Princess of Silence, page 26
part #1 of When Kings Collide Series
Leopold’s heavy eyes weighed on him now as the ever-present goblet of wine in his hand tipped to his lips. “Are you well, cousin?” he asked as the others laughed over a raunchy tale one of the fur-covered elders in an overstuffed chair had just completed. “You look distracted.”
“I’m quite well, Your Majesty,” Philip assured his host. “As well as one could possibly be under the circumstances.”
Leopold nodded and set his goblet on the side table. The fire behind him caught a fresh log and ignited in sparks, ash landing on the stone floor just shy of the bearskin rug at Leopold’s feet. He didn’t flinch at the sound. “Good,” he said, stroking his mustache. “I hope your stay here is pleasant. We have needed this time to get to know one another.”
“Indeed,” Philip replied, raising his glass in salute. Leopold did the same, and they both drank, though there was something in Leopold’s eyes that left Philip feeling unsettled.
The conversation picked up again as one of the other buffoons in thick furs and gaudy jewelry began to weave a tale about a barmaid he’d taken in the privy. Philip’s mind quickly wandered to the correspondence he held in his pocket, a message he’d received earlier that morning from one of his scouts in the field.
Couriers had been spotted traveling between Nadoria and Arteria, and while it was possible the messengers were unrelated to his current situation, he had a feeling that wasn’t the case. If Philip were a betting man, and he was, he’d guess Katherine would be on her way back to Eleanora soon. Even though his army was in a state of shambles, he’d throw everything he had at getting her back. At the moment, he had nothing to bargain with, but if he could get his hands on Katherine, at least he’d finally have something of value again, something other kingdoms were willing to barter for.
The room erupted in laughter once more, and Philip joined in, having heard nothing of the story but knowing it was important to keep up appearances. If Leopold wanted him to be a pleasant houseguest, then that was exactly what he’d be.
Rose tried to stand still as the insipid Lady Burdoe combed out her hair and pinned it atop her head, but the woman had no sympathy and didn’t seem to care at all that Rose had a sensitive scalp. “Ouch!” she shouted again as the women hit a tangle, snapping Rose’s head back sharply.
“Pardon, Princess,” the woman said, but Rose could see in her beady green eyes she was secretly amused to have caused her mistress pain. Every one of these noblewomen were jealous of the Princess of Nadoria. If Rose had her way, she’d send them all to the dungeon and find her own consort of caregivers, women so ugly they’d have no hope of ever rivaling her station so they wouldn’t bother to try.
A knock on the door interrupted the woman’s ability to torture her. Rose was dressed already, but her hair was only half-up, and the idea that King Caleb might see her in such a state had her panicked. “Do not let him in!” she insisted as another of her ladies, Duchess Cornelia, went to the door.
“Yes, Princess,” she said as she pulled the door open a crack. There was a hushed exchange before the woman closed the door and said, “Your Majesty, it is an officer of the king’s army with a message for you from King Caleb.”
Rose’s heart fluttered in her chest. She’d hoped to have another opportunity to visit with the king, but when she’d made her request the day before, she’d been told he’d returned to the front. Perhaps he was back now, and she would have the chance to see him once more.
Despite her disheveled state, Rose went to the door. The man on the other side was short, with dark-hair, and though she found him handsome, he was not the king. “Yes?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Princess, I have a message from King Caleb. He is pleased to inform you that transport has been arranged, and you are to meet your brother, Prince James, as soon as possible. Please prepare to leave at once. You may take the items King Caleb has gifted you.”
Rose stared at him in disbelief, her mouth agape. How could they possibly have arranged her departure so quickly? “I am to leave Castle Caine—today?”
“Yes, Princess,” he replied, his tone conveying it was all settled.
“But that’s absurd,” Rose insisted. “I’ve only just arrived. Caleb hasn’t even taken the time to entertain me. I must see the king at once.”
“Princess, King Caleb is quite busy with other responsibilities. As you know, we are in the middle of a war. I’m afraid he will not be able to meet with you before you leave.”
Rose folded her arms and leaned forward, staring into the man’s eyes. “Perhaps I did not make myself clear. I will be meeting with the king before a single item is deposited into a trunk. Do you understand?”
He drew in a deep breath, and she thought she saw his lip tremble slightly. “I will speak to the king.”
“Yes, you do that... servant boy. Remind King Caleb that I am an innocent victim in all of this, and Nadoria demands his respect.”
The officer’s forehead wrinkled at the name she called him, but he did not correct her, nor did he seem to care whether or not the princess felt disrespected. He bowed slightly and turned to go, his military boots echoing off the marble floor.
Rose closed the door and leaned against it, taking a deep breath and surveying the room. The accommodations here were lovely, and she had no desire to ever leave. Obviously, Katherine’s brother would know immediately that she was not who she claimed to be. Perhaps she could find a way to convince the Prince of Nadoria that Caleb had duped him, or this had all been a ruse put on by Katherine because Caleb had threatened her.
“Would you like for me to finish your hair, Princess?” Lady Burdoe asked, weapon in hand.
Rose glared at her but knew she’d have to let the wretch finish if she were to speak with Caleb. The best case scenario would be convincing the king to allow her to stay. Her last attempt had fallen well-short of the mark, but perhaps this time she would be more fortunate. If he knew what was good for him, he’d give her a chance to prove herself to him. Otherwise, Rose could see her last opportunity slipping between her fingers.
Prince James insisted on riding at the head of the detail deployed to retrieve his sister. Riding through another kingdom, one torn by war, with at least three military forces on patrol, was dangerous, but the prince wasn’t concerned with his own safety. His only concern was ensuring Katherine was returned to Nadoria safely—as quickly as possible.
Behind him, his sister Eleanora’s most trusted officers made up the small, but deadly, band that would escort him to Landres, collect his sister, and take both royals back to Nadoria. At the moment, James felt as if he could handle himself just as well as any of the trained assassins behind him. The bitterness that had festered inside of him for years, ever since Eleanora declared she intended to carry through with Katherine’s marriage to that beast, Philip, had turned into a raging fire now that Katherine’s safety had been jeopardized. He’d managed to keep his thoughts to himself for the most part, knowing unleashing them on the queen would do him no good, but now that he had the opportunity to right her wrong, he intended to do so as quickly as possible.
Katherine had always been special to him. While she’d blamed herself for the death of their mother that tragic night so many years ago, James had carried his own guilt over the incident. If only he’d done a better job of protecting the women, perhaps his mother would still be alive, and maybe Katherine wouldn’t have absolved herself to a life of silence.
“It should be another twelve hours from here, Sir,” Henton, his personal advisor, reminded him. “Perhaps we should slow our pace, give the Arterians a chance to prepare. At this rate, we’ll be there well before your sister.”
James shook his head. “I shall wait at Landres if necessary, but I will not tarry, Henton. The sooner I can wrap my arms around Katherine, the better.”
Henton sighed, and James knew he’d get another reminder soon enough, but for now, they rode on at a quick clip.
He remembered the day Katherine was born. After two miscarriages and a stillborn brother, he was ready for his mother to gift him a new friend. Katherine had been the most beautiful baby he’d ever laid eyes on, and he was proud of the lovely woman she’d become. Eleanora had never understood her the way James had, but then, his older sister wasn’t the emotional type at all. Sometimes he wondered if she had any remorse that both of their parents had been killed in the invasion.
Lost in thought, James rode ahead, thinking they should hold a ball in Katherine’s honor once she returned to Nadoria. As far as he was concerned, she should live at Meadington for the rest of her years, never marrying unless she fell in love. Certainly, he would never let Eleanora promise her hand to another tyrant, even if it meant revolution. Eleanora might be his older sister, but her age didn’t necessarily make her wiser than he, and if he had to convince her to leave his sister alone using more than words, then so be it.
Still sitting at his desk, Caleb had managed to get through most of the stack of parchment he’d been avoiding for weeks as he waited for Rose to open her eyes. It was mid-afternoon, and he’d expected her to wake by now, but as long as she needed to rest, he wouldn’t disturb her. The thought of what he would say to her when she was ready to hear him was eating away inside. He’d apologized the night before, but he doubted she’d heard. He’d have to say it again, and while it didn’t bother him to say the words, it was her response that made his breath catch in his throat. She likely wouldn’t accept his apology—now or ever.
A wrapping at the door was a welcome interruption to his thoughts. “Yes?”
Gordon walked in, shaking his head, and Caleb stilled himself for what he might say. He knew the officer had been sent to speak with Princess Katherine. His disposition announced it had not gone well.
“Pardon the interruption, Sir, but she is insisting on seeing you. She says she will not prepare to leave until she’s had the opportunity to speak with you.”
Caleb sighed. He’d hoped to send the princess off without seeing her again, but he wasn’t surprised she wanted to see him. “Very well. I’ll meet with her in the library. Will you send for her?”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Gordon turned to go, but it was evident he had something else he wanted to say. Caleb hadn’t spoken to the man since the incident the night before, and while he wasn’t one of his commanding officers, he had always been a loyal soldier. He hated that Gordon had witnessed him at his worst.
Caleb spoke before the officer had a chance. “Gordon, you do understand that I take full responsibility for what transpired yesterday, and I intend to do all that I can to make it up to her.”
The subordinate dropped his head, his shoulders turned slightly toward the door. “May I speak freely, Sir?”
“Yes, of course,” Caleb replied, welcoming the honesty.
Gordon turned to face him, opening and closing his mouth a few times as he struggled to form his words. Eventually, he said, “I don’t understand how anyone could ever hurt her. One moment in her presence, and I felt as if I were in the company of an angel. Even your own brother thought so. How did you...? What could she have possibly done to make you so angry?”
“Nothing,” Caleb said quickly, agreeing with everything Gordon had said. “She didn’t do anything to deserve the wrath I unleashed on her. If I could explain my thinking, I would, but I believe the problem was I wasn’t thinking at all. I took my rage out on her because she was an easy target. It was a despicable reaction, one I’ll regret for the rest of my life. I can only hope that, if I’m ever in a similar situation, I’ll be able to control myself because of this.”
“While that’s all well and good for you, it doesn’t do much to compensate her, now does it?” Gordon said boldly. “Life lessons are wonderful, but what about the person whose left in the wake?”
“I agree,” Caleb said, leaning forward in his chair. “I have no idea how I can make it up to her. I doubt I can. But I will try.”
Gordon nodded, likely finding no way to respond. “I’ll collect Princess Katherine.”
“Thank you.” Caleb offered a small smile, and Gordon nodded before leaving the room. It was evident Gordon had feelings for Rose, and it was respectable of him to stand up for her. Perhaps, when she awoke, she’d confess similar feelings. A twinge of jealousy pained his heart, but it was clear to Caleb that he didn’t deserve a woman as good and true as Rose, regardless of her background. If Gordon made her happy, then he would wish them both well.
Caleb made his way to the library, hoping Katherine would already be there by the time he wound his way down the halls. She wasn’t, and the settee where he’d met with Rose the day before was a painful reminder of what had been a pleasant, intimate conversation that led to an awful situation. He couldn’t think about that at the moment, so he walked to the window at the back of the room that overlooked his mother’s favorite flower garden and waited for the princess to arrive.
It took far longer than he’d expected, but when she finally entered the room, she looked lovely. He had to admit, Princess Katherine was a beauty, though she wasn’t the prettiest redhead he’d met lately. Still, in a light-pink gown that brought out the color in her cheeks and complimented her fiery hair, she was a vision.
She knew it, too. Caleb crossed to the settee, offering her a seat, and she sauntered over with hips swaying, sitting far too close to him for comfort.
“Your Highness,” she said, tipping her head to him. “Forgive my tardiness. I was not prepared for such an announcement this morning.”
“I apologize for the hastiness, but as you can imagine, your family is anxious to see you.”
The princess opened her mouth as if she were going to respond, but then, as the first words rolled off of her tongue, she burst into tears. Pulling a handkerchief from her bodice, she dabbed at her eyes, fanning herself with her other hand. “Forgive me,” she said between sobs. “It’s just, oh, Your Majesty, I’ve tried to be brave, to put on a strong face.” With her loss of self-control came a loss of meaning, and she stopped talking, continuing to cry large tears into her hanky.
Caleb was confused and unsure of how to respond. Until she could tell him what was the matter, he wouldn’t be able to do anything at all. This was a side of Katherine he had not seen before. He had seen the strong confident side; he had seen the seductress, but this caught him off-guard completely. While the tears looked rather forced and fake, he never liked to see a woman cry for any reason. He gave her a moment to collect herself, and once she seemed to have calmed a bit, he asked, “Are you well, Princess?”
“I apologize,” she said, sniffling and wiping away the remaining tears. “It’s only, when I received word that I would be returning to Nadoria, I knew I must speak to you at once. You see, I can’t go back there.”
She had his attention. Caleb raised an eyebrow. “Why is that?”
The princess took a moment, looking as if she might cry again before she said, “If you only knew the way that I suffer at the hands of my sister Eleanora and my brother James, you would never consider forcing me to return to that dreadful place!”
This was all new information to Caleb. He understood Katherine might not be pleased with Eleanora for giving her hand to Philip, but he’d gotten the impression that James and Katherine were rather close. He needed more information to help him understand. “Whatever do you mean, Princess?”
Tears streamed down her cheeks again, but she did not turn to full-blown sobbing. “They beat me. They keep me in a prison tower for weeks at a time. They sent me off to marry that ingrate Philip and didn’t even plan to attend the wedding.” His eyes were wide as he tried to understand how that could possibly be true. She didn’t look like a woman who’d been beaten, and she certainly didn’t act like one. “Don’t you see, King Caleb? I am not wanted or loved by anyone in Nadoria.”
Katherine turned toward him now, her tone shifting slightly as she placed both of her hands on his knee; “I beg of you, please don’t return me to that horrible place.” She tipped her head and looked up at him through long, wet eyelashes.
Caleb was at a loss. It was difficult to imagine what she said was true, but he couldn’t question the authenticity of her concerns. If he truly thought she was at risk, he’d have to rethink the exchange. But he suspected this was all a game she was playing, trying to manipulate him into letting her stay. “Princess,” he said, lifting her hands from his leg and placing them on her own, “I regret any hardships you may have suffered at the hands of your relations.” Tears welled up in her eyes again. “However, Eleanora and I have entered into an agreement, a binding agreement, and I am to return you safely to your homeland. Surely, as a member of the nobility, you can understand that there’s nothing further I can do to be of assistance to you.”
Katherine stared at him for a moment through her swollen, pink eyes. Then, her disposition seemed to change almost instantly as she leaned in closely, jetted her chest out, and her voice took on a breathy tone. “Listen, Caleb, let’s not pretend that we don’t know what’s going on here.”
Caleb’s eyebrows shot up. He had no idea what she was referring to—and part of him felt as if he didn’t want to know.
Katherine continued. “You’re an exceptionally attractive man.” Her fingers were back on his inner thigh now, as they had been the other night. “And I am a beautiful woman.” He didn’t shift his expression, frozen with shock as she continued. “Keep me here, in the castle, as your prisoner,” she emphasized the word prisoner and slid her hand even higher. A note of desperation filled her voice as she stuck her bottom lip out and added, “I will provide you with whatever services you may need fulfilled.”
