“It seems long since I last saw you, Princess.” His voice sent frissons of excitement along her nerves. Alecia wished he would say her name again, as he had the day in the meadow. I was wise to avoid him.
She wrapped herself in aloofness. “I have been busy, Captain. I thought you would be glad to have the duty of my safety off your hands.”
A spasm crossed his face that Alecia couldn’t interpret. Was it anger, disquiet? Perhaps some of each? The steely mask slipped back into place.
“Your safety is always my duty, Princess, whether I spend time in your company or not. I’m here to escort you to greet His Majesty King Beniel, and this evening you’ll accompany me to the Grand Ball.” He stepped aside, his hands tightening into fists for a moment. What has unnerved him?
Alecia joined him in the hall. She looped her arm through his, admiring the stony muscles of his forearm.
He removed her arm and placed her fingers there instead. “Best to follow protocol, Princess. You wouldn’t want anyone to assume we are betrothed.”
Her stomach flipped at his words and she snatched her hand away, intent on adjusting her dress one last time. What must he think of her! She had circled her arm through his in the intimate style of lovers, without thinking. He waited for her to complete her fussing and placed her hand on his arm again before leading her along the hall to the stairs. She was grateful that he said nothing as they walked to their appointed position behind Prince Zialni, just inside the front gates of the castle.
The distant cheers of the townspeople drifted to Alecia as the King made his way through the town. Red and gold silk bunting lined the path to the front entrance and the gravel had been swept clean. The servants were all in position in the red, white and gold uniform of House Zialni. Standing opposite her across the drive was Ramón. He wore a red and gold velvet tunic over spotless white breeches. His white gloves carried gold embroidery that matched the scabbard of his sword. His sharp blue eyes regarded her with frank admiration.
Alecia smiled at him. She missed Ramón’s company and easy manner.
Vard cleared his throat. “A good-looking man, the squire,” he said. “Don’t let your father see you making calf eyes at him, though. He’s not for you, I think.”
Alecia turned to Vard. “Oh, and you would know to whom I am promised, would you? If that is the case, please tell me.” Alecia bit her lip. She had not meant that last to pop out. She did not want him to know that she had so little control of her life.
His gaze narrowed. “I didn’t say I knew your father’s mind, Princess, but I know enough to see that your father would never accept the squire as your husband. It’s a pity, as I think Zorba could make you happy, or happier than you…” He trailed off.
What had he been about to say? Happier than she deserved to be? Did he think so little of her? Sudden tears sprang up and she looked away. “I will not be content until my people are.” She turned back to Vard and found him studying her, his gaze narrowed.
“That’s rich coming from you,” he said, quietly. “Your father is responsible for the suffering in Brightcastle.”
“My father is not responsible,” Alecia said, drawing closer to Vard so she could speak without being heard. “It is that unspeakable advisor who turns his heart against all that is right and good. You do not know him as I do.”
“Your sight is colored by your love for your father, Princess. Lord Finus isn’t to blame, at least not entirely.”
“You have been in Brightcastle all of five minutes,” she said coldly. “What can you know of anything?”
Vard’s mouth snapped shut and Alecia turned her attention to the assembled servants.
Ramón’s admiring look had become a scowl. A fanfare of trumpets blared and the King’s party came into view. Rows of red-uniformed soldiers rode on white horses ahead of a polished redwood coach, with a golden Zialni crest on the carriage door. Behind followed three more coaches with different crests that identified the passengers as minor royalty. Beyond that rode the servants on assorted horses, from ponies and palfreys to fierce-eyed stallions. Last of all came another group of soldiers on their prancing white mounts. Alecia suppressed an impulse to stand on tiptoe like a street urchin, instead wrapping herself in calm as she waited for her first glimpse of the King.
As the procession reached the castle gates, the double lines of soldiers peeled off to each side, allowing the King’s carriage to enter the gravel drive. The carriage drew to a halt level with Prince Zialni, and a middle-aged man with the unmistakeable Zialni nose leaped out to engulf his brother in a bear hug. Alecia smiled at the sight even as she thanked the Goddess that she had escaped the curse of the large, hooked proboscis. Uncle Beniel was taller and thicker than her father, with none of Jiseve’s grace, but his looks were still striking enough to turn heads. Despite becoming King, Beniel had lost none of his enthusiasm and zest for life.
“Alecia!” The King wrapped his arms around her and Alecia gasped as the silver braid on his dark military uniform scraped her cheek. “You are as beautiful as ever. So much like your mother.” He sighed. “She was a marvel.” He lowered his voice. “Jiseve has not been the same man since he lost Iona. She always was able to balance his darker moods.”
Alecia frowned and glanced at her father, who wore his trademark scowl. He must have heard the King’s words. Alecia hurried to introduce Vard.
“Captain,” Beniel said as Vard rose from a bow. “See that you protect our niece. She is an important link in securing the Zialni claim to the throne of Thorius.”
Vard’s eyes swept over her briefly. “The safety of the princess is paramount, Your Majesty.”
A dark-haired woman with tilted green eyes, wearing an emerald gown with silver thread over the bodice, appeared beside the King. She placed her hand on his arm. “Do you not think these discussions would be best conducted away from the ears of the servants, my dear?”
“Of course, my love. Here, greet our niece.” Beniel drew Alecia forward. Queen Adriana’s eyes were fixed on the captain and several moments passed before her aunt met her gaze.
“Alecia, dear,” she said, “it is so very delicious to see you again.” Alecia dropped into a low curtsy and was drawn to her feet by her aunt. Adriana’s eyes were again on Vard. “Who is your escort?”
Vard stepped forward. “Captain Vard Anton, Your Majesty.” He bowed over the Queen’s gloved hand and then grasped her fingers. “If I can be of service to you in any way during your stay here, you’ve only to ask.”
The Queen seemed lost for words. Was there a woman alive that he could not entrance with his animal attraction?
Finally the Queen recovered her poise. “Thank you, Captain. Perhaps I will save you a dance this evening.”
Vard bowed again and stepped back as the royal couple moved on. There were other members of the royal party to be introduced but Alecia could not forget the exchange between her escort and the Queen.
Eventually the royal entourage entered the foyer of the castle and Alecia found herself standing beside Ramón at the foot of the staircase.
“Hello, Princess. I have not seen you in several days.” He made it sound as if she had been avoiding him.
“I have been unwell,” Alecia said.
“Oh? Millie said nothing of your illness.”
“I do not tell my maid every sniffle I suffer.” She sounded defensive even to her ears.
“You have been avoiding me!”
“Do not flatter yourself,” Alecia said. “Why would I avoid you anyway?”
“Because you have another on your mind.” His eyes swept to Vard, where the captain stood chatting to Queen Adriana. “He is not the one for you, Alecia.”
“Captain Anton is nothing to me but my guard.”
“I have seen the way you stare at him. How your eyes follow him. He has the same effect on all the women he encounters, even the Queen. I do not understand how he does it. He is not that handsome.”
“Ramón, you are prattling.�
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The squire’s eyes grew stormy. “Watch yourself with that man. I do not trust him and neither should you.”
Alecia sighed. “I will watch him. Now, will you dance with me tonight?”
Ramón frowned at the change of subject however, as Alecia had suspected, the topic was too enticing to ignore. “Of course I will dance with you.”
“Don’t you have duties to attend to, Squire?” Vard’s deep tones had Alecia instantly distracted.
“Remember what I said, Princess,” Ramón said. “Captain.” The squire stalked away towards the kitchens, no doubt to supervise the preparation of the meal that was being laid in the formal dining room.
“I can’t leave you for a moment and that puppy scurries over,” Vard said.
Alecia frowned. “He is hardly a puppy. He is the same age as I.” She watched his jaw tighten. “Why do you dislike Ramón?”
“I have no feelings for the squire one way or another but surely you can see that you and he can never enjoy your father’s support?”
“He is a friend. Why can you not see that?”
“Princess, for all your twenty-four years, you’ve precious little knowledge of men. Squire Ramón isn’t the tame friend you imagine.”
“You are wrong.” She was sick of the subject of the squire. “Can we talk of something else?”
He raised an eyebrow. “What topic had you in mind?”
“Yourself; the intriguing Captain Anton who has women falling at his feet and men desperate to best him with the sword.”
The captain looked across the foyer and frowned. “Ask away.”
“Where did you learn the longbow?”
Alecia’s stomach tightened as the color drained from Vard’s face. “Father taught me.”
“Where is your father now?”
Vard seemed to have drifted away, his thoughts in another place. “I don’t know. I was a lad when last I saw him. He could be dead for all I know.”
Alecia suddenly had a premonition. “You will find him one day. You must not stop searching.”
His piercing gaze made her blink. “I’ve long given up hope of finding Papa. My purpose is to serve others. You do me no favours pretending prophecy.”
Alecia dropped her eyes. Goddess! She hated it when those impressions hit her! They were like the dreams she had, and they were always true. Why was she cursed with them? Most people were like Vard and didn’t want to know. “I am sorry, Captain. I did not mean to upset you. You talk of service with almost religious zeal. It is unusual in a soldier.”
He nearly smiled. “You are perceptive; that is nearer the truth than most come.”
“There you go,” Alecia said, “speaking in riddles again.” He would make a good poker player, this inscrutable man. “What of your family, your mother, siblings…wife?”
Vard’s poker face slipped and utter bleakness swept the light from his eyes. “I had a cousin who was like a brother. Frel and I did everything together.” Alecia was reminded of the night in his room, and the pain in his voice brought sudden tears to her eyes.
“I must leave you for a time, Princess,” he said, guiding her over to the doorway of the luncheon room and avoiding her gaze. “Your father has asked that you dine with the King and Queen and then go to your chambers to prepare for the ball. I’ll collect you at six this evening.” He gave an abbreviated bow and strode through the doors of the dining room, every female eye following his departure.
At luncheon, Alecia picked at her food, distracted by Vard’s reaction to her questions and her premonition. Tragedy lurked behind this mysterious cousin Frel, who was no longer in Vard’s life. She itched to know the story, ached to make some of his pain go away. Perhaps he would allow her close enough to discover his secrets in time. It would mean risking her other self but she could no more ignore her enigmatic protector than banish the premonition that had struck her today. She was certain Vard was a part of her future -- was that true intuition or just desire? Her father might plan her betrothal but how could she accept that fate now that she knew what she would be giving up?
At the end of the meal, the King himself escorted Alecia to her chambers.
“It is wonderful to see you again, niece. Adriana and I wish you could visit more often.”
“It is a desire I have known as well, uncle. Perhaps soon I will visit you at Wildecoast.”
“I would love nothing better, however I fear your father has plans that will make a visit impossible.”
“You talk of my betrothal and marriage,” Alecia said.
“That would not be a hurdle, Alecia, but your father plans for an heir as soon as possible. If you are with child, you must stay in Brightcastle. We cannot risk the heir to the kingdom.”
“How can you talk like this when Aunt Adriana struggles so hard to give you a child? It must hurt her to know you plan for your succession with your great-nephew.”
“The Queen is a practical woman, Alecia, and knows we must secure the throne for our family. She herself has suggested I put her aside or take a mistress who can produce an heir. I would not do that to her. Surely you see that to bring a great-nephew to the throne is a lesser evil than that?”
She grasped Beniel’s hands. “I am not ready to bear a child, Uncle.”
King Beniel’s face grew stern. “You must do what is best for the kingdom, Alecia. Do not avoid your responsibilities. I will see you this evening.”
The King swept down the hallway. Alecia entered her apartment and drifted across to the painting of her mother that hung above her bed. The portrait depicted a sombre woman with straight blonde hair and pale blue eyes. Alecia’s attention was caught by the determined set to her mother’s mouth that she imagined she shared. Loneliness, which she usually managed to ignore, swamped her and she threw herself face down on her bed. She truly was on her own. Uncle Beniel would not be an ally. No one would stand in the way of her father’s plans for her; she would be sacrificed for the Zialni name.
Chapter 11
The sunlight cast long golden patches on the slate floor beneath her windows when Alecia finally awoke. Her head ached from the tears she had shed but tonight she would conduct herself as she knew her mother would have -- with dignity and strength. Her father and uncle would not see the pain they caused with their ultimatums and arrangements. Vard would not intimidate her with his warnings. She was a princess of the people.
However, when Alecia saw her face she doubted she could survive even the next few minutes, let alone the gruelling night ahead. Dark smudges lay beneath her eyes and tears had left tracks down her cheeks. Her eyes belonged to a frightened girl, not a courageous young woman. All will be well if I just keep moving.
She scrubbed her face in cold water and used some of Hetty’s concealing lotion to fix the darkness beneath her eyes. By the time Millie arrived, Alecia had lined her eyes with kohl and applied rouge and lip balm. She was able to smile at the woman in the mirror now.
“You look beautiful, Princess,” the maid said. “The captain won’t be able to take his eyes off you.” Millie teased the strands of Alecia’s hair into an elaborate twist. “I just saw him, Highness, striding through the castle, his eyes everywhere.”
“I dare say he is trying to ensure the safety of all who attend the ball tonight.” Alecia couldn’t see how Millie did such an expert job with her hair while rabbiting on about Vard.
“He could do that in his sleep, Princess.” Millie finished the creation and sprayed Alecia’s hair with another concoction of Hetty’s that was designed to hold the style. “There’s something else on that man’s mind, just as His Highness is planning some excitement for this evening. You mark my words.”
Alecia pushed Millie’s words from her thoughts; getting through the evening with Vard as escort was enough to contemplate.
Millie laid the gold Zialni tiara in Alecia’s hair. “You are a picture, Princess. Now for the dress.” She helped Alecia out of her crushed blue gown and into the cream satin, making light
work of the pearl buttons that created a stunning feature at the back. The round neckline of this gown was more modest than the blue Alecia had worn earlier but still left her shoulders bare. Sparkling amethyst gems at her throat and ears completed the ensemble.
Alecia slid her feet into the cream satin slippers and crossed to the full-length mirror. She could hardly believe the transformation. Her lilac eyes shone without a trace of the weariness and fear that had been there before.
A quiet knock sounded at her door and Millie scurried out to answer it. Alecia followed and stood in the doorway to her bedroom. The maid swept such a deep curtsy that Alecia expected her father or the King to be standing without; instead Vard stepped over the threshold. He came to an abrupt halt as he saw Alecia.
His eyes swept from the toes of her slippers to the tiara in her hair and Alecia was certain he had not missed a single detail. She would have blushed only she could not take her eyes from him. There was something different about him this evening, his presence heightened far beyond even his usual magnetism. Alecia could not see what had caused it. He looked the perfect picture of an army captain: fit, hard and disciplined. The familiar gilt flecks in his eyes glowed, their intensity framed by his dark curls, tanned skin and sensuous mouth; a mouth that curved into a mocking smile. Millie was right. Something absorbed his attention, focused his desire. Alecia did blush at that thought.
“Go and offer the Queen your help, Millie,” Alecia said. “I no longer require your presence.”
“Yes, Princess.” Millie curtsied and left, the door banging shut behind her.
Vard cleared his throat. “You’re beautiful, Princess.”
Her insides grew warm under his gaze but she remembered her pledge to make her mother proud. He is just a man. Her stomach lurched at the thought but she squashed the panic she felt at being alone with him and smiled. “Thank you. You look dashing tonight.” The words sounded awkward.
He did not smile again, just looked at her, a tiny frown on his brow. Too late, she remembered to look away. Keeping her secret from Vard had seemed less important since the kiss.
Princess Avenger - Brightcastle Saga Book 1 Page 10