The Glittering Court
Page 40
We pulled our hair up into elaborate buns and chignons, and my wavy hair allowed fine tendrils to frame my face. On board the ship, fires were limited, so those who didn’t have naturally curly hair couldn’t heat up the curling wands we usually used. Miss Bradley assured us that even if we weren’t done up to our regular level of precise detail, we were still by far and away more than what usually came ashore in Denham Colony.
By the time we’d finished and come up to the deck, the Good Hope had nearly reached the docks. Sailors and the other passengers stopped and stared. My grief still weighed heavily on me, but I kept my expression cool as I assessed the approaching shore. Triumph Bay was a huge expanse of water, enclosed by land that “hooked” around it. Cape Triumph was located on the inside of the top of the hook. A great deal of our education had focused on the strategic location of this large port city, in an area protected by the worst of sea storms, creating safe waters for docking ships. The rest of Denham was accessible overland or by sailing along the coast. Opposite the city, on the far side of the bay, lay uncolonized lands whose rocky shore made docking more difficult.
I again studied the large and towering trees, many still standing despite years of colonists clearing them for lumber and farmland. This close, I could see some of the city’s buildings now. I couldn’t help but feel fascinated, despite my desire to remain indifferent. There was an entirely other feel, compared to Osfro. There, in Osfrid’s capital city, everything was old. Stone castles and churches that had been around for centuries marked the skyline, surrounded by well-established wooden houses and shops that were sometimes fortified with stone or brick. Of course new construction and renovation took place all the time, but Osfro’s overall feel was one of solidity and prestigious antiquity.
Cape Triumph was . . . new. Hardly any buildings had that venerable feel. Most were made of wood, with the planks’ light color showing their young age. Much was still under construction as Cape Triumph grew in size and importance. None of the buildings, even some of the older ones, were very tall. There were no castles here as a memory of ages past. The largest structure I could see was a fort far off on a hill, and it too was mostly made of fresh timbers. That lack of stone, that lack of wear . . . it made everything feel so young. With such newness and instability, it seemed as though this town was fighting fiercely for its survival.
A crowd had gathered at the wharves, by far and away made up of men. These docks too had that same young feel, though some aspects were the same as in Osfrid’s ports. Water lapped against the wooden posts, darkened by the gray sky overhead. The smell of fish and refuse washing up to shore filled the air.
The sailors tied up our ship, and much went into securing it before we were allowed to disembark. By then, the crowd had further increased. I could see men dressed in finery, who might very well be legitimate suitors, lined up with those in common clothes who’d simply come to see the show. All wore heavy cloaks and coats against the weather, and I regarded them with envy as a bitter wind cut through me.
A group of burly men with guns strode up to the dock, and Jasper walked down to meet them. I gathered by what little of the conversation I could hear that these were men hired by Jasper to see us around safely. While I was used to being escorted in Osfro, seeing that squad of rough-and-tumble men drove home what a different world we were in. I’d dreamed of the excitement and adventure of Adoria, but this was still a dangerous and untamed place.
When we were given permission to leave, Miss Bradley lined us up and put me at the head of the line. “You’re the diamond,” she explained. “You must be the lead.”
I stared, speechless. I didn’t fear the attention, exactly, but after everything I’d been through, this seemed like too much. Before I could protest, Mira asked, “Why are you putting me third?”
Miss Bradley fixed her with a look both hard and sad. “Because you are third now. Everyone else above you was on the Gray Gull.”
The world swayed around me, as thoughts of Tamsin and that ship bobbing like a toy filled my mind.
“Adelaide,” said Miss Bradley. “You need to go. Now.”
I shook my head, rooted to the spot, and then I felt Cedric’s steady presence beside me. “Follow me,” he said. “We’re just going straight to my father, that’s all. Keep your eyes ahead.”
He walked down the dock, and after a few deep breaths, I worked up the resolve to follow. My legs felt unsteady at first, accustomed to weeks in a rocking ship. Solid ground had become a foreign thing. I kept my eyes focused on Cedric’s back as I put one foot in front of the other and tried to block out the gawkers around me. Even though I knew there was a whole line of other girls following me, I felt alone and vulnerable. Jasper, on the far side of the crowd, might as well have been miles away. His men had cleared a space where the dock ended, glaring threateningly at anyone who dared take a step closer.
But that didn’t stop the whistles or catcalls. “Hey, girlie, hike up that skirt, and show us what a real jewel looks like!” and “Did they bring that Sirminican for the rest of us? When do I get my turn?” were only a few of the taunts. An angry flush swept over me, offering a small warmth against the cold. My rage was directed not just at the uncouth men but also at Jasper. Surely there were better ways of acquiring husbands for us than parading us around like the livestock Mira had remarked upon. All that training and culture, the alleged improvement of our minds, meant nothing when we were put on display in this wild land and judged by our looks alone.
And yet, was it any different than when I’d been shown off in the grand ballrooms of Osfro? Would this always be a woman’s lot?
I had half an urge to tear the expensive clothing and dishevel the carefully styled hair. Instead, I held my head high and followed the scarlet of Cedric’s coat. I wished I hadn’t packed his dagger away in my trunk—not because I intended to use it, but simply because feeling the cold blade against my skin seemed comforting. I’m better than these people, I told myself. Not because of my bloodline—but because of my character.
At last, after what probably only lasted a few minutes, I made it to Jasper. He stood with more of his men and some carriages, which were thankfully enclosed. Jasper nodded in approval. “Excellent, excellent,” he said, beckoning us to the coaches. “I can already see the potential buyers. I suppose having half the set might drive up the prices.”
I came to a halt, my jaw dropping. Mira pushed me on, into the coach. “How can you ignore that?” I exclaimed to her as we took our seats. Surely even her tight control had its limits.
“I’m not ignoring it,” she said, rubbing her ankle. Fury simmered in her eyes. “But I pick my battles. Nothing can change what happened. Nothing’s going to change his nature. But we can control our futures—that’s what we must focus on.”
I leaned back against the seat, wrapping my arms around myself. Now that the tension of that terrible procession was gone, the cold was hitting me again. I strived to be as calm as Mira, but it was hard. I wanted to go back outside and scream at Jasper, letting out all the tumultuous emotions trapped within me.
But it wouldn’t bring back Tamsin or the Gray Gull.
So I sat in seeming complacency, letting my feelings boil within me. Two other girls joined us, and the carriage started off. I’d noted the lack of cobblestone streets here, even in a busy part of the city. The storm we’d faced had brought rain here, and I could feel the carriage struggle through the irregular, muddy roads. Once, our driver had to stop and get one of our escorts to help release a stuck wheel.
By the time we’d finished and come up to the deck, the Good Hope had nearly reached the docks. Sailors and the other passengers stopped and stared. My grief still weighed heavily on me, but I kept my expression cool as I assessed the approaching shore. Triumph Bay was a huge expanse of water, enclosed by land that “hooked” around it. Cape Triumph was located on the inside of the top of the hook. A great deal of our education had focused on the strategic location of this large port city, in an area protected by the worst of sea storms, creating safe waters for docking ships. The rest of Denham was accessible overland or by sailing along the coast. Opposite the city, on the far side of the bay, lay uncolonized lands whose rocky shore made docking more difficult.
I again studied the large and towering trees, many still standing despite years of colonists clearing them for lumber and farmland. This close, I could see some of the city’s buildings now. I couldn’t help but feel fascinated, despite my desire to remain indifferent. There was an entirely other feel, compared to Osfro. There, in Osfrid’s capital city, everything was old. Stone castles and churches that had been around for centuries marked the skyline, surrounded by well-established wooden houses and shops that were sometimes fortified with stone or brick. Of course new construction and renovation took place all the time, but Osfro’s overall feel was one of solidity and prestigious antiquity.
Cape Triumph was . . . new. Hardly any buildings had that venerable feel. Most were made of wood, with the planks’ light color showing their young age. Much was still under construction as Cape Triumph grew in size and importance. None of the buildings, even some of the older ones, were very tall. There were no castles here as a memory of ages past. The largest structure I could see was a fort far off on a hill, and it too was mostly made of fresh timbers. That lack of stone, that lack of wear . . . it made everything feel so young. With such newness and instability, it seemed as though this town was fighting fiercely for its survival.
A crowd had gathered at the wharves, by far and away made up of men. These docks too had that same young feel, though some aspects were the same as in Osfrid’s ports. Water lapped against the wooden posts, darkened by the gray sky overhead. The smell of fish and refuse washing up to shore filled the air.
The sailors tied up our ship, and much went into securing it before we were allowed to disembark. By then, the crowd had further increased. I could see men dressed in finery, who might very well be legitimate suitors, lined up with those in common clothes who’d simply come to see the show. All wore heavy cloaks and coats against the weather, and I regarded them with envy as a bitter wind cut through me.
A group of burly men with guns strode up to the dock, and Jasper walked down to meet them. I gathered by what little of the conversation I could hear that these were men hired by Jasper to see us around safely. While I was used to being escorted in Osfro, seeing that squad of rough-and-tumble men drove home what a different world we were in. I’d dreamed of the excitement and adventure of Adoria, but this was still a dangerous and untamed place.
When we were given permission to leave, Miss Bradley lined us up and put me at the head of the line. “You’re the diamond,” she explained. “You must be the lead.”
I stared, speechless. I didn’t fear the attention, exactly, but after everything I’d been through, this seemed like too much. Before I could protest, Mira asked, “Why are you putting me third?”
Miss Bradley fixed her with a look both hard and sad. “Because you are third now. Everyone else above you was on the Gray Gull.”
The world swayed around me, as thoughts of Tamsin and that ship bobbing like a toy filled my mind.
“Adelaide,” said Miss Bradley. “You need to go. Now.”
I shook my head, rooted to the spot, and then I felt Cedric’s steady presence beside me. “Follow me,” he said. “We’re just going straight to my father, that’s all. Keep your eyes ahead.”
He walked down the dock, and after a few deep breaths, I worked up the resolve to follow. My legs felt unsteady at first, accustomed to weeks in a rocking ship. Solid ground had become a foreign thing. I kept my eyes focused on Cedric’s back as I put one foot in front of the other and tried to block out the gawkers around me. Even though I knew there was a whole line of other girls following me, I felt alone and vulnerable. Jasper, on the far side of the crowd, might as well have been miles away. His men had cleared a space where the dock ended, glaring threateningly at anyone who dared take a step closer.
But that didn’t stop the whistles or catcalls. “Hey, girlie, hike up that skirt, and show us what a real jewel looks like!” and “Did they bring that Sirminican for the rest of us? When do I get my turn?” were only a few of the taunts. An angry flush swept over me, offering a small warmth against the cold. My rage was directed not just at the uncouth men but also at Jasper. Surely there were better ways of acquiring husbands for us than parading us around like the livestock Mira had remarked upon. All that training and culture, the alleged improvement of our minds, meant nothing when we were put on display in this wild land and judged by our looks alone.
And yet, was it any different than when I’d been shown off in the grand ballrooms of Osfro? Would this always be a woman’s lot?
I had half an urge to tear the expensive clothing and dishevel the carefully styled hair. Instead, I held my head high and followed the scarlet of Cedric’s coat. I wished I hadn’t packed his dagger away in my trunk—not because I intended to use it, but simply because feeling the cold blade against my skin seemed comforting. I’m better than these people, I told myself. Not because of my bloodline—but because of my character.
At last, after what probably only lasted a few minutes, I made it to Jasper. He stood with more of his men and some carriages, which were thankfully enclosed. Jasper nodded in approval. “Excellent, excellent,” he said, beckoning us to the coaches. “I can already see the potential buyers. I suppose having half the set might drive up the prices.”
I came to a halt, my jaw dropping. Mira pushed me on, into the coach. “How can you ignore that?” I exclaimed to her as we took our seats. Surely even her tight control had its limits.
“I’m not ignoring it,” she said, rubbing her ankle. Fury simmered in her eyes. “But I pick my battles. Nothing can change what happened. Nothing’s going to change his nature. But we can control our futures—that’s what we must focus on.”
I leaned back against the seat, wrapping my arms around myself. Now that the tension of that terrible procession was gone, the cold was hitting me again. I strived to be as calm as Mira, but it was hard. I wanted to go back outside and scream at Jasper, letting out all the tumultuous emotions trapped within me.
But it wouldn’t bring back Tamsin or the Gray Gull.
So I sat in seeming complacency, letting my feelings boil within me. Two other girls joined us, and the carriage started off. I’d noted the lack of cobblestone streets here, even in a busy part of the city. The storm we’d faced had brought rain here, and I could feel the carriage struggle through the irregular, muddy roads. Once, our driver had to stop and get one of our escorts to help release a stuck wheel.
