The Tale of Mally Biddle (35 page)

Mally had moved into the King’s Chamber and her mother had taken the adjoining room. She knew it would be odd for her to be sharing a room with Lita and Gerda. Her new position made her uncomfortable around her friends. She understood the different role she was expected to play now—a princess’s best friends were not the servants, but Mally couldn’t even imagine this. She couldn’t imagine ignoring Lita. Couldn’t imagine ordering her around. When she confessed this to Lita, she laughed.

“I won’t ignore you, Mally, as long as you don’t ignore me!”

***

Mally couldn’t sleep in her new chamber. She had half a mind to join her mother. Her chamber was so very large and grand. The bed could fit six easily. The pillows were of the best goose down, the sheets were silky and smooth, the mattress warm and thick. But she couldn’t sleep. No matter how many ways she turned and fluffed the pillows, she couldn’t get comfortable. Huffing, she sat up, feeling like a mouse in a basketful of sheets. She lit a few candles and drew her knees into her chest. The fire was still burning nicely. Its flickering flames threw orange light on the walls. Her eyes roamed the room until they landed on the two large portraits of her mother and father.

It was odd, she suddenly thought, that Romore had kept them for all these years. They were in fact the only remaining portraits of King Sebastian and Queen Amara. The knights had destroyed all the others. Why would Romore want to save these? These that were in his personal chamber? Perhaps he thought of them as tr
ophies? The thought made Mally grimace.

She stared at them. For the first time, she purposefully took in every detail of their faces. Yes, that was her nose and those were her freckles. She could see a resemblance in the cheekbones. Ce
rtainly King Sebastian’s curly hair was just as wild as hers.

Mally blinked, suddenly thinking of the lazy locks that fell across Galen’s forehead. She rested her chin on her bent knees and stared at the sheets with unfocused eyes. She hadn’t seen him since the feast. Though, she argued silently, she hadn’t had much of a chance to leave the castle. Meriyal, Evelyn, and Mildred had spent an entire day fitting her for dresses. She had been spending hours each day with Adam and Cian, the rebel leaders that were now on her council, discussing what actions to take. Even with Lita by her side, cracking jokes and taking walks in the castle’s meadows with Sam, she felt something was missing. Her family was with her. She had been greatly entertained by her mother arguing with Archie over the best way to prepare black bonnet soup, and a radiant Ge
rda had admitted to her earlier that day that she and Nathan were going to be married.

Mally smiled at her feet thinking of the not-so-far-off marriage. But the smile on her face faltered as that strange emptiness touched her heart again. She glanced out the locked glass doors to her ba
lcony, staring out at the dark city. She wondered if Galen was awake, too.

***

She knew her mother and Meriyal would be furious, but the next morning, Mally snuck out of the castle. She left a note pinned to her pillow, tied her new velvet cloak under her chin and retrieved Sam from the royal stables. It was just dawn. Weak, newborn rays were just beginning to caress the sky. The air was frigid and her cheeks stung as Sam galloped down the cobbled streets. Very few people had yet risen but the ones that had waved from their windows. Sam skidded to a halt outside the Lone Candle. Mally rushed inside, nearly tripping in her haste. The moment she entered she felt like a tropical bird in the snow. The silence that filled the room was overwhelming. Eyes latched onto her and Mally gulped. Embarrassed, Mally went to the counter where Olive and Edwin stood.

“What a pleasant surprise, Your Highness!” Olive cried, smi
ling widely. With the battle over and both sons safe, she had been much warmer to Mally.

“Thank you. I’m sorry to trouble you, but is Galen about?”

“He left about thirty minutes ago.”

Mally’s face fell.

“But you can probably find him on Baker’s Hill,” Olive suggested.

“Thank you!”

Mally waved goodbye and rushed back out of the inn. She mounted Sam and spurred him to the largest hill in Bosc. She wasn’t surprised to be told that was were to find him—as she had seen on that first tour of the city, the view of the ocean from the hilltop was beaten only by the views from the castle’s tallest towers. That was the one thing Mally liked about her new chamber. It had the most stunning view of the ocean.

Snow covered the ground and the bitter air whistled around Mally’s ears as Sam galloped up Baker’s sloping side. Mally pulled on the reigns when she spotted him. Galen leaned casually against a tall oak, staring at the pale sky. The snow crunching u
nder her feet, Mally walked the final distance to him.

“Galen.”

He looked over his shoulder and smiled slightly. Things had been odd between them since the feast. Whereas Ivan was in the castle night and day, Mally had not seen Galen. When she had first chosen the members for her council, Galen’s name had been first on her list—but he had refused. Mally still didn’t understand why.

“Are you mad at me?”

Galen’s back stiffened and he turned to her in surprise.

“No.”

“Then why haven’t we seen each other?”

Galen let out a bitter laugh that sounded more like a snort.

“We’re not really in the same social circle anymore, are we?”

His crossed arms tightened and Mally suddenly realized how thin his coat was. That he wore no gloves. An embarrassed heat flooded her cheeks and she wished she had put on her old cloak, patched and frayed.

“What do you mean?” Mally asked slowly, feeling her heart sink.

“You’re the princess. I’m the son of an innkeeper.”

“But I’ve missed you,” said Mally.

Galen glanced at her and crossed his arms tighter.

“I’ve been having a hard time getting used to all of this,” Mally explained. “I can’t sleep, Archie thinks I’m losing my appetite, I can’t go anywhere without three people following me … I—” Mally stared at him, trying to get him to understand the chaos inside her. The chaos she always felt when she thought about him, the chaos he caused when he wasn’t with her. “I think I could handle all of this better if you were with me,” she finished quietly.

“You have Ivan.”

“I don’t want Ivan,” Mally shook her head. “Not like this.” Mally took another step toward him. “Please, Galen. I … I want to be with you.”

Galen stared at her as if he couldn’t believe his ears.

“Didn’t you hear what I said?” he asked incredulously.

Mally nodded, tears starting in her eyes.

“We can’t be together,” he continued. “I work at an inn—you rule the kingdom. Mally, please don’t cry! It just won’t work … they won’t let it happen.”

“Who won’t?” Mally demanded. “The people? The council? Who, Galen? Who are you afraid of?”

“I don’t know how to be a king!” Galen exploded and suddenly Mally realized that Galen had all the same fears she did.

She smiled timidly.

“Well, you’re not alone. I don’t know how to be a queen. But I’m figuring it out and I think having company could make things a whole lot easier.”

Galen looked away from her and expelled a shaky breath, the icy air turning it to mist.

“Mom sent me out here because she’s tired of seeing me so miserable,” Galen admitted. “She thinks I’m scaring off the customers.”

Mally laughed softly. They didn’t say anything for a moment, each not looking at the other. Then suddenly a ringing filled the air. Mally and Galen both turned their eyes to Bosc Bell Tower, its bells gleaming in the sunlight, its chimes clear and jubilant.

“Bob’s in the bell tower again,” said Mally, smiling.

“No one can keep him away from it for long,” Galen agreed. Mally risked a glance at Galen. There was a slight upward curve to his lips.

“You don’t suppose in a castle that big,” Galen asked slowly, “there’s an open room?”

“Yes! Yes! Plenty to choose from!” Mally cried happily. She flung her arms around his neck and kissed him.

Sam looked at them, twitched his ears, and snorted before returning to nosing the snowy ground for a frozen blade of grass.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Melissa Lee LeGette lives in Washington, Georgia with her family. She is currently working on her third novel. You can find Melissa on Pinterest, Twitter, and Facebook.

http://mllegette.com