Free The King's Daughters by Nathalie Mallet

replied with a peek over my shoulder. "What about your tracks?"
    "I was able to follow them inside the castle. It was easy because the melting snow left a trail of water. Unfortunately, it dried up a short distance between the throne room and the royal wing. After that I couldn't tell which way it went."
    "Interesting."
    "My lord, on my way back here I encountered Princess Eva."
    My heart leapt up right into my throat. "Where? Is she around? How is she? Tell me! Tell me everything!"
    "She was looking for you, my lord. Princess Eva seemed well enough, although I must say that she appeared nervous and a bit sad to me. Anyhow, she charged me with this message concerning the coming ball."
    "Yes, tell!"
    "This ball is a sort of gathering, a celebration. She said that she will meet you there. But until then, she demands that you be patient and also that you prepare yourself for the ball. Apparently there will be dancing involved."
    I frowned. "Dancers, you mean."
    Milo winced. "Errr . . . from what I gathered you, my lord, will be expected to dance."
    "WHAT—NO! You must be mistaken."
    Milo shook his head. "I fear not, my lord."
    "But—but Telfarian men don't dance. It's not proper for a man to dance."
    "My lord, this isn't Telfar."
    I sighed. Right .
     

Chapter Five
    I couldn't sleep that night because my mind was buzzing with so many thoughts, it was like a beehive in midsummer. Three days, only three days left before the ball. Three days until I'd see Eva. Only three days to learn how to dance.
    I will make a spectacle of myself. Humiliate myself. Ridicule myself beyond repair this time . I knew it. This thought tormented me so that I spent the entire night pacing around the room, and as a result, once daylight filtered through the colored glass of my window, I felt drained of all energy.
    "Milo!" I called.
    No answer came.
    "Milo, can you boil water?"
    Nothing.
    Throwing a kaftan over my shoulders, I shuffled my feet to the receiving room. It was empty. I checked Milo's room. Nobody there. I was returning to the receiving room when Milo came through the door carrying an armful of firewood.
    "You know you're not allowed to go out alone. Why do you persist in disobeying me?"
    Milo lowered his head until his face disappeared behind his pile of firewood. "I . . . I know, but I cannot let the fire die, my lord. I fear we'd freeze if it went out. Or worse, catch some horrible affliction of the lungs."
    I sighed. I couldn't really argue with that. I had heard too much coughing since I'd arrived here to question Milo's logic. "Very well then, if you must go out, go. But be careful when you do so."
    "Yes, my lord."
    I sat down on the couch in front of the fireplace and watched Milo unload his wood and put water to boil. My attention then traveled to the book resting on the side table, a manual of Sorvinkian dance Milo had fetched last night from the castle's meager library. I picked up the book and flipped through its pages.
    "Do you wish to try the dancing steps again, my lord."
    "Hell no!" I exclaimed. "Our last attempt at replicating these footsteps was enough for me. We'll only end up tangling ourselves in our own feet again and tumbling on our faces. I've got enough bruises as it is." Frustrated, I chucked the dance manual on the floor. "This document is useless. What I need is a teacher. I see no other way to learn these cursed dances."
    "Who, my lord?"
    I stayed silent. I knew who I should approach for this. I just didn't like the idea of asking for a favor. I'd never liked doing so, too many repercussions. And knowing who I needed to ask made the task ten times worse. "I thought about it all night, and sadly, I came to only one conclusion. (Sigh) I will have to ask Prince Diego to teach me how to dance."
    Milo let out a gasp of horror. "The dandy! My lord isn't serious?"
    "Deadly so. I see no other option. Plus, he's the only person here who has offered to help me. There is no one else."
    "Please, my lord, you must