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  When the king stood, his two dining companions rose with him. I watched as the princess curtsied and stepped out through a door at the back of the room. The two men headed in my direction. King Farris turned suddenly and spoke to the Cordelian man, who then bowed and walked back in the opposite direction, leaving through the same door the princess had used. The king made his way to where I was sitting.

  He glanced at me as he came even with my table. “Walk with me.”

  I took one last sip from my goblet before falling into step beside him, my guard trailing behind us. Hopefully, the king had come to his senses and would release me. He waited until we were in the hallway before speaking.

  “Rivania is not known for letting go of their soldiers so easily. I am curious to know how you gained release—if you were indeed released.”

  My mind scrabbled for what to say. I was no deserter, but saying so would only bring up the fact that I had abandoned my own kingdom. I doubted he would be too impressed with the fact that I had only been fifteen at the time.

  “Once the emperor was made aware of the fact that I was the long-lost prince of Gilvary, he decided to allow me to return home as an act of good faith.” Would he take the hint and do the same?

  King Farris stopped and looked directly at me. “Tell me what else have you been up to these last ten years? Perhaps you left a family back in Rivania as well?”

  My gut tightened. “No family. Soldiering took everything I had to give.”

  “Maybe now you will look toward settling down.” His smile made me nervous.

  That was exactly what I had in mind—not that it should concern him in any way. Where is he going with this conversation? “That is a possibility.”

  “There is nothing like the comfort of a good wife.”

  I studied the man beside me for a moment as we meandered aimlessly through the hallways. He seemed to be giving great thought to my future, which was unsettling. I decided to focus the conversation back on him. “I know you must miss yours. I was sorry to hear of Queen Babree’s passing.”

  The slight smile he had worn melted from his face. “Yes, I never expected to be the last to go.”

  “At least you still have Princess Adrika.”

  The smile returned brighter than before. “Yes, she has been a blessing to me. Now, there is someone who would make a good wife for one very fortunate man.”

  I tried to picture the princess with a husband, but the only image I could conjure was the one of her on the terrace, her smoldering brown eyes looking up at me through thick, dark lashes, and full lips that . . . I shook my head to dispel the image.

  “I am sure she would. Do you have someone in mind for the princess?” I knew this king would be the one to choose a husband for his daughter. I only asked to make conversation. I truly did not care who that man would be.

  He turned and smiled up at me. “As a matter of fact, I do.”

  A bolt of unease filtered through me. Surely, he did not mean me. That seemed to be the implication, but I could easily change his mind by giving details of my personal life up until now. I was probably the only man in the country who carried a title equal to his daughter, but I was not the prince he had in mind. Calm down, he is not thinking of you.

  “In that case, I wish the couple every happiness. When do you plan to release me?”

  His thin lips pressed together at my abrupt change of subject. I was tired of the small talk. His daughter’s future was of no concern to me. I was more than ready to get on with my own life.

  “We will discuss that at another time. I am ready to retire to my room.”

  “Will you at least get word to my family that I am here?”

  “That can be arranged, but as I said before, your brothers have no say over how I run my kingdom. Good night, young Prince.” He made a few shuffling steps to the door I assumed led to his chambers and entered in.

  I thought over his last words as I made my way to my own chambers with my guard trailing behind. He had not given me a definitive answer. I had my doubts that my family would be contacted. Regardless of what he said, if either of my brothers showed up, I was certain it would affect his decision in holding me here.

  I peeked out through the window of my bedchamber. Toward the west, a purple glow spread out across the edge of the earth where the sun had just set, but the rest of the sky was dark. I pulled one of the blankets from my bed to use as a cloak before stepping out onto the veranda. A brazier was burning out on the mountain path where a guard stood warming his hands as he peered through the darkness at me.

  I took a deep breath of the clean crisp air. My bondage here was more than a little irritating, but still nothing compared to being in that prison cell. I walked over to the edge of the terrace where the princess had stood earlier that day. I could have sworn I still smelled her jasmine scent lingering.

  “Are you planning your escape, Prince Rian?”

  I jerked my head toward the sultry voice. The princess sat on a bench near the door to her room. How had I not known she was there? A soldier should be more aware of his surroundings.

  “I could ask you the same, Princess.” I walked over closer to her, expecting the guard to call a halt to my steps at any time.

  She patted the seat beside her. “Join me.”

  I sat down and pulled the blanket closer around me. Instead of an invitation, I would have thought my comment would have provoked more of the banter we had shared earlier. I tried not to analyze my wish to see her riled up again.

  “Did you enjoy your supper?” She had not looked pleased during the meal. I wanted to see what she would say about it.

  “It fulfilled a need. I do not believe I would use the word enjoy. How about you? Did you enjoy your evening meal?”

  “Very much so. It was a feast compared to what I have been eating lately.”

  She looked down at her lap. “I know the accommodations of our prison leave much to be desired.”

  “That is one way of putting it. No offence, but your father should try it out for himself some time.”

  “Were you unable to talk Father into releasing you?”

  “He had other things on his mind.”

  She turned her head slightly and glanced at me from the corner of her eye. “Like what?”

  “We talked about you, as a matter of fact.”

  She slapped her gloved hand against her chest. “Me? What could he possibly have to discuss about me with you?”

  “We talked about the spouse he has picked out for you.”

  She sucked in her breath as she turned to face me. “Did he say who it was?”

  “You mean you do not know?”

  The door opened beside us. “Rika . . . I am sorry, My Lady, I did not realize you had company. I just wanted to alert you to the hour. It will soon be time for you to retire for the night. You must come in and make ready.”

  I recognized the old nursemaid. It was not unusual for one to stay around after their ward was grown, but their job usually changed to that of a handmaiden. This woman still treated the princess as a child.

  “Give me another minute, please.”

  As soon as the nursemaid was gone, she grabbed my arm. “Did he give a name? Tell me quickly.”

  I tried to study her features, but the light from the moon shone from behind her. “What is your father planning to do, introduce you on your wedding day?”

  “Did he give a name?” Her voice was laced with panic.

  “No, he only said he had someone in mind.”

  She stood. “We will talk about this more later.”

  “Good night, Princess.”

  She stopped just before she got to the door. “Good night, Prince Rian.”

  I continued sitting there after she entered the castle and thought about my conversations with her and her father—both had been strange. For the first time, I felt a little sorry for the girl. From what I had seen today, she lived a lonely existence. Few within the castle were close to her age. Even
sitting next to her father during supper, she had been alone. And I could not imagine what it would be like to have no say in choosing the person you would spend the rest of your life with.

  I reminded myself once again that none of this was my concern. I needed to put my efforts into getting away from here. I was more than ready to put my past behind me and reconcile with my family.

  Four

  Adrika

  I had the hardest time finding sleep that night. Who could Father have in mind, and when did he plan to share that information with me?

  There had been a man once, one I thought would be my spouse by now, but he never came to ask for my hand. It had been two years since I saw him last, and yet, my heart still longed for him. For the first six months after he left, I held on to the hope that we would be together again. I thought up excuses for why I had not heard from him. Then I worried that something had happened—that he had fallen ill, or worse. When I overheard news that he was still alive and well, I knew it was over. I would still give most anything to know what had caused him to turn from me. I loved him, and I had thought he loved me too.

  From the tidbits I had picked up from my uncle’s conversations with my father, Uncle Galik hoped to wed me to someone from Cordelia. Judging from his countenance while he spoke to Father on the matter, I suspected things were not going according to his wishes, which was good. I had no desire to marry a stranger from a strange land. My mother had been born and raised there, but their ways were foreign to me.

  Now I worried that Father had changed his mind. Surely there was a list of eligible sons of noblemen from this country. If he had any of these in mind, he had never mentioned them to me. My worrying was of no use. It was unlikely that I would have any say in the matter.

  The next morning, I sat at my dressing table as Damini slowly pulled a comb through my hair. “You look as if you did not sleep well.”

  I glanced up at her reflection in the mirror. Her hands continued in their slow, soothing strokes while her dark eyes were trained on my mirrored ones. “I have heard it rumored that Father has plans to give me away in marriage.”

  She shook her head and looked down at the back of my hair. “So, you stayed awake all night, foolishly worrying yourself about a matter that is none of your concern.”

  I whipped around to face her. “How can you say it is none of my concern?”

  Damini placed her hand on the side of my face. “It matters not who your father picks. You will be a devoted wife just like your mother. If you go into it with a willing heart, ready to do service to the man chosen for you, you will have a happy life ahead of you.”

  “But there will be no love between us. I do not think I could live without it.”

  She wiped a tear from the corner of my eye with her thumb. “It will come. Just look at your own parents. They were in love with each other. You just have to be willing. And your father loves you. He only has your happiness in mind. He will choose well for you. You will see.”

  I turned back around so she could finish with my hair. If Father truly had my happiness in mind, he would let me choose. Still, her words offered some measure of comfort. I knew my father did indeed want what was best for me, at least as he saw it. Besides, I had no prospects of my own. The one man I would choose had not chosen me.

  Damini handed me my sandals, and I slipped them on my feet. “You are to join your father for breakfast.”

  “He is up at this hour?” I usually ate breakfast alone in my room. I used to join my parents for breakfast in their chambers every morning, but since Mother’s death, Father had been sleeping later and retiring earlier each evening. I had worried at first, but he assured me that at his age it was time to slow down. He was now past his seventieth birthday.

  Damini nodded. “I suppose he is. I was just told to send you to him.”

  Despite my worry over his plans for my future, I walked down the hallway toward Father’s suite in a lighter mood. Having breakfast with him would feel like old times. His door was ajar and there were voices coming from his sitting room. I recognized Rian’s voice immediately. I shivered as a chill went through me. What was Rian doing in my father’s chambers at this hour? I looked down the hall in both directions to make sure I was alone before coming closer to hear what was being said.

  “With all due respect, you would not suggest such a thing if you knew me. Although I have changed my ways, I have lived in a worldly manner. I have not stayed pure. I have degraded myself with rough living, alcohol, women—things I am not proud of. Your daughter deserves better than that.”

  I placed my hand over my mouth to hold back the gasp that wanted to escape. Rian could not be the man Father had in mind for me to marry, could he? Although he was a prince of this country, we knew nothing of him. Surely after hearing the things Rian had to say about himself, Father would change his mind.

  “It is not unusual for a man to sow his wild oats before marriage. As long as he leaves it all behind after the vows are said, it should not matter. Besides, you said yourself, you have changed your ways.”

  “My past goes beyond just sowing wild oats. Your daughter is a beautiful young woman. She deserves someone who has lived a wholesome life. She should have someone who loves her, someone whose love and respect she can return. I am not that man. Have you even asked her what she would like from a husband? Perhaps she has someone in mind.”

  I was appalled by the discussion going on concerning me and my future, but I could not help but be touched by Rian’s words. When it seemed everyone close to me shared Father’s views, it was nice to finally have someone championing my concerns. Would Father listen? I leaned my ear closer to the opening, straining to catch every word. It was my future at stake here.

  “I know what is best for my daughter. The one she would pick is unworthy of my throne.”

  My heart sank at Father’s stern words. When he began to speak again, his voice was more tempered. His mind was made up. Now he needed to convince Rian. I knew my fate would be sealed after this conversation.

  “I am only telling you this because I know you are the one. She is not as pure as you would imagine. There is a man in my kingdom. His name is Brett Eveny. He seduced my daughter while she was in a vulnerable state. It was right after the death of her mother. Do not worry. He is no longer around. I banned him from ever setting foot on this property again.”

  My legs went weak, and I squatted down right there in the hallway with my hand still covering my mouth. I did not hear Rian’s reply. I did not hear anything after that. How long had Father known about this? This was my one indiscretion. My one moment of weakness and I had been paying for it ever since—first with a broken heart and now this.

  I jerked back up to my feet when someone tugged on my arm. My uncle was there with his forefinger over his lips. He slowly led me down the hall, back toward my room. Had he heard what Father had said?

  “I suppose you heard of your father’s plan to marry you to the prince.”

  I could only nod as I looked straight ahead.

  “I have tried to reason with him. I have someone better suited in mind—a man from your mother’s country. You should have a noble husband—one who would not abandon his family. Your mother has raised you for such a one, has she not? Maybe you can speak sense to your father.”

  It was a good thing he did not seem to expect an answer. I did not believe I could say one word. The fact that he wanted me to go against my father would be astounding if I were not already in shock. It went against the Cordelian way for a woman to attempt to speak sense to any man.

  My uncle was obviously unaware of the part of my past that Father had just revealed to Rian. Otherwise he would not be trying to join me with his countryman. It was more likely he would suggest I be stoned if such a thing became known to him.

  He let go of my arm. “This news has obviously upset you. I will leave you to your rest. Think about the words I have spoken. It is not too late for your father to change his mind.”

>   I could only nod before heading into my bedchamber. The room was empty. Damini had probably gone to breakfast. I pulled back the covers of the freshly made bed and climbed in. Settling on my side so I could stare out the window, I pulled the blankets up to my chin. Tears would have been a relief, but they would not come.

  My mother had been the most vital presence in my life. Without question, her constant endeavor to mold me into the perfect female had felt suffocating at times, but I loved her. She was my almost constant companion for sixteen years of my life. Immediately following her death, Father withdrew to himself, taking what was left of my world with him. The emptiness I felt was almost unbearable.

  Brett was one of the ones who stayed at the castle during the week after the funeral. Whenever I would go for a walk or sit out on my veranda, he always seemed to be there. He knew just what to say, and his words had been the balm I needed. He made me feel loved in a way like never before and for a while my grieving ceased.

  We were to be married. He wanted to wait for a more appropriate time for him to speak to my father. He said he had pressing matters to take care of at home but promised he would soon return. He never came back, and now I knew why.

  The door behind me creaked opened. My bed dipped with the weight of someone sitting on the edge of it. There was no need to turn to see who it was. It could only be one person—the only one I thought I could trust. But not anymore.

  The urge to pull away when Damini’s fingers brush through my hair was strong. “Your uncle sent me to check on you. He said you were not feeling well.”

  I said nothing as I continued staring out the window.

  “There is no need to fret. Let your father and uncle sort it out. As I said before, just have a willing heart and it will not matter who you wed.”