The Half-Class by Kayvion Lewis

Chapter Thirty-Five

Cass returned early the next morning with an entire entourage, including two carriages and half a dozen servants.

The clatter of the carriage wheels over the dirt outside pulled me out of bed. I got dressed as quickly as I could without waking Kat. Halfway down the stairs, I glimpsed the bottom of Cass’s boots and made out his voice saying something to Auntie Jen.

“What’s all that outside?” I asked as I hopped the last steps. The booted figure emerged to me completely, and I realized it wasn’t Cass at all. “Donnie,” I said. “Good morning.”

Donnie nodded to me. Cass, who was just a few steps away next to Auntie Jen, lit up.

“A very good morning, now.” Donnie lifted his hand to his chest. “May I say how happy I am to know that you’ll be returning with us.”

“Thank you.” I strolled past him to Cass’s side and slipped my hand into his. “I’m more than happy to see you, Donnie, but I must admit I wasn’t expecting so much company this morning.”

The apartment door swung open, and a trio of servants scurried in. Geane and two of her assistants, followed by a driver with a pile of dresses balanced in his arms. Our living room was suddenly very full.

“You can take those upstairs,” Auntie Jen waved them up after she pushed through the little crowd to lead the way herself. She and the rest trailed upstairs, looking quite out of place piling up our narrow staircase.

“Is it my birthday?” I asked.

“It’s not Fall yet, is it?” Cass asked.

I smiled. He had remembered that little thing about me that I only ever mentioned in passing.

“We’re actually here to take you away,” he said.

“Both of you?” I glanced back to Donnie for a second. “To where?”

“The castle,” Cass said. “My father wants to talk to you.”

My smile faded. “He talked to me plenty at the dinner party.”

Cass squeezed my hand. “That was before you were coming with us.”

“It’s just a formality,” Donnie reassured me. He looked back to Cass. “But we should probably get going. His Majesty expects our return before mid-meal, and, as I’m sure you know by now, he doesn’t like to be kept waiting.”

Of course not. I wouldn’t want to waste His Majesty’s precious time.

“Let’s be on our way then,” I said with a confident smile.

“We will,” Cass said, “as soon as you change.”

I looked down at the dress I’d just thrown on. A typical day dress for me—simple but elegant.

A twinge of anger shot through me. Even when he wasn’t here, His Majesty could remind me that I wasn’t up to the standard his son deserved.

It took me longer than expected to change into one of the dresses Geane and her assistants had brought for me--a pale pink piece with a deep red underdress that shone through the sheer rose-colored fabric. It had been designed perfectly for summer. The sleeves, which barely grazed my arms, were thin and dainty, not at all overwhelming. Geane and her assistants had expertly pegged my style.

The corseted back took an eternity to lace, but as I’d noticed from observing the gowns the ladies of the court wore and the other three dresses left across my bed, a laced back or buttons were the only choice for ladies of Ryland who weren’t servants.

After Geane pinned my curls back from my face with a set of ruby-dotted pins that she seemed to have pulled from nowhere and donning the most impractical pair of thin brown booties, I was permitted to leave.

Cass and Donnie were conversing about something when I descended into the kitchen, but they both stopped the second my boots touched the floor. Donnie crossed his arms and smiled, and Cass froze in a look of pure adoration.

I spun around, letting my skirt whip around me. “Do I look like a Rylander?”

“Not at all,” Cass said, “Not a single girl in Ryland is as gorgeous as you.”

I bit my lip, embracing the flush of heat covering my cheeks, then squeezed myself between Donnie and Cass and slid my hands into both of their arms.

“Off we go then.” My flush hardened into something else. “Wouldn’t want to be late.”

Less than a day I’d spent in the castle walls, but every ounce of novelty was gone upon walking through the halls a second time.

Our ride here had been pleasant. Donnie was a wonderful companion who was more than happy to see Cass and me together for the long run. Cass beamed through the entire trip. It shattered my heart to imagine how crushed he would be when the truth finally rained down. But for now, I could bask in his joy.

I dug my fingers into Cass’s arm as we passed through the castle doors. Memories of Brison’s bleeding back and the weight of the whip in my hand slammed back into me. I swallowed and forced myself to keep walking. Cass, either out of concern for me or in anticipation of his father, lost his smile too.

After an inquiry as to the king’s location, our trio made our way to the great room. The doors clamored shut behind us. The king sat in a chair settled towards the middle of the room, and adjacent to him sat Jasper. Wonderful. He scowled at me as we approached.

“Welcome back, Miss Evelyn,” the king said.

Jasper rose at our arrival, but His Majesty remained comfortable in the cushions of his chair.

“It’s good to be back.” A bigger lie had never left my lips, but I couldn’t help myself. Not when the last time I saw Jasper, he told me that I’d soon be forgotten. His flush of frustration made it more than worth the pang that ran through me.

Jasper moved to sit back down, but the king stopped him. “Don’t.” He barely even bothering to look at him. “I’ve spent too much time in your company this morning, and with barely anything of merit to say. Why don’t you take yourself somewhere else?”

Jasper flinched. A petty joy shot through me.

“Unless someone else would like for you to stay.” King Dreux glanced up to his son.

“Not at all,” Cass said. His gaze landed hard on his former friend.

Jasper, not daring to counter, bowed his head and strode out of the great room. I’d be lying if I said a little smirk didn’t cross my lips as we watched him go.

“In fact,” the king said, immediately wiping away my pleasure, “why don’t you two go as well. I want to talk to Evelyn alone.”

My muscles stiffened. I wanted to beg Cass not to leave, and he obviously wanted to stay, but his father was not going to allow that.

“Come on, my prince,” Donnie grabbed Cass’s shoulder. “You have the rest of forever to have her to yourself. Let your father speak with her this once.”

Cass tapped his fingers against his thigh. “We’ll be outside.”

With dread, I watched him and Donnie shuffle out of the room, leaving me at the mercy of his quite merciless father.

I lowered myself into the sofa across from the king and folded my hands over my skirts.

The king shifted to the side and rubbed his scraggly chin. He looked much less formal today. Wearing only trousers and a light grey coat, albeit of an extraordinarily nice quality. His dull hazel eyes were quite content to scan over me for as long as they wanted.

“Someone’s finally managed to do it,” he said, “steal my only son’s heart away.”

I swallowed. “Were you expecting him to settle with someone different? All due respect, but I thought this was the norm for a girl of my class.”

“Expecting? No. Hoping? Perhaps. But I’m not too surprised that he found a girl like you at a place like he was at.”

Fire boiled in my veins. “So, what does surprise you, Your Majesty? That it happened so fast?”

The king chuckled. “I’m only surprised that he didn’t deem himself hopelessly in love after the first day. Cassian’s always been so overly sentimental in things like that. I’ve tried in vain to break it out of him, but the characteristic seems to stick.”

“Yet another undesirable trait from your late wife then—" I stopped myself, immediately wishing I’d bitten my tongue.

The king froze in place as his eyes cut into me.

Should I apologize?

No. Hold your ground. You said it. If you take it back now, you’ll be weak.

The king leaned forward and extended his hand.

I hesitated for a moment, then reluctantly placed mine in his.

“Young Evelyn.” He stroked his thumb over my hand. “I don’t know how things are going to play out between you and my son. Perhaps his devotion will endure forever. Or perhaps he’ll get bored with you after the first year or two and find some other, pretty girl to entertain himself with. So long as he’s not stupid about it, I really don’t care either way.”

The king squeezed my hand. “But if you’re going to live in my palace, then you’re going to have to behave yourself.” He pressed harder and harder. My bones crushed together in his grip.

I whimpered and thought I might scream, but his eyes warned me not to make a sound. I pressed my other hand to my mouth and stifled it as best I could.

“Do you know what behaving means, Evelyn?” he asked. “It means doing as you’re told. Staying where you belong.” He gripped my hand twice as tight as it already had been. A cry echoed in my throat as something cracked in my hand. “And it means keeping your goddamn mouth shut when you know you should. Do you understand, Evelyn?”

I nodded. My palm pressed to my mouth. My hand throbbed as the king dropped it from his grasp, and I instantly drew it away from him. The entire thing was a burning red. I tried to bend my fingers, but a shooting pain twisted inside each one.

The king stood.“Then we should have no problems with each other.”

I glared up at him, but quickly corrected my expression. For all I knew, a disrespectful glance might earn me just as much punishment as a comment.

“I’m hosting a ball. Sir West’s birthday is soon. A sort of going away event before we leave. You can introduce yourself formally there, to the remainder of the court and all of the pertinent people who reside here in Morra.” He stroked his chin. “Nine days from now, right before we leave. You don’t object.”

I shook my head. “No, Your Majesty. If it’s what you wish, how could I?”

“Good answer.”

He started away from me but drew up short. “If Cassian asks, tell him you fell from your horse or something. Try not to make it too obvious.”

He strode away without a second thought, leaving the room through the doors opposite of the one Cass and Donnie left through.

I whimpered, and I grasped my pulsing hand. Was this what Cass was used to? Was this his normal?

I couldn’t let it become mine.

Nine days—that’s all that was left. So little time for Gilow and Jace to work this out. So little time for everything to fall apart.

Wincing, I tried to move my fingers yet again.

My legs shook as I rose from the sofa. I slipped my hand behind my back and headed for the door Donnie and Cass must have been waiting behind.

Nine days. Then it all would change.