Princess of Silence, page 25
part #1 of When Kings Collide Series
“Open the gate!” he demanded.
Startled, and not yet fully awake, the older man, groped for the key. Caleb was out of patience. He snatched it from the man’s hand and flung the door open, carrying the keychain with him so that he could use it to open the shackles.
Rose was as he’d left her with the addition of a pool of blood next to her on the ground. Holding his breath, he approached her slowly, afraid of what he might discover upon closer examination. She seemed to be sleeping, and even in the dim light, he could see the soft rise and fall of her chest, confirming that at least he had not killed her. As he got closer, rats scurried off into the darkness, causing him to gasp in disgust. Despite the dank and dirty state of the floor, he dropped to his knees next to her. She had been asleep, but sensing his presence, her eyes fluttered open momentarily, before her head slumped against her chest again.
Seeing her this way, knowing he had done this to her, brought tears to his eyes. He swallowed the lump in his throat, doing all that he could to keep his emotions in check. “Rose,” he said softly, waiting to see if she acknowledged him. She did not, but he thought she could hear him. “I’m so very sorry,” he continued. “I never should have let my anger at the situation manifest itself against you. I hope that you can find it in your heart, someday, to forgive me.” Again, her eyes fluttered open, and though there were tears in them, she looked as though she understood what he had said. Whether or not she would forgive him was another matter entirely.
He quickly unlocked the shackles, seeing her body tighten in pain as he touched her wrist and ankles. Her right arm was twisted from being held at an odd angle all night, so he was especially gentle as he tucked it around her and across her chest so that he could scoop her into his arms. Her left hand was cradled beneath her chin and he knew the burns had to be agonizing at this point.
She rested her head against his chest, and for a moment, he reflected on how different carrying her was this time, as opposed to yesterday. Regardless of her station or her occupation, Rose was an incredibly special woman. He wished he would’ve recognized that sooner. Now, he vowed to protect her from this day forward. She had done so much to provide comfort and assistance to his brother, and he had let his rage almost destroy her. He would do whatever was necessary to make sure she was never mistreated again.
When he reached the top of the stairs, he found Caroline and Gordon waiting for him. The expression on his face must’ve said it all, so Caroline did not bother to berate him. “Let’s get her to her bed,” she said softly.
“No,” Caleb replied, shaking his head, “I want to make sure she is able to rest and recover. I’ll take her to my room.” Caroline nodded leading the way so that she could open the door.
“I’ll go fetch the physician,” Gordon said as they passed the hall that led to Russell’s chamber. Caleb nodded his agreement and continued to make his way to his own bedchamber.
Once inside, he carried Rose carefully through another doorway to a small adjoining room, one where his attendants might sleep should he care for any. There was a large, comfortable bed across from a window. Caroline turned down the bedcovers and drew the curtains. As Caleb lay her down on the soft bed, Rose stirred just a bit, her eyes fluttering.
“I’ll go fetch some water and a nightdress,” Caroline said, exiting the room.
Left alone with her, Caleb sat down next to her on the bed and brushed the hair back from her face. She opened her eyes, peering at him curiously, and then closed them again. “Oh, Rose, I’m so very, very sorry,” he whispered, hoping she could hear him. She didn’t open her eyes again, but he stayed by her just the same, until he heard Russel behind him. Reluctantly, Caleb pulled himself away from her and moved out of the physician’s way, afraid of what the man might say to him.
Gordon stood in the doorway for a moment, looking at her with a scowl on his face Caleb knew was meant for him. It was evident the officer had developed feelings for the woman already, and Caleb could hardly blame him. Anyone who shared a room with her for more than a few minutes could clearly see how radiant she was—or had been before Caleb had done this to her.
Caroline came back with the night dress and whispered something to Gordon. He nodded, seeming to come back to himself, before he glanced over her shoulder at Caleb and left the room. The cook stood at the foot of the bed for a moment, watching as the physician bandaged her wounds, making tsking sounds beneath his breathe with each new discovery.
With his hands on his hips, Caleb watched, wishing he could go back in time and make different decisions. Of course, as king, he had many regrets he wished he could go back and change—such as not involving himself in the Zurconian War quickly enough to help his brother or spare his sister-in-law the awful poisoning that had almost claimed her life. Those other regrets could be partially blamed on the actions of others, though; this was completely his fault.
Caroline crossed the room and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “She’ll recover,” she said softly. He nodded, fighting tears with no possibility of forming words. “And she’ll forgive you.”
“How could she possibly?” he asked, his voice breaking. “I’m a horrible person, Caroline.”
A hint of a smile cracked her lips before she said, “No, you’re not. You just let your temper get the best of you. How many times have I told you?” She shook her head, knowing it was pointless to tell him what he already knew. “You’re a fine man, Caleb. A gentleman. A generous leader who enriches the lives of all of his subjects. One mistake does not define you.”
Her words made him feel no better. “It will define me to her, and at the moment, that’s all I care about.”
“I know,” Caroline said, that hint of a smile back in place. “She’ll forgive you,” she said again, but Caleb didn’t deserve forgiving. He didn’t deserve someone as sweet and loving as Rose. He didn’t deserve love at all, for that matter. Caroline let him be, and he focused on the angelic face on the bed, praying, for only the second time in a long time, that she would be all right.
Katherine was unsure whether or not she was dreaming. Fading in and out of consciousness, she had the sensation of movement. She had flashes of Caleb’s handsome face, his piercing eyes full of sadness. At one point, she knew she was in his arms again because she had felt them around her before. But this time was different. This time, she felt safe.
There was a bustling sound in the room around her, and she briefly opened her eyes to see Russell and a few others. She thought she saw Caleb standing across the room, and she was certain she recognized Caroline’s form. When Russell began to clean and bandage the wound on her hand, she was suddenly jerked back to full awareness, though she kept her eyes closed tightly. The pain was so severe, it was almost as extreme as when she had burned it. He was reassuring her that the worst was almost over, that the medicine he was using would make it stop hurting almost instantly and that she should recover full use of her hand. Then, he cleaned and bandaged the wounds on her other wrist, ankles, and feet, some of which she didn’t even realize she had. Though it only took him a few moments, it seemed like an eternity, and she was relieved when she felt the bed shift as he rose and walked away from her.
She heard him explaining to Caroline that the herbal blend he handed her would help her to rest. Katherine was looking forward to drinking it. Caroline’s voice registered clearly as she said, “I must help her into a fresh gown. Everyone out.” Katherine didn’t want a fresh gown, she didn’t want to move, but she heard footsteps and then the squeak of the door as a bar fell into place.
“Oh, my sweet Rose. You poor dear.” Katherine opened her eyes for a moment but couldn’t keep them that way. As Caroline began to undress her, the princess was of little to no help, but she did her best to cooperate so as not to impede the kind woman’s work. “I’m so sorry I didn’t come and get you earlier. He forbade me from it. But I should have done it anyway.” As Caroline pulled her dress off over her head, she gasped. Katherine’s eyes flew open in alarm.
“It’s nothing, dear,” Caroline said, hurrying to put the nightdress on as if she wanted to hide the sight. The woman set her lips though, and Katherine imagined she must have bruises on her arms from where Caleb had dragged her. Caroline was clearly almost as upset with the king as Katherine was.
“There,” she said once the clothing change was complete. “You’re fresh as a daisy. I will mix up this herbal tea that Russell has provided, and then you can drift off to dreamland, my love.”
Katherine nodded, but she had no idea how she might stay awake long enough to drink the concoction. Whatever Russel had used to treat her hand had worked already, and the pain was now a dull throb, a sensation she could live with compared to the fire she’d been feeling for hours.
A few minutes later, she heard Caroline enter the room but struggled to sit up enough to drink much of the tea. She took a few sips and then insisted she lie back down. Caroline gave up then, setting the cup aside. Katherine opened her eyes enough to see it on the dresser as the cook put out the light. Even though she wasn’t even sure what room she was in, Katherine had the distinct sensation that she was safe now. For the first time in as long as she could remember, the princess was not afraid to fall asleep.
Chapter 25
The forest around Rebecca’s tiny cottage was nearly silent as Matthew slipped out before the sun came up. Only a few of the early birds were chirping, and he imagined even the squirrels and rabbits were still tucked away in their shelters. He stopped at the well behind the dwelling to refill his canteen and took a look around, trying to determine the best route to take.
Rebecca was still sleeping. There was no reason to wake her. The king took a sip of the cool water out of the bucket and filled his canteen, regretting the fact that the sweet woman would be hurt, whether he paused to explain himself or not. This way, at least he could spare them both the uncomfortable conversation.
Thoughts of Angel plagued him as he set off for the trees. He fully intended to find her when he returned to Arteria, and if she was the woman he thought she was, he hoped to start a new life with her. The time he spent with Rebecca had nothing to do with that, but he decided not to mention it to Angel. She might not understand, even though it wasn’t as if he had sworn himself to her.
Before he met Maggie, there had been lots of other women. A few, he’d even thought perhaps he’d been in love with. Of course, he’d known all along he wouldn’t be able to marry any of them, not even the fine noblewomen he’d spent time with when they visited the castle. His brother always teased him, saying he fell in love easier than anyone he’d ever met. Perhaps Caleb was right about that, but Matthew knew the difference between the way he felt about all of the others and the way his heart leapt in his chest when he first saw Maggie. Angel had incited a similar reaction.
The rising sun awoke more forest creatures, and a woodpecker got to work on a nearby tree as Matthew picked his way through the forest, constantly listening for the sound of horses. From Rebecca’s description over the evening meal, he had been better able to ascertain his location and realized he was much further north of Castle Blackthorn than he had originally thought and much closer to the clutches of Leopold and his men. How he had managed to drift so far off course, he wasn’t sure, but he decided to head due south today, rather than southeast. Though the southern region of Clovington was fairly desolate, he felt it would better his chances of escaping the enemy. He knew he would lose some time not cutting east simultaneously, but rather than concentrating on finding Arterians, he had to make getting away from Gradenians his number one priority.
Along with the water from the well, he’d borrowed some bread and cheese from his hostesses, vowing to pay them back someday. Taking it seemed wrong, but he had no idea when he might have another opportunity to eat. Despite leaving Rebecca to wake alone, he felt better than he had in a very long time, more like a human and less like an animal. With an extra spring in his step, Matthew headed what he thought was south hopeful that the Arterian forces would find him that day, even with his change of direction. Today would be a wonderful day to return home.
Caleb sat at his desk in his study, another room adjoining his chambers. Rose was still sleeping in the bed just on the other side of his bedchamber, and while he was doing his best to concentrate on the tasks before him, his mind wandered to her often.
He’d been up the remainder of the night, not even attempting to go to sleep when he knew the agony he’d caused. Now, staring at a mass of correspondence he needed to attend to, as well as records he needed to review, he was unable to concentrate. The events of the day before played over and over in his mind. How he’d let his anger take control so completely was a mystery to him, and he wouldn’t blame Rose if she never forgave him.
Thinking back, he’d lost his temper lots of times, and there had even been other times when he’d overreacted and ended up regretting his impulsive, irrational decisions. Generally speaking, those incidents occurred with military men, not sweet young ladies who worked in the kitchen. He could excuse it away, saying the stress of finding Matthew and fighting two other kingdoms had made him temporarily lose his mind, but at the end of the day, he was responsible for his own actions. No matter what transpired, he had to make sure nothing like this ever happened again.
Caroline entered the room without knocking, which she was prone to do, setting a serving tray with fresh bread, fruit, and cider on a small table next to his desk. She paused, looking at him, and he glanced up from the work he was pretending to do, not wanting to discuss the situation again but knowing she had something to get off of her chest. “Good morning, Caroline.”
“Good morning, Caleb. Have you had any rest at all?”
He shook his head, aware that she knew the answer to her own question before she asked it. Looking at the tray, he said, “Thank you,” though he wasn’t hungry at all and doubted he’d even touch it.
Caroline bobbed her head slightly in reply before she quietly added, “She’s still sleeping. The medicine seems to be helping.”
“Good.” He couldn’t think of anything else to add.
“Pity she didn’t get it sooner.”
Caleb drew in a deep breath. “Yes, it is.”
“She’s a sweet girl, that one. I knew it the second I laid eyes on her. Whatever that awful Princess Katherine has told you about her, I don’t think it’s true. I’m certain, given the situation, our dear Rose likely has lots of tales told about her. It isn’t as if she can refute any of them.”
While it did seem possible Katherine had said the ugly words about Rose because she was jealous or simply being cantankerous, he had no way of knowing Rose’s background, unless she wrote her story for him. And under the circumstances, he doubted she’d ever want to speak to him again. “She seems like a lovely woman,” he said, not wanting to go into his true feelings about the girl to Caroline. Admitting that he’d felt drawn to her from the moment he’d first seen her standing in the rows of women brought over from Clovington would bring up questions about his inner demons he wasn’t willing to face at the moment, not with the other nagging already sounding in his soul.
Caroline nodded, clearly understanding that he didn’t want to discuss it. “Well, you must realize that she may demand to be taken home after all this. Surely, you will see fit to return her to her family if that’s what she wants. I’d hate to see her leave, but....” Caroline’s voice trailed off, her face saying everything her words could not.
The king adjusted in his chair, scratching his chin. He’d already considered it a possibility. “If that’s what she wishes, I’ll arrange it.” He’d never returned a prisoner of war before, but then, he’d never treated anyone as harshly as he had Rose, not without cause anyway.
The cook stepped over to him, resting her hand on his shoulder. “Some lessons in life are harder than others because we’ve failed to learn them in the past, dear.”
Not knowing how to respond, Caleb reached up and patted her wrinkled hand, knowing she had forgiven his atrocities, even if he hadn’t forgiven himself. He doubted he’d ever be able to do so, but the chances of him forgiving himself were greater than the possibility that Rose would ever forgive him.
Caroline left, and Caleb did his best to focus on his work. With her words came a small amount of absolution, enough for him to get through some of the paperwork. A knock on his door disturbed him a few hours later. Running a hand down his haggard face, he called, “Yes?” hoping it was word from the front but doubting his luck that Matthew had been found.
A servant marched in, a letter in hand. “From Nadoria, sir,” he said, handing it over.
A sigh of relief exited his lungs as he took the paper. At least one problem might be successfully solved soon. The message was almost as brief as the one he’d sent to Eleanora.
Deliver Princess Katherine to Landres Hill, west of Blackthorn. Members of the Queen’s Guard will await her arrival, along with myself. Your utmost security is required.
Prince James of Nadoria
Caleb read the letter twice, knowing James was requesting a full military escort for his sister. He understood why. If Philip or Leopold got their hands on Katherine, the situation could escalate quickly. “Send Officer Dale in,” he said to the servant who nodded and went on his way. Caleb calculated how long it would take to prepare the transport and get Katherine safely handed off. If he hurried, he should be able to get her to Landres Hill by tomorrow afternoon. The sooner she was out of Castle Caine the better. He turned back to his desk to prepare a response to Prince James, thankful that at least one of his problems would be solved soon enough.
The clank of goblets on the table and the pungent smell of the incense Leopold insisted on burning in his private lounge were becoming familiar to Philip, even though he still didn’t quite feel comfortable here at Graden. He wore a jovial grin, laughing heartily at the off-color jokes the noblemen who followed Leopold around like ducklings told, but it was all a façade. Beneath the service, Philip was planning his return to Clovington. The sooner he removed himself from his cousin’s presence the better.
