
“That is our only option,” Camila said sadly.
But it wasn’t. Luciana wanted to grab Camila by the shoulders and shake her until she came to her senses. It made so much more sense to simply allow Luciana to take her place as Reina. Being unable to take the throne due to a scandal and giving it up willingly with a strong reputation were two entirely different things. Abdicating the throne and granting the title to the next person in line was considered just fine under Askanese law. As long as Camila waited a few more years to announce her relationship with Esmeralda, Luciana could be Reina and Camila could be with the woman she loved. Luciana pursed her lips.
Camila looked at her with pleading eyes. “I’m begging you, Luciana. Don’t tell anyone.”
Luciana had no words left to say. She had barely had time to process anything that had happened. It seemed that Camila and Esmeralda were done, too. Luciana picked up a petticoat from the ground and tossed it to Esmeralda, who quickly put it on.
“I should go,” Luciana said. “Your secret is safe with me.”
Before they could say anything else, Luciana bolted from the room.
In the shock of everything, Luciana had forgotten to check the post.
Luciana was already waiting for Daniel when he ducked under the door. They’d been friendly at dinner, but that hadn’t been enough for Daniel. It would satisfy his father, but Daniel wanted to speak to her freely. He was tired of calling her “Your Highness.”
She eyed him suspiciously. “You’re late.”
“I had to go back to my room after dinner, remember?” Daniel replied.
“You brought it?” Luciana asked eagerly, jumping up from the piano bench.
In response, Daniel pulled out his journal and held it out to show her. Luciana took the book gently, but the wide smile on her face betrayed her true excitement.
“It’s so worn,” Luciana said, examining the cracked spine and folded corners of the cover.
“It’s been through a lot,” Daniel said.
“What do you generally write? Poetry? Or do you do more in-depth descriptions of what you’ve done that day?” Luciana asked, hardly taking any breaths between her questions.
“If you’d hand me the book you’ll find out,” Daniel said. Luciana looked hesitant to part with the journal. “Unless you plan on reading to me instead?”
“I do think it would be more effective coming from you.” Luciana sighed and handed the book back. Their hands touched as she passed off the journal, a fleeting sensation, but Daniel’s breath caught in his throat.
Luciana flopped onto the bench. “Well, let’s get into it! Take a seat!”
“Where do you want to start?” Daniel asked, ripples of anxiety starting to course through his veins as he sat. He’d never shared his writing with anyone. There were bound to be errors. Improper grammar, sentences that didn’t make sense. What if his descriptions weren’t vivid enough? Would Luciana laugh at him?
“You should start at the beginning,” said Luciana.
Daniel had been hoping she would request something a bit later in the book. He had no doubt that he’d look back on his first entry and cringe. But he opened the journal to the first page and cleared his throat, trying to get rid of his nerves.
“Year 735, Day 1 of Spring,” he began. “Today I have left the palazzo for the adventure of a lifetime.”
Luciana listened intently, showing no signs of boredom as he read. If she was judging his writing ability, she hid it well. And although Daniel knew she could hide her displeasure at something if she so chose, her guard was down. She would be honest with him.
Daniel read about ten journal entries aloud, chronicling his journey to military training, his first days in service, and even the beginnings of his friendship with Capitano Quirino, who at the time had been just a Tenente. Quirino had thought it was funny that he ranked higher than the Principe himself, even as a Junior Officer. But after a while, his voice grew tired and his mouth dried out from all the talking. Daniel closed the book gently.
“That’s all for tonight. I don’t think I could read anymore,” Daniel said. Luciana looked almost disappointed, and Daniel fought back a smile knowing that she was so invested.
There was a sparkle in Luciana’s eyes that made his heart flutter. He shouldn’t be looking at her like this, regarding her as if they were really courting. Daniel knew that his heart was going to do what it wanted, but he also knew that Luciana would never return any affections he gave her. Daniel stood, dusting off his jacket and heading toward the small door. If he couldn’t handle himself around her right now, he would have to go.
“Leaving so soon?” Luciana asked.
“I’m tired,” Daniel said simply. He tried to keep his eyes off of her lips as he got ready to depart, but it proved difficult. She was so beautiful in the candlelight that all he wanted to do was pull her close, run his fingers through her hair and… no. He couldn’t think like this.
“I’ll see you here again tomorrow, right?” said Luciana hopefully.
Daniel nodded. “I’ll be here.”
8
Day 22 of Summer
Esmeralda looked strangely vulnerable without Camila by her side. Luciana hadn’t realized how much time they spent together until they were suddenly apart, almost like they didn’t trust themselves to be in close quarters anymore. Not that they had changed too much else. They still giggled amongst themselves at breakfast. But this afternoon, it had been surprisingly easy to get Esmeralda alone.
Esmeralda tucked a lock of her short brown hair behind her ear and took a small sip of sparkling wine. “I was surprised you wanted to see me today. Do you have more questions for me about your sister?”
“Yes,” Luciana lied, glancing around to make sure there were no servants around to hear their conversation. She needed Esmeralda to do what she did best. Talk.
Spending time with Daniel had made Luciana lose track of what was truly important—becoming Reina. Each day as she glanced at the flute that contained the rolled-up letter from Nicolas’s daughter, it seemed to grow heavier, weighing on Luciana until she couldn’t stand it anymore. If anyone would have intel on this lost Princesa, it would be Esmeralda. But Luciana couldn’t just come right out and ask, so she figured she’d ease her way into it.
“Has there ever been a time when you felt jealous of Camila’s future husband?” Luciana asked.
“What do you mean by that?” Esmeralda asked in reply, leaning back and looking out the window.
“I mean, did either of you explore the possibility of just remaining unmarried? So you could be faithful to one another?”
