Twice Upon A Time (Unfinished Fairy Tales #2)(20)

I had a full breakfast, but surprisingly, the homemade pasta topped with cheese and smoked bacon is so good that I finish my dish in mere minutes.

“Simple is good,” I say earnestly. “I wouldn’t know what to do if I had more than one fork and one knife. Besides, this tastes like . . .” I clamp my mouth shut. I was going to say that the food tastes just like Jason’s homemade mac & cheese. “This tastes really good. May I have a second helping?”

The mayor and mayor’s wife are both pleased and embarrassed.

“You’re such a nice lady,” the mayor says. “We knew His Highness since he was a boy, and we couldn’t be happier when he found himself a bride.”

Edward smiles, but it seems a bit strained. “I’m fortunate, indeed, to have found Kat.”

I blush. Just at that moment, there comes a knock at the door, and a tall young man enters. He is about Edward’s age, I think, dressed simply in a white shirt and black pants.

“Liam, m’ boy!” the mayor exclaims. “Was there too much traffic on the road? Anyhow, you’re just in time to meet our new princess.”

The mayor’s wife hastens to ladle a dish while the mayor pulls out a chair.

“This is indeed a wonderful surprise.” Edward gets up, and he and the young man clap each other on the shoulder. It looks like they are good friends, though The Ugly Stepsister never mentioned any of Edward’s friends other than Henry. “Let me introduce you to my bride. Kat, this is Liam, the mayor’s grandson.”

The young man called Liam greets me with a spark of interest in his leaf green eyes. He’s about the same height as Edward, but he is much leaner, like a walking pole. He wouldn't look out of place with the guys in my computer science class. “An honor to meet you, Your Highness.”

“Liam and I both grew up together. When we were twelve, however, I moved to the capital while he went to secondary school. He is now a university student, studying biology and sciences. Henry once took classes with him.”

“Call me Kat,” I say, offering him a warm smile. “A friend of Edward’s is a friend of mine. And it’s so nice to meet someone who also went to college.”

Confusion appears in Liam’s face. Immediately, I realize the error of my words.

“What Kat meant is that she wishes to study in the university,” Edward quickly says. “She is very fond of books, you see. I had to install several bookshelves in our rooms, or she wouldn’t have accepted my proposal.”

“Indeed,” Liam says, though he gives me a curious glance. “I assure you, Princess . . . Kat, that you are not missing much.”

Everyone laughs, and Edward explains to me, “For many, the university is more of a place to cultivate connections rather than to acquire serious knowledge.”

“Well then, I doubt the princess shall have time for extra education, even if they let her in,” the mayor’s wife says, slicing more bread and placing the pieces on a plate. “Especially when she gives birth to an heir. She won’t have much time for anything.”

I try very hard to keep a straight face. It’s going to be really troublesome if people keep expecting me to get pregnant.

“Excuse me, Susan, but I believe the princess is one of a kind,” Liam says. “Not every noble lady can write articles on social issues, not to mention interviewing factory children and writing about them.”

I remember that in The Ugly Stepsister, Katriona had published an article called The Curse of the Factory System. Or, should I say, I had published it. Come to think of it, it seems impossible that I could have done the task. Breaking into a factory and knocking out an adult male and interviewing child workers? I sound amazing, even to myself.

“His Highness chose her from thousands of girls.” The mayor pokes Liam with a walking stick. “I only hope that you have the good fortune to meet someone half as remarkable as our princess.”

“I doubt I would be so fortunate,” Liam says with a smile that doesn’t reach his eyes. “Edward always has the best.”

Am I imagining it, or is there a drop of jealousy or resentment in his tone?



* * *



Whenever I imagined what my honeymoon would be like, I had pictured somewhere sunny and relaxing. Possibly a Caribbean cruise. I fancy a glorious day reclining in a chair, sipping a margarita, and enjoying the hot, salty sea air. Jason would be next to me, spouting some obscure physics knowledge, and when I get bored, I’d shut him up with my lips. I didn’t expect that in reality, my honeymoon would consist of a crash course in royal knowledge.

Since Liam asked me about the articles I wrote, Edward insisted that in order for me to play my role more convincingly, I must be filled in on the knowledge gap, which includes everything an Athelian princess must know. While I know some events that transpired earlier, thanks to countless re-reads of The Ugly Stepsister, I’ve no idea about many other details, such as the history of Athelia or the customs of receiving guests.

“When is my father’s birthday?” Edward asks one evening. After dinner, he summoned Amelie and told her to relay to all servants that he wished to retire early with me and would have no need for any services. I wonder what the servants would say if they could see me now.

“Um . . .” I think frantically about what he had told me earlier. “Some date in December—the 7th? Or is it the 17th?”