by Julie Wetzel
“Be still,” Daniel warned as he shimmied through the hole and down the ladder. All he had to do was slip out of the castle, shift, fly up here, collect Patrick, take him away from the grounds, and shift back without being seen. Cake! Then he could tote the drunken man’s carcass in and say he found him in the woods. No one need be the wiser. Then, he was going to find someone to seal up that damned hole so this didn’t happen again. Bloody, brooding dragons!
***
Kathryn sat in a ring of consoling faces as she pulled her needle through the hem of a new skirt. Several of the maidens had come to comfort her as she worked on her sewing by the fire’s light. She had told no one of the way Patrick had shunned her the night before, but the castle had been abuzz with it this morning. Someone must have seen her come out of his chambers upset. It was amazing how fast gossip spread around the castle.
Throughout the day, Kathryn had received nothing but sympathy for her plight. She had barely avoided Patrick in the morning, but she managed to elude him throughout the day. At first, it lightened her heart to see so many giving the man a hard time, but as the day wore on, their actions bothered her. Why were they treating him so rottenly? True, he had broken her heart, but did his actions really deserve the level of scorn he was receiving? Did it have something to do with the very public display of affection followed so closely by him turning her away?
Kathryn gave pause to that thought. He really hadn’t turned her away. Daniel pointed out that she had taken what Patrick had said and jumped to conclusions. Had she? It had taken her a while to see it, but she had. When Patrick had not declared his love for her, she was certain he would shun her, and she had grabbed at the first reason she could find to leave. It just so happened that his being royal put him far enough above her station that it really could be an issue. She had grabbed at that straw to defend her heart. Having realized her error, she had stopped hiding hours ago, but Patrick hadn’t found her yet. He hadn’t even come down for dinner. Maybe she should go find him?
“…force himself on you that way. The scoundrel should be beat.” Camilla’s voice broke into Kathryn’s thoughts.
Kathryn reached out and grabbed her arm, interrupting the girl’s rant. “What?”
“I said he should be beat,” Camilla repeated. “He seemed so much better than that.”
“Who seemed better?” Kathryn’s heart froze; something was not right here.
“Lord Mylan. He doesn’t seem the type to force himself on a maiden,” Camilla explained. “And after such a display at dinner. I was completely shocked when he jumped up on the table.”
“Camilla, who told you that Lord Mylan forced himself on me?” Her quiet voice made all the maidens with her stop working.
“I heard it from Bethany,” Camilla said, pointing at the girl across from her.
“And you, Bethany?” Kathryn looked her way.
“I overheard Lillian telling Nana in the kitchen.” Bethany looked confused.
Lillian! Anger boiled in Kathryn’s gut. “What did Lillian say?”
Bethany looked around at the other faces for support, but they were all looking expectantly at her. “She said she saw Lord Mylan force you into his chambers.” She swallowed hard before continuing. “She said he pushed you down in the doorway and fell on you. That you fought with him as he… as he…”
“As he what?” Kathryn pushed; she had an idea where this was going.
“Oh, Kathryn.” Bethany bounced in her seat, frustrated that she was being forced into saying such a horrible thing. “She said he tried to take your maidenhood.”
Kathryn stared at her, shocked.
“—That you fought him off and escaped into your room," Bethany continued, “and that the only reason he didn’t break down your door was that Master Daniel came along and stopped him.”
Things clicked into place. No wonder everyone was treating the man so poorly. They thought he had tried to force himself on her—a maiden he was sworn to protect.
“And you believed this?” The anger echoed through Kathryn’s voice.
“We had no reason not to,” Marlena answered from next to her.
Kathryn gave her a questioning look.
“You looked horrible this morning. You spent all day avoiding him, and when we asked if you wanted to talk about it, you said no.”
Enlightenment dawned on Kathryn, and she nodded. “I see.” She tried to keep her voice very level as she spoke. “Tell me something. Does Lord Mylan seem like a man who would accost a maiden?”
The girls looked at each other.
Bethany shook her head. “Not really.”
“And do you think any man would try such a thing in an open doorway with a bed just a fathom away?”
The girls looked around at each other again.
“Only if he were desperate,” Bethany answered again.
“Think carefully before you answer this next one.” Kathryn’s narrowed eyes held a strong warning in them. “Do you think a man who can stare down a dragon, without a shield, is desperate?”
“No,” Bethany answered, her head bent in shame.
All the girls looked ashamed.
Kathryn’s hands were clenched in anger. “I did have a disagreement with our good lord, but he did not hurt me. And he certainly never shoved me down.”
This had to be Lillian’s way of getting back at Patrick for refusing her. Such a rumor could be enough to destroy any man’s reputation. “Have you all been passing this story around?” The looks on their faces told her all she needed to know. “I see.”
How was she going to set this straight? Even if she came out and told everyone the truth, the damage had been done. This wasn’t the worst lie that she had ever heard, but it was obviously coloring everyone’s view of the poor man. She would have to deal with Lillian.
The sound of the main door opening drew all of their attention.
“Master Daniel,” Kathryn cried in surprise. It wasn’t Daniel that shocked her. It was the view of the back end of a man over his shoulder that had her pushing her sewing from her lap and jumping up. “Is he…?” Kathryn’s heart clenched at the possibilities. No one had seen Patrick for most of the day.
Daniel met her halfway around the table. “He’s fine.” He paused so she could turn Patrick’s face to check on him. It was a little red from hanging upside down, but he seemed okay.
Kathryn ran her fingers through his hair, surprised by how soft it was. “Where did you find him?”
“He found himself an out-of-the-way spot with a skin or two of mead,” Daniel explained. “Some rest will see him right.”
She snorted with disgust. “Some Prince Charming.”
Daniel laughed at her. “He may be many things, but a prince he is not.”
Kathryn paused with her fingers tangled in Patrick’s hair. “But, he said he was.”
“He would never be so brazen,” Daniel scoffed.
“He said he was the king’s son,” Kathryn countered.
Twisting around, he looked into her eyes. “He may have been raised by the queen, but he is no prince.”
She cocked her head in question.
“This man’s life is as complicated as he is heavy. Let me find a place to drop his sorry carcass, and I will explain.” Daniel turned towards the door leading to the living space.
Having heard Kathryn’s and Daniel’s exchange, the maidens dropped their work and followed. The story of a would-be prince was something not to be missed.
***
Daniel sighed as half of the girls led the way and the rest followed.
“He’s a prince?” Marlena asked.
Apparently, this explanation was not going to wait until he got Patrick back to his chambers. “No.” Daniel shook his head. “He’s an orphan the queen took in.”
A murmur went through the girls.
“So, he is a prince,” Bethany stated.
Daniel took a deep breath to keep from snapping at the women. “No,” he said again. “Al
though the queen may call him son and the prince claims him as a brother, he lacks the bloodline to be a royal.”
The women were quiet as they took this in.
Darkness met him as he pushed Patrick’s door open. “Why’s the fire out?” Daniel asked. He knew the man had been gone for most of the day, but there should still have been some embers left. The room was stone cold.
The girls were oddly silent.
“Never mind.” He turned towards the bed. He could relight the fire once he had put Patrick down.
Kathryn skirted around him to pull the covers back. “Wait.” She stopped as soon as she picked up the blanket.
Daniel paused as she reached her hand down to the mattress.
“This is wet.” She rubbed her fingers over the soggy bedding.
Daniel could hear the maidens behind him shuffling their feet. No wonder Patrick was up in the tower drinking. A castle full of upset women could ruin anyone’s day.
“My room.” Kathryn turned to lead Daniel across the hall. More of the women had come out of their rooms to see what was going on. Spotting the one responsible, Kathryn altered her course.
Lillian didn’t see Kathryn’s hand move until it landed squarely on her cheek with a resonating crack.
“How dare you,” Kathryn hissed.
Raising her hand to her stinging cheek, Lillian turned back to meet Kathryn’s glare.
“First you come on to our lord like some wanton harlot, and then you besmirch his good name when he refuses you,” Kathryn accused the younger woman.
A gasp circled through the maidens.
Daniel had been shocked when Kathryn had attacked the other woman without warning, but this left him flabbergasted. He knew something had occurred yesterday, but no one had been willing to share the rumors with him as he hunted for the missing lord. This went a long way to explaining why the man had gone on a drinking binge. He was going to have to have words with the men.
An evil smile turned the corner of Kathryn’s mouth. “You should probably pack you things and go back to the village. If there’s truth to the stories told by the baker’s son, then you should have nothing to fear from a dragon looking for maidens.”
Lillian’s face turned bright red at the accusations. Screaming with rage, she launched herself at Kathryn.
Cursing, Daniel dropped Patrick to the floor and tried to find a way between the shrieking women. They were a mass of hair and claws that he wasn’t sure how to penetrate. Lillian gave Kathryn’s hair a good yank, putting a little space between them and giving Daniel an opening. Grabbing one in each hand, he ripped the girls apart. He wrapped Kathryn up under his arm, forcing her to bend over as he tossed Lillian back into a group of girls. “Get her out of here,” he ordered.
The maidens wrapped hands around Lillian’s arms, pulling her back before she could regain her balance and get to Kathryn, who was still struggling under Daniel’s arm.
“Patrick can deal with you both tomorrow.” He turned and forced Kathryn into her room, leaving Lillian in the capable hands of the other women. Kathryn stumbled as he released her and pushed her farther into the room. “Cool your head, girl,” Daniel snapped as he went back out to collect Patrick.
The man sat, leaning against the wall, oblivious.
Pulling an arm over his shoulder, Daniel yanked the unconscious man to his feet and dragged him into Kathryn’s room. Dumping him onto the bed, he growled, “If you care about this man at all, tend him,” and stormed out. He was usually a patient man, but he’d had enough idiocy for one night.
***
Smoothing her hands over her rumpled hair, Kathryn watched Daniel leave. She turned to look at Patrick, sprawled on her bed. What had she gotten herself into? A knock on the open door drew her attention.
“Need help?” Bethany asked. A few of the other maidens stood there waiting.
Kathryn smiled at them. “Please.” Maybe this wouldn’t be such a long night after all.
8
Patrick groaned as consciousness found him again. He felt horrible. Maybe losing one’s self in a bottle of mead hadn’t been the best idea he’d ever had. Rolling over, he stuck his face into the pillow, trying to block out the light filtering in. He drew in a deep breath, trying to clear his head. Something wonderful filled his nose. Patrick knew that scent. Pulling in a second lungful, he tried to identify the tantalizing smell. It tickled his back brain and made his dragon part curl in contentment. Whatever it was, he wanted to wake up to it more often.
Movement in the room drew Patrick’s attention. He cracked an eye to see what was there but quickly shut it when light stabbed into his head, making it pound. This was not his room. Patrick stilled as he tried to figure out where he was. He tracked the sound of material rustling across the room.
“Good morning, My Lord.”
Patrick’s heart skipped at the sound of Kathryn’s sweet voice.
“I have your breakfast.”
The bedding shifted as she sat on the edge of the bed and reached for him. Her fingers slipped into his hair, pushing it up away from his face. Now he knew what that alluring scent was. This wasn’t his room or bed—this was hers. He turned his head slightly into her touch. It was heavenly. An angel’s palm, sent to soothe his pains away.
Snaking an arm out, he caught her around the waist and pulled her to the bed. Kathryn squeaked in surprise as he rolled her in his arms. She struggled to get free, but the arms he’d wrapped her in pinned her back to his front. Growling, he buried his nose into the hair at the back of her neck.
Seeing she wasn’t about to break his hold, Kathryn stopped struggling.
Patrick drew in a deep, contented sigh.
“My Lord?” Kathryn asked as she felt him relax behind her. The air from his breath tickled on the back of her neck.
“I’m sorry,” he said, nuzzling deeper into her hair. “I’m not sure what I did, but I am sorry.”
Kathryn relaxed in his hold. “No, My Lord.” She sighed. “I’m the one who should be sorry. I didn’t hear you out, and for that I apologize.” She shifted around in his arms so she was looking into his eyes. “I didn’t mean to cause you so much grief.”
Patrick studied her beautiful face. It was a sight he could get used to seeing in the morning.
“Master Daniel set me straight.”
He let out a short snort of amusement. “What did Daniel say?” His voice was rough with sleep.
“That you’re not a prince.”
A sigh slipped from him as a hint of a smile curled his lips. He shifted in the bed, stretching a little. “No, I am no prince.”
“He said you were an orphan.”
The smile turned slightly ironic. “My parents were killed when I was just a babe,” Patrick explained. “I was given into the care of the queen, but that does not make me anything. What else did Daniel tell you?”
Kathryn shifted in his arms, a little uncomfortable that he held her so close. “Just that you have a complicated life.”
He searched her eyes, looking for something. “Yes,” Patrick nodded slightly, “I do have a complicated life. I care about you greatly, but there are things you need to know about me. No matter how much I want you, I have to proceed with caution in matters of the heart.” He paused, still searching her eyes for a reaction.
Kathryn waited patiently for him to finish.
Patrick’s lips went thick with indecision. He wanted to tell her, but he was afraid she would have the same reaction she did when he’d told her he was the king’s adopted son. “I want to tell you something,” he said tentatively. “It’s something that could hurt me greatly if it got out. Can I trust you to keep my secret?”
***
Kathryn tensed in his arms again. This was it. If she didn’t promise, he would let her go, and they would be done. If she did agree, then she would be sworn to keep his secret, no matter how bad it was.
He waited as she weighed her options.
Slowly, she nodded. Her heart told her he
was a good man and she could trust him.
Closing his eyes, he let out the breath he’d been holding. “I just have one thing to ask of you.” Patrick opened his eyes and pinned her with them. “Give me the chance to explain this time.”
Kathryn smiled at him. “Of course.” She had been a fool to jump to conclusions before. She would hear all he had to say this time.
“Kathryn, I am a—”
Pounding on the door stopped his words.
“Lord Mylan?”
A male voice made them both freeze.
“Yes?” Patrick yelled back. His voice held a note of anger in it.
“The dragon is back!”
“I’ll be right there,” he called back and looked into Kathryn’s eyes again. “I promise to finish this later.” Leaning in, he kissed her quickly on the lips before releasing her and sitting up.
Kathryn rolled over and stood up from the bed, straightening her dress. She needed something to distract her from the feelings bubbling through her. That quick kiss had done odd things to her. Like having a swarm of butterflies set loose in her stomach. It scared her a touch.
“I brought you breakfast, My Lord.” She busied her hands as he pulled himself from the bed. He was mostly dressed except for his boots and belt.
“No time,” he grumbled as he tried to shove his foot into the wrong boot.
Kathryn snickered when he discovered his error and switched feet. “At least drink this.” She held out a cup to Patrick.
Taking it up, he swallowed a large gulp from it and coughed, nearly spitting the dark liquid out. “What is that?” He looked into the cup. “It tastes like dragon dung.”
Kathryn looked at him with concern. “Master Daniel said it would help with your head.” What had Daniel put in that cup?
Patrick looked up at her. “He did, did he?”
She nodded.
“Could be anything, then.” Sighing deeply, Patrick drained the rest of the cup with a shudder. “Thank you.” He gave the cup back to her waiting hands and went for his other boot.