by Paige Elwood
Chapter 30
Max re-read the page he was on for the third time, and sighed when he reached the end and realized he’d still not absorbed a word. His mind was only ever half on the task in front of him the last few days, his ring a constant reminder that Sarah was in the castle, waiting for his answer. It pulsed on his hand, always warm. Occasionally, the vibrations intensified, and he would know that she was nearby.
Her story was insane, and yet he’d seen the sincerity in her face as she’d recounted the tale. He’d heard it said that the insane believed their own fantasies, which made them all the more dangerous, but he’d seen no signs of madness in her. And she was so… different in her ways. The way she moved, the way she spoke, the way that respecting authority was something of an afterthought for her. She was not like any woman he’d ever known, and there had to be a reason for that.
He wanted to believe her, and his heart knew that she was telling the truth, however incredible it seemed. His nanny had said that the rings had the power to bring lovers together across a great distance. Well, distances didn’t get much wider than this!
This was exactly why he’d had the replica rings created. He’d been planning for exactly this. So why wasn’t he jumping all over it now? The fact was, the idea of finding his true love was easier than the reality of it. The reality was gut-wrenching because it wasn’t guaranteed. Not for the first time, he wondered if it would have been better to have never met Sarah.
Even without her in the same room, his ring reacted to her presence in the castle, and he felt the constant pull towards her that he’d felt since the first moment he laid eyes on her. His mind worked overtime, trying to think of a way out of this situation that wouldn’t be dangerous for Sarah or upsetting for Katherine.
He couldn’t simply break off the betrothal without a good reason, the political ramifications were huge, and they would run the risk of losing Bohemian support, one of their biggest allies. With his father’s blessing it could be done, but it would need to be handled carefully.
But then, Sarah wasn’t royalty, and while it wasn’t technically forbidden to marry a non-royal, it had never been done. At the very least a royal always married somebody with noble blood, if not a direct royal. He had no idea how to get around this, but he felt he had to try.
He ran a hand across his chin, the two-day-old stubble rasping against his palm. It was time to go and meet Sarah. Could he do this? He sent a maid to her bedchamber, but she wasn’t there. The library was empty, and she wasn’t eating in the staff kitchen, although his sudden appearance in there gave the rest of the staff quite a fright.
He checked the courtyard, concern setting in as there was still no sign of her. Could she have left? The warmth of the ring on his finger told him that she was still there, somewhere. His eyes landed on the woodland area, and he recalled how much she loved to walk among nature, just like he did. They were so similar, truly two halves of the same whole. Even their little differences complemented the other, helping each other find true balance.
He followed the path and eventually found her seated next the stream, gazing out across the landscape as though in a trance. The twigs breaking under his feet alerted her to his presence and she stood, eyeing him warily as he approached.
He closed the distance between them swiftly, gathered her into his arms, and pressed his lips against hers. This was no shy, barely-there whisper of a touch, but a full, passionate kiss. She stiffened for just a second, surprised at his enthusiasm, but she quickly relaxed into his arms.
He felt like the world fell away when he kissed her. If he’d been sure before, he was absolutely certain now. They had to do whatever it took to be together. When they eventually came up for air, Sarah rested her head against his chest, and he wrapped his arms around her tightly.
“So that was a yes, right?” she said, gazing up at him with her impossibly blue eyes.
“Yes” he said, planting a kiss on the end of her delicate nose, “I don’t know how this will work, but I know we have to make it happen.”
He took her hand, and they walked out of the woods, dropping hands as they neared the edge. Max stopped a moment, pulling her in. “We need to keep this secret a little while longer. Until my father returns, and we can break the betrothal.”
Sarah nodded. “I will wait,” she said.
They left the woods, a few paces apart but both wearing enormous grins. “I wondered if my suspicions about you two were correct,” came an icy voice. Max spun to see Katherine standing by the edge of the wood.
“Katherine!” he said, his earlier good mood crashing now.
“Max.” She sighed, rubbing at the bridge of her nose. “This betrothal is not going to work.”
Confusion flooded him. He’d expected anger, retaliation. This was a… calm acceptance? He watched her like you might watch a snake about to strike at any moment.
“Did you hear me?” she asked when he didn’t respond.
“Yes,” he said. “At least I think I did. Are you saying we should call off the betrothal?”
“Don’t you want to?”
“I do,” he said. His eyes flitting to Sarah, who was watching their exchange with her arms crossed and her eyes wide.
“So do I. I love someone else.”
“Who?” Max asked. He’d not seen her with anyone other than his mother around the castle.
She smiled the first real smile Max had ever seen on her lips. “A merchant’s son from my kingdom. We met before I came here. I tried to break it off, to do the right thing but I couldn’t stay away from him. He’s too important to me to really let him go.”
“I wish it was as simple as ending the betrothal,” he said. “They’ll never let us.”
She gave a hollow laugh. “You and I are going into the history books no matter what we do. We can’t change that. But we can change what they say. We have the choice. We can be just another Prince and Princess that become a King and Queen, following the same rules and traditions as hundreds before us. Or, we can make a stand. We can go down in history for the right reasons, as the ones who broke the stupid rules.”
Applause broke the deafening silence after she finished speaking. “So, you were listening to some of my lessons on rhetoric?” Sarah said. “That was a persuasive speech.”
“I was listening to more than you know,” Katherine said. “Your words moved me, often close to tears. I felt what you were saying to be true, but you were a constant reminder that I was trapped, without the man I love.” Unshed tears shone in Katherine’s eyes.
She turned to Max. “No offense intended. I couldn’t have wished for a better Prince than you. I know you tried, and you’re kind, and gentle, and perfect in so many ways. But I don’t love you. My heart belongs with another. As does yours.” She smiled at Sarah.
“So what do we do?” Max asked. “How do we break it off.”
“I run off with my lover,” she grinned. “Leaving you free to pursue yours. Luckily for both of us, he’s arriving tonight.”
“Tonight?” Sarah squeaked.
“What about when your parents find out?” Max asked.
“That will be my problem to deal with. I daresay they will be easier to turn around than your father.” She gave them a sympathetic look.
“You’re not wrong,” Max grimaced. “But one problem at a time. Where, and what time, are you meeting Phillip?”
Chapter 31
Katherine’s nose wrinkled at the damp smell of the passageways as they dragged her bags through the narrow corridor. “So, this is where you've both been sneaking off to all this time?” she said.
“Some of the time, yes,” Sarah said. “Max has a workshop here where he invents and builds some amazing machines. I’ve been helping him with those, sometimes.”
“You really are very well suited, aren’t you?” she said.
Sarah wasn't entirely sure if this was a compliment or an insult, but Katherine seemed sincere.
“We are. Are you sure yo
u're ready for this?” Sarah asked. She couldn't really imagine Katherine as anything but a Princess. For her to be throwing away her old life and marrying a merchant was something Sarah never would have guessed would happen.
“I’m certain,” Katherine said. “I’ve never been more sure of anything before.”
Sarah was relieved that the betrothal situation had resolved itself, without it involving a lot of drama. In all of this, the main source of her conflicting feelings had always been Katherine. The idea that she was taking something away from her had been eating her up inside ever since she realized there was a connection between her and Max that went beyond friendship.
Now, her guilt was completely alleviated. Sarah felt like it must be fate.
They finally exited the passageways and scurried through the secret exit in the castle wall to where Phillip was waiting for her. They embraced eagerly, Katherine’s bags scattered around them.
“You must be Phillip,” Sarah said, grinning. “It’s nice to meet the man who melted the ice Princess.”
Katherine gave her a trademark icy glare. Phillip laughed. “She’s not as frosty as she would have you believe.” His brown eyes were kind, and he had dimples in his left cheek when he smiled. With his sandy hair and muscular build, Sarah could see how Katherine had fallen for him.
“I’m beginning to see that,” Sarah grinned. Katherine let go of Phillip, who started to load her bags into the carriage.
“Thank you, Sarah,” Katherine said. “Without you, I might not have had the courage to follow my own heart.” She pulled her into a hug, and Sarah was caught completely off guard. She slipped a piece of paper into Sarah’s hand.
“This is Phillip’s address,” she said. “Keep it safe, and don’t let it fall into the wrong hands. But if I can ever help you with anything, don’t hesitate to ask.”
“Thank you,” Sarah said. “Go, have a happy life with the man you love.” Katherine beamed and squeezed her hand tightly before climbing into the carriage.
Sarah watched it set off, the horses pulling it into the night. Soon, it wasn’t visible at all. She sucked in a deep breath. Now, the only potential obstacle between her and Max being together was his father, and possibly the church. But they couldn’t refuse when they saw how in love they were, surely? Max himself had said there were no laws forbidding their marriage, so it should be smooth sailing from here.
She snuck back into the castle, behind the hedgerows and into the passageways. When she opened the door to Max’s workshop, he was hunched over a schematic, his hair wild where he’d been running his hand through it. He was so engrossed in his work that he hadn’t head the door open. She observed him for a moment. She could make out his profile in the soft candlelight, with his strong nose and the jawline that wasn’t quite as chiseled as his portrait, but that was still well-defined. There was a slight hint of five-o-clock shadow across the jawline, and she had an urge to run her hands across it.
He turned and smiled at her as she stood in the doorway. Her heart soared at the sight of it, and she couldn’t imagine going another day in her life without seeing that smile. “What are you working on?” she said.
“Just a cooking pot for the kitchen that cooks things faster. Come,” he waved her over.
She went to sit next to him, but he hooked an arm around her waist and pulled her onto his lap, both arms curled protectively around her middle. She looked down at the drawing. “It creates a kind of airtight seal with the lid,” he said, “which should cook the food much faster.”
“Like a pressure cooker?” she said. He looked at her blankly. “in my time, we have pressure cookers. They’ve evolved to be safer now, but they could sometimes get a bit dangerous and the lids would blow right off!”
“I’ve built in a small hole for steam release,” he said. “But it makes it less efficient because it reduces the vacuum.”
“You need a valve,” Sarah said, “but I don’t know how to make one, or if the right materials exist in this time.”
“What’s a valve?” he asked.
“It allows air out without breaking the vacuum, I think.” She scrunched her nose. “We take a lot of science things for granted in my time. Things just work.”
“It sounds fascinating,” Max said. “I wish I could visit your time.”
“I prefer it here, in most respects,” she said, shrugging.
“What’s this?” Max asked, indicating the paper she was clutching in her hand.
“Oh, Katherine gave me her address in case we ever need to get hold of her.” Sarah handed the paper to him. He glanced down at it and then tucked it away in his tunic.
“That was kind of her,” he said.
“I know, who’d have thought the ice queen was really a nice person underneath?” Sarah said. He laughed and kissed the end of her nose.
“What is the meaning of this?” a deep voice said, and they both leapt up, Sarah almost toppling to the floor. Max steadied her, his strong, protective hand on her arm as they faced the owner of the voice.
“Your Majesty,” she squeaked, giving an awkward bow. He looked a lot like his portrait, with dark, beady eyes, a sharp nose, and a square jaw. His hair was dark, with graying patches at the temples. He sneered. Two guards stood behind him in the passageway.
“Explain what is going on here!” he said to Max.
“I didn’t know you were aware of these passageways,” Max said. “This is my workshop.” He waved his hand around the room. “I have designed a weapon that I think you will be interested in for the kingdom.”
“Of course I knew about them. It’s my castle, I’ve known about them for years, but I have no interest in sneaking around my own property.”
He looked around the room at the assortment of projects that Max was working on. The Onager sat in the far corner. “I’m not interested in your toys. I indulged your habit because you are my son, but it has gone too far now. Ever since she arrived,” he sneered at Sarah, “you’ve been even more distracted, and now I believe the princess has broken your betrothal and left the castle? Did she find out about your little…affair?”
“It’s not an affair!” Sarah said, indignantly. “Your Highness,” she added hastily as an afterthought.
“Then why has she left?” the King said.
“She loves somebody else,” Max said. “We both agreed we would end the betrothal and be with the people we love.” He squeezed Sarah’s hand.
“That’s not how it works!” the King roared, his face scarlet. Flecks of spittle flew from his mouth as he spoke. “You don’t just replace a Princess with a…a… commoner! That betrothal was arranged via years of diplomatic negotiating, and you think you can just wipe that out overnight because you decided you love other people! You have a duty to this kingdom.”
Max stiffened, but his grip on Sarah’s hand grew tighter. “I don’t care what you say. I will do my duty to this kingdom, but I do not see how marrying Katherine is necessary. We can build alliances in other ways. Better ways.”
“So you think you know more than me about running a kingdom? You are my son, and you will do as I say. From now, this woman is no longer an employee of the Crown, and she is banished from the castle. If I see her face again she’ll be thrown in jail until she rots.” He stepped aside. “Guards!”
The two guards behind him entered the room, and Sarah saw that one of them was Cedric. Great, that was all that she needed. They stepped towards her and she stepped back, against Max’s chest. He put his arms around her. “You can’t take her, I won’t let you,” he said. Cedric sneered, but the other guard looked at the king, awaiting further instruction.
“Take her,” the King snarled. “I want her out of my castle, and if you have to restrain him to do so, then you have my blessing.”
Max moved her behind him, squaring up to the two guards, but three more rushed in from the passageway. It took three of them to restrain Max, and Cedric gripped Sarah by the shoulder, in almost the exact same place as he had on
her first day. She didn’t struggle, what was the use?
Cedric pulled her roughly out of the workshop. She glared at the King as she passed, shocked by his cruelty. The King held her gaze coolly. She wanted to kick, scream, lash out. She wanted to spit in the King’s face, but she leashed it all. It wouldn’t serve her well, and she could use that pent-up rage to spur her on when they released her. Wherever they released her.
Chapter 32
They marched her through the Great Hall, and a gaggle of servants poured from every corner of the castle to watch and whisper behind their hands. Sarah kept her head high and her expression stony. She wouldn’t let them see her cry, and she wouldn’t be defeated. Let the king win this battle, but there was no way she was letting go of his son for good!
“I always knew you were a bad ‘un,” Cedric said as he marched her out. His breath was sour and she almost gagged at the rancid cloud of it that attacked her airways as he spoke. “The Queen should have let me get rid of you that first day and then the Prince would have just married his little Princess like he was supposed to.”
She didn’t react, forcing herself to suck in long, even breaths, and ignoring the thrumming pulse in her neck, the rush of blood in her ears, and the overwhelming urge to lash out somehow. Just. Breathe. She reminded herself.
When they reached the edge of the castle, she thought they would let her go, but Cedric kept on marching her through the narrow streets and into the town square. The townsfolk watched open-mouthed, and children pointed and stared as he frog-marched her to the Charles Bridge, and over it.
On the other side, he let her go. “Don’t let us find you on the other side of this bridge. You won’t like what happens if we do.” His eyes wandered down to her neckline, askew now from being manhandled, and a portion of cleavage was showing. She adjusted it briskly, glaring at him.