“Oh really? I don’t remember anyone putting you in charge, Peter!” Lisa’s indignant voice cut through Marie’s thoughts.
“Well, someone has to be.” Despite his bold attitude, Marie could read a hint of uncertainty in his face.
Peter’s expression, coupled with her friend’s words, reminded her what was really going on. This wasn’t about whether Marie was willing to serve in the kitchens – this was a power play. And gaining the upper hand in such situations was exactly what Marie had spent her life learning to do.
Her mind instantly began to consider what it would take to bring the entire rebel camp under her influence. After all, she had come to the one place where her true parentage meant more than her adoptive one. She was as close as it could come to rebel royalty, wasn’t she?
But the plans had no sooner formed when she discarded them just as quickly. She hadn’t come here to lead the rebels. She still didn’t even know if she wanted to acknowledge her birth father. It would be weakness, not strength, to let her pride push her into a role she didn’t even want.
She reached out and placed a hand on Lisa’s arm. The other girl turned to look at her, clearly winding up for an argument with Peter.
“It’s all right, Lisa,” she said, “I’m happy to help out. Who knows, maybe I’ll manage to claim an extra serve of that delicious breakfast.” She winked at the two siblings and earned a smile from Danny.
Peter turned and marched out of the cavern.
“What’s his problem?” asked Lisa, clearly still annoyed with him. “You’d think he’d be happy to have someone fall into line so easily.”
“He was probably hoping for a bit of a fight. Or at least for Marie to look upset about it,” said Danny.
“Upset about what?” Rafe strolled up to them, tossing an apple into the air and catching it lightly.
“Apparently, Marie’s been reassigned to kitchen duties. By the high and mighty Peter, no less.” Lisa made a face and turned to Marie. “I bet when you get there, the head volunteer will have no idea what you’re talking about and claim she never asked for extra help.”
Danny let out a snort of laughter. “It wouldn’t surprise me.” He shook his head. “It’s just too bad we don’t have a clearer hierarchy outside the kitchen. There’s no question who’s in charge there. I’m sure the rest of camp would run more smoothly with that kind of authority structure in place. Especially given how often R seems to be away on recruiting trips.”
Rafe had been watching Marie with concern while his friends spoke, but Danny’s comment made him grin. “Have you ever spent any time in a large kitchen? I can assure you, absolute order is essential.”
“Oh, you’ve spent a lot of time in large kitchens, have you?” asked Marie.
He slung an arm around her shoulders. “Never underestimate me, my dear Marie, I’m a man of many talents.”
His easy assurance made her smile, and she tried not to focus on his touch – the first since her bungled attempts at flirtation the day before.
“You know, you’ve never given us any details of your history, Rafe.” Lisa put her hands on her hips. “Except for those outlandish stories you like to tell which I’m sure are entirely made up.”
Rafe began to protest his innocence, but she brushed his words aside and continued. “You’re going to have to tell us all about yourself one day, you know.”
“All shall certainly be revealed… one day,” agreed Rafe. His tone remained light, but he dropped his arm from Marie’s shoulders, and she noticed a shadow in his eyes.
Lisa’s words were clearly meant jokingly, but they reminded Marie of how much the kingdom was relying on Rafe. And how little they actually knew about him. She watched her three friends leave for the morning training session with a heavy heart.
Just before he exited the cavern, Rafe turned and met her eyes. His considering expression matched her own mood, and she could feel the weight of unspoken words between them.
In another moment he was gone, and Marie was the only one left standing in the dining cave. She rubbed her hand across her eyes. The light-hearted foresters made it easy to forget that none of this was a game.
Chapter 14
Lisa’s prediction turned out to be accurate. The efficient and authoritative young woman in charge of the kitchens seemed bemused at receiving an extra volunteer.
“Not that I’m one to turn down help,” she said. “You look strong enough to be of use.”
Marie decided to take the words as a compliment and was soon laughing with the other volunteers as they scrubbed dishes and prepared the midday meal.
The kitchen rebels seemed a cheery bunch and it was even easier to forget the true purpose of the camp in their light and airy cavern than it had been with the rest of the rebels. The hard work made her muscles ache and she was sure that between archery, sword practice and the kitchens, she’d managed to use every muscle in her body in the last two days. She could only hope she would harden up soon. The foresters certainly seemed unaffected by it all.
She helped serve the meal and then took a plate for herself. Winding her way through the crowd, she looked for her friends’ familiar faces. She quickly latched on to Rafe, who was waving her over to sit with him, but was surprised to see no sign of Danny or Lisa. She recognised one of his companions, though, the hunter who had signalled him the day before.
Rafe introduced her to the group and it quickly became clear that they had all just returned from a successful hunting expedition. Guiltily, Marie felt glad that her shift in the kitchen was over. She wouldn’t have to help prepare the deer they had brought back.
Rafe wolfed down his food so fast that Marie kept expecting him to choke. As soon as he’d finished, he leapt to his feet. One of the other young men raised his eyebrows at this strange behaviour, but none of them commented on it. Rafe signalled to Marie with his head, and she quickly abandoned her half-full plate to follow him.
A quiet chuckle chased them out of the cavern, and Marie flushed slightly at what the hunters must now be thinking. But she also applauded Rafe’s skilful manoeuvring. She wondered if he had joined the hunting expedition with this in mind. They would certainly never have been able to escape from Danny and Lisa so easily. And if it meant they had a chance to talk alone, it didn’t matter if a few of the young men thought they had snuck out for an assignation.
Rafe led her out of the cave system without comment and didn’t stop until they were well into the forest, past the stream. When they reached a small clearing, he whirled around so quickly that Marie almost collided with him.
“What are you thinking?” She had never heard him use such a harsh tone before, and for a moment she was too taken aback to think of a response. “Do you have any idea how dangerous it is for you to be out here? I know your brother had some crazy ideas, but I didn’t suspect it of you!”
The mention of William released an unexpected swell of anxiety and before she could stop them, Marie’s eyes misted over. She blinked hard and repressed the tears before more could follow.
Rafe had already seen them, though, and his expression softened. He stepped forward, as if he meant to take her in his arms, but instead he ran both hands through his hair and turned to pace the short length of the clearing.
“I’m sorry, I’m just going a little mad with worry here,” he said when he faced her again. “I’m only one man. I’ll do my best, but I can’t protect you against a camp full of rebels.”
Marie softened at his words. Despite her resolution to learn to survive without a protector, her heart liked the idea of having one. She had been debating for days about how much she should tell Rafe, and she had nearly decided to tell him the whole truth. But now that it came to it, she couldn’t quite get the words out.
She liked the idea of the two of them against the world. It was exactly the sort of excitement she’d been craving. And who knew how he would react once he found out the truth about her and her connection to the rebels?
“I
t’s William,” she blurted before she could overthink it any more.
“William?” He froze, his brow furrowed. Whatever he’d been expecting her to say, that clearly wasn’t it. “If you’re about to tell me that your brother talked you into coming out here then don’t bother. I won’t believe it.”
“Of course not! He would never do that!” Marie’s vehemence seemed to convince Rafe.
“All right then, what about him?”
“He’s gone!”
“Gone?” Rafe’s question held more unease than shock.
“He disappeared the same afternoon you left. We didn’t realise he was gone until the next morning but, given how he was talking, I was sure he’d decided to come after you. We couldn’t risk sending guards in case they exposed him. So I snuck out and followed him myself.”
She hung her head and tried to look shamefaced. It wasn’t hard when she remembered her blunderings through the forest. “I nearly didn’t make it, to be honest. I definitely wouldn’t have got here if I hadn’t found your map.”
“My map?” For a moment boyish pleasure peeked through Rafe’s concern. “I did think it was a good one. And I’m impressed you found it. What did you do with it?”
“I left it there for the royal guard to find, of course.”
“That was well done.” Rafe nodded approvingly before his expression darkened. “I don’t like the thought of you wandering around the forest alone and starving, though. Anything could have happened to you!”
“That’s been exactly my fear, ever since I arrived and discovered William wasn’t here. What happened to him in the forest?”
Rafe returned to pacing, a crease between his eyes.
“I’ve been hoping that he couldn’t find the camp,” Marie continued. “He didn’t know about your plan to leave messages in Greenwood. Maybe, when he couldn’t find it, he decided to return to the palace.”
“Yes.” Rafe hesitated but then continued. “I’m sure you’re right. Or maybe you guessed wrong and he never came into the forest at all.” Rafe clearly intended his words to be reassuring, but Marie could still see the crease.
“What is it?” When he didn’t answer, Marie stepped forward and gripped his arm, holding him in place. “And don’t try to tell me it’s nothing. I can see you know something.”
“I don’t know anything for sure,” said Rafe, quickly. “It’s more of a suspicion, really. When I came here from Northgate, I couldn’t shake the feeling I was being followed. I couldn’t see anyone, and the feeling finally went away just before I arrived at camp, but still…”
“William’s been training as a soldier since he was young.” Marie bit her lip. “He’s very good at it.”
“Yes, his patrol were the ones to find us after we were forced to leave Greenwood. The other men clearly respected his skills. I can’t help but wonder if it’s possible…”
Marie’s hand on his arm tightened convulsively. Rafe gently pried it off and held it between both of his.
“Try not to worry, Marie. This is all supposition. And even if the prince did follow me, he may have just noted the location of the camp and then returned to report it. Quite a smart move if he wasn’t sure I was trustworthy.”
Rafe’s smile and self-deprecating words were almost as warming as the strong clasp of his hands. Marie found herself surprisingly reassured. Following Rafe just to learn the location of the camp was exactly the sort of thing she could imagine William doing. Enough activity and excitement to relieve his boredom without the same unconscionable risks. She smiled at Rafe.
“You’re probably right. Sorry for letting myself get carried away.”
He shook his head. “You’ve shown more courage and strength than most of the people I’ve met on my travels. Obviously, my first assessment about you was right. You’ve got all the qualities that make a good princess… and then some.”
His words should have encouraged her, but Marie couldn’t help remembering the other half of his original statement: that she didn’t look like a princess. And now she knew why. It didn’t matter how hard she had always worked to become a good royal, her true heritage was written across her face.
“I’m not a princess,” she said, forgetting herself for a moment.
Rafe laughed but cut himself off when she didn’t smile back. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Marie cursed silently and cast around for a response. “Not here. Here I’m just Marie. And I don’t want you even thinking anything else. If you slip up, we’ll both be in major trouble.”
“Oh, of course. You should have more faith in me.” Rafe’s grin returned, and he patted her hand, still gripped in his. “Don’t worry, Just Marie, I won’t be the one to betray us.”
Marie nodded, pushing away the thought that it was she who was betraying him. “Talking about the rest of the camp, we should get back. I’m sure Lisa and Danny are wondering where we are.”
“Not so fast,” said Rafe, dropping her hand and turning serious again. “Now that you’ve established that William isn’t here, you need to get back to the palace yourself.”
Marie bit her tongue and thought quickly. She should have seen that suggestion coming.
“No.” She shook her head. “I almost died in the forest on the way here and…” she tried to think of something convincing, “I got attacked by thieves before I even left the capital. The guard only just arrived in time to save me, and it was only luck they were called in the first place. Despite the dangers, I’m safer here.”
“What?” Rafe cursed and looked thunderous. He paced the small clearing again, his hands balled into fists. “Are you all right?”
“Yes, I’m fine.”
He calmed down slightly, but the murderous look didn’t entirely leave his face. “That decides it. We’re leaving right now and I’m coming with you.”
“What? No! We can’t do that! Unless you’ve found out all about the rebel plans.” Marie put her fists on her hips and stared him down, one eyebrow raised.
Rafe groaned and ran his hands through his hair again. “This is an impossible situation!”
“No, it’s not.” Marie tried to smile encouragingly. “There are two of us now – think how much more we can learn. Once we have the information we need, then we can leave together.”
Rafe sighed and seemed to deflate. “All right then. But at the first sign of danger, I’m taking you and running.”
“Whatever you like,” agreed Marie, relieved to have won his acquiescence so easily. “Tomorrow morning while I’m working in the kitchen, you should go hunting again, but see if you can sneak off to Greenwood and leave an update.”
“I’ll see what I can manage,” promised Rafe. “They must be worried sick about you.”
“Talking of worry, we really do need to get back.”
Marie led the way on their return, pleased at her improved sense of direction. She took them directly to the cave system but stopped, just before stepping out of the trees, to throw Rafe a triumphant look. He was watching her, a strange light in his eyes.
Her look turned quizzical, and he stepped in close to whisper in her ear. “You may be Just Marie for now, but you’ll always be a princess to me.”
His warm breath against her ear sent delicious chills through her, but his words produced a more mixed response. Was he trying to let her know that he wouldn’t truly forget her real station? What would he think when he discovered the truth?
She let him step into the open ahead of her, giving her a moment to suppress the flush in her cheeks. Still pondering his words, she failed to notice the increased movement around the cave mouth or the excited chatter that filled the air.
By the time she looked up, Rafe had already been swallowed by the crowd. She looked around, trying to understand what was happening, and then sucked in her breath sharply.
A whole new group of young men and women had arrived at the camp, and standing in their midst was a man who stood out, despite his short stature. His presence was un
deniable and was clearly responsible for the almost manic undercurrent to the camp.
Taking in his bronzed skin and strange appearance, Marie had to agree with both Lisa and Danny. This ‘R’ didn’t look either Lanoverian or Rangmeran.
It was an unimportant point, really. A way of putting off more personal reflections. She glanced down at her own pale arms. He didn’t look like her either. Could he really be her father?
She hung back on the outskirts of the crowd; almost wishing she had taken up Rafe’s offer to flee immediately. Now that he was in front of her, she couldn’t imagine confronting such a man with their supposed connection.
At least no one knows who I am, she thought. I just need to keep a low profile and avoid attracting his attention. Rafe and I will be gone soon enough.
Even as she was thinking it, the stranger looked up and met her eyes through the crowd. His face transformed instantly, assuming an expression she couldn’t quite read.
“Well, well, well,” he said, his voice cutting though the noise. “There’s a face I haven’t seen around here before. It seems I haven’t been the only one doing some recruiting.”
Part 2 - Loyalty
The Palace
The queen paced up and down Marie’s empty sitting room. Her eyes fell on the two trays of food that had been left in the room an hour earlier by a maid who had slipped in and out without speaking. A single tear slid down her cheek.
In a little while, she would force herself to at least pick at some of the food on both trays. She needed to keep up the façade that both her children were confined to their beds due to illness. She glanced over at Marie’s closed bedroom door and shuddered. If only her daughter really were safe in bed.
Not that she wished her sick, of course. But how many times over the years of Marie’s childhood had Queen Louise crept into her room to listen to the sweet sound of her daughter’s peaceful breathing. Just checking that she was still there – that she hadn’t been stolen from her bed by the nightmare that haunted the queen’s dreams.
The Princess Pact: A Twist on Rumpelstiltskin (The Four Kingdoms Book 3) Page 9