The Carnelian Legacy (27 page)

Although Marisa knew she wouldn’t see Darian after he married Matilda, she was determined to stay civil to him until her birthday. Right then, she promised herself she would attend the ball for his sake. It was the least she could do for him after saving her life. The ball would be the perfect opportunity to announce the engagement and allow Marisa to bow out gracefully. Then, she could release him forever.

Marisa had been resting quietly in her room but was jolted by a brisk knock at the door. She opened it to find Cinzia and two other women.

“We are here to take the measurements for your ball gown, Lady Marisa,” the baroness explained. “By royal decree, it shall be a masquerade ball.”

Marisa motioned the ladies to enter and they began to strip all of her clothing right down to her underwear. An elegant woman in her mid-sixties stepped forward.

“Marisa, this is Leonora, and she is here to create the perfect gown for you to wear,” Cinzia said. Leonora simply nodded to her and got right down to business by taking her measurements.

Marisa fought to stifle her giggles as the woman measured every conceivable inch of her body. By the time the ladies were finished, it was already three o’clock.

Cinzia dismissed the other woman before beckoning Marisa to sit down between she and Leonora on the couch. She opened a large book filled with hundreds of colorful drawings of various dresses of all sizes and colors. Leonora opened the other book filled with numerous swatches of different fabrics.

“Choose one, my dear,” Cinzia said. “Leonora is the best dressmaker in all of Crocetta, and she can make you anything you wish.”

Marisa took the book in her lap and carefully flipped the pages. Never in her life had she seen so many beautiful dresses. After narrowing her choice down to three gowns, she tried to guess which dress her father would have liked.

In the end, she decided on a floor-length, dark purple dress with ivory and gold panels on the bodice and front of the skirt. It had a square neckline that flattered the shoulders, trimmed with pearls and sparkling gold embroidery.

Cinzia smiled. “Perfect.”

After Cinzia and Leonora had finally left, Marisa wondered which jewelry she should wear with the dress and she froze. She glanced down at her finger and remembered she’d taken her mother’s ring off in the night. She hurried over to the night stand.

Gone.

“
Noooo!”
she shrieked.

She searched frantically under the bed and all over the floor, but there was no sign of it anywhere. After combing the entire room for more than a half hour, she fell onto the bed, sobbing in despair. Both her father and Darian had warned her about losing it, and she knew she’d been careless.

Hearing Marisa’s sobs, Anna came rushing into the room, clutching the book she’d been reading. Through tears, Marisa pointed to her ring finger as if to ask if Anna had seen the ring, but she shrugged her shoulders and shook her head. Anna honestly didn’t seem to know where it was.

There were at least three other women who’d been in her room that afternoon. It was possible that one of them had taken it when she wasn’t looking. But who?

Cinzia didn’t seem the type who would steal another woman’s ring, and clearly Leonora was wealthy enough to buy everything she wanted. Perhaps Leonora’s helper, the other woman had taken it. No matter what, her chances of finding the ring again were probably slim to none.

Frantically she hurried down the stairs and asked everyone in sight if they knew where Arrie was. When nobody was able to understand what she was asking, she became frustrated and ran outside into the courtyard. She climbed the rampart steps and collapsed against the stone wall as she sobbed in utter despair.

“Marisa, what are you doing out here?” Darian asked as he saw her tear-stained face. “The servants came to find me after you ran away upset.”

“My mom’s ring is gone,” she bawled. “Somebody stole it from my room. I took it off last night and laid it on my nightstand, but when I came back today, it wasn’t there.”

“Don’t worry, we shall find it. I will investigate this and post a reward. We’ll make sure your mother’s ring is returned to you. Please try to calm down.”

Arrie hurried over. “What’s wrong, Marisa? I heard a commotion among the staff, and they told me that you were out here.” He looked at Darian for an explanation.

“She cannot find her ring—it appears to be missing. I was in a meeting of the Crimson Court when they called me out, but I must go back in. Arrie—will you stay with her for a while?”

“Yes, of course.”

“I shall check on you later,” Darian said to her.

She didn’t respond.

“Marisa, look at me!”

She looked at him slowly, and his eyes locked on hers. “I promise you, we shall find your ring. Do you hear me? I promise.”

She nodded sadly and Darian hurried back into the castle.

“Come on, let’s go have a warm cup of tea,” Arrie said. “That will cheer you up.”

He gently steered her across the courtyard and back inside where they found a cozy sitting room. He offered Marisa a handkerchief and asked the maid to bring them a pot of tea.

“I heard you went out to Castle Beauriél this afternoon. What did you think of it?” he asked.

“It was amazing,” she said. “But I can’t believe he just gave it to me. There’s got to be a catch somewhere.” She wiped her eyes, blew her nose, and sighed.

He shook his head. “Darian is an exceptionally generous man where his friends are concerned. He doesn’t hold back.”

“Arrie, just cut to the chase and tell me what’s going on.”

“What do you mean?”

He stared at her uncomfortably as the maid returned with a tray. As he poured the tea, the porcelain cup shook on its saucer.

“I mean the way Darian has been acting. The first thing he tells me—emphasizes to me—is how unavailable he is. The next thing I know he’s kissing me, acting like a jealous lover toward Savino, and then today he gives me a house. An entire house! All the while he’s keeping me at arm’s length.” She took a sip of the hot spiced tea. “Please tell me I’m not going crazy.”

“Marisa, there is much to ruling a country and Darian is under tremendous pressure at the moment. While I do not claim to understand all of the methodology behind his actions, I do know that he is struggling to walk the line between doing his duty and doing what is right for him.”

“What does that even mean, Arrie?”

“As I told you when we first met, Darian almost always sacrifices his own desires for the sake of the kingdom.”

“Yeah, so?”

“Where you are concerned, he just wants to make sure that you are taken care of. In giving you Castle Beauriél, Darian means to make life in Carnelia a bit easier for you.”

Marisa eyed him accusingly. “That’s not considered normal where I’m from. A guy doesn’t just give a house to some girl he barely knows—unless he’s maybe some rock star from Beverly Hills.”

Arrie chuckled.

“Look, Arrie—I can’t help but think he’s expecting something from me in return. It feels as if he’s tryin’ to bribe me or something.”

He shook his head. “Things are not always as they appear.”

“Meaning?”

“I understand the situation may seem a bit—strange to you at the moment, but there’s more at work here than either you or I see. You’ve managed to burst into our lives during probably the most critical time in the history of Carnelia.”

“What do you mean?”

“Simply that Darian’s future could rise or fall over the next several weeks. If he manages to ascend the throne, the situation may just turn around for the good of the country. But if Savino were to end up on the throne—well, things may not turn out so well, I’m afraid.”

“But Darian told me that the only way he could ascend the throne would be to marry a Fiore princess. We all know that there’s only one woman right now who fits the bill…”

She cornered him with her eyes. All at once he was quiet and she knew he couldn’t reveal anything about the engagement even if he wanted to. Wondering if she could squeeze the truth out of him somehow, something suddenly occurred to her.

“Darian
wants
me to marry Savino, doesn’t he?” she asked.

Arrie shifted uncomfortably.

The wheels were already spinning. “Those two have already worked out a deal,” she said, thinking out loud. “If Darian can broker a marriage between us, then Savino would agree to sign the treaty. Darian would marry Matilda, and they ascend the throne together. End of story.”

“Marisa—”

“That’s it, isn’t it?”

“Ah, I—”

“Savino expects Darian to deliver me as his bride,” she said.

“I’m truly sorry, Marisa—but I’m not at liberty to discuss any of this with you.”

“I can’t believe this.”

“Sometimes we must just accept that some things are out of our hands. After all, it is impossible to outrun our destiny.”

She held up a hand to silence him.

“Don’t talk to me about destiny. I’ve just about had it up to here with all of that.” She walked over to the window, barely able to contain the anger bubbling to the surface. She crossed her arms and stared out at the bustling port below. Darian’s fate had already been sealed a long time ago, but she never dreamed hers was as well.

Marisa spun around angrily. “Castle Beauriél isn’t a gift meant for just me, is it? It’s my dowry to marry Savino. And when Darian marries Matilda, it will make him my brother-in-law.” She shivered.

Arrie stared at the floor in silence.

“I’m sorry, Arrie, but I’m not feeling well. I’m going up to my room for a while.”

“Milady.” He nodded soberly.

CHAPTER 21

INTRIGUES

WHEN
MARISA
REACHED
THE
sanctuary of her room, she broke down in tears. She plunked down at the dressing table and saw her almost unrecognizable reflection in the mirror. This was no longer the same girl who could take any challenge and use her smarts to find a way through it. She couldn’t make it all better by studying harder or practicing on the field a little longer. This wasn’t high school anymore.

This was life.

The longer she lived in this strange and bewildering world, the less sure of herself she became. Carnelia had shown her a new reality in just a matter of days, but already she was worn down by the tears, sick of the pain, and desperately wanting to wipe it all away. After all that had happened in her life, she had finally been stretched to her breaking point.

“Why am I!” she shouted at the mirror. She dropped down on her knees next to the bed and sobbed into the blankets. Her father was gone. Her uncle and brother were gone. Her best friend Danielle was gone. There was no one she could talk to.

Her mind wandered back to the first day she had landed in Carnelia. She thought about what Darian and Arrie had told her about Garon, and in her desperation, she began to pray through tears:

Garon, if you’re really out there like Darian and Arrie say you are, please tell me what to do. Because I just don’t know anymore. My life is being planned out by people I don’t even know, and I have no control over anything. I feel so alone. I need help. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do. If you care about me even in the slightest way, please give me a sign that you are there. Amen.