“Now,” said the King, “or I shall have Castle Guards escort you out of here.”
“I never meant to hurt you, Cadence. Please forgive me.”
She looked at the King, her gaze like that of a trapped animal. “Father, I don’t understand what’s going on. I demand you tell me.”
“Hold your tongue.”
Dominic kissed her hand then followed the King out of her bedchamber.
She took off her robe and reached for her clothes. “Help me dress.”
Ethan watched Penelope laced up Cadence’s dress while he finished putting on his clothes, then he followed them into the hallways.
“Where have they gone?” Cadence demanded of Penelope.
“I do not know, Highness.”
“Then find out.”
“Yes, of course.”
The confused girl set off down the hall and Ethan took Cadence’s shoulders. “Let’s go and find your mother. She will know what’s going on.”
Cadence nodded, relief flooding her face. “Yes, yes. That’s a wonderful idea, Ethan. Thank you.”
****
When Cadence and Ethan burst into Queen Sasha’s sitting room, she sat calmly sipping tea. She didn’t look either surprised or upset. Cadence tripped over her words as she tried to explain to her mother what had happened and once again Ethan had to intervene for her.
“You’d both better sit down. Have some breakfast.”
“Mother, please,” begged Cadence. “Tell me what is going on.”
She sighed. “Very well. But I strongly suggest you take a seat first.”
Cadence only sat when Ethan tugged at her arm. The look on her mother’s face confused and frightened her. She looked too calm, as if she had expected this.
“A note arrived from the Northern Free Zone early this morning.”
“Is something wrong there? Did Dominic have to return home?”
Her mother’s face filled with pity. Icy fear gripped Cadence’s heart as if hands from the grave had suddenly reached up out of the ground and touched her soul. Molly’s words in the stable the morning after she had first made love to Dominic came back to her. It’s not a Kingdom at all, Highness. On the heels of that thought came the memory of Molly’s odd behavior and the note she’d given to Henry.
No. It couldn’t be. It wasn’t possible.
“Mother, please tell me,” she whispered, grasping Ethan’s hand, trying to draw strength from its warmth.
“Cadence, I’m so sorry. He’s not a Prince at all. His home is no more a Kingdom than the rocks in the distance are mountains. He lied.”
Cadence shook her head, fighting to keep from passing out. Fireworks exploded behind her eyes and Ethan’s voice was no more than a whispering wind. When someone held a cup to her lips she drank, letting the warm tea fill her stomach and chase away the bitter cold that had settled inside her.
Memories of Gabriel resurfaced, bringing with them the crushing pain she’d felt when he abandoned her. He was gone. Dominic was gone. And he had lied to her. Let her believe all this time that he was a real Prince. He’d used her body and her heart. He had let her care for him.
“Why?”
She hadn’t realized she’d spoken out loud until her mother answered the question.
“Why do you think, Cadence? He obviously was only using you. I told you years ago your reputation in this land would come back to haunt you and now it has.”
“What?” She couldn’t comprehend the meaning of her mother’s words. It was as if she were speaking another language.
“Knights travel and they talk as much as servants do. When his belongings were searched this morning a drawing of you was found.”
Cadence shook her head again, even as she remembered Dominic’s words the first day she met him. I’ve heard so much about you, Princess.
“He cares for me. I know he does.”
“Then he should have told you the truth.” Her mother’s voice was rarely raised as it was now. Her anger frightened Cadence more than the thought of Dominic’s lie. “He’s certainly had ample opportunity.”
She shot a quick glance at Ethan. “Did you know?”
“No, of course not. I would have said something.”
“How did the note from the Northern Free Zone happen to arrive here? What prompted this?”
Her mother pulled out a wrinkled piece of parchment, turning it over. Her broken seal was visible on the back of it. “This is the note Molly sent to the family of a servant she knew who used to live there.”
“No,” Cadence couldn’t stop the tears from spilling over her cheeks. “This can’t be true. Molly did this? Why?”
“I suspect she thought she was protecting you.”
“Protecting me? Mother, Molly never protected me. Molly chastised me and lectured me and defied me.”
“Whatever her reasons, she did us a huge favor, Cadence.”
Cadence stood so fast her knees bumped the table and nearly upset the tea service. “Favor? She has done me no favors, Mother. She’s ruined everything for me. Everything. And I’ll never forgive her, nor will I join in any praise for her efforts.”
And The Princess Was Heartbroken…
For three days Cadence refused to see anyone, including Ethan. She took sparse meals in her bedchamber, didn’t shower or dress, and would only allow Penelope in and out of the room to bring her food. Ethan tried to climb up the trellis so she locked the doors to her balcony, not caring that the heat in the room became unbearable with only the windows open.
Her father tried to see her and she screamed at him, telling him he should have at least tried to hear Dominic’s side of the story before sending him away. Her mother tried to reason with her, but Cadence sent her away too. She would never forgive either of them for doing this to her.
She didn’t care that Dominic wasn’t a real Prince. Heartbroken that he’d lied to her, she held onto the look in his eyes that morning when he had begged her to forgive him and had told her he cared deeply for her. She believed him. Never had she seen such sincerity in his sapphire eyes. No matter his reasons for lying, she believed his words to her that morning.
Memories of making love to Dominic assaulted her senses. She didn’t want to believe what her heart told her was true. Cadence had finally given her heart to a man in love .Two men, in fact. She was in love with both Ethan and Dominic. There was no point in trying to rationalize the truth away.
But Dominic was gone and she would never see him again. She would never have the chance to hear the explanation she knew existed. Her parents had it wrong. Until she heard it from his lips, she wouldn’t accept their version of the truth.
A noise outside her balcony doors caught her attention. Ethan stood there, his gaze searching through the curtains. Dominic was gone but Ethan was still here and she’d shut him out. Was that not just as unfair as Dominic having lied to her?
She rose from the stool and unlocked the doors. “Come inside.”
He exhaled visibly and entered the room, reaching for her. She stepped away. “Ethan, I haven’t showered in three days.”
“I don’t care. I love you, Cadence. I know it’s not fair to tell you this now but I’ve held it in long enough. I’m sorry for what Dominic did to you and I know you miss him and want him back, but if I don’t speak my mind I’ll explode. I love you. I’ve loved you… forever. Always.”
Cadence stared in stunned silence at the tears coursing down Ethan’s cheeks.
“Let me help you. If you want to forget him, I’ll help you do that. If you want to travel to the Northern Free Zone and confront him, I’ll go with you. But please don’t shut me out, Cadence.”
Ethan took a tentative step toward her, his eyes searching. She pulled him into her arms and offered her mouth to his, moaning as his tongue darted inside. How she missed being in his strong arms. He released her mouth and lifted her up, carried her into the bathroom, and set her gently on her feet.
When he reached in to turn on the shower, she shrugged
out of her nightshift and let it fall to the floor. “Good idea,” she said.
“I'm not in here with you for any reason other than to make love to you, because I know how much you love doing so in the shower.”
His voice, warm and full of love, filled the icy places in her heart, causing fresh tears to flow. She surrendered to them and stepped under the hot stream of water, pulling Ethan close. His mouth caressed hers, kissing her so gently she was sure she would melt. His hands touched her slowly, exploring every inch of her naked skin with feathery precision. When he released her to reach for the bath gel, he lathered her skin with it. He took his time, and Cadence felt sure she would go out of her mind with need.
He pushed her against the wall, lifted one leg, and slid inside her pussy with such deliberate slowness she screamed when he finally filled her to the hilt. And still he seemed in no hurry. She clung to his shoulders, pushing against him, begging for release. He rubbed her clit with one finger and squeezed her breast with the other hand while he continued to fuck her slowly. When she came her orgasm went on forever, sending wave after wave of delicious sweetness through her body.
Cadence was barely aware that he’d turned off the water and led her back to her bed. He cradled her in his arms and entered her again, making love to her until neither of them could breathe or talk. She fell asleep in Ethan’s arms, tears drying on her cheeks and the ice around her heart finally gone.
*
When Cadence woke the room was dark. She sat up and Ethan stirred at her side. He reached for the lamp on the nightstand and lit it.
“How are you feeling?”
“Rested, for the first time in days. Ethan, I don’t know what to say. I’m so sorry for the way I’ve treated you. I…”
“Shhh.” Ethan placed a finger on her lips. “You have nothing to apologize for. He lied to both of us and you have every right to be upset. But I’m no fool, Cadence. I know you care for him despite his pretense.”
She swallowed. “I care for both of you.”
“Cadence, you are too kind to trifle with me. I promised myself I’d never ask you this, but I have to know. Do you… is it possible that you could ever love me at all? The way I love you? Is that possible?”
“Ethan, I do love you. I’m just so afraid of it… of love.”
“Why?”
It was time to get this out in the open. He had a right to know. Cadence told him about Gabriel. Everything. She told him about the amber, giving the Knight her virginity, his marriage proposal, and how he left and married someone else when her parents disapproved.
“I vowed never again,” she whispered. “Never again would I let a man affect me so. And now I’ve gone and let two of them do so.”
“So you love Dominic as well.”
She nodded.
“I thought as much. Cadence, tell me what you want to do and I’ll do it.”
“Ethan, how can you be so selfless? So understanding?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. I suppose I could ask the same of you. You fought for me when no one else would have. You treated me as an equal. Your sisters would never have done so.”
“I couldn't give you up.”
“And I cannot give you up. Whatever you ask of me I will do. I’d rather share you with another man than not have you at all.”
“I want to hear it from Dominic himself. I want him to tell me why he lied to me and I want to hear him tell me, once and for all, whether he truly has any feelings for me.”
“And if he does not?” Ethan’s dark eyes blazed.
“Then so be it. I will put him out of my mind. But I have to know the truth from him.”
“Then we must go and find him.”
The Princess and Her Servant Went Hunting…
Ethan had no idea how to reach the Northern Free Zone or if they’d find Dominic once they did. He wouldn’t simply leave the castle with Cadence and no clear plan. It was far too dangerous. He found Henry and enlisted his help, sending a note to the same address Molly had sent her note to, weeks ago. To his surprise, Henry agreed to keep it secret.
Convincing Cadence to wait for a response proved harder. She wanted to set off the same morning they’d talked about it, but Ethan finally convinced her it was a fool’s journey. They had no idea where Dominic was.
Cadence hated being cooped up inside the castle, avoiding everyone, so Ethan suggested they visit the lake again. Cadence agreed, but insisted on dressing in breeches and a tunic so they could climb properly this time. When Ethan said he’d bring along rappelling gear and show her how to descend inside the caves as well, she perked up at the thought of doing something so adventurous.
By the time they reached the rocks, Cadence wanted to go inside the caves until the sun was past its high point. Ethan thought that was a good idea since the day was so hot. He led her to a small drop-off he’d previously descended with his father, then showed her how to fit the harness and work the gear. This particular drop-off had what appeared to be steps, so she would only be able to descend a few feet at a time.
Ideally, they should have another person with them who waited at the top and shone the lights into the drop-off, but Ethan felt confident they’d be all right on their own. He had been here before, after all, and he and his father had developed a way to hang the lanterns on their gear so as to illuminate their way down.
They’d nearly reached the fourth shelf down when Cadence asked to stop for a minute. “I heard a rumbling just now.”
Ethan listened, tilting his head, but heard nothing. “You probably just heard the echo of our gear.”
“No, that wasn’t it. This was different. It almost sounded like thunder.”
“It’s been a long time since either of us heard that, Cadence.” Ethan smiled at her.
“I know, but…”
This time Ethan heard it too. It did sound like thunder, but that wasn’t possible. For one thing the sky had been clear for miles when they entered the caves.
“What is it?” she whispered.
Uneasiness settled over Ethan. “I’m not sure. We’d better go back.”
“Do we have to?”
“You’ve done a lot for your first time. Your arms and shoulders will be sore tomorrow even if you can’t feel it now.”
“If you insist, Ethan.”
The ascent was much slower. He could tell that Cadence was more tired than she’d let on and was having trouble working the gear. Ethan assisted as much as possible, but the majority of strength had to come from her. He regretted not having her practice first on the rock face where they would have had better light and more leverage.
His palms began to sweat when another rumble sounded, this one accompanied by the unmistakable sound of falling pebbles.
“Ethan, what’s going on?” The panic in her voice sent fear racing through him, but he couldn’t let her know that. He had to stay calm and focused.
“Just climb, Cadence. We’re nearly there.”
“I can’t. I need to rest.”
“Take a deep breath and pull. You can do this.”
“I’m afraid.”
“I’m right here.”
She hoisted herself up and tried to place a boot on the ledge above before she was in good alignment. Her lantern caught on the clips of her gear and swung forward, striking the rock. When the light went out she screamed.
Ethan held his breath, listening to the sound bounce off the walls. The next rumble sounded as though it came from directly beneath them and this time it was accompanied not only by the sound of falling rock but of Cadence’s whimpering too.
“Cadence, I need you to concentrate. Hoist yourself up again. You were almost on the next ledge.”
Ethan pulled himself up ahead of her, stopping to kneel on the ledge and taking care not to knock his lantern against anything. He reached for her hand as a strong rumble shook the entire cave. Cadence screamed again and swung away from him out of the beam of light.
The pounding of his heart c
ompeted with the sound of rocks breaking apart and falling. He had no idea what was going on, but they needed to get out of here and quickly. If she could swing herself forward he would be able to reach her hand and pull her up. There were only two more ledges to climb onto and then they’d be at the top.
“Swing yourself forward a bit.”
“I can’t see you.” Her voice trembled.
“But I can see you, Cadence. You can do this.”
She swung her body forward and he grasped her hand, but it was so slippery that he couldn’t hold on.
“One more time, Cadence.”
As he caught her wrist this time, the entire cave shook. He jerked her upward, hoping he didn’t dislocate her shoulder in the process, and clung to her waist as rocks fell from the top of the cave. She shivered as though she were in freezing cold water.
“Two more to go.”
“I can’t,” she whispered.
“You have to.”
By the time he’d helped her to the next shelf they were both panting and sweating. The cave rumbled again and pebbles fell on them from above.
“My arms hurt, Ethan. I’m so afraid.”
“Don’t give into fear, Cadence. You can do this.”
They were halfway to the last ledge when one of her ropes snapped and Ethan nearly dropped her. He clung to her arm as she screamed and cried. His limbs trembled as he pulled, silently begging his own gear not to fail. He vowed never to do this without back up again. Dominic’s story played through his mind. He’d acted as foolishly as if he were still a young boy. And worst of all, he had put Cadence in terrible danger.
“I have you. Hold onto me.”
She wrapped her arms and legs around him as he strained to reach the ledge. One more pull and they’d be there. As his foot found the outcropping, the strongest tremor yet shook the cave. Rocks rained down around them and one of them struck his lantern, plunging them into blackness. He pulled Cadence close to his body and felt for the rock ledge beneath his feet. They were on solid ground, but he’d have to find the top without a light. And then they would have to find their way out of the cave before it collapsed on top of them.
The Rebellious Princess Chooses Two Lovers Page 8