by C. J. Pinard
Shawna didn’t want to tell Mariselle about the mistreatment that Lord Henry frequently brought down on them. Henry worked directly for the king, and he had been put in charge of the entire castle staff. On more than one occasion, Shawna had heard King Alexander tell Henry just to “handle it” when he’d brought up issues with a member of the staff who hadn’t been performing up to par, or had been insubordinate, or had fallen sick. It seemed the young king hadn’t wanted to deal with it… which was a bad thing for the staff.
After being told to handle it himself countless times over the past few years, Lord Henry had grown power-hungry and cruel. He knew there were no repercussions for his actions, and therefore, he ruled the castle staff with an iron fist. Shawna had seen more beatings, floggings, and downright cruel words and insults come from Henry than she cared to count. She and the rest of the staff lived in fear of him.
Henry was around her age. He had been one of King Edward’s right-hand knights, and when the senior Rothhaven had passed away from the plague, and when the kingdoms had been divided by King Griffin, Henry had been assigned to Alexander’s castle. So Shawna had known Henry a very, very long time. This was why it hurt her to see not only how he treated the castle staff, but how she also held some strange loyalty to him. She couldn’t figure out why she didn’t want to drop his name when Mariselle asked, she just knew she couldn’t. Perhaps she kept expecting Henry to change. She had contemplated for years on how to expose his cruel ways without being an outright snitch and risking her own neck to do so. Shawna also was completely aware that, because of their history of having served together in the original Rothhaven Castle, that he pretty much left her alone. Not that she ever did anything to deserve his wrath, but she’d never been victimized by him nor had he said any cruel words to her… ever.
As she looked into Mariselle’s pleading green eyes, she contemplated her problem. Knowing she hadn’t found a way to get Henry to stop treating the other staff like literal slaves, she wondered if honesty wouldn’t be the best policy in this situation.
But Mariselle was so young—younger than her very own son, whom she painfully missed. But, she thought, if she helped out the young maiden, maybe she, in turn, would help Shawna, too. She desperately wanted to go back to the East Haven castle and serve King Griffin so she and Oscar could be together again. She missed her husband just as much as she missed her son, but she had never once asked Henry to bequeath the king if she could be transferred. She hadn’t dared.
Shawna took a deep breath and smiled as she rubbed the soapy water into Mariselle’s hair, and then massaged her scalp with her nails. “Mariselle, I have worked as a chambermaid for longer than you have breathed air. The ones in charge of the staff always have to rule with an iron fist, otherwise, the staff will become lazy.”
“But—”
In a move completely uncharacteristic of Shawna, she interrupted her. “That being said, Lord Henry does things a little harshly. I say this with nothing but love for my fellow staff, but I implore you—beg of you—to not say a word to him. Just watch his actions. They will speak for themselves.”
Mariselle’s brow dipped. “What do you mean?”
“I cannot say anything further, miss. Now, let’s get your beautiful hair rinsed so we can braid it once again.”
After drying off and dressing, and once Shawna finished the final braid, she smiled at Mariselle through the reflection in the mirror. “Gorgeous, milady.”
Mariselle grinned back. “Thank you. I can’t wait to see my waves tomorrow.”
Shawna stood up, gathered her supplies, and headed toward the door. “Do you require a turn-down, miss?”
Mariselle also stood from the stool and looked at the bed. “No, but you can come back tonight for it.”
“Very well, miss. Send for me if you need anything.”
“I will,” Mariselle replied.
Shawna closed the door behind her and Mariselle looked at the room around her. She had been dressed in a blue gown, but had nowhere to go, or anyplace to be. Supper would be served soon, and she knew she would go down into the dining area to eat, as she was famished.
The turret’s bell was rung right as she was thinking it. She put on her slippers and headed toward the dining hall, hoping like crazy Alexander would be there so she could see him. As she closed the chamber door behind her, her stomach turned over at the opportunity to see the handsome king again.
To her relief, Alexander had already been seated when she arrived, a hot pile of elk meat covered in gravy and some new potatoes set on his plate. When he saw Mariselle enter the dining area, he smiled and stood up. It was then Mariselle noticed there were four other men and one woman seated around the table, and all the men stood as she went to take her seat.
Mariselle did a double-take at the gorgeous woman. Jet-black hair pulled back tightly into a bun, porcelain smooth skin, sparkling sky-blue eyes, and a crushed velvet gown that matched them. She looks like Queen Lizbeth, Mariselle thought. Wait… Oh, my God!
Instead of taking her seat, Mariselle rushed to the other side of the table and squealed. “Eva! You are so stunningly gorgeous!”
Eva stood with a broad smile on her pretty red lips and embraced her old friend. “Mariselle Langer. Look at you,” she breathed as they pulled apart. “You’re as beautiful as ever!”
A blush creeped up Mariselle’s pale, freckled cheeks. “Thank you, Princess.”
Princess Eva looked at her brother. “Is it all right if Mariselle sits next to me for the meal, Alex?”
“Of course,” he replied, taking his seat as the other four men followed.
Kitchen staff quickly brought out two pies and began serving Mariselle the meat and potatoes. Then one sliced the pies and left the dining area.
Mariselle’s stomach rumbled as she muttered a thank-you to the kitchen staff.
The four men seated around the table shot Alexander a look of disapproval as they witnessed Mariselle thank the staff.
Alexander cleared his throat and said, “Mariselle, I’d like for you to meet my right-hand men.” He extended his hand to the first one, a man in his forties with salt-and-pepper hair, a strong nose, and beady brown eyes that made her uncomfortable. “This is Lord Henry of Wellington, he is in charge of the castle staff.”
Mariselle dipped her head politely instead of glaring at him like she wanted to. “Pleasure to make your acquaintance, sir.”
“Likewise, miss,” he replied with zero affect in his features or tone.
Alexander stretched his hand, palm up, toward the next man. “I believe you’ve already met Lord Tyson. He’s the one who keeps my schedule and coordinates between the castles for visits and meetings.”
“I am happy to finally know your name, sire,” Mariselle replied, her head dipping low. Tyson had always smiled and treated her with respect. She liked him.
“We’re happy to have you at the Castle North Haven,” he replied with a knowing grin. “Especially the king here.” He shot a glance at Alexander, then back to Mariselle.
As the king made the other two introductions, Mariselle’s mind kind of wandered off. Now that she knew who Henry was, she could keep a close eye on him.
Once the introductions were over, she tried to cut her meat and potatoes carefully, but it was going too slow for her, and she was absolutely starved. The sexual all-nighter, the adrenaline caused by seeing Zackary, and the bath had left her so hungry. So, breaking protocol, she picked up a slab of the meat and broke the pieces off with her fingers, and tried to daintily shove them in her mouth. Red juices from the meat dripped down her chin. She wiped them with her napkin and kept eating.
The entire table was staring at her in horror—except Alexander and Eva, of course. The very similar-looking brother and sister were smiling at her in amusement.
Eva covered her mouth with the palm of her hand and giggled. “Same ol’ Mariselle!”
The redhead looked up from her meal and smiled shyly. “Sorry. I’m just so hungry.”<
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Alexander slid a metal beer stein toward her. “Wash it down.”
Shrugging, Mariselle took a big sip, then set the bitter drink down. “Ew.”
The table laughed and continued their conversation. Mariselle decided to not eat so savagely for the remainder of the meal, and turned to Eva to ask what she had been doing since the castles had been broken up into four havens.
The murmurings at the table had gone up an octave, so when Eva spoke, nobody could hear the conversation but the two of them. “I am living at the East Haven castle with Griffin as of now. Once this bloody curse is lifted, I have plans to resurrect Castle Rothhaven and rule as queen. If I can bear children one day, I’m going to have ten. I can’t wait to be a mother!”
Mariselle’s brow furrowed. She felt sad for Eva, but still hopeful, as the youngest Rothhaven was only nineteen, just a year older than Mariselle herself, so she still had time once the curse was lifted to bear children.
“So what of you? A little birdie told me you had gotten your monthly.” She snuck a glance around the table. “Is that true?”
Mariselle wiped her mouth on a cloth napkin and nodded. “Yes, three times now. I tried to”—she cleared her throat—“make a baby with Griffin, but alas, it did not happen. He sent me here to try to Alexander.”
Eva frowned. “That’s pretty disgusting. They shouldn’t be passing you around as if you were some prized mare they are wanting to breed.”
Mariselle was taken aback by her comment. She also felt the same way, but on the flip side, she was also extremely attracted to the Rothhaven brothers. Well, she hadn’t met Mathias yet as an adult, but she didn’t see why he would be any different.
“I agree, Princess, but the country is in dire straits. I figure let me try to make an heir, and I will sort out the rest afterwards.”
Eva frowned. “Well, I can certainly understand that, but sometimes I wonder if you helping to create a Rothhaven heir will just cause more turmoil amongst the commoners. They may be upset that you have given the kings heirs, and they cannot have any.”
“I don’t know what the solution is to that, Princess. I can only hope once there is a royal heir, the curse will be broken.”
Eva cut a small piece of potato and forked it delicately into her mouth. Then she took a drink of water from the chalice, and set it down. “Still, you have the power, Mariselle, wield it. You aren’t royalty, but you do have something all my brothers want, and you should use it to your full advantage. Your family has been a close friend to ours since before we were even born. They respect you and your father. That’s all I’m saying.”
Mariselle took a drink from her own chalice and contemplated what Eva had said, and realized she was right.
She should be in control of what happens to her body and who was going to get the chance to impregnate her first. In fact, she was going to have fun while doing it, too… not that she hadn’t already.
Looking over at Alexander, he seemed to feel the weight of her stare on him, and he glanced in her direction. With that sexy smile of his, he graced her with one, and a very sly wink that only she caught. It made those butterflies dance in her belly once more before she excused herself from the table to go take a walk.
Chapter 8
Remembering her trip to the stables, Mariselle decided to take herself out there and see if maybe she could go for a ride. Since she was pretty much sequestered at the Castle North Haven, she decided she should master horseback riding. It was a cool, fall day, and after going back to her chambers and donning a black velvet cloak, she scurried down the hallway and made her way down the steps.
As she passed the fountain statue of Amber, she patted the marble horse on her water-spewing snout, and then made the trek out to the stables.
The walk didn’t take long. A late afternoon chill wind had begun to blow from the sea and she wrapped the cloak about her tightly.
Once she reached the stables, she was greeted warmly by Richard, who removed his wide-brimmed straw hat and bowed slightly. “Good afternoon, miss. Pleasure to see you here again.”
“Hello, Richard. How are the horses doing today?” she asked, not sure what else to say, but trying to remain pleasant.
He bit back a smile. “Very well. What can I do for you?”
“Well,” she replied, stammering, “I want to learn to ride. You know, expertly.”
Richard’s grin morphed into a full-blown smile. “Now, that, we can do. I bet Emily would be more than happy to instruct you.”
Mariselle hid her frown. She didn’t want Richard to see her dislike for the pretty blonde cowgirl. You’re here to learn how to ride a horse, nothing more, Mariselle reminded herself. “That sounds lovely. Is she available?”
“Emily!” Richard called out.
Within moments, the girl appeared. “Yes, Father?”
“Maiden Mariselle wishes to learn how to become a novice in riding. I believe you may be of assistance to her.”
“Of course, Father,” she replied, smiling at Mariselle. “Let me finish shucking out the stalls, and I will teach you.”
Mariselle smiled back, relieved at her warmth and willingness to help. “Thank you.”
She chatted with Richard for a few minutes and then waited for Emily to return to give her a lesson. She was nervous and anxious as she waited. She could tell by the way Emily had looked at the king that she had probably been a guest in the royal chambers at least once—if not more. This bothered Mariselle a lot, but she also knew there wasn’t much she could do about it. She had known—was even warned—that King Alexander loved to sample women of all different sizes and colors, so why wouldn’t Emily have been on the menu at some point?
Trying to push aside her jealousy, she concentrated on remembering the sensual night she’d spent with the king. She had never experienced such an array of sexual things as she had with him, and she worked hard to suppress a smile at the thought. It caused a deliciously tingling ache to her core. She pressed her thighs together without realizing she was doing it.
Emily arrived by her side. “Hello, miss. You wish to learn to ride?”
Mariselle nodded. “Yes, very much so. Can you teach me?”
“Of course, milady. Let’s choose a horse, then I will be able to show you how to ride and handle a beast of such size.”
Mariselle grinned. “Lead the way, Emily. I’m very anxious to get started!”
Exhaustion blanketed Mariselle’s body as she awkwardly dismounted the horse for the tenth time. She knew she needed to master the dismount, but that perfection would have to come another day. She had been riding Midnight for over two hours, and she could not spend another minute in the saddle. She was aware that she was grossly unprepared for such things, and she was beginning to regret the decision to try to master horseback riding in one day.
Truth was, Mariselle had always wanted to learn to be one of those graceful, beautiful women she saw gliding across the fields, with her hair billowing out behind her, the riding crop whipping away in her hand, but she now realized that must have taken those maidens years to master.
Wiping the sweat from her brow with the arm of her sleeve, she tried to stand upright and walk correctly, but it was difficult. She already had an ache between her legs from her delicious romp with King Alexander the night before, and having been on the horse for the past two hours had exacerbated the situation.
“Let’s sit, miss,” Emily said, guiding Mariselle to a bench situated in front of the stables that Mariselle hadn’t noticed before.
Grateful for the reprieve, Mariselle sat and rested her hands on her legs as she tried to catch her breath and cool down.
“Is there anything you need, madam?” Emily asked, removing her hat and smiling down at Mariselle.
“I could use some refreshment, if you have some,” Mariselle replied.
“Right away.” Emily scurried off toward the back of the stables.
Mariselle watched Richard bring Midnight back into the stable area. She
could hear him filling up his water trough and talking softly to the powerful black horse. Mariselle briefly wondered if Alexander would be upset that she had used his horse to master the art of riding on, but something told her he wouldn’t. She had meant to ask him at dinner, but it had slipped her mind.
A tin cup of water was placed in Mariselle’s hand by Emily. “Is there anything else?”
The redhead shook her head. “No, thank you.”
Emily nodded and walked off, replacing the large-brimmed straw hat back onto her head.
As Mariselle sipped the cool water, she watched the other horses and their masters in the fields in front of her. Even though she was tired and sore, she vowed she would become a master rider. She smiled at the fact that she had “borrowed” Alexander’s horse all day, feeling kinda naughty about it, and wondered if he would punish her in a good way for it later.
A shadow suddenly fell across her face.
“You look deep in thought.”
Mariselle looked up at the deep, smooth voice that had interrupted her thoughts. Shielding her hand over her eyes, her mouth dropped open when she saw Zackary standing there, smiling.
Her stomach filled with butterflies. She stood and bowed her head slightly, her hands now behind her back. “Your Majesty. I wasn’t expecting you.”
Zackary pulled her into a hug and then released her. His eyes were dancing in amusement. “Oh, stop. It’s Zach… or Zachary from here on out. You hear me, M?”
She chuckled. “M? Okay, then.”
“Let’s sit,” he said, indicating to the bench.
Mariselle nodded and complied. Once the handsome king of the West Haven had sat down next to her on the bench, her breathing sped up.
While trying not to gawk at him, Mariselle looked down at her hands, but chanced a quick glance at the handsome Rothhaven brother.
“It’s been so many years since I’ve seen you,” Zachary said softly.
Mariselle grinned. “I just saw you earlier today in front of the castle, silly.” During my walk of shame, she left out.