The Accidental Prince

by Michelle Willingham

  Serena kept her hands folded primly in her lap. ‘Your Highness, let us be honest with one another. We were only betrothed because my father wanted to secure the alliance with Lohenberg. After we are married, what we do with our lives won’t matter. I don’t believe for a moment that you have any interest in me.’

  ‘You’re wrong.’ He reached out and lowered her hood, brushing his fingertips against her damp cheek. In her eyes, he saw the startled shock. ‘I find you very interesting indeed, Princess.’

  He could see from the look on her face that she wasn’t at all looking forward to their union. Whether she disliked him or was afraid of him, he couldn’t be certain. ‘Our marriage can be more than political.’

  She turned her face to the window, the melancholy sinking in. ‘Sometimes I wish I could live like an ordinary woman, just for a few days. Free to make my own decisions.’ Her voice held a note of misery, as though she believed herself a prisoner.

  ‘Is it such a hardship, wearing diamonds and silks?’

  ‘Sometimes,’ she admitted.

  When he saw her shivering, Karl reached beneath the seat for a blanket. He passed it to her, and she huddled within the wool, struggling to get warm. Outside, the rain continued, and he could see his breath within the interior of the coach.

  She stared outside the window and said, ‘This isn’t the way to my grandfather’s lodge.’

  ‘We can’t go there,’ he admitted. ‘If we do, they’ll find you within a few hours.’

  Her face paled. ‘Then you really are abducting me.’

  ‘Yes.’ He made no apology for his actions. ‘You’ll still have your holiday away from the palace,’ he reassured her. ‘And I’ll bring you back within a week.’

  As my wife.

  The panicked expression that flashed over her face was real, and Karl didn’t understand it. It wasn’t as if he meant any harm toward her. She was simply the means to an end. After they married, he’d let her do as she pleased.

  ‘Where are you taking me?’

  ‘To the island of Vertraumen, off the coast of Lohenberg. We’ll take a boat there tonight.’

  Her eyes narrowed upon him, as if she expected him to take advantage of her. ‘I am not sharing a room with you. Or a bed.’

  ‘Not now,’ he agreed.

  ‘Or later.’ She pulled the blanket around her, as if it could shield every last inch of skin from his view. ‘Just because I’ve decided to continue this journey doesn’t mean that I want anything from you.’ She nodded to him as if he were a servant. ‘You can do as you please, and I’ll stay out of your presence.’

  Time was slipping through his fingertips, and Karl was well aware that once his fallen status was revealed, the princess could easily cast him off. What he needed was to elope with her, to coerce her into this marriage before he brought her home again.

  But she didn’t even like him. And that was a problem. He needed to find a common ground with her, to somehow bridge the distance of the past six years.

  ‘No, Princess.’ He leaned forward, and she responded by inching as far away from him as she could. ‘I don’t intend to stay away from you at all.’

  Outside, the rain pounded a rhythm against the roof of their coach while the horses quickened their pace. When he crossed to sit beside her, she cowered against the back of the coach, curling up her body tight. The fear in her eyes was completely different from the woman who had argued with him not five minutes earlier. Her hands were clenched in front of her, as if she were trying to shield herself.

  Her response was entirely too violent. Something was wrong.

  ‘Princess,’ he said quietly. ‘What are you running away from?’

  Her face had gone so pale, he thought she might faint. Slowly, she lowered her hands, but her breathing was unsteady. She didn’t meet his eyes, but stared down at her gloved hands. ‘Nothing that concerns you.’

  She was lying. But whatever the reason, her decision to leave was more complicated than he’d supposed.

  ‘You have nothing to fear from me,’ he insisted. ‘Not now. And not when we are married.’

  Her green eyes held nothing but suspicion. Droplets of water clung to her cheeks, one sliding down her slim neck. He noticed the reddened skin beneath the fichu, but the clouded daylight made it difficult to see clearly what had caused it. When his gaze fixed upon her lips, he wondered what it would be like to kiss her. Would she be cold and heartless? Or was there another woman hiding behind her hauteur?

  ‘Will you please return to your own seat?’ she pleaded.

  Karl released her hand and moved to the opposite side of the coach. And when she turned to look outside the window again, he realized that this courtship would be far more difficult than he’d thought.

  After travelling all afternoon and most of the night, they arrived upon the island of Vertraumen at midnight. Serena was so exhausted she could hardly walk, but she wasn’t about to accept help from Karl.

  It made her feel vulnerable without her ladies surrounding her. This was what you wanted, her mind retorted. A chance to be alone.

  But the man who had brought her here was not at all predictable. She’d mistakenly believed that Karl was a quiet, passive man. Instead, he’d taken charge of her kidnapping, changed her destination, and brought her to a place where it would be more difficult for her father’s men to find her.

  Worse, he’d brought only two servants with him. Though perhaps it was to make them less noticeable, his lack of men struck her as unusual. Every royal household travelled with dozens of servants—especially guardsmen, to protect them from highwaymen or bandits.

  Did he think he was invincible from danger? She knew better than to believe she was safe. Though Captain Feldmann might lead the others astray, unless she travelled a great distance from here, eventually they would find her. The thought of facing her father’s punishment terrified her.

  But you haven’t been caught yet, she reminded herself. There was still hope.

  Her hands were shaking as the coach stopped in front of a set of iron gates. Karl opened the door and led her outside toward a two-storey brick manor house with two turrets on either side. Ivy grew across the side of the house, and a curved gravel driveway nestled near the front steps. The rain continued to pour down on them, but Serena hardly felt it. Inside, she was sick about what she’d just done. And now, she was about to spend the night with a man who was not her husband.

  Even if he slept in the farthest bedchamber from her, no one would believe that she hadn’t been compromised. Her reputation was now in ruins. If she ever returned home, the gossipmongers would believe the worst.

  She was beginning to understand her sister’s reasoning. Though she loathed the idea of sharing a home with the prince, all would be forgiven if she married him.

  She stared at the man who had orchestrated her abduction. For that was what it was, surely. He’d brought her here, and she didn’t understand his reasons for it. He was the fürst of Lohenberg. Surely his responsibilities were far too important for this.

  He was hiding something from her … but what?

  When they reached the gates of the estate, they were locked tight. There were no lights visible within the house, and a sinking feeling took hold in Serena’s stomach.

  The fürst turned to his men. ‘This house belongs to my father. Where is the staff?’

  The footman and coachman could only exchange blank looks.

  ‘Do you mean to tell me that there is no one prepared for our arrival?’ Serena predicted. ‘And we’re locked out?’

  He sent her a dark look. ‘We’re not locked out.’ Turning around, he led them to the back of the walled manor, down to another padlocked gate. He ran his hands along the stone wall, counting stones right and then down, until he loosened a brick.

  After several minutes of pulling at the stone, he withdrew an iron key. It fit into the padlock, and Karl opened the door. When he met her incredulous stare, he said, ‘I spent many summers here as a boy
.’ To his footman and coachman he instructed, ‘Go inside and see if there’s anyone here.’

  ‘Did something happen?’ Serena asked. ‘Could the staff be sick or in trouble?’ Never had she journeyed to an estate where there was not a staff waiting. Even if they didn’t expect their arrival, most were ready to welcome them at a moment’s notice.

  ‘We’ll find out in the morning,’ he assured her. ‘It won’t be like this for long.’ But the look on his face held tension, as if he, too, suspected that all was not right.

  Serena followed Karl through the garden. It was overgrown with weeds, as though no one had tended it in weeks. She saw a small henhouse, and a hole in the back of the garden wall, where one of the hens struggled to squeeze through.

  A few moments later, Samuel and Bernard managed to force open the back door. When they walked inside, the kitchen looked abandoned, with no food anywhere, or signs that it had been used recently. It appeared ghostly, with the interior of the manor house cold and dark.

  Serena huddled within her cloak, feeling more lost than ever. By now, she should have been comfortably ensconced in her grandfather’s home, dreaming of her future plans. Instead, she’d been taken to this place with a man she hardly knew.

  The prince gave orders for Samuel and Bernard to light the fireplaces within the dining room and to prepare two chambers. While they departed, he turned to face her. ‘It was never my intention to bring you to a place so unprepared for our arrival.’

  ‘Then what was your intent?’ Her voice came out with a tremble that revealed her fear. It wasn’t so much the poor conditions of the house, but more, that she didn’t know this stranger standing before her. Her betrothed husband was staring with a look that reached deep inside, as if he were taking her measure.

  ‘I’ve already given you that answer.’

  To become better acquainted. But what did he mean? Was he intending to seduce her? It felt as if she’d run from one set of problems, only to encounter something worse.

  ‘Stay away from me, Fürst Karl,’ she warned. She wanted to run far away from him, to hide herself. But she knew she couldn’t escape. The fear inside mingled with another unfamiliar sensation. The blood rushed to her face, while her body grew colder from the chill of her damp clothing.

  ‘You’re afraid of me.’ His voice resonated in the stillness, his breath clouded in the air. He reached for her gloved hand, but when she tried to pull it back, he held it captive.

  ‘I don’t know you.’ Her voice came out in a slight whisper, revealing every bit of her fear.

  In response, his grasp upon her hand softened. His thumb slipped beneath one of her glove buttons, stroking her skin. She jerked her hand away, shocked that he would take such a liberty.

  ‘You will,’ he said quietly, releasing her hand.

  What if I don’t want to? she thought. Everything about the prince made her uncomfortable, from his demanding presence to his rigid expression. She couldn’t deny her sister’s admission, that Karl was indeed handsome. His dark hair framed a strong, lean face. When she looked into his hazel eyes, flecks of green and brown mingled with hints of gold. And his firm mouth hadn’t smiled at all.

  He reminded her of a highwayman, who had stolen her away to his private residence. Beneath her cloak, she gripped her arms, terrified of what would happen to her now.

  Inside the house, the prince guided her through a series of sitting rooms until at last they reached the dining room. He pulled a chair beside the fire his footman had built. ‘Sit down and warm yourself.’

  Serena sank gratefully into the chair, waiting for the tiny blaze to grow larger. The fürst left her side for a moment to give the footman another order for food and hot tea. Though she ought to be hungry, her stomach twisted at the thought of food. Right now, she wanted to be away from the prince, alone in a room where she could collect her thoughts. So much had changed so fast, she couldn’t quite grasp what to do.

  ‘I’m too tired to eat,’ she protested when the fürst returned. ‘Really, once I get warm, I’ll just go to my room and sleep.’ If she rested her head against the back of the Chippendale chair for even a moment, she thought she might fade into a dreamless exhaustion.

  She closed her eyes for a brief moment, but there was no satisfaction at having made her escape. Instead, she envisioned countless guards, searching every pathway, every road.

  Her heart pulsed within her chest, though she tried to blot out the fear. She tried to comfort herself by imagining a steaming hot bath, a clean nightgown and a soft bed. There would be time to make plans in the morning after a good night’s rest.

  A horrifying thought occurred to her. Without a staff here, she had no one to help her undress. Even worse … had Karl brought her trunk from the other coach? Did she have anything at all to wear?

  ‘I will need a ladies’ maid to attend me,’ she informed him. ‘Please send Bernard to find someone.’

  ‘It’s after midnight. I’ll send him to the village, first thing in the morning.’

  ‘No, not in the morning,’ she corrected. ‘Now.’

  He sent her an annoyed look. ‘I’m certain you’ll survive one night without a lady-in-waiting to tuck you in or brush your hair for you.’

  She sent him a look of disbelief. The prince didn’t understand what she was saying. There was no possible way for her to sleep unless someone helped her out of her corset and petticoats. But her alternative was to ask him for help. And that was most definitely not going to happen.

  ‘What about my trunk of clothing?’ she asked. ‘Did your footman bring it?’

  His face showed no reaction at all. All he would say was, ‘There may be clothes that were left here by the governor’s wife.’

  Then she truly had nothing at all to wear. Serena didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Nothing at all had gone right with her escape from the palace. The only thing that would make it worse would be if the guards caught up to her this night and forced her to return to the palace.

  The sound of a man clearing his throat interrupted them. When Serena looked up, the footman Bernard looked embarrassed. He held a wooden tray containing a teapot, two cups, a covered plate and a jar of preserves. ‘Your Royal Highnesses, I must apologise. There was very little food in the house. I found some eggs in the hen house and prepared what I could.’ He bowed and set the tray upon the dining-room table, apologising as he left.

  Serena lifted the cover and winced at the sight of the overcooked scrambled eggs. They were badly burned on one side, while the rest was runny. ‘I suppose he did try to cook for us.’

  ‘You wanted to know how ordinary people lived,’ the fürst pointed out.

  She didn’t want to eat, but it would be rude to ignore the footman’s valiant effort. When she ventured a taste of the overcooked eggs, it surprised her to realise how starved she was. When she offered the plate to Karl, he shook his head. ‘I’m waiting to see if you survive.’

  There was a hint of roguery in his voice, and she raised an eyebrow. ‘Did you want me to be poisoned?’

  ‘Not at all. I’ve no wish to be a widower before I’m a bridegroom.’ He poured her a cup of tea. Serena took it from him, but the drink was weak and tea leaves floated on the surface.

  She stared down at the watery brew and wondered if she ought to tell him that she was ending their betrothal. ‘How long are you planning to keep me here?’

  ‘How long were you planning to spend your holiday?’ he countered.

  She could feel his gaze upon her, though she didn’t meet his eyes. ‘I was going to stay three days at my grandfather’s lodge.’ After that, she’d intended to leave again, perhaps taking a train somewhere far from Germany or Badenstein.

  He ate his own eggs, but all the while, his eyes were studying the room. ‘Your father’s men will come after you.’

  ‘I know it.’ A cold chill spread over her skin, and she pushed her plate aside, walking to stand by the fire. ‘They’ll try to force me to return.’

&n
bsp; ‘The king will be angry with you for taking such a risk.’

  She said nothing, though her hands had begun to tremble. It was easy to hide her fear behind the guise of cold.

  The prince left his own plate and came to stand before her. ‘Marry me here, on the island,’ he commanded. ‘And when we return, I’ll shoulder any trouble that arises.’

  She shook her head slowly. Not only did she have no intention of marrying him or anyone else, but she wasn’t going to return.

  ‘You’d prefer to wait until the summer?’ he mused. ‘After being here with me, I don’t know if the king would allow it.’ He took her hands and drew her to stand. ‘We’ll wed tomorrow.’ Within his voice, she heard the commanding air, the expectation that she would do his bidding.

  She was not a household maid, bound to obey. But neither would she have this argument now, not when she was too tired to think clearly. ‘We’ll discuss it later. Where do you think the servants went?’

  ‘I don’t know. But if Bernard can’t find them, I’ll hire a new staff.’ His posture stiffened, his bearing almost that of a soldier. This was a man accustomed to issuing orders and being obeyed.

  He reached to her hood and lowered it to her shoulders. ‘A lot could happen in the week we spend together, Princess.’

  She stepped back. ‘Or nothing at all.’ Her mind was made up. In the morning, she would decide where to go and how to get there. Although it terrified her, she had to make her own decisions and decide what she wanted to do with her life.

  An awful thought occurred to her. If she refused to wed the fürst, would he reveal her whereabouts to the king? She stared at Karl, not knowing what sort of man he was.

  ‘I’m tired,’ she said at last. After all the travelling, the need to rest was overpowering. And though she could not change out of her gown, perhaps she could find a way to sleep in her clothes. ‘Do you think my room is prepared?’

  ‘All should be in order.’ The fürst led her toward the main staircase. While he escorted her up the stairs, Serena glanced behind them. There was no footman, no one else but the two of them. It felt awkward without her ladies, and she suddenly realized that she could be in danger if the fürst wanted to press his attentions upon her.