Midnight Pearls by Debbie Viguié Page B

this is my father, King Philip of Aster. Father, allow me to present Faye. She is the one who saved me from drowning yesterday.”
    “And I am grateful to you for that,” the king told her.
    She rose shakily to her feet and curtsied as she had seen Sarah do to James.
    The king reached out and caught her hand. He bowed over it.“Thank you, my dear, for saving an old man from heartbreak.”
    She smiled shyly at him. He released her hand and stepped back. “I look forward to seeing you at dinner tonight” He nodded to his son, turned, and left.
    “Well, I think he likes you,” James said, beaming.
    Faye was relieved. She hadn’t counted on meeting James’s family so soon, at least not until she had had more of a chance to acclimate to her new environment.
    “Well, we should get dressed for dinner,” James told her.
    Surprised, she glanced down at the dress she was wearing.
    He laughed. “It’s very lovely, but not quite appropriate for this evening. It’s to be a very formal dinner. Not only is the duke dining at the castle, but his son, the marquis, has brought his bride-to-be as well. I hear she’s lovely, but I’m sure she doesn’t hold a candle to you.”
    As they rose to their feet, Faye’s heart was singing. She would do her best to look well for James tonight and to outshine the other ladies present.
    “Do you need me to escort you back to your room?”
    She shook her head. If she was ever going to familiarize herself with the castle, she might as well start now.
    She took her leave of him and made her way carefully to her room. Her legs were much steadier. The only difficulty proved in negotiating the stairs. Still, she kept her hand against the wall to steady herself and moved slowly upward, placing each foot carefully. She sighed in relief when she reached her room.
    Amazingly, Sarah was waiting for her with another gown. It was a brilliant green, brighter than the seaweed that carpeted the ocean. The other woman beamed at Faye’s expression.
    “I figured you’d be wanting to dress for dinner about now. Looks like I was right.”
    Faye embraced the woman.
    Startled, Sarah gasped and she was sputtering when Faye released her. “Milady,” she stammered, “it’s not appropriate for you to be doing that.”
    Faye looked her directly in the eyes.
    “You don’t care about that, do you?”
    Faye shook her head fondly.
    Sarah blushed fiercely, but she looked pleased. “Let’s get you changed, shall we?”
    After what seemed like an eternity, Sarah had finished. She led Faye over to a large cross on the wall. In the middle of the cross a piece of polished glass was set and Faye could see herself in it.
    The green of the dress made a stunning contrast against her pale skin. Spots of red decorated each cheek and her lips were red as well, also emphasizing the paleness of the rest of her skin. Her hair shone brightly and had been braided down her back, interwoven with green and gold cord.
    “You look like a princess,” Sarah said, sighing happily.
    I am , Faye thought.
    She ran her hand down the material of the dress, liking the way it felt cool and smooth beneath her fingers. Small, brightly colored stones decorated the neckline and glinted brilliantly in the candlelight with a sparkle that matched the one in her eyes. She looked beautiful and she hoped James thought so as well.
    At last she was ready. She made her way carefully downstairs, eager to see James. She entered the main hall and saw dozens of people seated around a long table. She saw James instantly. He was looking at someone at the table when a servant whispered something to him. Turning his head, he saw her. He leaped from his seat and came to take her hand.
    “You take my breath away,” he told her when he was standing before her.
    A warm glow suffused her as he took her arm and escorted her to the table. The king welcomed her warmly, and James helped her to her seat. Servants with food appeared from out of nowhere, and soon the