The man nodded and stepped to the side to allow Eduardo past. When he entered the room, Eduardo was surprised to see Liliana sitting on the bed with her arm wrapped in a stretch of cloth and her long hair down past her shoulders, framing her lovely face in gentle waves.
Her beauty overwhelmed him and he forced himself to stay focused. He had to keep her safe.
“What’s going on?” Liliana asked. “Why are you worried?”
“Someone is at the doors.” Eduardo turned to face the door he’d just entered through and listened for sounds of fighting outside.
Liliana stepped closer to him, remaining silent but looking at him, then toward the door, and back again. After a moment she whispered. “I think I hear someone approaching.”
Eduardo took her uninjured arm, and positioned her behind him. “Do you know how to use a dagger?” He slid his dagger out of the sheath and held it toward her, hilt first.
“Not really,” she said. “Besides the fact that this part should go in first.”
Eduardo looked at her, then laughed unexpectedly at the comment. She was a delightful contradiction in so many things. Liliana met his eyes, then smiled at him.
“It’ll be okay,” she said.
“I believe you’re right,” Eduardo said. “I hear no signs of fighting.”
“Do you think it was a messenger?” Liliana asked.
The thought of that worried him. If it was a messenger for Vincente, it would be bad enough, but with the sound of more footsteps approaching, Eduardo doubted the news would be good.
Muffled voices could be heard through the thick wooden door then a knock followed by Carlos’s voice. “Your Highness. There is news from the palace.”
Eduardo opened the door, keeping Liliana behind him still and his hand returning to his hilt. “What is it?” Eduardo asked.
“There has been an attempt made on your father, the king’s, life.”
“Is he alive?” Eduardo asked.
“Yes, Your Highness. But it is a grave injury.”
“What of my mother?” Eduardo asked.
The man shook his head. “I don’t know, Your Highness. There was no news of her, only the instructions that you were to return home immediately.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Lily could feel the worry radiating off Eduardo. She was certain he felt concern for his father and that if the man died, Eduardo would be required to take over, but she knew his biggest fear was that something had happened to the queen.
It was obvious Eduardo adored his mother. She had only met the woman briefly, but knew she would come to love the woman more than a mother if given the chance to remain nearby.
“Get my horse ready. I’ll leave immediately.” Eduardo turned to Liliana. “You will remain here where you’ll be safe. I’ll send for you as soon as things are right.”
“No,” Lily said.
Eduardo looked at her, his eyes widening.
“I’m coming with you now.”
“It’s too dangerous,” Eduardo said. “You have to think of your injury and your health.”
“I am,” Lily said. “My injury will heal there just the same as it would here. And I’m your wife, and I will be going back with you.”
“You can’t ride a horse that far at the speed I must travel.”
Lily grabbed his arm. “You can’t ride the horse either. You’ll be exposed to anyone who would want to harm you.”
“I have to take that chance.”
“No, you don’t, now listen to me. If there was an attempt on your life today, as well as on your parents, there is a plan to wipe out your family. Someone wants to gain control of your kingdom. And if you go rushing off like a crazy man, you’ll play right into their hands.”
“What do you propose I do?” Eduardo asked.
“Make a decoy.” Lily looked at the closed door. “Do you trust all your guards?”
“With my life.”
“Good. And what about those who work here?”
Eduardo nodded. “Many of them.”
“Then consider this. Send the carriage I arrived in. Place some people inside it to take our place. The two of us will go in another carriage or a wagon or anything, wearing clothes that no one would expect royalty to wear. The carriage will travel the same road we came on. If there is another route we could take to return to the palace, we will take that one. We can pass through without notice and be sure you aren’t followed. That way, if there is another attempt made toward the carriage holding our decoys, we’ll know for sure.”
Eduardo studied her for a moment, then took her hand. “You are a rare one, aren’t you?”
Lily felt the compliment and knew that for now, it was the best she’d get from him.
“I think your plan has merit. But are you sure you’re well enough to travel all that distance?”
“Are there other roads we could go on with a carriage?”
“For only part of the distance. We could take a wagon for a ways, then we’d have to switch to horseback for the last part of the journey. That portion would be less than a day’s ride. Can you ride a horse?”
Lily nodded. “It has been a while since I’ve been on a horse. And I’m not sure how great I’ll be with my arm injured. But if it’s less than a day, I am sure I can manage.”
Eduardo squeezed her hand, then leaned forward and kissed her forehead. He turned away and stepped out into the hallway to speak to the guard. “Bring me Diego.”
Eduardo turned back to the room. “Let’s get our things packed. There is much to do.”
***
Eduardo consulted Liliana twice more before the plans were finalized for their deception. She’d given one of her dresses to a thin framed man who would take her place as the decoy in case someone attacked the carriage itself. She didn’t want a woman to be injured, but one of the guards in Vincente’s estate could pass for a woman at a distance. Especially when wearing a gown.
The two of them donned the clothes of farmers and were placed in a wagon with a load of straw spread out over the two guards who would accompany them. They just had to get past the village where people would remember seeing them leave.
He marveled over and over at her intelligence and her fearlessness. She didn’t back down even when he asked her once again, before they climbed into the wagon, to consider staying behind and remaining safe until he made sure everything at home was taken care of.
She’d merely looked at him, shook her head and said, “I’m your wife, Eduardo. Whether you like it or not. And I’m not going to remain here with people I don’t even know while you’re off risking your life. I wouldn’t have any idea what’s happening and if there are dangers, I’d rather face them head on than hide here.”
He wished he could pull her into his arms and kiss her. Memories of her teasing kiss still haunted him, but the kiss he longed to give her now was one of thanks and gratitude. Of pride at her bravery and joy at the thought that she wanted to be with him through thick and thin. He wanted to kiss away all the thoughts of danger and worry she had endured and give her kisses of health to help her recover from an injury she’d sustained in saving his life.
He didn’t deserve her. He knew he didn’t. But when they made it through this problem and discovered who was making attempts on his family’s lives, he was going to do everything in his power to prove to her that he was worthy of her. And he would earn her trust, respect, forgiveness and love.
Eduardo took the reins of the horses at the head of the wagon and clicked his tongue, shaking the reins enough to be felt across the horses’ backs. The wagon pulled forward slowly and Eduardo looked at Liliana, sitting next to him, pretending to be a poor farm wife. Yet even with her injured arm resting close to her side and her hand on her lap, she still held herself more like a queen than anything else. It was obvious she had been born and raised for this role. She would make a fine queen. He just hoped it would be years from now before they were called on to step into that position. His mother had
to be alive. And his father too. Eduardo did not feel ready to take all leadership. He still didn’t know all the states of things in all the lands of Aragonia. That would take time.
And if the king died, Eduardo would no longer be free to visit the country and assess the way things were on his own.
***
Lily’s arm ached abominably, but she wasn’t going to let Eduardo know. She hadn’t been sure she’d be able to convince him to let her come with if he knew it still pained her. But there was no way she was going to stay in a strange place with people she didn’t know.
Ana had refused to go with the carriage pretending to transport the prince and princess and was instead tucked away inside the box of the wagon under the hay as well as the guards that would accompany them. They had a few more miles to go before they’d reach the farm where the wagon would be unloaded of the hay and the barrels and bags of supplies would be traded out allowing the guards to get their horses to ride nearby the wagon and scout out the area surrounding them.
Ana would then ride next to Lily and Eduardo on the box seat at the front.
As they traveled, there was a sense of caution, but nothing dangerous. By the time they’d traveled for an hour, Lily was bored and wanted a chance to talk to Eduardo, but she didn’t know what to say. Especially with the guards and Ana hiding behind them.
“Tell me about Aragonia,” Lily finally asked.
Eduardo turned to her for only a moment before returning his attention to the road. “I think it best if we remain silent and alert.”
Lily bit her bottom lip, trying to fight the hurt she felt at his refusal to talk to her. This wasn’t going to go as well as she’d hoped. There would be danger, sure, but she was certain they could have had a little bit of conversation as they traveled.
Lily adjusted the skirt of her dress, and made sure the dagger she’d been given was easy enough to reach if needed. She doubted there would be cause to use it. If there was an attempt on Eduardo’s life, it would be directed at the carriage instead of them.
As the minutes turned to hours and the miles disappeared behind them, Lily had run out of things to think about. She’d studied the terrain as they moved and loved the way it looked. The rolling hills as well as the dark green trees along the forested edges.
So much variety in colors and sounds and scents. She’d rarely gone anywhere besides the park in New York City and had spent lots of time in the packed neighborhoods of home. It was a lovely change to see such wide-open space and unspoiled beauty of nature.
She hadn’t realized how much she was missing by living in the city, but Lily knew she could stay here forever. If Eduardo would only show a little sign that he wanted her to.
She looked back at him, and his eyes were everywhere but on her. She knew he wanted to be sure they remained safe. She had felt the shame he’d expressed that she’d been injured because of him so she could understand his reluctance to let his guard down.
When they reached the castle and made sure everything was fine there, she’d have to make her final decision on if she’d stay or return to her own time. If she left now, it would be too much of a shock for Eduardo. And he needed to keep his wits about him so he could make sure his family and country were safe.
***
Eduardo wished he could have indulged Liliana’s desires to talk about his country. But he could not allow himself to lose his focus on keeping her safe. He longed to take her hand in his and allow the horses to pull the wagon at their own leisure pace, but speed was important.
He had to make it in time to speak with his father, and to find out what had happened to his mother. The horses needed to be guided by strong control and he urged them even faster. When they reached the farm he’d been given directions to, Eduardo pulled the wagon to the side of the house and tapped the back of the seat to let the guards inside know they’d arrived.
A young boy stepped out from behind the building.
“Where is the man of the house?” Eduardo asked.
“I’ll go get my papa.” The boy hurried away and in moments returned with a man behind him.
Eduardo took hold of his knife in preparation. “Are you Sebastián?”
The man nodded. “I was sent a message about you. You are welcome to unload the contents of your wagon here. All is as you requested.”
Eduardo stepped off the wagon and walked to the back of it. He lifted the edge of the straw and spoke to his guard inside. The two men then stood, pressing up the woven tarp that had separated them from the hay. The hay fell to the ground off the side of the wagon and the three bodies hiding underneath climbed out and breathed a sigh of relief.
Liliana had climbed off the other side of the wagon and rushed over to her to lady’s maid then embraced her with one arm.
“Are you okay?” she asked. The girl nodded and Liliana moved her away from the rest of them so the men and the farmer and his son could remove the remaining hay from the wagon. In less time than he had anticipated, the contents of the wagon were changed over and replaced with the barrels and other items. His guards were supplied with their horses, and the farmer’s wife had fed them a quick meal and they were once again on their way.
As they traveled, Liliana and her maid talked in whisper voices, and at times he wished he could be a part of what they said.
Liliana questioned Ana on things that they saw as they traveled. The girl went into detail with all the answers she gave, making Liliana happier than he’d seen her in a while. The woman was enthralled with the country and beauties of Aragonia, and Eduardo wished he would have taken the chance to be the one to tell her. But he’d refused and she’d not asked again.
He flicked the reins of the horses, encouraging them to quicken their pace. The sooner they arrived at the palace the sooner he could take care of the problems that had arisen and then he could find a way to make his bride fall in love with him. Since he had fallen so hard for her.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Lily could feel the difference in Eduardo as the day wore on. The closer they got to home the more worried he became. She wished she knew how to ease his fears, but until they knew the state of the king’s health and the information about his mother, there was nothing she could do.
Eduardo pushed forward, late into the night, until his guards finally convinced him to pull the wagon to the side of the road.
“If we keep going in the dark, the horses could step in a hole or the wagon wheels might hit a rut. We can’t afford the time it would take to fix one of those issues. It would be best if we slept under the stars tonight and continued on at first light.”
Eduardo looked at Lily. “I’m sorry, Princess. I should have stopped at that last inn. I had hoped to reach the next village by now.”
“I don’t mind,” Lily said. “I have nothing against sleeping under the stars. The night is warm enough.”
Eduardo nodded reluctantly and instructed his soldiers to move the barrels out of the wagon, then lay the bags of grain out flat as much as possible to provide a comfortable place for Lily and Ana to sleep. Eduardo insisted on sleeping on the ground at the end of the wagon while one of the guards took the first shift of watching.
Ana made Lily a tea that tasted suspiciously as if it had some of that medicine in it that took away her pain, but also put her to sleep almost instantly. As she drifted off to sleep, she felt a little guilty that she would be blissfully unaware of anything that happened through the night, but was happy to know she wouldn’t feel a thing. Before her eyes closed for the final time, she saw Eduardo looking at her with concern as well as compassion for her. She knew she’d be perfectly safe with him there to guard her.
He was a good man and she was lucky to have been brought into his life.
***
Eduardo had taken the third watch and as soon as the dawn’s light broke over the horizon enough he was certain they could travel with safety, Eduardo prepared a meal of dried meat and some of the remaining bread and cheese they’d brough
t with them. He didn’t want to take a risk of rekindling the fire from the night before so he made sure there was water to drink then woke the rest of his group and they were ready to go in a short time.
Liliana and Ana were quick to ready themselves for travel and as Liliana had the girl help her with the fabric she’d made for her arm, Eduardo watched her carefully to make sure there wasn’t any sign of infection or fever. His wife seemed fine, giving Eduardo a sense of relief and he helped her up into the seat.
Liliana smiled at him, warming his heart even more.
“Are you all situated and ready to go?”
She nodded and turned her attention back to Ana to help the girl climb up as well and Eduardo felt the sense of loss. She wasn’t going to speak to him today. He probably deserved it. And it would make things move faster if he could just focus on driving the horse team to the point where they would abandon the wagon and then continue on horseback.
But he wished she would talk with him. He’d been trained in so many ways how to be a man. How to fight with sword and dagger to keep himself and others safe. He’d been taught how to negotiate with other leaders and how to insist his men and those who owed him fealty followed his will. But he’d never been shown how to woo a woman. How to earn her trust. How to treat her as the queen she would become. His mother had taught him so much about how to respect women. But when it came to actually developing a relationship with his own wife, he was at a loss.
It would take time and patience. The patience he thought he would eventually come to understand, but he wasn’t sure how much time he would have. He wasn’t sure if it was because of the threat against the king and even the attempt on his own life, or if there was something else going on but he felt a sense of urgency. Eduardo looked at Liliana again, knowing that if he wasn’t careful, he would lose his lovely wife.
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