by A. J. Cove
"Only for a little while, Rose. Then we'll be together again,” he whispered in her ear.
She cried harder.
Chapter Six
Doshi sat dry-eyed and depressed across the breakfast table from her prince. He'd arrived the night before with even more guards, advisors, and others she couldn't identify. She'd only been given a brief introduction and he'd been kind and attentive to her well-being. But Gabriella quickly caught his attention. The Wild Rose had been generating such an expression from men for years. The prince of Lockmoor was no exception.
Doshi tried her best not to stare at him but it was impossible not to. The prince was dressed in his native finery, wearing a long robe of blue silk. She could not help remembering how it felt to be held against that powerful bare chest.
Watching him and Gabriella charm each other took away every bit of confidence she'd managed to build. She seemed to disappear even without using her special ability. No one noticed her existence.
A sudden bump from Lin caused Doshi's arm to shoot out and upset her tea. Doshi cast a resentful glance at Lin.
"Oh, your highness, let me help you. Don't worry, these things happen from time to time.” Lin sopped up the mess while Doshi bit down on her tongue. She would appear shrewish if she yelled at Lin in front of everyone and accused her of causing the accident. Besides, everyone, except the prince, knew of Doshi's habit of becoming clumsy in the presence of men.
"Hah! From time to time? Doshi makes a habit of it,” Gabriella didn't skip the chance to insult her, though she'd never been mean with a prospective mate in hearing. Doshi noted the look of censure from Tarin and Gabriella switched tactics immediately. “Yes, don't worry, little sister, we all do it."
Doshi glanced up in disbelief in time to catch the prince pat Gabriella's hand with approval. His heated gaze upon her sister sent darts of pain ripping into her heart. Doshi surged to her feet, causing the men at the table to stand. She muttered an excuse and fled without a backward glance.
* * * *
Later that day, Doshi escaped to the gardens, only to find Gabriella perched on Tarin's lap on a nearby bench. Tears scalded her eyes and she willed herself to look away, but she could not break free of the scene before her.
"Oh, Tarry, darling. Come on. No one will know.” Gabriella gave her prettiest pout while presenting her almost naked bosom beneath Tarin's nose. Doshi's mouth tightened at the sound of her sister's ridiculous nickname for her beloved.
The prince seemed to struggle with his own desires as he gazed at Gabriella's perfection. “Gabriella, we've already agreed to wait. And I must ask you not to wear your gowns cut that low. I don't like it."
She laughed. “But of course you like it. You haven't taken your eyes off my bosom.” Doshi cringed when her sister ran a teasing hand across the neckline of her dress, hooking it in the material and dragging it lower. Tears blinded Doshi's eyes when she saw the darkened area come into view.
Doshi took a step backward and promptly fell into a bush, giving away her location. Before she could disentangle herself, Tarin bent over her.
"May I assist you, princess?"
She stared up at him, knowing he must see the tear tracks on her face. “I'm all right,” she whispered.
"I insist."
She gave him her hand, which was quickly lost in his larger one. A thrill of desire vibrated off every nerve ending and she ducked her head to hide her reaction to his touch. She was on her feet in seconds, waiting while Tarin kindly dug through the leaves for her shawl.
"Here you are. It is quite nippy out.” He wrapped the shawl around her shoulders, pausing with a look of speculation in his eyes. Before he pursued what she knew must be rolling through his mind, Gabriella reclaimed him.
Doshi stared after him as he strolled back to her sister. The two linked arms and walked further down the path. She pushed a fist to her mouth. Her sister would try seducing the prince again before the day was out. And there was no doubt in her mind that he would give in.
"I can't bear it. I cannot.” She whispered into the evening breeze. She spun to return to the house, nearly trampling the two guards following the prince. She nodded her pardon and raced away.
* * * *
"Here you are, your highness.” Lin held out Doshi's rose perfume.
Doshi ducked away. “I told you Lin, I am not wearing that anymore. I'm tired of the smell.” She stood and moved to the window, her toiletries completed. Not that she'd had much done to herself. She no longer wore the foundation she'd taken from Gabriella's room and she'd gone back to her old high-necked gowns. There was no sense in showing off extra skin. There was no one to see.
Lin followed her. “Your highness, the scent suits you. Just one spritz?"
She shook her head. “No, not even a drop. I must not interfere."
"Interfere with what?"
"Never mind. Just leave me, Lin. I wish to be alone."
Lin stood a moment longer and then departed. Doshi breathed a sigh of relief. She'd spent far too much time crying these last couple of weeks. And just yesterday, she'd spied on a meeting between her father and the prince. Tarin seemed duller of spirit, but he was ready to sign the papers agreeing to marry Gabriella. Doshi's spirits could not sink any lower.
Tired of her room, she wandered down to the library, knowing her father had gone out earlier and was not expected back for some time. She'd have her favorite room to herself.
She climbed the ladder to retrieve an anthology of Glamdire. Hoisting the heavy volume onto a reading table, she folded her legs beneath her on a chair, preparing to read.
She flipped through the glossy sheets, with vivid pictures of the landscape of the town and castle from hundreds of years before, to the section that held the biographies of her ancestors. Two years previously, the king had had the book updated to include the biography of her mother.
"Olivia Diring, Queen of Glamdire was born a peasant. As such, no written record exists of her birthday but it is surmised that she was birthed just prior to the time of the Great Alpan Wars.” Doshi had learned of the wars from her governess years ago when she was still in the schoolroom. Commoners had risen against the corrupt royals of several kingdoms. Only Glamdire's honorable king had retained the loyalty of his people. And young Olivia's maid had fled the fighting with Olivia in her arms. She'd found a safe haven and a position at Glamdire. The fair and beautiful Olivia had eventually won the heart of the prince and later married him when he took the throne as the King of Glamdire.
Doshi loved the story of her mother's flight. It never failed to give her hope that some day she would escape the fears that plagued her. She flipped the page to the one she knew held a picture of her mother as a baby in her maid's arms and as a woman at the king's side.
She squinted at the print of the baby Olivia held tightly against the maid's chest. Doshi traced the picture, knowing her mother's hair had been blond, vaguely remembering from childhood before her mother had been killed in a carriage accident.
She read the caption beneath. “Olivia Diring and her maid, Ailin.” The short, plump woman looked vaguely familiar, with her small almond-shaped eyes. She was probably a distant relative.
"I hope I'm not disturbing you, princess."
She froze at the prince's voice. Just once she wanted to hear him say her name. Did he even remember it? “No, you're not disturbing me."
He moved to stand beside her and she lowered her eyes to hide the love and longing she knew was there. “Did you need something, your highness?"
"You don't have to stand on ceremony with me. You may call me Tarin.” His smile was friendly. “After all, we're soon to be related."
She coughed to cover her cry of anguish. She would not call him by his name. It would betray her feelings. For his and Gabriella's sake, she must keep her distance. And for her sanity. He waited for her reply and she nodded.
"May I speak with you a moment, princess?” Tarin's piercing gaze looked deep into hers. She tried to force
herself to look away, but could not.
She missed running her fingers through his hair, the taste of his lips. Recognizing the direction of her thoughts, she stood and snapped her book closed. “What could you need to speak to me about?"
He reached out a hand to stop her escape, “Please, princess. It's about your sister. She's ... different."
She stilled. “Different how?"
He hesitated. She knew he was now assuming he'd had an affair with her sister, but couldn't explain why. How could he admit knowing Gabriella before they'd been properly introduced?
"I had the impression she was different, more complex. I'm sorry, I don't want to offend you."
She turned her back, not because he'd hurt her feelings on Gabriella's behalf, but for once, she outshone the Wild Rose, though he didn't know it. “No, it's all right. I think if you give her time, you will come to see that Gabriella is more caring than many give her credit for. I know she's a good person inside."
"You really believe in her."
She faced him. “Of course. She's my sister. I love Gabriella. I want her to be happy."
Tarin watched her so long she felt blood suffuse her face. Finally, he thanked her with a small bow and left the room by way of the French doors. She wondered if he'd forewarned his guards of that plan.
The library door opened and Lin stepped inside. This was suddenly a very busy room, Doshi complained silently.
"Your highness, I've brought your shawl in case you decide to take a walk in the gardens.” Lin smiled encouragingly. She knew her maid was pushing her to get some sunlight, and she accepted the covering and stomped out minutes behind Tarin.
She wandered for half an hour through the maze, working her way deeper toward the center in the east section of Glamdire's garden. From childhood, she'd learned the paths by heart and knew how to extricate herself when ready.
"Maybe I'll somehow get lost and never be found,” she muttered as she walked.
Another few steps and she rounded a curve to find Tarin stretched out beneath a tree in the shade. She darted behind the nearest tree to watch him. He tugged a handkerchief from his jacket pocket and mopped his brow before glancing around. She hid and then faded. Stepping carefully, she approached him, knowing her feet would crush the grass and give her away, but Tarin wasn't paying attention.
"How does one get out of this ridiculous maze?” he grumped.
She giggled and covered her mouth. His eyes lit and he looked in her direction.
"Gabriella?"
She longed to kick him and didn't answer.
"My Rose, if you're there, please speak to me.” He started to rise, but she pushed him down again and climbed onto his lap. Comfort seeped into every pore of her body and she laid her head against his shoulder.
Tarin wrapped his arms around her and sought her mouth. She gave herself to him. They kissed for long seconds, Doshi drinking greedily from his love and offering him her own.
"Tarin,” she whispered against his mouth. She pulled back and covered his lips with her fingertips thinking he might utter her sister's name again. He grasped her wrist and kissed her fingers, one by one.
She felt him stiffen beneath her. Just one more time, her mind screamed. No one had to know. The guards, Gabriella, none knew this maze like she did. They wouldn't stumble onto this place in a million years. She could lay with Tarin again, let him fill her aching body. He wanted it as much as she did.
Tarin framed her face with his hands, touching his forehead to hers. “I cannot resist you another second. I've tried. These past few weeks have been hell."
She was thrilled. He hadn't slept with her sister, though she was sure it wasn't for lack of trying on Gabriella's part. In that moment, she made her decision. She needed him. If she couldn't have him the rest of her life, just this time mattered.
She opened her mouth to accept what she knew he was proposing, when a loud crack broke the stillness in the air and birds erupted from the nearby trees. She stared into her lover's eyes as a burning pain spread across her back.
She slumped forward and heard his cry as he rolled the two of them into the bushes behind the tree. Tarin covered her with his body, but the pain in her back was making her lose consciousness. As the blackness began to close in on her, she saw her prince's worried face above her. And then she saw his shock.
"Doshi?"
Chapter Seven
Doshi woke to a cottony mouth and damp hands. She opened her eyes to find Lin sleeping in a cot at her bedside, clutching both her hands. She eased out of her maid's hold and rubbed her palms along the sheets to dry them.
A pitcher of water sat on her night stand and she wondered briefly if she'd have the strength to lift it. The dull ache in her back made her hesitant to move. As if on cue, Lin sat up, stretched and leaned to pour Doshi a glass of water. “I'm glad you're finally awake, your highness."
Doshi waited until she'd downed two glasses before questioning the girl. “What happened, Lin?"
"You don't remember anything?"
She moved to roll onto her back, but Lin held her to her left side. “You must stay on your side, your highness. A few more days should do it."
"Do what?” She queried and then remembered. She sat up quickly only to cry out and fall backward. Lin caught her and eased her to her side again.
"Your highness, you were..."
"I know.” Doshi interrupted. “How is Tarin? Is he all right? Please tell me, Lin.” She didn't care that her feelings were apparent in her voice. She needed to know that the man she loved was safe.
"He's well.” Lin turned away to fold her sheets.
Doshi wasn't fooled. “What aren't you telling me?"
Lin didn't answer.
"If you don't tell me everything, I will get up right now,” Doshi threatened, though she didn't think she'd have the strength after that last attempt.
Lin sighed. “His majesty has returned to his home in Lockmoor."
"His majesty?” Doshi caught the title change.
Lin nodded. “At the same time someone was attempting to kill him, his father died."
Doshi gasped. “Not a successful assassination!"
"No, the king was ill as you've heard. He had just reached the end of his endurance. Prince Tarin had already received a missive from his father's doctor asking him to come home.” Lin paused again. “Prince Tarin was deciding whether to take Princess Gabriella with him."
Doshi's heart plummeted to her toes. So her memories were faulty or Tarin did not care that the woman he had been having an affair with was his intended bride's sister.
Lin continued. “He didn't take her."
"What?"
Lin stood and folded her cot. “From what I have been able to learn from the servants who would know, Prince Tarin has cancelled his arrangements to marry Princess Gabriella. Under the circumstances, the king has accepted without protest."
Doshi turned her face into her pillow, tears quickly soaking the material. So she would not have to endure watching her sister mother her prince's children. She wouldn't have to visit and watch them unable to keep from touching one another.
"What changed his mind about Gabriella being his queen?"
The impertinent maid grinned from ear to ear. “Well, this I heard with my own ear pressed against the library door."
Doshi raised a censoring eyebrow, but Lin ignored it.
"His majesty, King Tarin, confessed to your father that he'd been having an affair with you."
Doshi paled. All at once, she felt the room spin wildly about her. He couldn't have told her father that. What would the king think of his younger daughter now?
"Please tell me, Lin, that he didn't say that. Please tell me you're jesting."
Lin shook her head as she stroked Doshi's hair. “Don't worry, princess. It won't be so hard being a queen. I will be there to support you and help you with the children, too."
Doshi trembled. Just the sweet thought of having Tarin's babies sent chills of lo
nging over her flesh, but it was a ridiculous dream.
"He hasn't asked me to marry him, Lin. Did he even say anything about marriage to my father?"
Lin shrugged. “I'm not sure. They began a discussion on how he needed to handle the situation of his attempted killer."
"Then he knows who did it?"
Lin nodded. “Yes, his cousin. He's next in line for the throne since King Tarin is an only child. He hoped to be crowned."
Doshi pressed a hand to her throat. “That's awful. How could he do that?"
Lin shook her head and strolled to the door to shout for a footman, before measuring out a dose of medicine for Doshi. “Everyone's family is not as close as yours is, my princess."
She yawned, drowsiness already stealing over her mind and body. She was grateful, not wanting to think about the fact that her love had left with no word and no concern for her health. As a single tear rolled down onto her pillow, she slipped off into sleep.
* * * *
Doshi was finally out of bed for short periods. Her father had visited her often but refused to discuss Tarin. He had not allowed her to discuss anything more than the silly roses Lin filled the room with or the unseasonably warm weather. She was not interested in either.
She collapsed in a chair near her window as Lin arranged a soft pillow behind her back. “I don't see why he won't talk about the situation with me. Is he mad at me, Lin? He smiles and pats my hand, but that's all."
"He's in shock, your highness. Give the king time. He'll come around."
She shook her head. “I don't think so. I've disappointed him. I've heard the girls whispering.” She sniffled. “They call me the Invisible Rose because no one knew I was just as much of a whore as my sister.” She bent forward in her chair and cried bitterly. Lin tucked a shoulder beneath her and stroked the left side of her back.
"They don't know how much you love him, your highness,” Lin told her. “They're idiots."
"Oh Lin. I do love him. And I can't bear being apart from him. My own sister hasn't visited me. I know she'll never speak to me again."