by Lisa Daneils
The stranger looked at the sign. “Where is this lover of yours? The one you mean to run away with.”
“I’m not quite sure. Considering how things were going at home, I figured it would be best to go find him than to wait for one of his notes. My father has gotten to be a bit more guarded about communications from outsiders because he is quite sold on the idea of my marrying one of his oldest friends.”
“Oh divines! He wants you to marry someone his age?”
The disgust in the stranger’s voice definitely caught her attention, and Nissa couldn’t help but give him a quizzical look as she responded. “That’s pretty much the way I felt about it. The guy may be nearly 10 years younger than my dad, but he’s more than twice my age, and he has always made me feel… uncomfortable. The fact that he has a reputation for toying with women should rule him out as my potential spouse, but here we are. My father is insisting that I have to marry him, and I’m dead set on that not happening.”
“So your lover does not know that you are looking for him?”
“No. And I do realize that leaving my home by myself at night with so little planning is a really bad choice to make. Given the way things were going, though, I felt it was the best option out of several really bad ones.”
“How very… that is definitely one way to look at it. Come on. I’ll buy you a meal, then we can hit the road.” The stranger marched into the inn, leaving Nissa shocked at the door.
After she had a chance to fully process his words, the princess rushed inside. All eyes were on the stranger as he walked up to the innkeeper. For a moment, Nissa wasn’t sure what to do. Obviously everywhere they went, this guy was going to stick out because he was gorgeous. His clothes were entirely unique, though they did not look like any of the regal clothing of any of the kingdoms she had seen. Perhaps that was his idea of blending in, but it really wasn’t working. Then again, with a face and body like that, the man was going to stick out no matter what he wore.
Hurrying up to his side, Nissa watched the innkeeper heading to the kitchen. She hissed at the stranger’s elbow, “What do you think you are doing?”
“I am certain I am about to cut through any protests you are about to make about me accompanying you as you look for your lover.”
“I didn’t ask you to join me,” Nissa frowned at the stranger.
When his face turned to look at her, the princess realized that the appearance under the moons was not a mistake. This man had eyes that were blood red. His expression was not unkind as he smiled at her, though, almost like an adult smiles at a child when explaining something. “We both know you wouldn’t have asked me, so I saved you the trouble.”
Thinking back over the last half hour, Nissa knew that there was nothing she could say against his character. The stranger clearly had no interest in her sexually or for ransom, and he had already offered to give her some tips to keep her identity hidden. By offering to accompany her, he was really just following a logical path he had already started down. And it was clear that after what little she had told him, the stranger was sympathetic to her plight. Instead of protesting, she furrowed her brow. “Why?”
The stranger looked momentarily taken aback by the question, but it did not last. “You aren’t going to argue about me inviting myself along, then?”
“We’ve already established that I trust you. Logically, if you are willing to continue to help me, I would have to be an idiot to turn you down, or to protest without good reason. But what I want to know is why would you help me? After you have already pointed out that you have something more important to do.”
“Let’s go with I have a soft spot for damsels in distress.”
Nissa gave him a withering look, “Let’s go with the truth, or I will refuse to have you join me.”
“So you admit to being an idiot under the right conditions. You would cut off your nose to spite your face, then?”
“Perhaps I would. In this case, I would prefer not to travel with someone who is going to be openly condescending and deceitful.”
The stranger smiled, “Ah, then I very likely would be your worst nightmare for a companion. I wish you the best, then. Feel free to save my share for yourself later. That will save you having to stop any time soon.” He dropped a small bag of coins on the counter. With a quick bow of his head, the stranger began to make his way to the door.
Nissa waited at the counter, the events of the night playing through her head. “I didn’t even ask his name,” the princess muttered as she tucked the extra food inside a bag that dangled at her waist. “Such a strange, strange man.”
It was only then that she looked up and noticed that a few of the patrons near her were watching her actions, and Nissa became all too aware that she had just been mumbling to herself. They couldn’t see her face, though, and that was really all that mattered. As tempted as she was to move her hands in a motion that would suggest witchcraft, Nissa knew that would just draw more attention to herself—even if it would have been incredibly funny. Keeping herself under control, Nissa rose from her seat, a delicious turkey sandwich in hand, and she strode out into the night.
Chapter 3
Not Far at All
Nissa had not gotten far from the inn when she realized that walking with a sandwich wasn’t a great idea. If anyone else were to accost her, she would lose the food, and have the much greater problem of being unable to quickly react to the threat. Taking a couple of hurried bites, she opened her bag and put the rest away for later. It was enough to get her stomach to stop complaining, with the added benefit of allowing her to do something that would never have been allowed back home. It was rare when she got a sandwich, and she was never allowed to rush her meal. It made her stomach feel a little uneasy, but Nissa had a strange sense of freedom with the act.
The idea of encountering other people also did not sit so well with the princess. So far she had encountered two brutes who wanted to harm and kill her and a stranger who clearly looked down on her. On the positive side, it was obvious people didn’t know who she was, and thanks to the stranger, she was a lot more cautious about how she was acting. The itchy pants definitely helped because she didn’t have her usual gait with the way they were chafing her skin. At night, she was going to keep the cloak on, but once it was light out, Nissa was smart enough to know that she would need to hide it. Few things would attract attention like completely covering her face. The trick was in making herself look like a teenage boy. It was perhaps the first time she was glad that she hadn’t been particularly busty. The commoner shirt was kind of loose in the front, easily hiding her chest if she wore a tight shirt under it. Her hips weren’t particularly wide either, meaning that her hair and face were the biggest concern. Apart from the stranger, she had never seen men wear their hair long. She hadn’t been able to bring herself to cut her hair much because Nicolas had already said how much he loved her long hair. She didn’t want to give him a reason not to be happy to see her. Of course, she knew that he would be happy to see her, of that she had no doubt, but she didn’t want to mar the things he liked about her.
Call it vanity and an overeagerness to make him happy, not that she would admit it.
Thinking about everything that had happened, the whole thing seemed a little less romantic, and a little more dangerous. Instead of the excitement she had felt running away from the palace, Nissa was beginning to feel apprehensive. Maybe I should see about getting a horse. It would provide me with a quick getaway, and expose me to less risk.
Looking around, she had no idea where to even start asking. Most businesses were closed, except the inn. Considering how much attention she had already attracted when she was inside the inn, she wasn’t inclined to return to ask the innkeeper where she could get a horse. Figuring there must be a stable nearby, she decided to explore, keeping her hand on her hilt.
A few minutes later, she found the stable hand for the inn. Walking up to him, she said, “Good evening. Could I bother you with a few questions?�
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The young man looked up at her, “Sorry, but we aren’t hiring.”
“What? Oh, no, that’s not what I—”
“I don’t have any more room in the stable for a horse, which means there isn’t any room in the inn. If you just need food, tie up your horse to the front.”
“Oh no, that’s also not why I am here.”
The man stopped working. “You must not travel much. What are you, one of those nobles in hiding trying to meet up with your lover?” His eyes narrowed as he looked at her.
Nissa felt her heart speed up. “Hardly. I simply wanted to inquire about borrowing a horse.”
“Borrowing a horse? You want to borrow a horse?” A smile spread across his lips, “Yeah, you are definitely upper class. Run home, young man. I guarantee you, no woman is worth your being out here exposing yourself to the dangers of the real world.”
“I’m not looking for—”
“Oh, I was mistaken.” The man placed the pitchfork against the wall, “You aren’t a young man. You are a lady. I’ve never had one of your type wander into my stables before. Didn’t really think it through before leaving home, did you?”
“I’m trying to tell you, I’m—”
The man strode toward her, a strange look on his face. “And you are out here alone, with no one knowing you are here. Perhaps you need a more practical lesson in how dangerous—”
As soon as he was close to her, Nissa pulled out her sword. “Listen, boy, I don’t need a lesson from you or anyone else. A simple ‘We don’t have a horse’ or ‘Horses cannot be borrowed’ would have been just fine. You don’t need to be a complete asshole just because you feel superior.”
The man’s eyes moved down to the sword. He was clearly nervous about it, but he tried to sound intimidating. “You shouldn’t be pulling out one of those if you don’t know how to use it.” Moving to the side, he grabbed one of the tools off of the barn wall. He managed to get his hand around a bridle, which he threw at the princess.
She ducked, but before she could react, the horses started to make a lot of noise. Nissa looked around her at this strange behavior—the horses she knew rarely acted like this. As unnerving as the fight must have been between her and the man, it seemed unlikely that the horses would have such an extreme reaction. The stable hand looked around, not sure what was happening, when a voice echoed around them.
A tall figure stood at the barn door. “Wow, really? You can’t even get clear of the inn before getting into trouble. At this point, you are just going to have to get over the fact that I am condescending because you aren’t going to survive the night if I leave you alone. Come on.”
Nissa watched as the tall stranger turned and left the barn. The horses began to calm down. “What just happened?” the stable hand asked.
Nissa looked at him, “You have the worst manners. If I am caught and taken back home, the king is going to put you out of business for what you have done.” With that, she pulled back her hood, letting her hair cascade down her shoulders. Glaring at the now terrified stable hand, Nissa slid her sword back in its sheath. Roughly grabbing her hair and cramming it back under the hood, she covered her face again. “All you had to do was give me an answer to my question, but you had to be a complete dick about it. May you find yourself miserable until you learn how to treat a customer, regardless of who they are.”
With that, she moved out of the stable.
The stranger was standing a long way down the street, his arms folded over his chest. Nissa ran to catch up with him, not entirely sure how to feel. She really wasn’t up for listening to anyone else put her down, but at the same time, he had saved her twice. Once from a situation where she would never have thought she would be in any danger.
“What is wrong with men in this kingdom? I was willing to think that the first two were exceptions, but that stable hand… what in the half hells was that about?”
“It’s the primitive brain, I fear. There hasn’t been nearly enough evolution for these lesser creatures to be much better than base animals.”
“You are quite down on your own gender.”
“Yeeees, my gender.” The stranger gave her a look that she didn’t understand. “I will give you a chance to decide to go it alone one more time, but it is the last. If you leave my side, you will be on your own.”
Nissa sighed, “As much as I want to say that I can handle it, the last hour has amply demonstrated to me that I am sorely unprepared for trying to go it alone. The best thing to do would obviously be to find somewhere to sleep and wait until the light of day when there are more people to witness this reprehensible behavior. However, we aren’t far enough away from my home for that to be a good idea. Nothing I’ve experienced before now has prepared me for what the world is actually like. It’s quite depressing.”
The stranger shrugged, “That is what life experience does. It takes your innocence and gives you valuable information about the world, if you can survive it. This is the truth pretty much no matter who you are. Being nobility or royalty makes survival easier if you are willing to stay in a bubble and be told how to live. Perhaps you should be grateful that at your age you are just now learning how difficult it is for so many other women. You have been shielded all of your life. The other women you see have learned all of these lessons long before reaching your age.” He sighed again, “Let’s go. We have a lot of searching to do to find your lover.”
Nissa fell in step beside him, her legs moving a good bit faster than she was accustomed to. “I do feel bad that you are putting your own stuff off for me. I mean, my problems aren’t yours. I really appreciate it, but I don’t understand why you are willing to help.”
The stranger was silent for a while, and the princess began to think that perhaps he hadn’t heard her. His voice sounded a little more measured when he spoke, as if he were choosing his words carefully, “I want to dismiss it as morbid curiosity, but that would be watching you from the sidelines, and I just don’t seem capable of that. If I had to give a reason for it, I guess because you remind me of my sister. She was so sweet and innocent that I always felt like protecting her.”
“You are talking about her in the past tense. Did something happen?” She quickly realized that was very much the wrong question to ask of a stranger. “You don’t have to answer that if you don’t want to. If you aren’t comfortable, just tell me so.”
He smiled at her, “Don’t worry, I would. Yes, something happened to her, but not anything beyond what you would expect for someone of her station. She is marrying soon, not quite to the man I would have wanted her to marry. My parents picked someone else for her, and she… just accepted it. When we were young, I wouldn’t have believed that was possible. She is so much younger than me, and almost exactly the same age as one of my best friends. It was never likely, but I think all of us hoped that they would be allowed to marry. He has been quite infatuated with her for so long, it just seemed like the life they both deserved. I couldn’t have picked a better husband for her if I had tried.”
“Maybe you can talk to her. Tell her to stick up for herself. If the wedding hasn’t happened yet, then it isn’t too late.”
“Ah, but it is. My friend married a few weeks ago, and when I learned why he agreed to the horrible terms from… his parents, I was worried.” The stranger’s voice got calmer and lower, “Now his wife is pregnant, and he’s out there risking his life to ensure—you know what, it’s not your problem.” He turned and forced a smile. “See? There is some benefit to joining you on your trip. I get to feel like I am finally doing something right, and it gives me a chance to more openly figure out how to accept what has happened.”
Nissa took a deep breath, “And I thought I had it bad.”
The handsome stranger laughed, “I don’t know that your situation is that much better than my sister’s or my friend’s. He seems to really enjoy his wife’s company, and my sister, well, she hasn’t complained. Her fiancé is… not bad. Besides, being forced to
marry someone you don’t like is not less of a problem than marrying a stranger.”
Nissa giggled, “I suppose not. The threat of it made me do something I would never have done otherwise. Now I’m out of my comfort zone, my element, and my comprehension, relying on a stranger to help me find my lover. It’s—” She shook her head.
“I understand what you mean. Had anyone told me I would be here on this particular errand a year ago, I would have had them locked up for being insane. Desperate times, though.”
“Do you want to talk about your problems?”
“Not really. For now, let’s focus on solving yours. I’ve managed to put off my problem for over half a year. If I can ignore it a little longer to do something more fulfilling, I am more than happy for the distraction.”
Nissa couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m glad my misfortune can be of some benefit to you since you are helping without any other payment.”
“Well, we are trying to make it less of a misfortune.” The stranger smiled down at her.
“It doesn’t really matter what happens from here on out. As soon as I left, there was no way that things were going to end well.”
“What makes you think that?”
“I’ve always been close with my father. Until recently, he always said that I was free to marry whomever I wanted, but his creepy friend managed to change his mind over the last year. I think what happened with Princess Bridget played some role in that.”
The stranger frowned, “What do you mean?”
“Well, like me, she waited to marry. Her father always played a role in who she married, but she was allowed to wait until she was a good bit older. Kind of like what my father did. Then her husband died a few months after the wedding, and that just… I think it made my father nervous about letting me keep putting off marriage. He wants to see me happily married and with kids before he dies. After what happened between him and my mom, I would think that he wouldn’t try to force it. But he also waited until he was in his 30s before he married. His parents picked his bride, and it was a disaster. She was more than 10 years younger than him, they didn’t know each other before the wedding, and they didn’t like each other after that first week. I guess I am lucky that they managed to make me during that time, but it didn’t help their marriage. I was less than a month old when my mom ran off with another man. Never heard from her after that. No idea what happened to her at all, and can’t even pretend to care.”