He was relieved that their search had been successful and his sister was finally home, but he wanted an answer to the mystery of where she had been hiding all this time.
“Someone came forward with information on where Nicholas lived,” their father answered vaguely, “so I rode to the cottage, found her there and brought her home.”
“At least we can continue with the wedding now that you have returned and put all this mess behind us,” Jonathon said to Rosanna, who looked uneasy at the reminder of her arranged marriage.
“That will not be necessary,” their father replied firmly.
“What do you mean?” Jonathon frowned. “I promised that we would rearrange the marriage as soon as we found her.”
She felt nervous, knowing her brother would not be happy with their decision.
“I have talked with Rosanna and, in exchange for her agreeing to return home, I promised to cancel the betrothal,” he smiled reassuringly at her and explained to Jonathon. “I will not risk losing her again.”
“But we already discussed this when she first refused,” Jonathon argued.
“Your sister and Prince Ethan will discuss the matter between themselves and hopefully it can be resolved.”
“When should I leave to visit him?” she asked, feeling anxious at the thought of finally talking to him.
“You do not need to travel, he is already here,” Jonathon answered, still feeling annoyed. “When I informed them that you were missing, Prince Ethan returned with me to help with the search.”
She felt surprised and nervous about confronting the issue sooner than expected.
“No one knows the truth about your decision to run away,” he added. “Prince Ethan believes you were abducted.”
She was shocked by this, “How could you lie to him about such a thing?” she asked in disbelief.
“I did not lie. He came to the assumption himself, and I simply chose not to correct him.”
She looked disapprovingly at him, feeling annoyed that they would turn her departure into a serious crime.
“What else was I supposed to do, Rosanna?” asked Jonathon crossly. “You disappeared and left us to deal with everything. How could I possibly tell them you were so against the marriage that you ran away? It would have caused insult and risked starting a war. We believed we would find you soon or you would come to your senses and return within a few days. We had to have some excuse to delay the wedding until then.”
“So now you expect me to go along with this ridiculous lie?” she asked unimpressed. “I have to pretend I was abducted and that my father rescued me?”
“It is better than the alternative,” Jonathon replied and had an idea as he thought over their story. “You were attacked by highway men on the way here, so we can just stretch the truth a bit. Let them assume that our father found you with them, and we can tell your account of how you fled back to the castle while he and the knights fought against them. There would be no further action on the matter since the men have already been slain, and if there are questions we will tell them you are traumatised over the experience and refuse to discuss it.”
She shook her head at her brother’s imaginative tale, “It is still being dishonest. I cannot lie to them, especially about something this terrible.”
“Do you really want to suffer their wrath by telling the truth?”
“I am nervous about the consequences,” she admitted, “but Prince Ethan deserves the truth. I will be honest when I talk with him and hope that we can resolve the issue.”
Her father nodded approvingly at her judgement, “it is always best to be truthful. Our allies will respect you more for that, even if it is something they will not want to hear.”
She hoped it would go well and that being honest would be the right way to handle it. However, she felt anxious and didn’t want her own people to suffer if a war broke out as a result of her actions.
“I must warn you, Prince Ethan is already furious with Nicholas and suspects he is responsible for taking you away,” Jonathon cautioned her. “Now he is after blood, so if you really are going to be truthful and not place the blame on the highway men, then your peasant is as good as dead.”
Her face paled, “You told him about Nicholas?” she exclaimed in horror, feeling afraid for his safety.
“I did not expose your ridiculous affair with him, I am too ashamed of that,” answered Jonathon, “but he obviously had questions about your disappearance and wanted to know the culprit. I told him we suspected a man who was banished from the kingdom days before, but I did not divulge any names.”
She started to worry and the last thing she wanted was for Nicholas to get into trouble.
“Even if he does figure out that Nicholas is the one involved, what does it matter? He is still banished and far away from here.”
She felt uneasy, “no, he is not. Nicholas is here in the castle.”
She hoped he would be safe and that Prince Ethan would never find out he was here. Nicholas already had his recovery to deal with without a prince coming after him for revenge.
Jonathon was shocked to find this out and frowned, “He returned even though he is exiled? Does he have a death wish?”
“I have revoked his sentence and the knights will be informed,” her father told him, then looked at Rosanna. “However, Nicholas will have to leave as soon as he recovers. He cannot stay in this castle under the circumstances and it is best if you do not see him until we have resolved matters. We cannot risk anyone finding out about your relationship; that stays between us.”
She felt disappointed knowing that Nicholas would have to leave, but she understood that it was better for him to stay away for now. She thought about asking Bernadette if he could stay with them until the betrothal issue was sorted out; since he was not fit enough for a long journey home.
“I think you should stay in your bedchamber until morning,” advised her father. “I will tell Prince Ethan that you are resting after the ordeal we faced earlier and that you do not want any visitors.”
She nodded understandably. She didn’t think she could deal with handling Prince Ethan right now; she was too preoccupied worrying about Nicholas and Leonardo to think of anything else.
“I will send your maid up shortly with food and drink,” her father offered. “Jonathon and I will be dining with Prince Ethan tonight.”
“Thank you,” she said gratefully and left.
“Are you sure this decision is wise?” Jonathon asked him unsurely. “I still do not approve of that peasant and believe that Prince Ethan would be a better suitor for her.”
“I am not happy with her choice either, but we have to accept it. I do not want her to become upset and think of running away again,” he insisted. “From now on, Rosanna will decide who she accepts for marriage and we cannot pressure her into what we think is best. I almost lost her once and I will not make that mistake again.”
Jonathon nodded in acceptance, trying to hide his irritation. He still thought Rosanna was foolish for turning down such a brilliant opportunity. If he was offered marriage to a beautiful, rich princess that would secure an alliance with other kingdoms, he would take it without a single thought. Luckily he didn’t have to worry about finding a suitor until he was sixteen, but he was determined to make a smarter choice in the future than his sister had. He knew he would always disapprove of her choice to turn down Prince Ethan, but there was nothing he could do about it. His father had made the decision to support her and his word was final.
“I have agreed to give Nicholas a chance to prove himself,” he mentioned, knowing Jonathon would not take this news well either. “I know that neither of us approve of him, but he seems to make Rosanna very happy.”
“Please tell me you are joking. We cannot let her marry a peasant!”
“I understand it will be a big change for royalty laws if we do. I did not want to offer my daughter to a man with no suitable background, but I do want her to be happy. She knows what she wa
nts and if her judgement is right then perhaps things will work out. He seems to be a nice man who really cares for her.”
“No other kingdom would allow it,” Jonathon said annoyed, “but if my sister chooses to embarrass us with foolish mistakes then so be it. At least one of us will take our role seriously.”
“I know that you do not like Nicholas and probably never will; but we both have to accept him for Rosanna’s sake,” he said. “I would appreciate it if you could support your sister even if you disagree with her choice.”
“I will try,” Jonathon replied begrudgingly and got up to leave. “I must go and inform Prince Ethan that she has been found and call off the rest of the search.”
He walked out, feeling aggravated and disappointed. King Adrian knew it would take a long time for Jonathon to get used to the changes, but he hoped that eventually one day he would.
* * * * *
Rosanna entered her bedchamber feeling strange to be back. She looked around at her vanity table, her four-poster king sized bed, the huge wardrobe and the balcony. It had been over a week since she had last been here, but it felt longer with how much had changed. She noticed for the first time how large her room was after getting used to being in Nicholas’ small cottage.
She smiled, feeling a little happy and relieved to be back in her own room. She stroked the bedpost carvings and jumped onto her bed. She had missed how luxurious and comfy it felt as she snuggled up in the soft covers and rested her head on the pillows. She then remembered her bath tub and felt thrilled to be able to use one again. She decided she would soak in it for an hour tonight, just to appreciate how lovely it was to bathe in.
She heard Isabelle politely knock on the door and enter. Suddenly all her troubles and worries were forgotten and she was just happy to be reunited with her best friend. She grinned and jumped off the bed to rush over and greet her. She had to wait until Isabelle put the tray down on the table before she could finally hug her.
“I missed you,” she said, feeling her eyes water as she parted from Isabelle.
“I have too,” Isabelle smiled, wiping away tears. “It has been strange here without you. I am very happy to see you again.”
They caught up with each other as Rosanna sat down at her table to eat and drink. She told her how lovely it had been staying at the cottage with Nicholas and how beautiful the forest was. Isabelle was proud at hearing how much she had learned to do while she was away.
She also excitedly told Isabelle the secret that she was engaged to Nicholas and how he had romantically proposed to her by the lake. Isabelle was delighted for her and relieved to hear that her father was trying to cancel the arranged marriage.
Isabelle filled her in on all the news she had missed while she was away. She revealed that she was now in a relationship with Leonardo despite their busy schedules, and they were trying their best to work around it to spend time together. Rosanna was ecstatic for them and reassured her not to worry about anyone’s negative opinions. She loved that her two closest friends were now happy and finally in a relationship.
However, the mention of Leonardo made her smile fade as she remembered and her worries returned.
“What is the matter?” Isabelle asked, concerned by her sudden anxious expression.
“Isabelle, I have some bad news to tell you,” she replied sadly.
Isabelle looked nervous as she told her everything about their ordeal with the highway men. She was shocked that Rosanna had been in danger and sympathetic about Nicholas. Rosanna hated to tell her the part about Leonardo knowing it would be difficult for her to hear. Isabelle’s face paled with worry and she started to cry.
“I am sorry he was injured,” Rosanna said sympathetically and gave her a comforting hug while she cried. “I am worried about him too, but I am sure he will be fine. The physician will take good care of him.”
“Do you think he would let me visit him?” asked Isabelle, beside herself with worry and needing to see that Leonardo was okay.
“You could try,” she replied hesitantly, “but he will probably want Leonardo to be left alone to rest. I was sent away too after Nicholas had his procedure. You can come with me in the morning to visit him?”
Isabelle nodded, “I will try to go soon even if the physician sends me away. I will be worrying about him all night and it would help to at least ask how he is.”
She nodded understandably, knowing she would be the same for Nicholas, “you should go there now. I have already kept you too long.”
“Are you sure?” Isabelle asked hesitantly, although she was desperate to hurry off.
“I can manage fine by myself,” she reassured her. “Leonardo needs you more than I do.”
She smiled gratefully and rushed out to make her way there.
Chapter 25
Rosanna awoke in her bedchamber the next morning and remembered everything that had happened yesterday. She felt anxious thinking of Nicholas and Leonardo and quickly got dressed so she could visit them.
Isabelle arrived as she was combing her hair. She looked tired and had dark circles under her eyes from hardly any sleep.
“Did you manage to see Leonardo yesterday?” she asked her.
Isabelle shook her head sadly.
She gave her a hug, “try not to worry. We will go down to see them now. I am sure they will be feeling better than they were yesterday.”
Isabelle followed her nervously, looking upset as they made their way there. Rosanna felt anxious too as they arrived and politely knocked on the door.
The physician let them enter and Isabelle rushed straight over to where Leonardo was resting in bed. Rosanna looked over hesitantly, wanting to make sure her friend was okay but knowing that Isabelle would want some time alone with him.
She continued her way over to Nicholas and smiled, relieved to see him awake eating breakfast and wearing a borrowed shirt.
“Good morning, Nicholas,” she greeted him. “How are you feeling?”
He smiled too feeling happy to see her, “I am still a little sore, but I should be allowed to leave once my wound has been checked over,” he reassured her.
She sat down on his bed and carefully hugged him, making sure she was very gentle, “I am so relieved that you are well. I have been very worried about you.”
“Thank you for taking care of me,” he said gratefully. “I do not know what I would have done without all this help.”
“I am sorry you had to go through this,” she apologised, feeling upset and guilty. “It is my fault you were injured.”
“Rosanna, you cannot blame yourself,” he assured her. “You were not the one firing arrows at me and neither of us expected to be ambushed in the forest. You did a brilliant job of getting us here safely and it could have been a lot worse if we had not got away from them.”
She knew Nicholas was right and felt nervous thinking of what could have happened if they hadn’t been so fortunate. If the highway men had caught them they would have both been murdered. Maybe if she was lucky they might have realised she was a princess and kept her alive for ransom; but there were still dangers to being kidnapped that made her shiver. They would have killed Nicholas either way because he was of no use to them and that would have been devastating for her.
“I am just thankful that you are unharmed,” he smiled at her lovingly. “I did not care about myself as long as you were safe.”
She felt touched and kissed him, “thank you for protecting me. I will always be grateful and I hope that you will heal soon.”
“I will be fine as long as I have you.”
“I wish you could stay here with me so I can take care of you,” she told him sadly, “but my father will not let you stay in the castle.”
“I suppose my cottage will feel very empty without you,” he said, feeling dejected at the thought of returning home alone.
“I do not think you should ride a long journey with your injury,” she replied concerned. “You could stay in the village for a while s
o I can be close by. I am sure Bernadette will let you stay with them if I ask her.”
“That sounds better,” he agreed. “I would miss you if I had to leave.”
“I would miss you too.”
The physician came over to check on Nicholas and once the wound had been inspected, he agreed that Nicholas could be discharged.
They went over to visit Leonardo before they left. Isabelle was holding his hand and talking to him lovingly.
“Are you feeling well?” Rosanna asked him, standing beside his bed next to Isabelle. “I was so afraid when the knights brought you here.”
She looked sympathetic and worried at how battered he looked. He had a bandage around the top of his head and another was wrapped below his chest. His arms were covered in bruises and cuts and his left arm was resting in a sling.
“Do not worry, I will live,” he reassured her. “It probably looks worse than it is.”
“How badly are you hurt?” she asked concerned.
“My head has a deep cut and my arm is broken along with a few ribs. It is nothing too serious.”
“I am sorry you were injured. I feel awful.”
“It is part of my job,” he said dismissively. “I am always at risk of being wounded or killed.”
“You were very brave fighting against them.”
She always looked up to Leonardo as her big, strong hero since he was meant to protect her, and she admired him even more now that he had fought valiantly.
“My only concern was keeping them away from you and the king, even if I was outnumbered.”
“I am very grateful that you did.”
“I was worried when I noticed one of them ride after you. I hated not being there to protect you from him, but at least I knew you had Nicholas looking after you.”
She cuddled Nicholas affectionately, “Yes, he kept me safe, and I still had the blade you gave me for emergencies.”
Leonardo smiled, “I am glad you reached the castle. I would never have forgiven myself if anything bad happened to you and I failed my duty.”
Love Letters Page 16