”Madam! What are you talking about? You mustn’t jest.” He stood. “I’m afraid I must ask you to leave.”
She remained in her chair. “Sir, I assure you I am the princess. Quite some time ago, I gave Rowan Leinster letters to deliver to certain people in my country.” She gave him a sharp look. “You know this, and I know that you know. Rowan . . , Leinster told me he had to check with you first about the mission.” She sat back, hands folded in her lap. “Please don’t tell me you don’t know about this.”
Looking worried, the minister returned to his seat. “Madam, if what you tell me is true–and I have no reason to doubt you–then surely you know you have put your life in danger by coming here.”
“Sir, who knows my identity?” She indicated her clothes. “You see how plainly I’m dressed, no silks, no jewels. But please answer my question, my very purpose for coming here. What have you heard from Rowan Leinster? If he has returned, he hasn’t contacted me.” She held her breath, clenching her hands in her lap. Rowan, please come back to me.
A look of sadness crossed his face. “My lady, I haven’t heard a thing since he left, many days ago. I fear . . .” He bit his lip.
She sat forward in her chair. Her heart thudded against her ribs. “Yes, what?”
“I pray to the Goddess that nothing has harmed him. But I expected him back days ago.” He shook his head. “Obviously something has detained him. I only wish I knew what.”
* * *
First knocking on the door but receiving no answer, Doreen turned the knob and entered the widow’s quarters. A pile of freshly-laundered clothes in her hands, she walked from room to room, surprised no one was about. Truly odd, she thought; she couldn’t recall a time when neither the lady nor her maid was here.
In the lady’s bedroom, she pulled out a drawer of the clothes chest. The aroma of lavender floated her way as she set the underclothes in the drawer. Pushing clothes aside, she found a bottle of perfume and dabbed a bit behind her ears and on her wrists. She smoothed her hand over a linen shift edged with lace, wishing she had such lovely things. Lifting a silk stocking, she let it slide from one hand to another. With no one else here, curiosity tempted her. She eased out a drawer at the top, finding a small silver box inside. She raised the lid and gasped–jewels! More jewels than she had ever imagined–rings, bracelets, necklaces. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to own all these gems! Tempted to grab a ring, she resisted the urge. Her mother had always taught her honesty. Besides, if a ring went missing, suspicion would fall on all the servants.
She closed the box and then the drawer, continually listening for any sound. The lady and her maid might return at any moment. She opened another top drawer and found something that looked like a crown. She searched her mind for the word–tiara! Why would a widow own a tiara? She didn’t know a thing about rich people except that they had lots of money, she thought with an attempt at humor.
Her eyes caught something she’d missed–an envelope that lay under the tiara. She picked up the envelope and withdrew the letter, the parchment crackling. The letter was addressed in her own language, to Princess Allegra. Princess! How could that be? No one had told any of the servants that this lady was a princess. And a princess from where?
About to leave, she heard a door open. A thrill of alarm flashed through her. Quickly, she recovered, pretending she was just putting the clothes away.
The lady stopped outside her room and stared at her. Pink spots blossomed on her cheeks. Hah! She’s afraid I discovered her secret. “Oh, ma’am,” Doreen said. “I knocked
on the door but no one answered.” The truth! “I was just putting your clothes away.”
“Very well. If you’re done, you may leave.”
“Yes, ma’am.” She hid her smirk until she left the room. Just wait ‘til she told Morfran what she’d learned.
Chapter Ten
Prince Arnou met with his advisors at the Castle Vaden, a meeting he’d called in response to a request from one of his men. Even though it was late spring, a chill clung to the air, and snow still layered the ground. A fierce wind blew through the slits in the castle walls.
The prince looked toward one of his advisors. “Now, you tell me you have news. This had better be important.”
“Indeed, sir.” He licked his lips. “Just recently, I was able to blackmail a member of the war faction, something about his past he wanted to hide. But the important thing is, the war faction has discovered Princess Allegra’s location.”
“What!” The prince shot him a sharp look, while everyone talked at once.
“When?”
“How?”
“Where is she?”
The prince waited a few moments for the talk to die down. “Let’s hear him speak.”
“Sir, it was only yesterday that I spoke with this member. For the second time, the war faction sent one of their spies to Avador, since they were unsuccessful the first time. He bribed a guard at one of the royal palaces. The spy was told not to act on his own but to return with the news. After that, the cabal intends to send assassins. Sir, if we hurry, I believe we can beat the assassins and capture the princess.”
The prince’s eyes lit with anticipation. “No time to lose! Where is the princess?”
“Sir, there’s a village called Mag Bregha, not far from the capital. Princess Allegra resides in a royal palace there. The palace is guarded, but as I say, the spy bribed one of the guards. Something to note–the princess rarely appears outside, except when she goes riding.”
Prince Arnou frowned. “But it should be a simple matter to overpower the guards and rescue the princess, or in the case of the war faction, to assassinate her.” He shook his head. “No, that must not happen. We must reach the princess first.”
The advisor spoke again. “It’s a huge palace with many rooms. Even the guards don’t know just what rooms the princess calls her own. Anyone who wants to find the princess would have to search room by room. And I believe most of these palaces have a secret passageway for escape. So if we want to capture the princess, we will have to use guile or wait until she goes riding.”
“Either way, I intend to win.” The prince rang a bell, and immediately one of his henchmen appeared. Tossing him a bag of coins, he gave him instructions on finding the princess. “Take as many men as you need. You’re clever, that’s why I hired you so long ago. So either use one of your tricks to find the princess in her palace, or wait until she goes riding. But bring her back to me, unharmed. Ride as fast as possible and stop only to rest the horses. If you succeed, you and your men will get extra coins.” He nodded in dismissal. “That is all.”
“Yes, sir!”
* * *
Avador, several days later
“My lady, he’s coming!”
The princess pressed her hand to her heart. “Who’s coming?” But she knew, oh, yes, she knew! Tears filled her eyes as Elsa turned from the window.
“Oh, my lady, I’m so happy for you. I feared . . . well, never mind what I feared. But he’s here, now!”
Allegra brushed her tears away. “Thank you, Arridano,” she murmured. You kept him safe. Still, she wondered what had detained him; she had expected him back days ago. All this worry, this agony of waiting and soon he’d be here, with her! Time passed as she paced the floor, thinking of all she wanted to say to him, hearing what he had to tell her about his journey to her country.
She heard a knock on the door, the most beautiful sound in the world.
“My lady!” Rowan stepped inside, and her heart throbbed with happiness. How she wanted to rush into his arms, kiss him and hold him, tell him never to leave her again. Words stuck in her throat. “Rowan,” was all she could say.
“Bad news, my lady! Just returned from the Minister of State, who informed me that the war faction has sent assassins after you. They’ve discovered that you reside here. We must hurry and leave, go somewhere else!”
“How does the Minister of State know this?”
“We have our sp
ies in Fomoria.. Please hurry, we must leave.”
“Again!”
“I’m afraid so. Pack only what you need for the next day or so.” He turned and addressed the maid. “Elsa, we will come for you later. In the meantime, pack the princess’s possessions, and we will fetch you and them soon.
“Elsa!” she cried. “What about her? What if someone comes after her?”
“I’ve already thought of that. I hired more guards, heavily armed. They’re on their way.”
“Good!” Recognizing the need for haste, Allegra hurried to her bedchamber and returned within minutes, a velvet bag in her hand. She had to know. “The letters?”
“Delivered. We will talk later.”
He took the bag from her. “We’ll leave now. I have a horse bridled and saddled for you.”
Soon they were on their way, after she bade Elsa a hurried and tearful goodbye. They started at a canter but soon galloped, making talk difficult. Still, she had to know. “Where are we going?”
“To my apartment, for now.” He said no more, and she left the question in abeyance.
Time for more questions later.
They rode as fast as possible, villages and farmland passing by in a blur.
She wanted to ask him about her country and what he’d seen, but--
Zing! An arrow whizzed past her, then another.
“My lady! We must get out of here!”
She glanced behind her and saw several horsemen, all of them notching an arrow. Her heart pounded, her skin ice cold. “Ah, no!”
“Hurry, my lady!”
“We’ll get you, Princess,” she heard a man call behind her. “ You can’t get away from us!” Shivers raced down her arms.
They spurred their horses faster, soon reaching the East-West Road. Arrows fell harmlessly beside her, but too close, too close!
“Take a side road!” Rowan indicated a small dirt track, and they veered in that direction.
“Moytura!” he shouted. “I know the city by heart. We’ll lose ‘em there.”
But would they make it to the city in time? She looked behind her and saw the horsemen still in pursuit.
She rode like she’d never ridden before, no, not even when she had left Elegia. Turning around one more time, she saw the horsemen gaining on them. They’d never make it to the city. Nausea rose in her stomach; she swallowed spasmodically.
Up ahead, a farmer approached the road from one of the fields, leading a flock of sheep. If only they could ride past before the sheep crossed the road. . . !
Yes, they made it! She breathed a long sigh of relief as the sheep started across after them, blocking the road. Still, they galloped on. They couldn’t stop now. She looked behind her one more time and saw the horsemen far back, unable to pass the flock, unable to ride around.
Reaching the city from the west, they skirted the warehouses until they came to the main section of Moytura.
Now that danger was past–she hoped–they slowed their horses and Rowan spoke in quieter tones. “The city was built with winding, convoluted streets to hinder foreign invaders.” And indeed, they rode in a circuitous manner, often seeming to backtrack. They walked their horses as they came to the populous section of the city with its many shops.
Once more, she looked behind her but saw no sign of the horsemen. Still, she feared they weren’t clear of danger. She turned her head toward Rowan. “Now where are we going?”
“To my apartment. I had thought to take you to a vacant apartment, but with these men in pursuit, I must change plans. From there . . .” The sentence remained unfinished, leading her to wonder if he intended for her to stay at his apartment indefinitely. A myriad of arousing thoughts cascaded in her mind.
Yet an overwhelming fear still nagged. Was she out of danger?
Still walking their horses, they entered a residential part of the city, a pleasant and appealing area, with tall buildings and wide streets, lush with trees and bushes. She had never seen anything so fine, not even in her own capital city.
They stopped at a magnificent stone building, with wide steps leading up to its entrance. Rowan dismounted, then reached for her, his hands warm at her waist, his gaze meeting hers. After tying the horses’ reins to a railing, he led her to the entrance. A man in uniform there greeted them.
Returning the greeting, Rowan offered the man a silver coin. “Keep an eye on the horses, will you, Karney? I’ll come for them when it’s dark.”
“Yes, sir,” he said, opening the door for them.
Rowan turned back. “And another thing, Karney–“
”Yes, sir?”
“Be watchful if any strangers come here. I will check with you later.”
“Very good, sir. I will do as you ask.”
His hand under her elbow, Rowan guided her through the entranceway. They stepped inside a tiny room, the smallest room she could imagine. What was this?
Her pulse quickened. “What is this room?”
He squeezed her hand. “You’ll see, and don’t be afraid when it starts moving.”
“Moving? What are you talking about?”
“It’s a magic moving room.” He uttered strange words, then gestured with his hands in an odd manner. The door closed, and the room began moving!
Her stomach sank. She grabbed his arm. “Rowan, what’s happening?”
“My lady, please don’t be afraid.” He squeezed her hand again. “We’re just taking this small room up to my apartment.”
Soon, the small room stopped. More strange words from Rowan made the door open. She would have fallen had Rowan not held her. Near faint with relief, she stepped out. She vowed never to ride that room again, a useless vow, for they would have to leave by the same manner.
They walked down a carpeted hallway until they reached a door. “Is this door magic, too?” she asked on a breathless note. She’d had enough of magic!
He grinned as he dug a key from his tunic pocket and held it up for her to see. They entered his apartment, a spacious area that consisted of several rooms. The sitting room was tastefully done in shades of peach and lavender, an odd combination, she thought, yet pleasing in its entirety.
“This room was already decorated,” he explained, as if reading her mind. “But on to more important concerns. My lady, sit down wherever you feel comfortable. We have much to discuss. My cook has left for the day, but I can make tea, if you like.”
“Not now, thank you.” Her stomach still roiled with nausea, and she dreaded having to leave the building. Worry, too, gnawed at her insides. “Tell me, what are we going to do now?” She heard the panic in her voice and forced herself to speak with a calmness she didn’t feel. “Am I going to stay here with no end in sight? Where can I be sure I’ll be safe?” She thought for a moment. “And what about the horses?”
Sitting across from her, he gave her a frank look. “My lady, I will try to answer your questions one at a time. You–we–are not going to stay here. We will leave here when it gets dark, once I’m sure no danger threatens you from the assassins. We will take our horses, and we will go to a place where I know you’ll be safe.” He paused, as if to say more but left the words hanging.
“But where are you taking me?”
“To the Otherworld.”
Chapter Eleven
“To the Otherworld!” Allegra gave Rowan a long look. Her expression told him she feared he’d lost his mind. And maybe he had. Yet this was what he’d planned on doing, should danger threaten her. Nothing must happen to Allegra, this woman who meant so much to him and whom he must protect. Since the assassins remained in this area–and he had no doubt that they did–she couldn’t stay in the vacant apartment. For if she did, she would be a virtual prisoner, never able to go outside, to ride, or to visit the shops here in the capital. And the assassins might yet discover her location.
“My lady, I’ve never been more serious. We may have lost these assassins for now–and I’m not even certain of that–but I’m afraid they will come again.
They’ll keep coming ‘til they succeed.” He shook his head. “That mustn’t happen. I will keep you safe.”
She frowned. “Elsa will worry so.”
“And I’m sorry about that, but it can’t be helped. It would be far worse for her–and for you–if you came to any harm.”
“That is so.” She drew herself up, as if sloughing off her worries. “When shall we leave?”
“After dark. I’ll go downstairs shortly, ask the guard if he’s seen any strangers lurking. I assume these assassins are from Fomoria. Who but the war faction would want your. . . demise? And what about this prince you once spoke of?”
“I know very little about him, only what my father told me years ago.” She drew a deep breath. “So much I don’t know.”
“Nor I, except that you must not suffer peril.” He wanted to go to her, hold her close to his heart, tell her she had nothing to fear. But she had much to fear, no denying that.
“One thing I wanted to ask you,” she said, “if something detained you in Fomoria when you went to deliver the letters. I expected you back sooner.”
“Sick,” he said. “I, who have rarely been sick in my life, was struck with a lung illness that started as a cold. But I’m fine now.”
“I’m so sorry you were sick.” She smiled then, a smile that went straight to his heart. “And very glad you are better now.”
He looked out the wide window at the gathering darkness, aware they should leave soon. Turning from the window, he grabbed a tinder box and moved about the room, lighting the beeswax candles. That done, he clenched his hands, but quickly loosened them, hoping and praying to the Goddess that all would go well, that their journey to the Otherworld would keep her free from danger.
He thought back over her arrival in Avador. In hindsight, he realized that she should have been taken to a nondescript abode, a place that no one would ever suspect of harboring a princess. Not a palace.
He sighed. “My lady, I’ve considered all possibilities for keeping you safe. For now, I think the Otherworld is best.”
Allegra's Dream (Avador Book 4, a Books We Love Fantasy Romance) Page 6