Ressa snorted.
“My lady, if you were attacked out here with no one to help you, you'd be snuffed out like the flame of a candle.”
“Am I so helpless to you?” Ressa asked, feeling a bit indignant. “Besides, isn’t that why you follow me around?”
“There’s only so much I can do, my lady. And having said so”—he stretched out his arm towards her invitingly—“I should escort you back into the castle.”
Slightly irritated, Ressa turned up her nose and began to stalk off.
Ezra remained rooted to the spot, the suspicion of a smile on his face; then he turned.
“Do you know what day it is, my lady?” he asked, giving Ressa a knowing look.
Ezra knew he’d hit home when she stopped dead in her tracks. He allowed himself a little smile. Then he began to walk to Ressa’s side.
Her face was drained of all color.
“The engagement ball,” she blurted.
She'd completely forgotten about it. A cloud of panic enveloped her like a dense fog. She staggered a few steps to her left then clutched her stomach to keep from getting sick. She was suddenly confronted with the weighty prospect of going through with the wedding and the reality that it was just two days ahead. She felt the starkness of this reality like an obstruction in her lungs.
No stranger to behavioral patterns, Ezra sensed Ressa’s fear and, despite himself, went to her side and grabbed her hand.
“Easy, easy, look at me,” he said gently.
He placed his other hand over Ressa’s so that both his palms encased hers. Then he arrested her with his gaze.
“Breathe,” he soothed. “You’re going to be okay. There’s nothing to be scared about. It’s a great honor to be wedded to Prince Cavel. At least the women in the kingdom think so,” he added.
“Well, I am not like other women,” Ressa blurted.
In that instant, she felt like everything went deadly quiet. A breeze blew through the hillside ruffling her hair, and she thought she could hear the swashing of leaves and grasses and the hush of her breath.
What did I just do? she asked herself.
She couldn’t bring herself to look into Ezra’s eyes for fear of what she’d see there.
How could I have been so stupid? she asked herself.
Her heart began to race. Sweat began to break out on her forehead and palm.
In her anger, she’d exposed her feelings towards the wedding, just before she remembered that Ezra Thorn was the king’s right-hand man.
In that moment she scolded and scolded herself for being so stupid and juvenilely foolish.
Is he going to run to the prince with this information? Is he going to tell him that I'm a fake? After all, he is his cousin and right-hand man. That means he can’t be trusted.
The knot in her stomach grew at the thought. Oh God. Please don’t. Please don’t, she replayed in her mind.
Ezra was taken aback by Ressa’s reaction; however, he kept his feelings firmly restrained.
That’s one more to you, Miss Rose, he thought. There’s more to you than you let on.
He’d expected that she’d be happy to be wed to the prince. For all he knew, she was going to be the future queen of Markenia.
Overridden by that impulse, Ezra asked Ressa a question.
“You do not wish to get married to my cousin?”
Seeing the window that presented itself in Ezra’s attempt to clear the doubts surrounding what she’d just said, Ressa decided to fix her mistake.
She cleared her throat, recollecting herself, then plastered a convincing smile on her face.
“Of course I do. What I meant to say was that I am very lucky to be the prince’s prospective bride and queen, and, as such, I am no ordinary woman.”
After a moment, she asked Ezra, “Do you think I’m worthy of it?”
Her eyes met his, and they stayed there, drowning in his golden irises. Ezra didn’t look away. He was taken in by the depths that presented themselves in Ressa’s eyes. The world slowed to a stop for both of them. They were enveloped in a silence that allowed them to gain insight into each other with the precision of a meditating mage.
They had been in each other’s company most of the time for the past five weeks, but it seemed, in that moment, like they were seeing each other for the very first time. Ressa stared deep into the ensconcing warmth of Ezra’s eyes, past the bravado of the man who was the leader of the Royal Guard, and into his soul —the very truth of who he was. And she could swear that he was staring right back at her. Right back at her soul.
Suddenly, the sound of bloodthirsty howls pierced the air, shattering their trance.
Chapter Five
The royal hunting entourage was an impressive sight as much as it was a sinister one. Elite guards with extraordinarily lethal skills were fitted with armor derived from the rare Markenian ore—a metal that was flexible, light, and indestructible.
A small company of two-headed wolves known to be twice the size of ordinary wolves followed their pack leader, the vicious white-horned, two-headed wolf named Alabaster, out into the open. He was accompanied by his controller, head of the hunt and member of the Royal Guard, Wort Folly. The two of them were a dangerous pair and known for their relentless hunting, and so they were nicknamed the Grim Specter by the people of Markenia. Everybody knew that their talents did not lie only in hunting. They were also very effective, swift, and cold-hearted killers and were brought into action only during times of war.
This morning they graced the hills with their presence.
The wolves howled again. Ressa couldn’t tear her eyes away from them. The vicious look of the squad set her on edge. Ezra must have noticed because he said, “Don’t be afraid. They must be out for the morning hunt.”
Ressa’s eyes remained on the hunting company until they disappeared into the trees, from which they would enter the forest proper.
Ezra became suddenly aware that they might have spent too much time out there.
“Come now, my lady,” he said, “I’ll walk you back to your chambers.”
They walked back to the castle in awkward silence. Ezra was lost in his thoughts and so was Ressa. They both tried to understand and grasp the moment they’d just had and the enormity it might hold.
Ressa had left the castle in a state of near hibernation; now it brimmed with life as though it had never slept at all. Guards in chain mail armor patrolled the castle walls. Some had spears and others carried arrows. Carriages carrying barrels of wine, honey, textiles, and other assortments of castle business went into the castle and came out empty, undergoing a rigorous search by the guards who manned the gates both at entry and departure.
Ezra exchanged a few pleasantries with a burly guard whose face was covered with an overblown beard before he and Ressa joined the mass of people going into the palace.
“Why do I think this is the last place you want to be right now?”
Ezra and Ressa took a shortcut through the kingdom via the servants’ quarters to remove themselves from the chaos of party planning.
Ressa turned to see Ezra just next to her. He was always close by, watching, seeing her problems and her needs even before she could voice them. Now he had read her mind perfectly, without even speaking to her. Ressa was fatigued by all the chaos of the party planning. It seemed like a final reminder of what she needed to do.
She nodded in response to his question. “There's just too much going on.”
“Should I escort you to your quarters then?”
Ressa shook her head and said, “There shouldn’t be any need for that. I can find my way. Besides, I'd rather catch up with some friends. If you escorted me, you would frighten them all away.”
Desperate to get her mind off all the festivities, and what had just happened between her and Ezra, Ressa settled her mind on her plan. As they passed through the kitchen, she frenetically scanned the room until she spotted the person she'd been looking for. In the corner of the kitchen sto
od a short, round, silver-haired woman stirring a large pot of soup and barking orders at her kitchen crew.
Ressa exhaled as she locked her eyes on her friend. "Ida!" she said, waving.
Since spending time in the castle Ressa had become close to King Alvert as well as his favorite confidants. Mrs. Ida Nilly and her husband Odis had welcomed Ressa into the castle like old friends. Ressa knew that the king was a man of trust. She knew that if he put his trust in the Nillys she knew she could trust them too.
Ida turned to look. At first, there was a puzzled frown on her face as she wondered what the captain of the Royal Guard was doing in her kitchen, but when she saw Ressa's smiling face she gradually relaxed into a smile, a big smile.
"Well, if it isn't Lady Rose. What brings you by and with such a handsome guard?” Ida asked. Ezra smiled and took a few feet back leaving the women to their conversation.
“Are you here to check on tonight's preparations? Because if you are, I assure you, you will be very pleased. We've made some of your favorites."
Before Ressa had the chance to respond, Ida grabbed a spoon of fresh tomato and basil soup and lifted it to her lips.
“It's heaven, Ida, as usual,” Ressa said. "Oh Ida, that isn't it. I had forgotten all about today," she added, dropping the spoon and her voice to a whisper to try to keep Ezra from hearing.
Ida's eyebrows rose as she grabbed Ressa's hands and said, “Young lady, it's your engagement ball. How on earth could you forget such a happy day as today?”
Ressa slipped her hands out of Ida's to hide her sweaty palms. "Please, Ida, I am not prepared and I need your help. I know my ladies in waiting will be in my chambers now with tons of fancy dresses and jewels, but let’s face it, they don't know me. At least not the way you do."
Ida blushed and nodded in understanding. "Say no more, my dear. I will help. It will be my honor."
"Are you sure? I know it's a lot to ask of you, especially right now."
She shook her head impatiently. "Don't you worry your beautiful blonde head over it; I assure you, dear girl, my staff has it all under control.” Now her voice went up a notch, drawing the attention of the young men and maidens in the kitchen. “I run a very tight, very clean kitchen and no one will dare fall out of line, even with me gone. Isn't that right, crew?" Ida said with her head held high and her hands planted on her hips.
“That’s right, Ida!” Their agreement was expressed in one voice. This impressed Ressa and pleased Ida greatly. A wide smile spread across Ida's face as she thanked her team and grabbed Ressa's arm.
Ezra stood off to the side, watching silently as Ressa conferred with the cook. There were none of the superior airs that the other royalty in the castle had when they spoke with servants. More still, they only spoke with servants to give commands. Ressa’s mannerism was certainly not that of one giving a command.
She was kind and polite; something Ezra guessed came down to her background. She was not royalty after all and had only come from modest means. So it was understandable if she didn’t see the servants as being beneath her but rather saw them mostly as kin. Yet, Ezra had seen ordinary citizens change and become pompous and insufferable just after his stepfather, King Alvert, or his cousin, Prince Cavel, bestowed some favor on them, like a particularly favorable plot of land or the rights over a certain trade.
Ressa was completely different from everybody else he knew. She was forthright and genuinely cared for the servants in the castle. He saw it in the way she looked at them whenever they passed. She didn’t just look at them. She saw them. Most girls only half as beautiful as she was would treat other people with disdain. Ressa never did that. It was hard to see her as the criminal he had once suspected her of being. Yet it was still too early to trust her. Even though it seemed farfetched, he knew it could all be a cover. No matter how kind and humble this beautiful maiden seemed, she was still an outsider who was yet to gain his trust. Therefore, he still had to consider her as a potential threat. His only goal was to protect those he loved—his father, King Alvert, and the prince.
It was in that moment that Ressa noticed Ezra had been standing by watching her from a distance. “I'm sorry, I didn't notice you still standing there,” she said, her cheeks filling with warmth.
Realizing that he had been staring at her for quite a bit too long Ezra straightened his stance and crossed his arms.
“Well, my lady, it is my duty to watch over you. It's for your own protection.”
Ressa dropped her head to avoid eye contact and said, “Very well. I guess having you around a bit longer couldn't hurt.” She bumped into a member of Ida's wait staff.
Ezra shook his head and a smile crossed his face. He walked up to Mrs. Ida and raised his arm out for her to hold. “Now come this way, ladies, I'll accompany you both to Lady Rose's chambers.” Ressa stopped and looked at him. It was hard to hold his gaze. Those golden eyes flecked with a bit of green would undo her serious resolve.
“Please lead the way,” she said.
“Come this way, my ladies,” Ezra said, escorting Ressa and Ida out of the kitchen.
***
The moment they reached Ressa's chambers Ezra stopped short in front of the door. There were guards standing inanimately either side of the door.
“This is goodbye, my ladies,” he told them, his eyes focused on Ressa.
“Goodbye,” she replied.
And then Ezra turned and walked away. As Ida pushed open the door and walked in, Ressa stood in the threshold watching Ezra walk down the hall. She watched him for some moments before turning to follow Ida in, letting the door slam behind her.
Sadness descended like mist over her, enshrouding her heart. The quietness plunged her mind into a state of depression and frustration. Although she was in a room full of women she felt quite alone.
As her maids tossed around beautiful shawls and jewels, Ressa was reminded of what was ahead of her—the engagement ball and finally the marriage, which was a day ahead. She could almost see the face of failure; hear its laughter very close to her ears. Her ultimatum was around the corner, and the Red Diamond was yet to be in her grasp. The Red Diamond was her only salvation; the only thing keeping her father alive, the only thing that would save her from getting married to Cavel and grant her and her father their desired freedom.
Ressa’s posture assumed a slouch.
It’s all falling to pieces, she thought.
Chapter Six
Ressa found herself pulled in multiple directions as her ladies in waiting fussed over her, just as she feared. The girls were cooing, sighing, and giggling as they tried to get her dressed. They pulled the fabric hard around her with the earnestness of devout worshippers preparing a sacrifice for a god. When she groaned because she had never been dressed in anything so tight or so much fabric, they stopped to tell her they were sorry and to tell her how beautiful she looked; then they continued with the torture.
“No, no. This is taking much too long,” Ida said, taking control of the small crowd.
“Mother, must you always tell us what to do?” Raven said with furrowed brows, tossing a sharp eye in her mother's direction. She was an intense girl with matching intense dark brown eyes and black-blue hair. She seemed to be the type of girl who took pleasure in impressing her mother or one-upping her; a younger copy of Ida for sure, already exercising considerable influence over the other girls.
“Telling you young ladies what to do is my specialty,” Ida said, “it will be till I’m too feeble to talk. Now, this is exactly what you must do…”
Ressa smiled at Ida's words and Raven's exasperated face. The sight of Raven’s face crumpled up in her exasperation was amusing. Ressa couldn’t help but smile.
Iris, a young girl, white with sandy brown hair and freckles on both cheeks, wandered over to the closet to grab a few more gowns and held them up for Ida to inspect.
Ida sucked in her breath, horrified. "No. Absolutely not. Do you think that color matches her eyes, child?” Ida asked,
forcing the young maid to drop the dress to the ground. Iris looked at the clothes as if she was just noticing their color for the first time. She turned and peered at Ressa’s eyes then shook her head no. Ressa struggled to stop herself from giggling as Ida barked order after order at the girls, just the same way she spoke to the maidens in her kitchen.
She didn’t stop until she was satisfied with Ressa’s look. When the last pin was put in place, she shooed the girls away from Ressa, to the edge of the room, and stepped back to look at her handiwork.
Ressa turned to the mirror on the wall to take a good look at herself. For a moment she was speechless. She could not recognize the girl that stared back at her. She knew she was a beautiful girl. She had always been aware of this from the first time she saw her father’s beaming expression whenever he bought her a new gown, but this evening, she was not just a beautiful girl, she was regal and breathtaking. She looked nothing less than a beautiful princess.
She turned to Ida and twirled slowly. Ida smiled widely and the girls clapped in excitement. Ressa’s smile grew wider, but when she remembered her mission it died. Ida noticed and acted immediately.
She turned to the girls. “Lovely job, ladies. Thank you all, but now it's time to go.”
A collective sigh filled the room as the girls filed out reluctantly.
Ida could tell that her job there wasn't done yet. The moment the last girl walked out of the room she shut the door and turned to Ressa.
Ressa offered her a shy smile. "So what do you think? Do I look like a prince's bride?"
"You look like a queen."
Ressa turned to the mirror to take one last look before she walked over to her bed and flopped down on it with a sigh. "I'd cry, but I know the make-up would run."
Puzzled, Ida sat beside her and patted her gently on the back. "What's wrong, my dear? Do you not like the dress?"
Ressa shook her head, "No, Ida. The dress is lovely. It's too lovely. Too opulent and when you all looked at me it reminded me of the way my father looked at me whenever I put on a new dress."
Rose and Thorn: Possession of The King (Book 1) (A Collection of Roses) Page 4