The courting trap

Scheming

// Victoria //

Estelle has just been back for a day and mother already has her running around the castle following her orders. The wedding is in 8 days and Mother wants to throw a ball tomorrow to celebrate our engagement.

Celebrate?  Even though he saved my life, I still don't think either of us feel like celebrating. I thought he changed, I saw a different side of him, I haven't seen it since. In fact, I haven't seen him at all since he saved me two days ago. 

Now that I'm thinking of him, I'm curious as to what he's doing.  In seconds I'm in front of his door.

I knock, "Nicholas?" no answer. I softly open his door, at first glance I thought the room was empty. Just as I was about to turn around a soft snore stops me in my tracks. 

He had fallen asleep on his desk. I close the door behind me and quietly make my way over to him. He is slumped in his seat, both arms on the desk and leaning his head on them. In his left hand is a quill, his other hand is resting on top of a notebook. It's open and I assume it is his journal. There is a ran out bottle of ink on the far side of his desk and the quill has left a big, dark ink spot on one of the pages.

I know it is wrong, but I am just so curious. I need to know what is going on inside this man's head. I go to stand directly behind him, when I bend forward I might be able to read what he has been writing. '...is this punishment for what I did to her or...'  Is all I manage to read.

Then the most unfortunate happens, my knee hits the bureau and the empty ink bottle tumbles off and shatters to the ground.  Nicholas jumps up from his chair and it shoves backwards, "What?!" he yells, still half consumed by the nap he had just got woken up from.

"Sorry." I smile apologetically when he turns to look at me. "What are you doing here?" He murmurs with a raspy voice, as rubs his eyes. There is ink on the side of his left hand.

"Oh I just..." my eyes flick over to his notebook. He follows my line of vision and swiftly closes it. "Don't." He warns. "No, I was just going to ask if you'd like the tablecloths to be ivory or eggshell-coloured tomorrow?"

"What is tomorrow?"

I can't believe him. "Tomorrow is the ball..." he looks just as confused. "to celebrate our engagement?"

"And you feel like celebrating that?" He frowns and sits back down in his chair.

"Not really." I lean on the desk, now in front of Nicholas. He looks up at me and brushes a hand through his hair. It looks really soft.

"Me neither." He takes a deep breath. "So what is the plan?"

"What plan?" It is now my turn to look confused.

"How are we going to use this to our advantage? What can we do that is so bad, they will cancel our wedding?" He asks.

I don't like to admit it, but that was smart. "There will be lots of people, we have to make sure everyone sees it. Then mother cannot keep this masquerade up any longer." A smile creeps up on my face.

"This will work!" He rose to his feet, now just a few inches between us. "We will finally get rid of each other." He smiles too and I think it is the first time I've seen him smile this confidently big.

My own smile falters. "You think of something, tell me your plan tomorrow. I am all in, I would do anything at this point." I hurry out of his room.

Why do I not feel anything but pure bliss right now? If you told me this days ago I would have been the happiest girl in the world.

"Victoria!" Nicholas yells while he picks up to me walking down the corridor. "I don't care what colours, you choose. As long as it's not wedding gown coloured, I am pleased."

"Alright." I flash a tight-lipped smile and leave him in the hallway.