The Half-Class by Kayvion Lewis
Chapter Twenty-Three
Iblinked into darkness. The day was long gone now, and Saddy’s oven fire had burned away hours ago. I wasn’t going to ask her to rekindle it for me, so I sat alone in the shadows until a small flame drifted toward the kitchen, along with Saddy’s silhouette behind it.
Saddy stopped in the doorway. The pale candlelight called attention to more creases and darkness in her face than it illuminated.
“There’s a carriage here for you,” she said dryly.
I stumbled to my feet. My legs ached from sitting on the floor for so long.
I wanted to ask who it was, but the moment I was up, Saddy left the room. I had overstayed my welcome.
In the darkness again, I crept across the room. My cloak caught on a chair. I bumped into the breakfast table. Actually, it wasn’t my cloak at all. I’d stolen it from Saddy’s stable.
Feeling a new pang of guilt, I unclasped the now dirt-caked and stained cloak and left it on the back of one of her chairs. I doubted I’d ever be able to return it.
I left the kitchen and maneuvered through the front room. Saddy, her face burning behind her candle, watched me from her seat several paces away from the door. I averted my eyes from her, then dropped my head and left out into the street. Not a second later, the door latched shut behind me, locking me out for good.
As promised, a small but elegant carriage waited at the side of the street. The streetlamps didn’t stretch this far from the center of the city, and in the night, the carriage looked like nothing more than a shadow. The deep green carriage car was almost as dark as the two black steeds drawing it. An orange glow burned through the windows.
The door of the carriage swung open, and Donnie peeked out. “Good evening, Evie,” he said. “Do you need a ride?”
A rush of relief washed over me as I rushed into the carriage. Donnie sat back as I climbed inside and settled in the seat across from him. A small lantern burned at his side, illuminating the crisp dark car. I’d never been in a carriage before, but I immediately knew this one was a step above the standard. The seats were a velvety grey and softer than any pillow I’d ever slept on. They fit perfectly with the shimmering green trim lining the edges of the car and the paler green fabric covering the ceiling and floor. The etchings across the green fabric were so detailed, swirling and twisting. It was a work of art in itself, and my boots were stepping right over it.
Donnie hit his fist twice against the carriage wall, and we set forward. The soft motion felt unusual. It was a feeling I was unaccustomed to, smoother than riding in-saddle but close enough to the ground to feel the bumps in the cobblestone. I quickly adjusted.
“You don’t know how glad I am to see you,” I said.
“That tends to be the effect of my arrival.”
“How did you know I was here?”
“Your aunt had an idea of where you might be. She told me you were about to go for a ride when she last saw you.”
I nodded. “The stable keep was nice enough to harbor me, after all.” I waved my hand. “This started. I was worried I’d never get out of there.”
“That’s all you were doing, going for a ride?” Donnie looked me over carefully.
I rubbed my wrist. “That’s all.”
He laced his fingers over his lap. “I hope so.”
Please. Please, don’t push this.
“Anyways,” he said, thankfully ignoring whatever he wanted to say. “Your family seemed quite worried about you. Cass is too, I’m sure that’s why he sent me and not an officer. Tensions are pretty high within the ranks as of now.”
“Wait. Why isn’t Cass here?” I asked. “Not that I’m unhappy to see you, but if he was so worried, why stay at the barn?”
“He’s not at the barn. He’s at the castle.”
“But he said he was going to see me tonight.” Maybe I should’ve just taken the change in plans. I was in no condition to entertain him tonight.
“Perhaps, but there was no way his father was going to let him leave after last night’s events. It’s too dangerous,” he said.
“Not for you.”
“I’m not the prince.”
I slumped in my seat. Gilow and Jace had really screwed themselves with this one. If Cass wasn’t allowed to leave anymore, there was no way I’d be securing any more information for them. They should have expected this outcome.
I jostled in the carriage, feeling pliable. This meant I wouldn’t get to see Cass at all. No more chess. No more gushing about Taliver. It wasn’t fair for things to end so abruptly between us. Maybe I deserved losing that after what I’d caused today.
“Cass sent you to tell me he won’t be visiting any time soon.”
“No, actually.” Something worrisome crossed Donnie’s face, but it lifted back into neutrality a moment later. He reached into his coat and retrieved a folded letter. “He sent me to deliver this.”
“What is it?” I took the paper from him, skimming my thumb over the crimson wax seal.
“It’s an invitation. Or rather, a command. For you to come to the castle Wednesday night and have dinner with us.”
“Us?” That was the question that slipped out, but it was one of many. I was being commanded to come to the castle? Why? And why would Cass have to command me to do anything?
“It will include you, Cass, myself, and of course, the rest of the courtiers that came with us to Morra, and…His Majesty.”
I almost dropped the letter.
My muscles stiffened. Me? At a table in the castle…with the king? It was a nightmare clawing itself into reality. Cass had to know how uncomfortable this would make me and that I likely wasn’t wanted.
I grasped my chemise like I could reach through my chest and tell my heart to stop panicking. Maybe I was supposed to object, and all that commanding nonsense was just for show. I cleared my throat. “I didn’t think I was the type of person the king wanted to have in his company.” Not when he just banned me from walking the streets. “He has to know I’m a half-class, right?”
“Believe me, he knows. It’s him who’s demanding your presence, not Cass.”
Ice flushed my veins. This was no false offer then. I really did have to go. And this really was a nightmare. Albeit, a very confusing one.
Why would King Dreux want to meet me? Was he going to tell me to stay away from his son? No, why invite me to dinner with his courtiers if that was the case. He could have sent some soldiers to send the message and kept Cass from ever seeing me again. None of this made any sense. And that terrified me.
The confusion must have been flickering across my face because Donnie leaned forward and gently touched my hand. “All I know is that a certain someone with blonde hair and blue eyes managed to inform His Majesty about his son’s late-night rendezvous with a half-class girl at a brothel, and now he wants to meet you. He probably assumes you’re seeking a mistresship with Cass. If that’s the case, he was going to need to meet you sooner or later. Hopefully, you have nothing to worry about.”
Hopefully. How non-reassuring that was. “So, you don’t think this command has nothing to do with my class?”
Donnie’s gaze dropped to the floor. “He doesn’t have a problem with people who stay in their place. Frankly, mistresships are the type of place where half-class girls belong, according to him. Be polite, and you’ll be fine.”
I nodded. A dinner with the king inside the castle. I was wrong. Gilow had gotten exactly what he wanted. I was on my way into enemy territory, whether I liked it or not now. This wasn’t a late-night game anymore. This was real.
God, it felt like all of reality had come crashing down on me in only a day. Five, no, six people were dead. The laws were stricter than ever. And now I was headed straight into the lion’s den. Things were supposed to be getting better, but I’d never imagined they could be so bad.
The carriage slowed to a stop. I pulled back the curtain covering the window. Light glowed through the barn’s small windows, but the familiar hum of the night was missing. The trail and barn sat in dead silence, not a soul to be seen.
“Some seamstresses will be here to fit you tomorrow,” Donnie said, leaning back. “It’s going to be a formal dinner. A carriage will pick you up before dusk Wednesday, but please don’t go out until then. Needing to be ordered out of the cells would be a poor first impression on His Majesty.”
“Right.” Not that he needed to tell me, I had no intention of going anywhere.
I reached for the door handle.
“Evie.” Donnie grabbed my wrist. “About that ride you were on this morning…” My eyes frantically jumped up to his, but Donnie’s were soft. “Even if it was more than just a ride, I wouldn’t have a problem with that. Just tread carefully, especially from here on out.”
Donnie gave me a forced nod. He knew, or at least he suspected. Yet, he was fine with it. Good to know.
I opened the door and ducked out of the carriage. It took no time at all to make it to the barn door. I waved back to the carriage before I slipped inside.
The barn was totally empty. It was surreal to see the bar stools and the sofas completely free during the nighttime. Another oddity in my upside-down new life.
“Finally.” I jumped as the door pulled shut behind me. Auntie Jen latched it a second later. Had she been waiting by the door? “Where’s that friend of yours going?” Auntie asked.
“Home, I suppose. Where are all the patrons?”
“Who knows. At one of the taverns in Southend, or home if they have any sense.” Auntie stopped in front of me and cupped my face. “You alright? Nothing happened to you, did it?”
Nothing I wanted to share. “I’m fine, Auntie. Thanks for sending Donnie to Saddy’s.”
“We figured you’d get back there eventually.” She traced her thumb over my cheek. “You had an old lady worried.”
“I see no old ladies here.”
She smiled, tugging at the loose skin of her cheeks, and kissed my forehead. “You’re a mess. You should let me pour you a bath.” She started away, ready to ignore all the questions I obviously had.
“Wait.” I stopped her. “Did all the girls make it home safe? Is Kat back?” I figured she was since she and Auntie sent Donnie to find me. It was odd that she wasn’t down here waiting too. I’d been pacing holes into the floor when she disappeared. Wouldn’t she do the same?
“Sammy and the rest left before the orders started going out. You know none of them live that far, so I don’t see why they wouldn’t have got back safe. And Katalin’s asleep—has been for a couple hours now. Told her I’d wake her up when you got back.”
So, she wasn’t worried.
A twinge of frustration shot through me, but I pushed it back. If Kat had to sleep, then she had to sleep. Besides, I needed her rested if she was going to deliver a message for me.
I plucked the corner of the letter in my hand, still unopened. “Don’t wake her up. I’ll do it. But I would like that bath, though.”
Auntie’s shoulders dropped. “Whatever you want.” She slipped behind the bar just as I settled into one of the stools.
“Oh.” She stopped in the doorway and turned back. “And Albo’s somewhere around here.”
“Why?”
“He got stuck here, and I ain’t sending him out now, so he might be here for a bit.” She tapped the doorframe and went back about her way. Yet another curiosity. Apparently, Auntie had no qualm about Albo calling this place home until further notice.
I pushed Albo aside and returned my focus to the letter. My fingers danced across the thick paper and the wax seal. The creamy parchment was crisp, and the seal so finely detailed with small vines and roses that I almost didn’t want to break it. But I had to read.
I tore the paper up from the seal and unfolded the letter.
Evie,
Firstly, I’m so sorry I’m unable to visit you tonight as we planned. I’ve been forbidden to leave the castle for the time being, but Donnie has promised to make sure this letter finds its way to you. I’m sure you’ve heard of the incident last night and the precautions my father has taken to keep Bexbury safe until the perpetrators are caught. I sincerely hope his actions haven’t inconvenienced you or your family in any way, but just as my father believes about keeping me tucked away, I think it’s for the best. It’s safer for both of us to be away from the city for now, so let us embrace our house arrests together.
Thankfully, we won’t be apart for too long. My father recently discovered that I’ve been slipping away to meet a girl, and now he would very much like to meet you. We’re going to have a formal dinner with the courtiers who came with us to Morra, and he wants you to be there. Don’t worry, there will only be around nine of us in total, and Donnie will be there too, as his mother is a member of the court. He will tell you anything else you need to know.
Now if you excuse me, I must return to my library. But after becoming accustomed to spending my nights with you, it’s not half as interesting. I’m counting the minutes until you arrive.
Until then, Lovely,
Cass
I read the letter a second and a third time. I pinched the paper harder each iteration. Cass was so oblivious about everything that was happening. Did he really believe his father was doing any of this for the safety of the people? Or did he want to tip-toe around atrocities to make room for claims of affection?
I shouldn’t have cared. Cass’s thoughts were irrelevant at the moment. All that mattered was that I got word to Gilow. It was settled that I had to attend this dinner--even Cass didn’t bother asking--but I needed guidance, nonetheless. What was I supposed to say? What was I supposed to do? I would be at the same table as the king, and surely Gilow would have special instructions for me. I wanted some kind of plan. Some map to follow.
I folded up the letter and rose from my stool. I hoped Kat had gotten enough sleep because she was about to go on a ride for me.