After making excuses for her at lunch and going in before her to explain the situation to the prince, Ingrid came to get her and let her into the prince's chamber where he was waiting for her. He looked angry, but more composed than the day before. She greeted him politely and sat down before he could ask her to. As long as he didn't know what she had been trying to do, she would act with confidence and lie. She would not let him throw her out before she had done everything she possibly could to get to stay.
"I'm sorry, sir," she said. The prince nodded and waited for her to continue. Maybe he was less angry than she thought she was. "I was trying to get close to the princess, and she seemed completely relaxed. Then out of the blue she started telling me that she knew I was a liar. I don't think she is going to tell anyone, and I didn't confirm any of the things she said."
"And you little game before that?"
She hadn't expected Ingrid to tell him that many details of the princess' words. She should have expected it. "I'm sorry, sir. I thought I would make it look like I was helping her," she lied.
"Helping her by telling her completely random lies about what I want in a woman, if I understand correctly?"
"Well, I didn't know what to tell her exactly. I just gave little hints and signs and allowed her to interpret them."
"When did I tell you to do anything that stupid? I told you to nod, smile and win their confidence! Princess Iris happens to be one very powerful woman, and you have just made an enemy of her. It's one thing that she figured out that you were lying, but to have her know that you are actively working against her?"
"I'm not working against her, really, sir, I promise, I wasn't thinking."
"She does not know that. Stupid girl! I have given you every reason to help me, I expect you to make an effort."
Catherine tried to breathe calmly. His pale, angry face was not doing anything to calm her despite their strange conversation the night before. She still didn't trust him not to kill her, and she didn't know how to pretend to be thankful for an opportunity to stay off the streets for a few months. She nodded.
Suddenly she was sure that the prince stared at her more intently than before. She forced herself not to look away. He slowly rose from his chair and started moving towards her.
"If you don't help me, you will be back out there where your family is your only way to avoid starvation. How would you like that? I suggest you think before you act the next time." He was standing too close to her, invading the space she was in. But his voice was less harsh than it had been a few days earlier.
She nodded.
"I'm aware of that, sir."
"Good. Now technically you did rather well. You got to talk to her in private. So tell me what you thought."
Catherine did not dare to lie again.
"She is very intelligent. She knows a lot and she figures the rest out. She's graceful and friendly unless she gets angry. Then she's pretty honest and very scary. I don't think she's easy to trick."
The prince nodded.
"Well that was obvious already. But thank you." He took a few steps around the room. "This was not bad at all. It doesn't matter what she thinks of you as long as she keeps her opinion private. We know how she stands now. And frankly I have nothing to judge by other than that."
Catherine just hoped that meant that it would take him a very long time to decide. She smiled at him. He looked startled for a moment. Then he sent her a friendly nod.
"You can go now."
"Thank you, sir."
Catherine left for her own rooms and did not bother to call for Ingrid, who was for some reason not with her. She stayed in her rooms and took another long bath. She knew for certain that she would fail if she tried to play games with the more mature and educated minds around her. There was no way she would try to do so again. The prince had a very difficult decision to make either way, and she did not think that it would get easier. Apparently he had no idea any more. If she was lucky, she would get a few more weeks or months of living in the castle. She could not do anything about that.
But she could prepare. She had an allowance. If she did not spend it on something useful it might simply disappear when her time was up. She would ask Ingrid about making purchases in the morning. Then she would do her best to stay close to the women in the castle. She would be as useful as she could and hope for some sort of gratitude later on.
She dried herself in a large, soft towel and dressed in a soft nightgown. There was no one around to complain about the fact that she did not call a maid to help her. She would enjoy that as much as she planned on enjoying the rest of her stay.
The bed was large and soft and the covers felt like air. The room around her glowed in the candlelight and the paintings on the wall were like windows into other worlds. She would miss the luxury of that. But she would also find some way to make sure she would not go straight to sleeping on the ground.
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