The moment the door closed behind the girls, Lorelei’s forced smile faded away. She leaned back in her chair and lowered her arms on the armrests, her eyes piercing the Steward of Norden.
“I am well aware that you don’t like me very much, my lord.” The corners of her lips twitched. “But I find it too much to transfer your animosity towards me to the people around me.”
“You are mistaken, Lady.” Willam’s reply was just as rigid as his face. “I don’t have the precious time and energy to waste on such pettiness. How I act towards people depends solely on their own merit or lack thereof. So rest assured, no matter what, my personal feelings won’t hinder our work together on the current task.”
“What… have I ever done to you to hate me so much?” Lorelei’s voice broke for a moment before she could regain her composure.
“I don’t hate you, Lady Lorelei.” William pressed the tips of his fingers together and looked at her over them. “But, up until now, you have been, willingly or not, an unpredictable variable. And unpredictable variables are not something desirable when crafting plans.”
“So, I have been in your way?”
“Yes.”
“Then what are you even doing here? If I bother you so much, just ignore me and be on your merry way to plot, scheme, and puppeteer.”
“As much as I’d have liked doing exactly that, this time getting you involved is unavoidable.” William pointed with his chin at the stack of documents. “The top pages should explain everything. Take as much time as you need to read them, then we’ll discuss the finer points.”
With a terrible foreboding, Lorelei picked up a tightly written page from the stack. As her eyes flew over the neat lines, her lips became thinner and thinner. The warm wind blowing from the open window suddenly made her shiver. Without realizing it, her fingers crumpled the edges of the paper, the thin sheet shaking in the cadence of her quaking hands.
“It might be hard to believe me,” a tad of softness seemed to sneak into Willam’s tone, “but I was against all this. Especially getting you involved.”
“And why so?” Lorelei’s voice was unnaturally calm. “Fake as I might be, do you think I’m so incompetent that I can’t fulfill my duties as the Duchess of Norden when my lord demands it from me?”
“No.” Tilting his head, William gave her an inquisitive look. “But competence and feelings are two separate things. I have siblings, so I understand that having to spend so much time with your sister might be-”
“You are mistaken, Lord Steward.” Lorelei interrupted him and threw the paper on the table. “I have no siblings. I never had. Whether it is my sister or a stranger, it matters little to me. So your worries are irrelevant.”
The last statement was given with more confidence than Lorelei actually possessed. It would have been a lie to state that the contents of the paper had left her unscathed. The turbulent feelings in her heart that had finally subsided rose again with new power. But there was also a part of her that felt… happy? Was she anticipating the mayhem? Proud of the trust she was shown? Or was it due to the fact that this time she was not just a hapless pawn in someone else's game? Yet, despite how cunning the endeavor and how sweet the potential outcome was, there was still a sour aftertaste left in her mouth. It was so strange, feeling hurt and elated at the same time.
“I think I should let you sort your feelings.”
Lorelei lifted her gaze and saw William studying her face.
“It won’t be necessary.” Pointing at the heap of books and documents, she suddenly felt the weight of responsibility on her shoulders. “Those should contain the information needed to plan the Crown Prince’s stay. It would be bad to make a fool of myself before Pricilla and my father, so let’s go through the most important points first.”
William’s eyebrows arched slightly and, for the first time, there was something akin to an emotion that peeked through his mask.
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“Somehow I think that I’ve been underestimating how formidable you are, Lady Norden.”
“Praising me seems way out of character, Lord Steward.”
“But I’m telling the truth, my lady.”
Lorelei chose to ignore his remark. Trusting William De Mar’s flattery would bring her little good. Besides, this man would likely tell her anything to make her play to his tune. Grabbing a few documents, she cleared her throat.
“So, while I… entertain Pricilla, you’ll be dealing with my father?”
“Yes.” William leaned in and said in a low voice. “There are enough indications that he’s been sent by the Second Prince to mess with Norden’s annual tax report. As for your sister…”
Heads huddled together, the two flipped through books and reports, discussing, comparing thoughts, and sometimes heatedly arguing. As the plan for the upcoming weeks slowly took shape, a seed of uncertainty took root in Lorelei’s heart. It sounded perfect on paper, but there were so many variables that could result in utter failure. As she voiced her concerns, William surprisingly agreed.
“Still,” he rubbed the base of his nose, “I can’t deny that there is merit in all this. That is, if you can keep your emotions in check and not let them cloud your judgment.”
“Trust me, my emotions are our last concern in this situation.” Lorelei’s nail tapped on the armrest. “But should the Second Prince retaliate…”
“He wouldn’t. At least not publicly, lest he’s willing to risk exposing himself as the mastermind behind all this. And believe me, the Emperor is not fond enough of him to tolerate such actions.”
“Then it’s all clear.” Lorelei rubbed her neck and pointed at the records strewn over the table. “It seems I still have some homework to do. I’ll go fetch the girls and-”
“I trust you won’t divulge the content of our discussion to them.” William gave her a heavy look. “The fewer people know, the better.”
“I know. Fewer mouths can repeat what few ears have heard.”
“You know, Lady Lorelei,” the man stood up and graced her with an unexpected smile, “I have a feeling that I’ve met a kindred spirit.”
“I hope not. One spider is plenty for this castle.”
“Spider?” He lifted an eyebrow. “Indeed, you are very accurate. Still, I hope that our Swallow will hunt down the flies, should they manage to escape my nets.”
William limped towards the door but then halted. From the folds of his overcoat, he pulled out a small box, not larger than a man’s palm.
“I almost forgot… No, it’s a lie. I considered withholding this from you since he refused to tell me what’s inside. But whatever it is, I hope that fool won’t be so inconsiderate as to jeopardize the chance to foil the Second Prince’s schemes. Good day, Lady Norden. We’ll be seeing each other.”
Handing the box over to Lorelei, William hurried up, leaving her alone in the room to fight with the confusion his parting words had instilled. As she looked at the unassuming box, curiosity and fear mixed in her heart. Why did he send her this? What about its contents was so important and secretive that he wouldn’t trust his loyal aide and friend with the truth? Was it a letter demanding an explanation for her strange behavior lately? Or a secret order concerning their ploy to thwart the Second Prince?
“Only one way to know,” mumbled Lorelei to herself in a desperate attempt to gather some courage.
Her fingers felt numb and unresponsive as she struggled to push the small latch aside. After what felt like an eternity, the lid swung open to reveal the unusual contents of the box. Blinking confused, Lorelei pulled out the items one by one.
First was a bundle of lily-of-the-valleys tied with a silver-gray ribbon. Their fine scent reminded her of the perfume flask securely tucked in the drawer next to her bed. Those were likely the last flowers for the season, belated bloomers that had overslept the coming and going of spring. Playing with their ribbon, a bitter-sweet emotion overwhelmed Lorelei as she was painfully familiar with that shade of gray. She had seen it in her dreams and nightmares, in times of hope and despair. That gaze... his gaze had looked at her with yearning, anguish, and sad resignation, but always carrying a genuine warmth.
Next, her clumsy fingers pulled out a small booklet, its title bringing a chuckle to her lips. ‘On the Secret Meaning of Flowers’ by Lady Elvira Corvus. Between its pages, a little piece of paper peeked out. With drumming heart, Lorelei skimmed through the book, prolonging the inevitable revelation of the note it harbored.
At the very last, she took out the thin sheet. There were only a few lines, written in the energetic handwriting she knew so well. Again and again, she read the note, each time her eyes blurring a little bit more.
“As vicious wind the valley swept,
distraught the precious maiden wept.
Her tears dripped on heart of stone,
thus bloomed a flower never sown.
And saw the wind its wrong at last,
But never could it change the past."