Poison. Part 25

"Ugh!" Ariana said. "Don't remind me. I promised Mother I'd do place settings by end of day. What time is it?"

Fred pulled his watch out of his pocket. "Quarter to three." He set it down on the table between them.

"Plenty of time to do that and get in a nice ride in. If you two are just going to lie around here, I'm heading out." Ari stood up and brushed her hands off on her pants. "Later, lazybones!"

"Your future wife sure is a sweetheart," Kyra said, though it hurt to joke about the nuptials that were undoubtedly right around the corner.

Fred didn't appear to catch her tone. "I'll say." He settled back with his eyes closed.

Kyra desperately wanted to say something, demand that he explain why he'd kissed her when he was an engaged man; if there'd been anything there between them or if he'd just been messing with her. But she didn't say anything, just watched as he appeared to fall into a deep sleep. She wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer.

She picked up his pocket watch, the one the witch had stolen. And he'd apparently stolen back.

She looked and understood why.

Engraved on the back in tiny writing was PRINCE FREDERICK LANTANA III, OF ARCADIA. He hadn't wanted anyone to find out who he was.

And she'd thought he'd stolen back her necklace to be nice.

The evening of the ball finally arrived, and when it did, Kyra found herself hesitating outside the giant arched doors of the ballroom. She'd left Rosie in the kitchen with Langley, to be spoiled rotten by Sofie and the staff.

Ariana tramped down the hall, a new green dress swis.h.i.+ng around her, and stopped short at the sight of her friend. "You okay?" she asked.

"Yeah," Kyra said. "I just haven't been in there since, you know, I tried to kill you and all."

"I guess you want to relish the moment." Ariana b.u.mped her shoulder playfully.

"Exactly."

"You look like you're going to throw up."

"You can't imagine, Ari, making the decision to kill someone you love. Your whole idea of who you are flips upside down. I went to Arlo for help! I'd become a criminal."

"Kitty." Ariana took her hand. "You know who you are. Nothing can change that. Deep down inside you knew it wasn't really me-that it was really a monster. You're a good person, trust me."

Kyra looked at the doors to the ballroom. That's where it had all happened. She'd stood with a poisoned needle in her hand, and-Arlo had been right-there had been murder in her heart.

"How about"-Ariana put her arm through Kyra's-"we go in together and I'll tell you a secret."

"Really? You've got a secret?" Instead of running away, Kyra leaned in toward her friend and was through the doors and into the ballroom before she knew it.

"I do, but it isn't going public quite yet, so you can't tell anyone about it." Ariana expertly dodged her way through the crowd, ignoring the welcoming hands of people.

Kyra nodded at Ned and Hal as she pa.s.sed them at the cake table.

Ariana brought Kyra over to an empty spot next to a table stacked with clear crystal goblets. "I'm not marrying Fred."

"What?"

"Mom tried to pretend like the whole thing didn't completely throw her for a loop, but she's really freaked out by the whole fake princess thing. So I took advantage."

"Ari!"

"What? It's the smart thing to do. Anyway, I got her to promise that I could at least pick out my own husband."

"I thought you liked Fred."

"I adore him, but not as a husband, Kitty. As a fun and slightly ridiculous friend, or the sometimes annoying brother I never had, but not as a husband."

"Does Fred know?" Kyra took an empty goblet and shakily filled it with amber-colored liquid.

"I told him before dinner."

"Is he, um, unhappy?"

Ariana looked right into Kyra's olive-colored eyes, her own eyes sparkling. "Why do you ask?"

When Kyra didn't answer, Ariana whisked the goblet out of Kyra's hand and said, "Why don't you go ask him? He's right across the room."

Kyra looked, but Fred was turned away from her.

Ariana went on. "Is he talking to Hal? How did Fred even get in there with all of those women mobbing the guy?" She left Kyra standing there, gobletless, and half in shock.

Before Kyra could even begin to think seriously about talking to Fred, the d.u.c.h.ess Genria was at her side. "So, you've had quite the adventure."

"h.e.l.lo, Mother," Kyra responded, resigned.

"I hope you're taking your punishment seriously. I've recovered from your bad manners at the ducal palace, but your poor father is still in shock. That little show you put on in the dining hall probably took years off his life."

"I had to, Mom," Kyra said. "I was saving the kingdom." She didn't mention that her father was doing just fine, because it was impossible to argue with the d.u.c.h.ess. Her father had even made the trip here to attend the ball, and was, in fact, across the room right now laughing at something the king was saying.

"Yes, well, you could have tried something a little less exciting around your father. You know how excitement upsets his digestion."

"I'll try to remember that next time."

"Yes, you do that." The d.u.c.h.ess half lowered her lids. "I spoke with my friend Muriel, the witch who you had the little altercation with. She said it was all a misunderstanding."

Kyra's breath caught. "She tried to eat me."

"She was just trying to scare you." The d.u.c.h.ess's green eyes swept over Kyra. "If you would get some training, you would never be at the mercy of another witch."

"I did just fine with potions."

"But you could do so much more if you could harness both magic and potions. Please consider training, Kyra. I'd feel better knowing you were safe out there in the world if you had all of your gifts at your disposal."

People were dancing now, in a swirl of colored dresses and s.h.i.+ning faces. Kyra watched them flit by. Arlo had known an awful lot about how the castle operated to be able to pull off what he had. Were there people in this room right now who'd a.s.sisted him? One of those s.h.i.+ning faces could be a traitor and Kyra wouldn't even know it. She couldn't douse the whole room in truth serum.

What if she could use her Sight to find out?

The d.u.c.h.ess patiently sipped her mead, watching the dancers.

"I'll think about it," Kyra said.

If the d.u.c.h.ess was surprised, she did a good job of hiding it. "We'll need to find you a teacher. Muriel really is a skilled witch-"

"Mom!"

"-but you seem to harbor some ill feelings toward her. I'm not quite sure I trust her if it comes to that, but apprentice/teacher contracts have a nonharm spell on them usually. She doesn't have the Sight, though. It's a rare gift. I'll have to do some looking into this...."

As the d.u.c.h.ess began moving away, Kyra shouted, "I just said I'd think about it."

The d.u.c.h.ess kept going, not bothering to respond.

Kyra had no idea what she'd just gotten herself into. She picked up an empty goblet and began filling it with mead.

An extremely handsome young man approached her, in full royal gear complete with a velvet coat, and Kyra almost dropped her gla.s.s when she realized it was Fred.

Fred took the goblet from her. "How sweet, you got me a gla.s.s." He took a sip of the mead. "This is good! Gotta love those bee-keeping monks."

Kyra caught a glimpse of Ariana across the hall.

It was all well and good for Ariana to think that she and Fred were just friends, but how could Fred not be in love with Ariana?

"Ariana told me she canceled the wedding," Kyra blurted out before she could stop herself.

"She did."

"I'm sorry. I can't imagine you're happy about that."

"Why would you think that?"

"Well, she's Ariana. How can you not love her?"

Fred's mouth lifted on one side. "That's true. It is difficult not to love her."

"And you won't get half a kingdom anymore, either."

"Maybe I could woo her." Fred rubbed the stem of his gla.s.s. "I'm sure she'd have me if it was by her own choice."

Kyra's stomach dropped. "What?"

"Kyra." Fred caught Kyra's eyes. "I'm not in love with Ariana and I don't want half the kingdom."

"You don't?"

He shook his head. "But I might stick around for a little while longer. There are some interesting things in the Kingdom of Mohr."

"Like what?"

"Like a certain funny and extremely talented potioner."

Kyra took a breath. "I have to warn you, Hal isn't that great as a boyfriend. He's pretty self-absorbed."

The edges of Fred's mouth turned up a fraction more. "Kyra, I think you know who I mean."

"Is this because you found out I'm a princess?"

He shot her a look.

Kyra smiled inwardly, but she didn't quite know what to say.

She didn't have to say anything, because Fred continued. "May I ask you one thing?"

"Mm-hm."

"What in the world were you doing wearing that ridiculous underwear when I first met you?" He started laughing.

"You try picking out reasonable underwear when you're fleeing an entire staff of palace guards!"

"Wouldn't it have made sense to pack before you attempted to kill the princess?"

Kyra looked at him seriously. "I wasn't planning to run away after I killed the princess. I wouldn't have been able to live with myself after having murdered my cousin and my best friend. I was planning a nice trip to prison, and from there to the executioner's. So when my dart didn't kill the princess, all I could think was, I've got to get out of here so I can finish the job later. After I finally ditched the guards, I had to hide in a dumbwaiter for a good four hours before I could sneak into my room and away."

Fred had been listening intently, but started laughing again. "You hid in the dumbwaiter?"

"Yes."

"What if they'd called it down to send up some tea or something?"

"They would have been in for a surprise."

"I'm glad you escaped, Kyra," Fred said, looking serious again. "And that I found you."

"Me too," Kyra said, glancing up at him. "It wouldn't have been much of a life trying to live in the dumbwaiter."

Fred leaned down and kissed Kyra full on the lips.

Kyra pulled away. "How do you know I'm interested in you? Just because you've decided I'm worth hanging around for doesn't mean I feel the same way."

Fred c.o.c.ked his head at her. "Really?"

"Oh, okay," Kyra said.

Then she kissed him back.

THE SIGN OF A LIFE WELL LIVED is that there are always too many people to thank.

A few of those who helped bring Poison to print: Bridget's writing family-the Madison, Wisconsin, Writers' Group: Georgia Beaverson, Judy Bryan, Emily Kokie, Michael Kress-Russick, Rosanne Lindsay, Julie Shaull, Kashmira Sheth, and Melinda Starkweather.