The Carnelian Legacy (15 page)

“Close your eyes, milady, and allow me to lead you.”

Savino took her hand in his as he put the other on her waist and guided her toward the middle of the bridge. The moss-covered planks were slippery from the mist, and she shivered as the waterfall roared loudly behind them.

“Well, milady, you should feel very flattered,” he shouted. “It’s not very often that I bring a woman up here.”

Marisa just nodded, her eyes still shut.

“So, tell me—what do you think of the view?”

She opened her eyes and gasped at the spectacular vista from their high vantage point. The mountains were covered in a sea of evergreens that stretched as far as the eye could see. The setting sun cast a rainbow between the clouds that had dumped so much rain on them earlier. As she spotted Savino’s castle about a mile away, the view reminded her of the time she had gone hiking with her father and brother at Multnomah Falls.

If only Dad was here to see this now,
she thought.

She closed her eyes and listened to the roar of the falls behind her as the delicious scent of wet pine filled her nostrils. When she opened them again, Savino was standing very close.

Marisa gazed into his electric blue eyes in search of any understanding but sighed when she realized he couldn’t begin to comprehend what was going on inside her. He had no idea that she’d just lost her father and that this breathtaking landscape reminded her so much of the beautiful world she’d left behind.

Without warning, he slipped his arms around her and pulled her close to kiss her long and full on the lips. She tried to relax as he kissed her, but by the time Savino released her, Marisa was struggling for air.

“I apologize, milady, but I just could not help myself. You are so beautiful standing there, and your spontaneous tears warmed my heart.” He pulled her close again and kissed her for what seemed like a long time. His hand gently stroked her hair, and as they parted, he caressed her cheek.

Something in the corner of her eye caught her attention and she turned to see Darian’s stunned expression. From where he stood watching them on the path just a few feet away, he appeared to be frozen in shock.

With the deafening roar of the waterfall behind them, neither Savino nor Marisa had heard him approach, and she wondered how long he’d been standing there.

“Your Grace, I apologize for my intrusion. The rest of us thought that we should start heading back down to the castle.”

“Ah, yes—the ball tonight. You are right,” Savino said. He smiled smugly as he turned back to Marisa. “Shall we go down, my dear?”

She nodded and hastily wiped her cheeks. He took her hand and guided her across the bridge to the path and past Darian, who seemed rooted to the spot.

Finally, the gloomy-faced young man turned to follow them back down the mountain trail but didn’t utter a single word until long after they reached the castle.

CHAPTER 11

PROPOSALS

“
AFTER
YOU
’
VE
FINISHED
BATHING
and changing, you may wait in the Blue Room down the hall until you are fetched for dinner,” Helinda shouted as she turned Marisa’s bed down for the evening.

When the talkative woman had finally left and the quiet had returned once again, Marisa sank down into the hot water and suds of the bathtub. Enjoying its warmth after the chilly outing to the waterfall, she thought about Savino’s kiss.

Although she had been falling for Darian, Savino was the one who seemed interested in her. He had only kissed her once, but it had confused her enough that she didn’t know what to think anymore.

Pangs of guilt dug into her heart as she remembered the look on Darian’s face when he saw them kissing. He had taken care of her when she had no one else, and it felt as if she’d betrayed him somehow. She felt ashamed of her behavior and decided that she owed him an apology. Perhaps an opportune moment to talk to him alone would arise later that evening.

Marisa climbed out of the tub and dried off. She entered the overstuffed cabinet filled with pretty clothes and sorted through the rows of dresses, considering each of them carefully. She tried on several but ended up tossing each one on the bed when it didn’t fit.

Realizing that time was getting short, she started to panic. She finally settled on an olive velvet dress with long sleeves and stiff underskirts. The gown complemented her reddish-brown hair, hazel eyes, and peachy complexion.

After searching the closet for a decent pair of shoes, she finally found some that didn’t match the dress perfectly but seemed to fit. She hoped that they wouldn’t squeeze her toes tight all night.

Peering into the jewelry box on the table, her eyes were drawn to a garnet-and-gold necklace with matching pear-drop earrings. They were the perfect icing on the cake.

She ran her fingers through her damp hair and swept both sides up with combs. Her half-up-half-down hairdo fell in soft ringlets over her shoulders, and the pear-drop earrings sparkled in the candlelight. She found some lip gloss and mascara in her satchel and applied just a dab of both.

Who am I trying to impress, anyway?

Moving in front of the full-length mirror, Marisa was stunned by her own reflection. She appeared much older than her eighteen years and she almost didn’t even recognize herself. She smiled as she imagined her father standing next to her, looking at her with pride and calling her his “beautiful Scottish lassie.”

Her smile slowly faded. At a time when she should have been hanging out with roommates in the dorm, cramming all night for a test and meeting guys on dates, she found herself engaged in shooting parties, dining at banquets, and dancing at balls. In this strange world where she mingled with future kings and rulers, nothing bore any semblance to the simple life she had always known back home, and all at once she felt horribly alone.

Marisa peered out through the windows facing the courtyard and saw that it had been magically transformed into a beautiful dance floor. Decorated with candles, flame torches, colorful flags, and draping banners, the castle looked beautiful, and it seemed to radiate a warm glow. Thankfully the weather continued to cooperate on into the evening, and guests began to arrive at the main gate.

As she watched the men and women enter the courtyard dressed in their finest clothes, she sighed, knowing that she couldn’t put it off any longer. She shut her chamber door and walked down the hall in the only direction she could go.

Marisa saw an open door and peeked in. It was a sitting room filled exclusively with blue furnishings and she knew it had to be the one where Helinda had told her to wait. She sank down into a blue velvet chair and fidgeted nervously.

Her eyes roamed the room in awe as they admired the sumptuous furnishings and rich oil paintings. She had always imagined castles to be old and spooky places. But with all its paintings, clocks, sculptures, and other decorative objects, this castle seemed more like a beautiful museum.

There was a knock on the door frame. She looked up and saw Darian slowly appraising her from head to toe.

“Magnificent,” he whispered.

She stood. “Thank you, Your Highness. So are you.”

He was wearing an elegant, black-armored suit and his face was cleanly shaven. His dark hair was combed back in soft waves, which made him appear both ruggedly handsome and elegantly sophisticated at the same time. The hilt of his sword flashed as he bowed solemnly to her.

“Shall we go down, milady?” he asked, offering her his arm.

Marisa slipped her arm nervously through his as they walked down the hall. Stunned by his handsome appearance, she knew that getting through the evening with Prince Darian would be incredibly difficult.

She heard soft music drifting up from one floor below and realized it might be her only opportunity to speak privately with him for the rest of the evening.

“Your Royal Highness, I wanted to apologize for my—um, strange behavior. I can’t really explain it except to say that I tend to freak out whenever I feel like I don’t have control over my own life.”

“But you don’t.”

“Don’t what?”

“Have any control over your life,” he said, laughing softly. He guided her down the long staircase. “Apology accepted,” he added with a smirk.

Now it was her turn to giggle.

When they reached the bottom of the steps, Marisa’s smile quickly faded. The chattering ceased and all eyes in the room focused on her. As she searched for any familiar face in the crowd, her eyes finally rested on Savino’s. The handsome blonde man whispered something to the small group of noblemen surrounding him and strode over to meet her.

“My darling, you look absolutely exquisite this evening.” He took her hand and kissed it before twirling her around in order to see her from every angle.

She smiled shyly at him and noticed Darian watching them.

“I am of the sound opinion that you are the most beautiful woman in the land this evening,” Savino said. “Tell me, Darian, how is it that you always manage to find me the prettiest ones?” He chuckled at his cousin’s icy stare.

“Of course, unlike me, Lady Marisa, Prince Darian is not free to court you,” he said. “Did you know that many people consider me to be the most eligible bachelor in the land?”

Marisa smiled politely and shook her head as Savino took her arm and escorted her into the dining hall. She glanced over her shoulder and saw the look of defeat on Darian’s face. He was being forced to play by Savino’s rules as long as he was on his cousin’s turf.

The guests strolled into the dining room and assembled around a massive table. Marisa quickly counted fifty place settings as Savino took the head position at the table. He directed his cousin to sit to his right and Marisa on his left. Looking stunning in her pale pink evening gown, Lady Matilda had been strategically placed next to Darian.

“Please be seated,” said Savino in a loud voice. Everyone sat in unison while the multitude of waiters assisted in pushing the chairs up to the table.

Once she was comfortably settled, Marisa scanned the faces down the length of the table. Although Darian and Matilda were sitting just across the table from her, she still couldn’t hear what was being said. An elderly gentleman sat to her left, but he seemed to be off somewhere in his own little world as he blankly stared into space.

The only person for her to communicate with was Savino. After all, she was only a dumb mute and totally unable to keep up her end of the conversation anyway.

She glanced down the table and saw Arrie sitting on the opposite side, sandwiched between two elderly female courtiers who were already thick as thieves, mindlessly chattering away. By the look on his face, he didn’t seem thrilled at the prospect of being trapped between them for the entire length of the meal and Marisa couldn’t help but giggle. When he noticed her amusement at his ridiculous predicament, he just rolled his eyes and gave her a silly smile.

Savino proposed a toast in Darian’s honor, and Marisa lifted her glass along with the other guests. Soon the grand hall began to resonate with soft chatter as the guests engaged one another in polite dinner conversations.

The waiters descended on the table with hot bowls of soup. After Marisa had finished her soup course, a waiter appeared to whisk her empty bowl away. She knew her only responsibility for the evening was to sit there, be quiet, and look pretty. She didn’t mind, as long as she made it through the night in one piece.

She gazed around the room and admired the magnificent oil paintings that adorned the castle’s walls. Most of them depicted battles and warriors with a few nude women. She remembered from her European history class that centuries ago it was common for members of the noble class to exhibit their wealth and power by displaying the family tapestries, candlesticks, furniture, and chandeliers for the entire world to see. From what she had seen of him so far, Marisa decided that Savino was definitely the peacock type of guy.

She studied the beamed ceiling in awe and noticed the gold leaf details around the wooden window frames. Obviously, the opulent dining room was the largest room in the castle, and Marisa had overheard guests referring to it as the Knights’ Hall. She wondered what it would be like to live in such a castle and to be constantly surrounded by servants, cooks, and butlers.

The servers carried out the main course, which tasted like some kind of bland poultry. She ate it hungrily; glad she didn’t have the distraction of having to talk to anyone. A little while later, another plate was set in front of her, and Marisa decided that it tasted like her uncle’s favorite dessert of crème bruleé. She had already licked the sticky syrup off her fingers before deciding that it wasn’t very ladylike.

When the plates had been cleared away, Savino dotted his mouth with his napkin and slowly leaned back, eyeing Darian carefully.

“Ambassador Fiore, let us conclude the business for which you have come so that we may move on and enjoy the rest of the evening,” he said in a loud voice. The loud chatter in the hall came to a halt as Darian stopped eating his dessert and turned to his cousin. Marisa stared at Savino, surprised by his sudden, businesslike manner.