The Wild Swans (5 page)

In unison
, the siblings bowed. “Welcome to Castle Brandis,” they said.

“Thank you
,” Queen Clotilde said, removing her hand from King Henrik’s arm so she could properly embrace them.

Elise
was near the end of the receiving line. She smiled her first real smile of the day when King Henrik kissed her forehead. “That was well played, darling,” he said before he moved on to speak with Gerhart.

Queen Clotilde
was right behind King Henrik. She didn’t embrace Elise, as she did Elise’s foster siblings. “You and I have much to talk about, Fürstin,” she said.

“Oh?” Elise asked
, still smiling.

“Yes.
Henrik tells me you are the chief of the Treasury Department.”

“I am.”

“I wish to discuss Arcainia’s finances with you. Could you make time for me later this week?”

Elise kept her smile firm
ly in place. “Of course, my queen.”

“Thank you
, Fürstin,” Clotilde said before she moved onto Gerhart.

Elise brief
ly felt for the golden key that hung from the red sash of her work uniform. It wasn’t there, of course, as she was wearing a new dress for the wedding.

Erick
had guessed right. Clotilde unsettled Elise, but that wasn’t all.

Clotilde made her skin crawl.

Chapter 3

“I think we should have a race to see who has the fastest horse,” Nick said a sunny, spring afternoon as the royal family (or most of it) was sharing a horse ride at the request of the king.

“On
ly if Rune is banned from entering. He always wins,” Gerhart complained.

“Come on everyone
, line up. Except for you, Rune. Gerhart is right. You spend too much time in the saddle, so you and your horse have an unfair advantage. Elise, you will join us, yes?” Nick said.

“Perhaps she doesn’t wish to join in this fol
ly,” Falk said, lining his horse up with Nick’s.

“Nonsense. All of us royal siblings love horses and go
ing fast. Come on, Elise,” Nick called.

“Elise
, if I may have a word,” Queen Clotilde called.

Elise gave her foster brothers an apologetic look
before she turned her mare in the direction of Queen Clotilde’s pony cart, for once not sorry to attend to her.

“Yes
, Queen Clotilde?” Elise asked, directing her mare to walk next to Clotilde’s cart.

“
Steffen, aren’t you joining us?” Nick called.

“Not
on your life. It’s too unseemly.”

“
Suit yourself. Will you make the countdown then?”

“
As you wish. On the count of three. One…two… three!”

Clotilde waited to speak until Mikk
, Nick, Falk, and Gerhart galloped off.

“I visited the royal vault yesterday. The guards would not let me inside even though I am the queen.”

“Please do not take it personally. They were following protocol,” Elise said.

“If the queen cannot visit it
, who, then, can?”

“I
can,” Elise said.

“And?”

“Only me, My Queen,” Elise said. She refrained from explaining that she could authorize anyone to visit the vault—the vault only held enough funds to keep the country running for a month, after all. Several members of the Treasury Department had the clearance to add and remove funds from the vault whenever necessary.

“I see. This is a rule you
have made?” Queen Clotilde asked, her voice hardening.

“No. It
was a royal decree Father made before he gave me the office of chief of the Treasury Department,” Elise said.

“By your Father
, I take it you meant to say King Henrik?”

Elise swallowed the rage
that bubbled in her throat. “Yes.”

“I see
,” Queen Clotilde repeated.

“Did you
have any other questions?” Elise asked.

“No
, that is all. Good day, Fürstin.”

“Good Day
, My Queen,” Elise said before nudging her horse forward.

Elise eager
ly trotted ahead, joining Steffen. “Who won?” she asked.

“Falk
, I think. His horse is a racer. We should catch up and find out,” Steffen said, discreetly glancing over his shoulder at Queen Clotilde. “What did she want?” he asked in a lowered tone as they left the new queen behind.

“She wanted to know why she couldn’t enter the vault
,” Elise said.

Steffen
whistled. “Not good. Does she know about the treasury?”

The treasury
was the storehouse of royal treasure. Elise carefully built it up since the day she first took office. “No. I don’t think so, or she would have demanded to know why she couldn’t enter that too.”

“Let us keep it
that way. We’ve spent too many years working towards expanding Arcainia’s monetary power to let a spoiled harpy ruin it now,” Steffen said, his voice and expression pleasant in spite of the hostility of his words.

“Prince
, Princess!”

Elise and
Steffen halted their horses, letting a courier on the back of a lithe horse overtake them.
              “Where is Prince Rune?” the courier asked as his horse pranced in a circle.

“Further ahead. What is it?”
Steffen asked, pointing to the glob of royal brothers and their mounts.

“A giant attacked one of the villages. Everyone is safe
. The villagers fled to an army fortification, but the creature is flattening every structure in the area,” the courier said before he kicked his horse, which shot forward like flying bird.

“A giant
,” Elise repeated. “Has there ever been a giant in Arcainia before?”

“I don’t think so. Not for a century at least
,” Steffen said.

“
There were hellhounds last week, and a pack of goblins two weeks before that. What is going on?”

Steffen
shook his head. “I’m not sure. But it is not a good omen.”

Elise hurried down the hallway
, wincing when she heard a harsh, raised voice.

“Carful
, Fürstin. She’s worked herself into a tizzy,” a washerwoman warned as she thumped down the hallway, carrying a load of clothes.

“It certain
ly sounds like it. Thank you,” Elise said, giving the washerwoman a brief smile before she rushed to the royal apartments.

Elise hesitated at the door. The shouts
were coming from inside, and there was an expensive sounding crash as something shattered against the wall.

Elise knocked
, and the door opened to her father. In spite of Clotilde yelling and pacing behind him, he had a pleasant smile. (Steffen had to inherit it from someone, Elise supposed.)

“Daughter
, how good of you to join us,” King Henrik said.

“How may I be of service
, Father?” Elise asked, dipping into a curtsey before she entered the royal apartments.

“My dear Clotilde
has some concerns over her wardrobe.”

“I apologize
, but I am not involved in the actual usage of goods. I only deal in their purchase,” Elise said.

“Yes
, it is the financial aspect that seems to be the problem,” King Henrik said.

“Why must I
have a
budget
for clothing? Would you have me dress like a peasant? Am I not sufficiently royal enough for you to concern yourself with letting me look presentable?” Clotilde demanded, twisting an expensive, imported paper fan in her hands.

“Not at all. Every member of the royal fami
ly has a budgeted amount for their clothing. We must be held accountable for our spending, My Queen,” Elise countered with a steady, pleasant voice.

“Then why is mine so little?
Gabrielle is only the wife of the crown prince, and she is dressed better than I. I should dress like a queen, not like a…
maid
!” Clotilde said before carelessly tossing the fan.

Elise bit her tongue to keep from utter
ing a sharp reply. She very much wished she could tangle her hands in Clotilde’s pretty blonde hair and drag her from Brandis, kicking and screaming. The new queen was dressed in an expensive gown of lavender silk. She wore strings of sapphires and pearls around her neck and woven through her hair. To top off the look, her slippers were made of white silk and embroidered with real gold thread. No one in the royal family dressed so lavishly. No one but Clotilde.

“Princess Gabrielle’s wardrobe
expenses are significantly less than yours. If you feel she is dressed better, perhaps you should ask who tailors her dresses,” Elise said.

“Do not lie to me
. She wears jewels and gems of the likes I have never seen before,” Clotilde said.

“It is very like
ly that those jewels are her personal property. Before she married Steffen, she was the Marquise of Carabas. She still owns those lands and the wealth they accumulate. The Treasury Department is not responsible for her personal finances and how she wishes to use her income from Carabas. However, though I do not know Gabrielle well, I can assure you that she spends a great deal less on her wardrobe than you,” Elise said.

“Then why are visit
ing ambassadors dressed better than I? The ambassador’s wife from Loire is dressed how I
should
be dressed. I will not stand to be upstaged by an
ambassador
!”

“Again
, My Queen, I am forced to remind you that I am responsible only for Arcainia. I do not busy myself with other country’s business and budgets,” Elise said.

“Fine. Then I want an increased
amount for my wardrobe,” Clotilde said.

“It cannot be done
,” Elise said without hesitation.

“You dare refuse me?”

“It is not a matter of refusal as much as it is a matter of balance. Arcainia cannot afford to spend more on your wardrobe,” Elise said.

Clotilde looked murderous.

“There, there, my dove. All is not lost. No matter what you wear, you look bewitching,” King Henrik cooed, placing an arm around Clotilde.

“I want more
,” Clotilde said, folding her arms like a pouting child.

“If Elise says it cannot be done
, then it cannot be done. But do not fret; I will give you some of my personal money for you to spend.”

“Why can’t you cut back spend
ing in other areas?” Clotilde complained.

Elise swallowed
, unwilling to answer.

“My children are
, above all, trustworthy, my dove. They are doing their best for Arcainia. We must let them continue with their work,” King Henrik said.

“If
that was all you wished to discuss, may I leave?” Elise asked.

“Yes
, Elise, you may go. Thank you for your explanation,” King Henrik said, patting Clotilde’s hair.

Clotilde didn’t say anyth
ing, but she narrowed her nearly colorless eyes at Elise, and her fetching face turned ugly with the glare she gave her.

Elise curtseyed and hustled out of the room. When the door clicked shut behind her
, she ran down the hall like a frightened rabbit.

She
had just made an enemy out of Clotilde, and she wasn’t sure what the outcome would be.

“I think it is high time Fürstin Elise marries,” Clotilde announced several weeks later during the family breakfast.

Gone
were the days when the royal family ate merrily with the rest of the residents of Castle Brandis. Since Clotilde had been crowned, she insisted they eat separately—with servants serving them on their finest plates of porcelain and gold.

Elise looked up from her eggs. “I beg your pardon?”

“I do not understand why you felt the need to take on a foster daughter in the first place, Henrik. With seven sons, a fosterling is hardly necessary. But as you have her now, it would be shameful to cast her out, and she may as well be of use after living off you for so many years. Marry her off to a foreign duke or baron who will pay handsomely for her,” Clotilde said.

Nick slammed his fist on the table. “You cannot be serious
,” he said.