‘And who is this?’ the priest asked. ‘Looks a bit fine, to me.’
‘She’s my betrothed wife,’ Karl answered. He sent the older man a piercing stare, and the priest responded with a nod. Serena sensed that something was unspoken between them, and whatever it was made her spine prickle with unease.
‘Why did you come to Vertraumen? Were you banished by the king?’ Father Durin asked Karl.
The prince rubbed his chin and sent the man a dark look. ‘Food first. Then we’ll discuss the rest.’
The old man gave a shrug and disappeared down a narrow corridor. Serena studied the tall ceilings and walked the perimeter of the room. The long, narrow space might have been used for worship, she now guessed. Tall Gothic windows stood out on either side. Some were covered up with stone, while others had bits of cracked glass remaining. Outside, she saw that Samuel and Bernard had arrived with the horses and were tending them in the courtyard.
‘What did the priest mean when he called you fallen?’ she asked Karl.
His mouth drew into a line. He hesitated before answering, as if choosing his words carefully. ‘He was mocking me. As I told you earlier, my father and I don’t get along well.’
Though she supposed it could be true, she wondered if there was more to it than that. The fürst had travelled with only two servants, instead of a household of at least fifty or more men. What could have happened?
‘How do you know the priest?’ she asked him.
The fürst turned to face her. ‘I spent a few summers here, after I turned ten. I had tutors for lessons, and Durin trained me in weaponry. I learned how to shoot and how to defend myself.’
‘A priest trained you?’ The idea seemed implausible, but then, how many priests greeted their guests with a sword?
He nodded. ‘He wasn’t always a priest, but a member of my father’s guard until he grew old. My father sent me here in secret when the queen didn’t want me at the palace.’ His eyes grew shadowed, and he would say no more.
In her mind, she imagined a young boy, not yet a man, ignored by his family. It wasn’t unusual, for many royal families in Lohenberg and Badenstein sent their sons and daughters away to be educated. Like her younger sister, Serena had attended boarding school for many years, before she’d finished her schooling with private governesses. ‘Were you lonely?’
‘I learned the skills that were necessary. And that was my father’s intent.’ He stared at the walls, and then added, ‘I also brought you here for another reason.’
‘To talk me into marrying you?’ she guessed, crossing her arms.
‘Yes.’ He glanced outside. ‘I have a marriage licence from Lohenberg, and Samuel and Bernard can be our witnesses.’
Narrowing her gaze, she said, ‘I’ve already told you that I don’t intend to wed you, or any man.’
‘So you’ve said. But you might enjoy marriage to me.’ The sudden flare in his eyes made her take a step back. He was staring at her the way he had in the drawing room. Like he wanted to kiss her.
Serena felt goose bumps rise over her skin, and she couldn’t tear her eyes away from him. Inside, her body grew warmer, and she wondered what it would be like to be touched by this man. Her heart seized up, and her hand moved to her throat. The skin was still tender from her father’s grip, and she closed her eyes at the memory.
You can’t escape the king, an inner voice warned. No matter where you go, he’ll find you. Unless he believes you’re dead.
She straightened and informed the prince, ‘I’m sorry, but no.’
‘You fled the palace because you were afraid. And yet, you won’t let me protect you now.’
He took slow steps toward her, and she retreated until she backed up against a long wooden table. ‘I’m going away, and I don’t intend to return. What happened in the past doesn’t matter.’
‘It matters to me,’ he said. He continued walking slowly, and Serena didn’t move. When he reached the table, his arms moved on either side of her, trapping her in a silent embrace. A shiver of warmth spiraled through her.
‘If I wed you,’ she said quietly, ‘I would become a Princess of Lohenberg.’ The thought of being imprisoned within yet another palace, forced to surrender her freedom, made her tense. For so long, she’d been ordered around, criticised for her actions and her manners, until the idea of ruling over a country seemed impossible. ‘It’s not the sort of life I want any more.’
‘Why not?’ The look in his eyes made her falter. He believed she was his promised bride, a woman meant to belong to him.
‘Our betrothal was made when I was fifteen years old,’ she reminded him. ‘When neither of us had a choice.’
Serena turned away from him, trying to free herself from his embrace. He confused her with the strange feelings he’d conjured. ‘Let me go,’ she breathed, pushing at his arm.
Karl’s hazel eyes glittered as he stared back at her. But he did lift his hands away, granting her space. Wordlessly, she retreated to the other side of the hall, needing space.
At that moment, Father Durin returned. ‘My cook is preparing a meal for us to share. Come, have some wine and we will talk awhile.’
‘I thank you for your hospitality, Father Durin,’ Serena answered. ‘I hope the food shortage has not made our visit a hardship.’
The priest shook his head. ‘There is plenty of food upon Vertraumen, if you know where to look. I have a garden of my own, and I hunt for the meat I desire.’
‘Are you the only priest living here?’
He nodded. ‘The others who came before me preferred to live in the village. I wanted my privacy, which is why I chose the ruins as my home. I have everything I need here. The forest provides me with meat, the sea with fish and the earth gives the fruit of my labour.’ He sent a look toward Karl. ‘Now, what has brought you here?’
‘I understand the islanders are leaving because of the famines. Tell me how the king should intervene and help them.’
The priest seemed to relax at this and began revealing information about the island and its difficulties.
Over the next hour, they ate a feast of roasted venison, fish and spring greens. Serena was so hungry, it took all the years of royal training to keep from devouring the food down to the last crumb. The longer the men spoke, the more her mind drifted away from their conversation about drainage and farming.
When Karl asked about the former governor, the priest confirmed that the man had fled. ‘There were riots from the lack of food. The governor locked up the house and fled in the night with his family.’ Father Durin added, ‘Although the people are doing the best they can to survive, we’re losing islanders every day.’
‘Your father the king should know of this,’ Serena insisted. ‘Send word to him, and he can re-establish the leaders. It’s a province of Lohenberg, after all.’
Karl’s gaze grew distant, and he met the priest’s discerning stare. A silent message seemed to pass between them.
‘But it’s not your concern any more,’ the priest said. ‘Is it?’
Karl sent the man a dark look. ‘Lohenberg will always be my concern, regardless of what’s happened.’ He tossed a few coins on the table. ‘Thank you for the meal. We’ll go now.’
Regardless of what’s happened? Now what did he mean by that?
As he took her hand and led her from the ruined castle, Serena wondered exactly what had caused such a rift between the prince and his father.
Chapter Six
He never should have brought her to Durin’s home. The old man had voiced too many suspicious comments, and Karl knew Serena had formed her own doubts.
When they reached the forest, he dismissed Samuel and Bernard, who had walked up to the abbey ruins. He commanded them to take the supplies Father Durin had offered back to the manor house.
‘What are you going to do about the island?’ Serena asked when Karl walked alongside her through the forest.
‘I’ll visit the different towns and find out what’s been
causing the famine. Then I’ll send recommendations to my father.’ In his mind, he’d already begun a list, but he needed further information.
‘Why didn’t the governor alert the king?’
‘Likely he feared he’d be blamed for the problems.’ When they reached the steep slope, Karl offered his arm. He walked through the woods by memory, knowing the path well. He heard the sounds of a raven cawing and the light crunching of leaves as an animal scurried through the brush.
‘I can see why you were afraid of these woods, as a boy. I can almost imagine something coming out of the shadows.’ Serena moved closer to his side, and his arm came around her waist.
He stopped walking a moment, fixing his gaze upon her. ‘Nothing will happen to you when I’m here.’
‘You can’t protect me from everything.’ In the shadows, he couldn’t see the expression on her face, but he heard the regret.
‘Because you won’t allow it.’ He slowed their pace when the path grew steeper. Using the trees for balance, he kept his arm around her.
‘I’m afraid that they’ll find me again,’ she confessed.
Within her tone, he heard the unsettled worry, as if she expected soldiers to drag her away to a dungeon. ‘Would it be so terrible to go home?’
‘I’ve been imprisoned in a place where I cannot make my own decisions. I’m ordered around and beaten when I disobey.’
His temper darkened at her confession. Deep inside, his anger brewed—not at her, but at the one responsible. Someone had undermined the princess’s confidence, making her believe that she had no choice but to flee. The more he looked at her, the more he saw the broken pieces of her spirit. Someone had bruised not only her body, but her confidence.
With great effort, he calmed his temper and kept his voice soft. ‘It wouldn’t have to be that way,’ he said. ‘Do you think I’d let anyone lay a hand upon my wife?’
She closed her eyes, as if to hold back tears. ‘No. But you should choose another princess. I would never be the right wife for you.’
He said nothing, for she was the only wife he could have. Without a title of his own, without a kingdom, he would be reduced to nothing. His only hope of becoming a prince was to wed her.
And she no longer wished to be a princess.
Once again, fate was mocking him. It wasn’t possible to find another bride, and Serena would learn of his lost title, soon enough.
It was growing dark outside, the trees casting shadows over the path. Serena wouldn’t look at him, and she’d clutched both hands against her chest. In the fading light, her dark blond hair held tints of gold. She looked fragile, and in that moment, he wished he weren’t such a bastard. An honourable man would do what he could to help her, to let her go.
You haven’t a shred of honour. You tried to use her, and this is what you deserve.
‘You despise me, don’t you?’ he said quietly.
Her face turned back to his, confusion in her green eyes. ‘No. You might be overbearing and stubborn, but you aren’t that terrible.’
He didn’t believe her. ‘I stole you from the palace and brought you to the most forsaken place on earth.’
Serena’s mouth faltered as if she didn’t quite know what to say. In the end, she offered, ‘It hasn’t been easy, that’s true. But it’s not so bad on the island.’
‘And your reasons for not wedding me … is it only because you don’t want to be a princess?’
She walked alongside him to the water’s edge, her shoes pressing footprints into the damp sand. ‘If you were an ordinary man and I, an ordinary woman, you’d want nothing to do with me.’
‘You underestimate yourself.’ He reached out to her, his hand grazing hers. ‘Though I already know you want nothing to do with me.’
Her eyes were studied him with nervousness and interest. ‘You are an overbearing tyrant.’
‘I don’t like it when I don’t get my way,’ he said, stopping in front of the water’s edge. The air had turned cooler, the afternoon shifting into evening. The setting sun slid behind a cloud, the golden rim haloing Serena’s hair.
‘I’m not marrying you,’ she whispered again, her gloved hands touching his.
‘I know.’ He drew her hands around his waist. ‘You’d never want a man like me.’
‘What kind of man are you?’
‘Demanding.’ He moved in, touching his nose to hers. He could feel her tremble, the fear he’d conjured by his nearness. ‘You’re right to stay away.’
‘What are you doing?’ she whispered.
‘I’ve already ruined you,’ he said against her cheek. ‘It seems unfair that I should be blamed for your undoing … and I’ve never even kissed you.’
‘That’s unnecessary,’ she said. But though he’d released her waist, she didn’t try to escape him.
‘I disagree. I think you should at least be forced to kiss a tyrant. Before you decide that I’m not what you want.’
Her eyes were wide, and she started to glance over her shoulder when he leaned to brush his lips upon hers. He’d already butchered any attempts at courtship or good manners. He had nothing else to lose.
Serena stood like a stone pillar, too afraid to move. He lifted her hands to his shoulders, guiding her into the embrace. He framed her face with his hands, sliding his fingers into her hair. She didn’t know how to kiss, and her innocence pleased him. There was a sweetness to her, an awkwardness that made him want to teach her what he wanted.
Her mouth softened, and he took her deeper, winding her arms around his neck, bringing her body against his. The softness of her feminine shape against him was like a rich liquor, intoxicating and sweet. He kissed her fully, capturing her mouth and giving her no chance to pull away. She was entirely at his mercy, and he could taste the shock against her lips.
He didn’t care. If he was to be incriminated and refused as a bridegroom, he wanted it to be about him, not his non-existent throne.
For a long moment, she did nothing except stand motionless, accepting his mouth upon hers. But as the kiss went on, she suddenly caught the rhythm. When her lips moved against his, kissing him back, he was caught by the tantalising warmth of her mouth.
He wanted to show her that there could be more between them if she’d allow it. With his palms, he caressed her spine, drawing her close, until her chest was against his. She was starting to soften beneath his onslaught, and when her mouth opened wider, he slid his tongue inside.
A soft moan of surprise came from her, but he didn’t stop. He invaded her mouth, not allowing her to catch her breath. When she dared to slide her own tongue against his, instinctive needs pulled at him, to bare her skin and feel her softness against his hard length.
Serena broke away from him at last, her hands pressing against his chest. Her shoulders were tense, and he felt the slight tremor in her body. ‘I shouldn’t have let you kiss me, Fürst Karl.’
‘Karl,’ he corrected. ‘Just Karl.’
‘I cannot call you by your first name. It isn’t proper.’
No, but he wasn’t a prince any more. The title felt like a mockery of his former status. ‘When we’re alone, it doesn’t matter what you call me.’
Her fingers reached up to her swollen lips, and she looked fearful of what she’d done. He said nothing more, for he’d pushed her farther than she was ready. Even if she had kissed him back.
When they rode along the edge of the water, Serena sensed that they were being watched. Though the prince had allowed her to ride the horse the footman had brought for her, she kept close to his side. Bernard and Samuel took the lead, with the supplies tied to their horses and torches to light their path.
The moonlight cast a shimmering band of silver upon the quiet waves. The prince drew closer to her, keeping his voice low. ‘We have visitors, Princess. And I don’t think they’ve come to pay a call.’
She clenched the reins of her horse and followed the direction of his gaze. Along the edge of the hill, she spied the flare of torches.
‘What do you want me to do?’
Karl withdrew the revolver from his coat and cocked it. ‘You’re going to stay with me. Bernard and Samuel will keep them occupied while we ride to the manor. It’s not too far.’
‘What about them? What if—?’
‘They’ll be all right,’ Karl assured her. ‘Both of them are armed, and they are trained to protect us.’
Inside, she struggled to remain calm while Bernard and Samuel came to ride alongside them.
‘How many?’ Karl asked. From the sombre look of the men, Serena suspected they were outnumbered.
‘It’s too dark to tell,’ Bernard answered. ‘But we’ll hold them off as long as we can.’
The prince absorbed this knowledge and pointed his revolver skywards, firing a single shot.
‘What was that for?’ Serena asked.
‘Reinforcements,’ was all he would say.
Serena huddled against the horse, wishing she understood what threat they were facing. Her answer came a moment later, when four men emerged from the shadows, carrying their own torches. All were armed.
Karl brought his horse close to her, and murmured, ‘When I give the command, ride toward the hills as fast as you can. Don’t look back, and don’t stop. I’ll follow you.’ She nodded, knowing that her life might depend upon blind obedience in this instance.
The leader of the men came forward, and his body was painfully thin, the bones of his cheeks showing. He held a gun in his hands and his men moved to flank them. ‘Give us your supplies,’ the man ordered.
‘Put away your weapons,’ Karl countered. ‘Come to the manor house in the morning, and you can have a share in our food then.’
‘You’re the new governor, aren’t you?’ the man said. ‘Sent by the king to keep us starving.’
Karl said nothing, but repeated, ‘Put down your gun.’ Serena saw the ruthless air upon the prince’s face, just as he levelled his own revolver at the leader. When a gunshot sounded from behind her, Serena jerked in startled response. Karl roared, ‘Go!’ He slapped her horse’s side and fired the gun toward the men.
The Accidental Prince Page 8