Masked Love

My recovery is slow. The doctor had bled me while I was asleep so I am weak from the loss of blood. However, I am never alone. Luca tries to come as often as he can, and mother brings her work with her when she comes to my room. For the first couple days I feel so useless. I try to do some work but I tire easily. My head cannot handle the concentration needed to embroider a simple scarf.

After another week of being bed ridden, Luca decides to take me into the gardens. Korine is napping so we have the whole courtyard to ourselves. My mother dresses me in something nice and puts my hair up. Luca supports me with his arm and we’re off. The warmth and the clear skies make it obvious that summer is coming soon. He points out all of the new flowers and picks a white one. It is a beautiful lily, soft and delicate. Gently he puts it in my hair and kisses my hand.

Next we enter the new rose garden. Hundreds of scarlet and white roses cover the intimate garden. They climb the fences an d wrap themselves around every post and bench. It is a perfect place for Luca and I to sit and just talk. He tells me more of the ball preparations. Everyone in the palace has been on edge. Fights are starting to break out in the kitchens and in the gardens. Young servants are being worked too hard and are getting sick. All of the beauty was only a cover for the chaos happening inside. I knew that once I was strong enough I would be thrown into that. I put that thought in the back of my head and just enjoyed the moment.

The day is so perfect I start to believe that nothing could possibly ruin it. Unfortunately I believe too soon.
“Nicola? Luca? What are you doing out?” The high pitched and questioning voice belongs to Korine. She must have woken up early. Thankfully, Luca stayed calm enough to think of a story.

“I went down to see if she has been well and she has been improving. I couldn’t leave her in that dark room so I decided to help her get some fresh air.” He was being honest. Well, it was half the truth.

“Your highness, the prince has been very kind. But I can always go back if you do not approve.”

“Oh no, Nicola you are right. The prince is showing kindness to those beneath him and setting himself up for good publicity. How could I intrude?” Korine has managed to take the beautiful gestures Luca has done for me and turn them around to make it seem like charity. She walks over to Luca and puts her hand on his arm. Luca was obviously angry with her and shakes her off.

“I am not doing this for publicity. This is out of the goodness of my heart. I guess some people don’t understand what that is.” The look on Korine’s face is priceless. Her eyes are wilder than they’ve ever been and her mouth drops open. It takes all of my limited strength to keep from laughing.
“How dare you talk to me in that manner? You are a guest in my palace in my country.” She looks around the area. “Louis!” A gardener comes over to the bench. His face looks hesitant when he sees Korine. “Go fetch Noé from the stables. I need him to escort his darling to her room. She doesn’t look so good.” Luca and I gape at Korine. She has no idea about Noé’s engagement to Addie. Luca is so close to saying something but he keeps his mouth shut. We both know that we could jeopardize our relationship by taking out any alibis.

We wait in silence for the gardener to return with my supposed lover. Korine’s face loses some of the aggression it had before and she moves to turn away from us. I refuse to speak to Luca. If I slip up once I could ruin everything. He has the same idea, but once in a while he quickly rubs my arm. He continually supports me on the bench without worrying about Korine. However, that is necessary, for I am still too weak to support myself for long periods of time. Time seems to slow down and the few minutes it took for Noé to arrive with the gardener feels like a lifetime. When they finally arrive Noé takes me by the arm and leads me out of the rose garden.

“Turn this corner,” I whisper to Noe when we leave the area.

“Why? You don’t look so good. I need to get you inside.”

“I’ll be fine. I just need to hear what they’re saying. What if Luca says something about us? I need to be ready.”

“Fine. But remember, I am not going to put my marriage on the line for you.” The words sting, but I nod and we hide in a large bush. I can just make out the conversation. Korine’s anger sounds like it has faded away.

“Luca, you have been acting so strange lately. I’m nervous. The ball is only a week away and you seem so distant. We’ve been looking forward to this moment for years. What has happened?”

“I guess I have been preoccupied.” Luca’s voice sounds firm, but I can hear the hesitancy. He needs to make something up, unless he is willing to throw everything away now.

“With what? With Nicola? With riding? I don’t understand.” Korine is close to tears.

“I’ve needed some time to think and work things out. A lot has changed since I came here. There are still some things that I don’t understand.”

“I can help you. I love you. How many times do I have to say it before you can believe it? Trust me. Please let me in.” There is silence. For a moment I believe that Luca is going to reveal us. Instead he states clearly, “Everything will be revealed soon. Just give me some time to think of what to say. And who knows? Maybe you’ll like what you hear.” What does that mean? Not only is Korine stunned but so am I.

“Noé, we have to go. I can hear them leaving now.” He picks me up and carries me the rest of the way. We are forced to go the long way to avoid being seen. Even though I can tell that Noe is annoyed, I need his guidance. “What do you think Luca meant when he said he would say something Korine would like? I don’t understand.”

“Neither do I to be completely honest.”

“Do you think he is unsure about us? Is he second guessing?” Now I am close to tears. How could someone who was sure last week, be so weak now?

“He could be. This secret is going to be the end of him. Maybe he is afraid to lose everything? You are fine because you aren’t losing anything. He would be giving up his whole life.”
“Korine said she loved him. No matter what happens, someone is going to get hurt. I think it might be me.”

“You won’t know until the ball. That is when he has to propose, right?” He is right, which I hate admitting so I refuse to respond.

We go along in silence until we reach my room. That is where I am attacked by Addie’s need to gossip.

“You won’t believe what just happened! Korine is beside herself and is taking many new and unnecessary precautions when it comes to this ball.” I just roll my eyes.

“When doesn’t she overreact and redo everything? This doesn’t seem like such a big deal.”

“Well, one of the new rules involves you. No woman is allowed inside the ballroom unless she is on the guest list, and no servants are allowed in unless they are serving food. You aren’t allowed in. That is crazy, aren’t you her best friend.”

“I was never her best friend. I knew she only called me that to get what she wanted. But this is crazy. I need to get in there to see Luca.”

“What could have made her do something like this?” Addie was furious. I was her way into the ball and now her dream was ruined.

“She caught Luca and me in the gardens. We weren’t kissing but we were intimate. She is throwing a tantrum and taking it out on everyone. I need to get in there.” There is a knock at the door.

“Nikki? We need to talk about what happened. It’s serious.” Luca. Part of me wants to avoid him until I know what he meant earlier. He can’t know I was eavesdropping. So I eventually decide to let him in and act like I don’t know anything about his conversation with Korine.

“Come in Luca. Addie, Noe, could you give us a moment? Maybe you can keep watch.” They leave and Luca enters. I can tell from his face that he is still upset with the princess.

“How could she say something like that? What is going on in that stupid blond head?”

“I take it the conversation didn’t go so well?”

“No it was fine, but I am still surprised I didn’t let anything slip. I was so angry, but I couldn’t let you get hurt.” He puts his hand on mine. “Are you feeling ok? You looked pale before.”

“I was just afraid everything was ruined. But you’re here now so everything is still fine.”

“And did you hear about the new idiotic rules? They completely exclude you from the ball! I need to dance with you. I have been waiting so long and now that was almost taken away from me.”

“Almost taken away?” I am genuinely shocked at his sudden change of character.

“I have a plan.”