I pushed his hand off my mouth and took several steps back. The belt of my robe had become loosened, and I realized it had fallen over one of my shoulders and down far enough that they could see my left breast through the thin shift I was wearing. The men looked uncomfortable, slowly averting their gazes—but not Liam. His gaze took in the entire upper half of my body, and he looked even angrier than before.
I tugged my robe up and wrapped it tight around my waist.
“You all need to prepare for the trip. You need clothing and supplies. Leave me while I wait for Christa.” I inserted what little authority I felt into my orders.
“That’s unwise,” Matthew said. “She should not be alone.”
“I agree,” Finn said. “I’ll wait with her and meet you in the stables.”
“Not the stables,” Liam said, focusing on some point on the wall. I recognized that look. I’d seen it when he was making a plan on the fly. “We need to wait until dark, or we need to leave a few at a time. If we’re seen all together with the princess, it will arouse suspicion.”
“But the king . . .” Tobias said. “What if he comes for her?”
Liam turned to me with dark eyes. “Go to Christa’s quarters and wait there. If you think you’re about to be found, go somewhere you don’t usually frequent. We’ll meet you at the mill in the village after sundown.”
“You mean to leave her alone?” Dax said, turning to face his captain. “Are you insane?”
“We can’t alert anyone to our plan.” Liam turned to face him, the tendons on his neck taut. “We have an excuse to be here now—something happened to the princess in the village, but the healer has declared her fine, and if we stay much longer, we’ll arouse suspicion that we think she’s in further danger.”
“Sundown is a good two hours away,” Dax said.
Liam lowered his voice, and some of his anger faded. “Elena is resourceful. Remember her cunning when we trained her. She can do this.”
“I can do it,” I said, surprised at Liam’s statement. If something happened to me, it would forever be a blow to his ego and his position. He wouldn’t let me do this if he didn’t think me capable. “Christa should be back any moment. We’ll go hide together.”
“If you feel threatened, send word to the guardhouse,” Liam said. “At least one of us will be there keeping an ear out for what the king has planned.”
“You think they’re going to tell us?” Tobias scoffed.
Liam cocked an eyebrow. “We’re have resources of our own, and we have a plan. Let’s go.”
The men left, although I could see it was reluctantly, but Dax waited until last and turned to me.
I moved in front of him and said in a lowered voice, “Are you having second thoughts, Dax? I won’t hold it against you—”
“I want to know what happened in the temple.”
“You saw what happened.”
“Not all of it,” he said. “We could see her talking to you but couldn’t hear what she said.”
“But I told you what you missed.”
“I think there’s more you’re not telling us. And that we’re not telling you.”
That caught my attention. “What aren’t you telling me?”
“Do you believe in magic, Princess?”
His question caught me off guard, although I wasn’t sure why. Everything the priestess had done had been in magic’s name. “I . . . I used to think it was a myth . . . Now . . . I’m not so sure.”
Dax’s gaze softened. “I wasn’t sure before either, but after this afternoon and what happened . . . I believe. My grandmother was a believer and told me that she was sure it would soon be reborn.” He paused. “Elena, you need us more than I think you know. Promise me you won’t ditch us, that you’ll meet us at the mill.”
My eyes widened, but I didn’t answer because I’d started considering that very idea.
A soft smile lifted his lips. “I know you better than you think. We spent nearly two years together in training.”
“We were children.”
“Are we really that different? Hopefully wiser, but the heart of who we were remains the same. Can you deny it?”
I broke eye contact. “No.”
“I know you, Elena. You would sooner jump off the drawbridge than put our lives in danger.”
Dax was right, but it wasn’t prudent to admit it.
“Elena.”
I looked back up at him, surprised by the devotion in his gray eyes.
“I’m begging you. Wait for us there. I think you and the five of us are all part of something bigger. We need to stay together.”
“But the risk to you is so great,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “Don’t you think the six of us traveling as a group will draw attention?”
“So you propose to travel alone?” he asked. “A solitary woman? Do you have any idea what the marauders would do to you? And if they found out you were Princess Elena of Garius, they would either ransom you, sell you off, or keep you for themselves. Any of those options would be horrible.” He paused and took my hand. His chest expanded and his eyes dilated. “You feel it too, don’t you?”
A pulse of energy rushed through his hand to mine. I didn’t answer, but my reaction was evident.
“The priestess started something. We all felt it. For this reason alone, we need to stay together.”
“What is this?” I asked breathlessly. “What is happening?”
“Liam . . . he’s planning to find out. He wanted to . . . he has a plan, and now that the queen has asked us to escort you to Pottershedge, he won’t have to worry about leaving you with only part of the guard.”
“What’s his plan? Where did he plan to go?”
There was a knock at the door and I jumped, but Dax snapped to attention, only to relax when Finn poked his head in the door.
“Let’s go Dax.”
Dax squatted and grabbed a small sheathed knife from his boot. “Keep this with you and use it if necessary.” He placed it in my hand and closed my fingers around it.
“You want me to kill someone with this?”
“If necessary, yes.”
“Dax . . .”
He slid a finger under my chin and lifted my face so he could look deep into my eyes. “Elena, promise me that you’ll protect yourself.”
When he looked at me with such intensity, I would have promised him anything. “I promise.”
“See you at sundown.”
4
Christa showed up a few minutes later in a total state of panic. “What’s going on? Why did the queen ask for my clothes?”
How much should I tell her? Christa was my best friend, but sometimes she had a loose tongue. I decided the less she knew, the better for both of us. “My mother’s upset with my attitude about the wedding and is sending me to see my grandmother in Pottershedge.”
“But the wedding’s in two weeks, and the journey there and back will take nearly one of them.”
“What better way to keep me busy than traveling?”
I asked her to help me into one of her dresses, which only confused her even more. “Why don’t you wear one of your own?”
“Because my guards are worried about marauders and want to keep me safe by disguising me as a servant.”
“If it’s that dangerous, then why is the queen making you go at all?”
“Because she trusts my guards with my life. But this will make their job easier.” She started to protest again. “Christa. It has been decided, and I’ve agreed that it’s easier to just go.”
“That seems so unlike you.”
I laughed, despite my situation. “Maybe I’m growing up. In any case, you’ll see me in two weeks—just in time for the wedding.”
“But they’re not even done with your dress! What about the fitting?”
“I’m sure my mother has a plan.”
She helped me into her dress, a simple, dark violet-blue long dress that would be difficult to ride in, but my
other option—a dark gray dress—wasn’t any better. I suddenly had an idea. “Let’s go out to the servants’ courtyard.”
“Why?”
“To see if I can pass as a servant.” I grabbed the cloak I had worn into the village and wrapped it around my shoulders.
“They’ll recognize your cloak, Elena.”
“Maybe not.”
I opened my wardrobe and dug into the back, finding the sword I’d been given three years ago. Even though my guards were no longer training me, I’d practiced in my room. It wasn’t nearly as long or as heavy as my guards’ swords, but it would do in a pinch. I stuck it into the bag, then tucked the knife Finn had given me into the inside of my soft leather boot.
Christa stared at me, open mouthed.
“I refuse to be a helpless female, Christa. I want to be able to defend myself.”
“What exactly do you plan to encounter?”
“I don’t know. My father claims dracnas have been seen to the south.”
“Dracnas? A sword is no match for fire, Elena.”
“It’s a just a precaution.” I picked up the bag, and Christa practically had a wrestling match with me trying to take it from me. However, since it contained the sword, I insisted on keeping it.
She was even more confused when I made her take the back halls to the courtyard where the laundry had been drying all day. When she saw me taking several pairs of royal guard apprentice breeches, she was horrified.
“What are you doing?”
“These will be easier to ride in.”
“You plan to wear boys’ clothes?”
“Only under my skirt.” Next, I insisted she let me hide in her room while she found a pair of scissors. When she returned, I cut the fabric right up the middle.
When she gasped her surprise, I looked up at her with an apologetic look. “I’ll buy you a new dress.”
“Elena. It’s not my dress I’m worried about. What will people say when they see you like that? What will your guards think?”
I lifted my chin. “They’ll think I’m resourceful.”
I kept the scissors and packed them in the bag and then headed to the pantry. I grabbed a knapsack and stuffed it with bread and vegetables.
“Why are you packing food?” she asked. “Why isn’t someone doing this for you?” Then she seemed to put things together. “You’re running away!”
“Shh!” I said, putting my hand over her mouth. “My mother is the one sending me away. She was the one to tell you to get the clothes, remember?”
She pushed my hand away and whispered, “But why all the secrecy?”
“My father doesn’t know.”
“Your mother is calling off the wedding?”
“No. There’s much I can’t tell you, Christa, but this is for the best.”
She hesitated, then nodded. “Okay. I trust you. But your cloak is recognizable. Wait here.” She left and returned a few minutes later with a heavy wool, dark gray cloak. “Use this. You should be able to pass through the gate unrecognizable if you keep your head down.”
When I told her I was meeting my guards in the village at sundown, she insisted on going with me, carrying the knapsack.
“But we can’t go together,” I said. “They know who I am, and they might suspect who you are and alert the guard.”
We waited until a group was leaving through the castle gate, and I followed close behind, trying to blend in with them. Then she followed a half minute behind me.
Once I was out of sight of the gate, I waited for her to reach me at the side of the road.
“Will you be safe traveling back to the castle alone after dark?” I asked once we started walking to the village.
“Since you won’t be in the castle, I’ll spend the night with my aunt in the village and go back in the morning. That way if they are looking for you, I won’t give your plan away.” She reached for my hand and squeezed. “I have no idea what I’ll do for two weeks without you.” She turned to face me. “Maybe I should go too.”
While I would have loved for her to come, I knew she would have hated every minute of it and probably slow us down. Besides, if Dax was right—that my guards had been affected by whatever the priestess had done—then it was better if the six of us faced it alone. “No. I think my mother will need you while I’m gone.”
Matthew and Tobias were waiting for me at the mill, mounted on their horses. It was dark, but the lights from a nearby building lit their faces enough for me to see they looked worried. Tobias dismounted and led a third horse toward me. “Did you have any trouble getting away?”
“Of course not,” I scoffed as though he’d asked the most ridiculous question in the world.
He grinned as he took the knapsack Christa held out and tried to take my bag from me, but I swung it away from him.
“I can carry my bags on my own horse.”
Tobias practically rolled his eyes. “Your Royal Highness—”
I snatched the knapsack from his hands. “I’ll carry my own bags.”
He looked like he couldn’t decide whether to be irritated or amused as I tried to attach my bags to my horse’s saddle. This horse was a lot taller than the horse I usually rode, and I had to stand on tiptoe to reach it. After I fumbled for a few seconds, he chuckled. “I realize you want to carry them, but can I at least attach them so we can leave before it’s time for you to walk down the aisle at your wedding ceremony?”
I shot him a dirty look, but his grin was ear to ear, and I couldn’t help smiling too. Tobias has always been the one to make me laugh, even when things got tense . . . especially when things got tense.
I handed him the bags and turned to Christa, then pulled her into an embrace. “Thank you . . . for everything.”
“May the gods be with you, Elena.”
I suspected we might need the help of the gods before all was said and done. “Look after my mother.”
She nodded.
Tobias offered me a hand to lift me onto my horse, but I ignored him and grabbed the reins, then jumped up to grab the saddle and lifted my leg into the stirrup. Just as my foot connected to the stirrup, Tobias grabbed my waist over my cloak and steadied me. I braced myself for the expected yearning, but it was duller than before. Just as I started to get excited that this episode was passing, I realized there were several layers between us—my shift, my dress, and my cape—which likely helped dull the sensation.
“Do you want me to help you get situated sideways?” Tobias asked. “We couldn’t get an actual sidesaddle, but Dax has some ideas how to modify—”
“No need to bother. I’ve got it.” I swung my leg over the saddle, and both men stared at me with surprise when they realized I was riding astride with a dress. “I made some modifications,” I said, adjusting the dress and cape behind me. “If we’re riding hard, we don’t need to worry about me falling off from riding sidesaddle.”
Tobias gave me a long look, then climbed on his horse and led the way. I fell in behind him, and Matthew took the rear. I cast a glance back at Christa wondering when I’d see her again.
We met the others at the edge of the village. The lights of the houses were behind us, but the full moon shone on the road. I could see their quizzical looks when they saw the way I was riding, but no one mentioned it.
“Did anyone follow you?” Liam asked me bluntly. He was nervous.
“No. Only Christa, and she’s spending the night at her aunt’s house in the village, so no one will question her about me tonight.”
“I want to take advantage of our lead and push the horses hard for the next hour or two. Are you up to that, Your Royal Highness?”
I frowned at his use of my formal title. “Set the pace, Captain,” I said in a dry tone. “I’ll keep up.”
“I’ll take the lead,” he said. “Dax ride next to the princess. Tobias and Finn behind with Matthew in the rear. Princess, you let us know if you need a rest.”
“I’ll follow the pace you set, Captain.”
>
“Then let’s go.” He turned his horse around and started at a walk until we were in formation behind him. Then he took off.
I kicked the horse’s flanks to get him started, but seeing the others take off was all the incentive he needed.
We had ridden at a steady trot for what I guessed to be an hour when Liam turned around to check on me. I gave him a haughty look even though my thighs were killing me. He turned around and continued for probably another hour until we came to a bridge over the Ramos River.
Liam held up his hand and slowed to a walk, and the rest of us followed suit. “Let’s take a break and water the horses. I’d like to get to the Red Forest before we stop for a few hours of sleep.”
We crossed the bridge and then left the road and approached the river bank. My guards climbed down, and I attempted to lift my leg over the horse to do the same, but my thighs protested. I let out a slight groan, and five pairs of eyes turned to me.
Talk about embarrassing.
“Princess,” Tobias said, handing his reins to Dax and walking toward me. “Do you need help getting down?”
“Do I really need to get down?” I asked. “I can just stay up here while . . . what’s my horse’s name?”
Tobias grinned. “Apple. And you should give him a break, Princess. I’ll help you down.”
He reached up for me, but I didn’t lean into his reach.
“Are you insinuating that I’m a burden for this horse, Tobias?”
He laughed and grabbed my waist, hauling me down until I was in front of him. My feet touched the ground, but my thighs quivered and refused to hold up. I started to fall, but Tobias wrapped an arm around my back and pulled me to his chest to keep me up.
The yearning was back in full force, and my body fell into him willingly. I could feel his heartbeat against my palm, which rested against his solid chest.
His expression changed too, his jaw dropping slightly as his eyes widened.
“She was right,” I whispered, looking up into his face. “She bewitched me.”
“Let her go, Tobias,” Liam barked.
Heiress of Light: Magic Reborn (Reverse Harem) Page 5