around her while she chewed and tried to develop a plan.
“Bright to Willow.” Prince Chad gave her a gentle nudge, nearly causing her to spew her orange juice. She gasped instead, choked and unfortunately began coughing, her eyes filling with tears as she grabbed her napkin to cover her mouth.
“Are you all right?” he asked, sounding concerned, even though a bit of ironic humor lurked in his gaze.
“Swallowed wrong,” she gasped out, waving him away. When she finally looked up, helpless, wishing she could make a quick exit from the room, everyone at the table was ogling her as though she’d grown two heads.
Some things never changed. Except they had, last night at the ball in Teslinko. That night, everything had been ideal.
She gave them a sickly smile, grabbed her napkin and wiped at the tears streaming down her cheeks. When she did, she saw her mascara had run and that she’d ruined her makeup. Another addition to a morning already gone bad.
Briefly, she considered excusing herself and either going to repair it or—and she liked this one better—excusing herself and never coming back. Only the steely look in her mother’s eyes warned her that she’d better not try either.
“Pssst, Willow.” Leaning around the back of Prince Chad, Tatiana rapped her on the shoulder.
Resigned, Willow leaned back. Now her sister would make sure her humiliation was complete. “Yes?”
“Lean closer,” Tatiana ordered, making Willow wonder what she was up to. Tatiana had many cruel tricks in her repertoire; she’d been perfecting them since the two were children together.
Still, Willow’d learned either to do as Tatiana asked or risk making a scene. Another scene. She leaned closer, crossing her fingers that her sister wouldn’t be too harsh this time.
“Hold still.” With gentle hands, Tatiana cleaned her face. Stunned, Willow couldn’t move. When her sister made a second pass, using some kind of compact makeup to repair the damage, Willow couldn’t help but wonder if she’d just had her face painted bright green or something.
“What are you doing?” she finally asked, careful not to touch Prince Chad’s rigid back. Unsure of the protocol, the prince was doing his best to eat and pretend the two women weren’t having a conversation directly behind him. Grudgingly, she found she admired that, too.
Meanwhile, at the head of the table Prince Eric carried on a one-sided conversation with her parents. Either he was trying to help distract them, he was oblivious, or just didn’t care. Willow was betting on the latter.
A rueful look from Tatiana showed she thought the same thing. Finally, she finished fixing Willow’s face. “There you go, sis. Good as new.”
Since Tatiana had never called her sis in her life, Willow wasn’t sure how to react. “Thanks,” she finally muttered, trying not to watch as Tatiana flashed a warm smile before turning away to pick at her own, mostly uneaten breakfast.
Uneasy, Willow tried to do the same. The food on her plate had grown cold, but she was still hungry, so she doggedly ate it anyway.
Everyone else resumed their breakfast, as well.
While they ate, Prince Eric continued to talk, often with his mouth full, a lapse in manners that normally would have horrified her mother. But no, a quick glance at the queen showed her mother pretended to hang on Eric’s every word.
But by the time he got around to bragging about his talents with horsemanship, Queen Millicent’s patience had obviously frayed. Mouth a thin line, she sipped at her coffee and glowered at the young man.
Finally, her father, experienced at deflecting this sort of thing, deliberately shifted the conversation to include Tatiana and Willow. As King Puck went on about their prowess on horseback, Willow felt her eyes glaze over.
Chad, too, barely stifled a yawn.
After listening to this for a few minutes, Eric magnanimously decided they must all go riding after the meal.
Gazing at Chad, Tatiana smiled
“Bright to Willow.” Prince Chad gave her a gentle nudge, nearly causing her to spew her orange juice. She gasped instead, choked and unfortunately began coughing, her eyes filling with tears as she grabbed her napkin to cover her mouth.
“Are you all right?” he asked, sounding concerned, even though a bit of ironic humor lurked in his gaze.
“Swallowed wrong,” she gasped out, waving him away. When she finally looked up, helpless, wishing she could make a quick exit from the room, everyone at the table was ogling her as though she’d grown two heads.
Some things never changed. Except they had, last night at the ball in Teslinko. That night, everything had been ideal.
She gave them a sickly smile, grabbed her napkin and wiped at the tears streaming down her cheeks. When she did, she saw her mascara had run and that she’d ruined her makeup. Another addition to a morning already gone bad.
Briefly, she considered excusing herself and either going to repair it or—and she liked this one better—excusing herself and never coming back. Only the steely look in her mother’s eyes warned her that she’d better not try either.
“Pssst, Willow.” Leaning around the back of Prince Chad, Tatiana rapped her on the shoulder.
Resigned, Willow leaned back. Now her sister would make sure her humiliation was complete. “Yes?”
“Lean closer,” Tatiana ordered, making Willow wonder what she was up to. Tatiana had many cruel tricks in her repertoire; she’d been perfecting them since the two were children together.
Still, Willow’d learned either to do as Tatiana asked or risk making a scene. Another scene. She leaned closer, crossing her fingers that her sister wouldn’t be too harsh this time.
“Hold still.” With gentle hands, Tatiana cleaned her face. Stunned, Willow couldn’t move. When her sister made a second pass, using some kind of compact makeup to repair the damage, Willow couldn’t help but wonder if she’d just had her face painted bright green or something.
“What are you doing?” she finally asked, careful not to touch Prince Chad’s rigid back. Unsure of the protocol, the prince was doing his best to eat and pretend the two women weren’t having a conversation directly behind him. Grudgingly, she found she admired that, too.
Meanwhile, at the head of the table Prince Eric carried on a one-sided conversation with her parents. Either he was trying to help distract them, he was oblivious, or just didn’t care. Willow was betting on the latter.
A rueful look from Tatiana showed she thought the same thing. Finally, she finished fixing Willow’s face. “There you go, sis. Good as new.”
Since Tatiana had never called her sis in her life, Willow wasn’t sure how to react. “Thanks,” she finally muttered, trying not to watch as Tatiana flashed a warm smile before turning away to pick at her own, mostly uneaten breakfast.
Uneasy, Willow tried to do the same. The food on her plate had grown cold, but she was still hungry, so she doggedly ate it anyway.
Everyone else resumed their breakfast, as well.
While they ate, Prince Eric continued to talk, often with his mouth full, a lapse in manners that normally would have horrified her mother. But no, a quick glance at the queen showed her mother pretended to hang on Eric’s every word.
But by the time he got around to bragging about his talents with horsemanship, Queen Millicent’s patience had obviously frayed. Mouth a thin line, she sipped at her coffee and glowered at the young man.
Finally, her father, experienced at deflecting this sort of thing, deliberately shifted the conversation to include Tatiana and Willow. As King Puck went on about their prowess on horseback, Willow felt her eyes glaze over.
Chad, too, barely stifled a yawn.
After listening to this for a few minutes, Eric magnanimously decided they must all go riding after the meal.
Gazing at Chad, Tatiana smiled
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