The door closed behind him, and Serena stared at the wood for a long time. So much of what he’d said was brutal and callous. She felt as if she’d taken an imaginary blow to her stomach, for he’d done everything in his power to make her hate him.
Instead, she sat down near the fire, thinking to herself. He’d not slept at all last night, but had gone for help. He’d disguised himself among Jürgen’s men and had brought her here safely. Then he’d given up his bed, brought her food and even another pair of shoes.
For a man who claimed to be a selfish bastard, it didn’t add up.
He’d said that there’d been a falling out between him and his father. Everything he’d done had been meant to force her into marriage, likely to regain his father’s approval. She didn’t understand it. Nor did she understand the words he’d thrown at her, behaving as if he were a villain instead of the man who’d saved her.
Without knowing what she was doing, Serena adjusted the oversized shoes and left her chamber. She walked down the hall, but Karl was not in her old room. She held on to the stone walls as she walked down the winding spiral stairs, and there she saw him sitting near the large fireplace. Outside the windows, she saw the flicker of torches.
Karl heard her footsteps and saw the direction of her gaze. ‘It’s the men we hired. They’ve returned to guard us tonight.’
‘Good,’ she murmured, crossing the room. Karl was hunched over near the fire, looking haggard and exhausted. She didn’t know what drew her near, but she sensed that everything he’d said was meant to push her away. And she wanted to know why.
She stood in front of him, and he raised his gaze to her with wariness. ‘What do you want?’
‘I never thanked you for rescuing me.’ She took a breath, her heart pounding faster. As she stared at him, he looked angry with her. Even so, she held her ground.
‘You’ve done so. Now go back to your room.’ The order had an unexpected sharpness, as if he couldn’t bear the sight of her. Her first instinct was to obey, but something rooted her feet in place.
She said nothing, not understanding the tremble of the pulse inside of her. She’d seen a side to Karl that was ruthless and bold. He’d risked his own life for hers, and he’d kept his word to protect her.
Was it possible … that she could face her father’s temper and gain her true freedom? Karl was right. The king would never stop searching for her, for any successful escape was a blow to his pride. He’d forbidden her to leave, and once her father got word of her whereabouts, nothing would stop him from forcing her back.
Face him, Serena. Only then will you have your freedom.
The fürst was right; she knew it. But she needed a way of protecting herself from her father’s wrath. The king held all the power over her, at no risk to himself. She didn’t know what to do.
‘Serena, go.’ The prince’s voice was soft, but within it, she heard the nuance of desire, the magnetic quality that drew her closer. Over the past few days, she’d seen another side to Karl. He was rough and callous on the outside … but he’d been hurt by his family, just as she had.
She didn’t want to leave. Not yet. And though her footsteps took her straight into the path of a frustrated man, she no longer cared.
Karl stood up from the chair, and without warning, seized her around the waist. ‘You were warned.’
She lost her breath when he cut her off with a fierce kiss. There was nothing polite or calm about it. In his kiss, she tasted hurt and bitterness. He was doing everything in his power to push her away, to give her a reason to run away and hide from him.
She let him unleash the anger upon her mouth, answering it by winding her arms around his neck. At her sudden embrace, he softened the onslaught, sliding his tongue against the seam of her mouth until she opened to him. She surrendered, letting him enter her mouth, and the sensation sent a wave of drowning desire rippling through her. His hands moved down her spine, resting upon her hips. When he pulled her near, she felt his arousal pressing against her.
She reached up to cup his face, and at her touch, he drew back. Hungry eyes stared into hers as if he’d never expected her to respond to him. As if she’d touched him in a place that went deeper than his skin.
His hands moved up her ribs, resting beneath her breasts. She was starting to lose her awareness, unable to grasp all the reasons why this was wrong. His arms came around her, and for a moment, he rested his mouth within her hair. She heard the rapidity of his breath, but he didn’t let go.
‘I’m no good for you, Serena, and you know it,’ he murmured, drawing back. His hazel eyes were darkened with need, and her thoughts were in disarray.
‘Is it so wrong, wanting this?’ she answered. ‘It’s just a kiss.’ Within it, she’d found the answer she was looking for. He did want her. Everything he’d said about using her seemed impossible to believe.
His hands moved to rest upon her shoulders. ‘Go back before I do something we both regret.’
‘You wouldn’t hurt me,’ she whispered. She’d stake her life on it. A part of her craved the affection he offered, for she’d never been treated this way before. He’d claimed her mouth as if she were everything he needed.
His mouth moved to her throat, dropping a kiss on the curve between her neck and shoulder. In a husky voice, he whispered, ‘Right now I want to unfasten those buttons, one by one. I want to move my hands over your skin and slide the chemise from your body.’
Her body went soft at his tantalising words, her skin prickling. She felt the touch of his hands upon her bodice, and her nipples went rigid.
Then what? her traitorous body demanded.
Karl moved his thumb to the first button, playing with it slightly. ‘I’d bare you to the waist and touch your breasts with my hands.’
Serena’s arms came up to cover her chest, and his hands caught hers. Her breathing had quickened, and with his words, she grew more aroused. ‘Karl—’
‘Then I’d kiss you again,’ he interrupted.
She wanted that, to feel the firm caress of his mouth upon hers. Without even realising it, her fingers had gone to touch her lips.
Karl took her hand back. ‘Not there, sweet.’
He lowered her fingers, bringing them to touch her own breasts. Serena felt the sudden clench of need, tightening her nipples, sending a hidden ache within.
‘There,’ he corrected, leaving her with the image of his ravenous mouth upon her breasts, arousing her with his tongue.
Before she could say another word, he left her standing in the hall alone.
Chapter Eleven
‘We’ve heard from Karl at last.’ Lady Hannah Chesterfield smiled as she entered the drawing room, holding out a folded letter. ‘He’s visiting Vertraumen.’
Michael Thorpe, the fürst of Lohenberg, rose to greet Hannah, kissing her cheek. ‘Is he?’ Though he knew she worried about his half brother, he was less trusting. Karl had been the Crown Prince of Lohenberg, and he wasn’t the sort of man to turn his back on his birthright—Michael fully expected Karl to fight for the throne.
‘Yes. Apparently the island is in trouble.’ She detailed Karl’s report about crop failures, along with his request for supplies, a household staff and soldiers to help stabilise the government. ‘The king has already sent the men, but he wants you to go and inspect the state of affairs on the island.’
Inside his chest, he felt the tightness. The king hadn’t given him any duties as the new fürst until now. And Michael was well aware of his ignorance. He’d been trained as a soldier, not a prince. He didn’t have the first idea of how to be a future king.
This was the first task he’d been given, and he sensed it was a test. His mind tried to assimilate all of the information, seeking the best course of action. Karl had provided a detailed list of the island’s problems, along with his suggested solutions.
For that, he was grateful. While he went over each point, he missed Hannah’s last remark.
‘Don’t you think it’s
romantic?’
He frowned. ‘He’s starving on the island and you think it’s romantic?’
‘No.’ She closed the door to his study and crossed the room. From the sudden change in her demeanour, he opened his arms, and she sat on his lap. ‘Didn’t you read his list? He asked for a complete wardrobe for a young woman—gowns and ladies’ maids. Since your brother isn’t likely to be wearing women’s clothing, I presume he has a female guest.’
Michael frowned. ‘Who would he have brought with him? He was betrothed to Princess Serena of Badenstein.’
‘I don’t know, but I’m certain he’s not alone,’ Hannah breathed with a smile. ‘Can’t you just imagine it? The two of them, on an island, with no one in the world to interfere? I’d love to spend time with you in a place like that. Perhaps after our wedding.’
She leaned in and kissed him, and Michael tossed the list aside. ‘We don’t need an island, Hannah.’ His hand moved to her ankle, sliding up the glorious silk stockings she was wearing.
‘We could go and visit your brother.’ She smiled against his mouth and rose from his lap. ‘Find out what he’s up to.’
Michael took her hand in his, with a full intent of seducing her, when his gaze fell upon a newspaper folded beside the tea service. He let out a foul curse when he saw the headlines.
‘What is it?’ Hannah asked, following his stare. When she saw the large block letters announcing that the Princess of Badenstein had gone missing, her face paled. ‘You don’t think Karl would—’
‘I wouldn’t put it past him. If he seduced her or married her, they’ll have to name him prince consort.’ Michael rang for a footman and gave the terse order to pack his belongings.
Hannah’s face fell. ‘The king of Badenstein would be furious with him.’
‘And he could threaten Lohenberg.’ Though Michael didn’t believe it would cause a war between their countries, neither would it improve their relationship. Karl’s fallen status would infuriate the king, if his daughter were involved with a bastard son. ‘We need to discover if she’s there with him.’
‘And if she is?’
‘We’ll bring her home.’
The following morning, Bernard arrived at the fortress. He bowed low before the prince. ‘Your Highness, His Majesty has sent your requested supplies and the household staff. I took the liberty of bringing them to the manor house, but there are guards here awaiting your command.’
‘Good. You’ve done well.’
His footman gave a slight smile and bowed again. ‘I will wait with them in the courtyard. Is the princess—?’
‘She is with me still,’ Karl said. ‘I will accompany her back to the house.’
After they departed the abbey and rode along the beach, Serena joined at his side. ‘Have I won the wager, then?’
‘I will keep my word, as promised.’ With a sidelong glance, he saw that she’d cloaked herself from throat to ankle. No doubt she was still wearing the cream-coloured gown backwards. After she returned to the house, the ladies’ maids would descend upon her, and she would become a princess once more.
Their three days were at an end.
Karl kept his gaze fixed ahead, his spine straight. He needed time to consider the best options for Serena, but more than that, he needed to determine his own fate. The future stretched out before him like a wasteland, an unknown that kept slipping away from his carefully laid plans. He’d meant to wed a princess, not squander a week of his life.
But Serena had changed everything until he didn’t know what to do any more. Last night, he’d spent the hours huddled on a straw pallet, unable to stop thinking of the way her hands had moved through his hair and against his face. She’d provoked him, until he’d kissed her in an effort to drive her away. With her tentative caresses, she’d captured him … making him imagine that she cared about him.
Impossible. She wanted only one thing from him—her freedom. That had always been clear. And although they’d spent a few moments in each other’s company that had been more intimate, he understood that she would never want him as her husband. Especially if he admitted that he’d lost his kingdom.
He rode through the countryside, glancing back to ensure she was still there. Her gaze drifted over to the sea, and Karl guessed she was uneasy about her father learning of her whereabouts. Would she want to face the king? Or would she run away again?
When they reached the manor house, Serena found herself surrounded by a dozen maids. Four of them had served the queen at the Royal Palace in Vermisten, Lohenberg. From the appalled expression on their faces, Serena could only imagine how terrible she looked. Her hair hadn’t been brushed, and on her feet she wore the oversized leather shoes. Without another word to Fürst Karl, she followed them inside.
The scent of food tantalised her, and she took a deep breath, savouring the promise of a good meal. But even as she followed the women upstairs and let them draw a bath, she couldn’t let go of the coldness building inside her.
She didn’t know how to diminish her father’s hold, to force him to let her go. Returning to the palace meant that she was in his arena, subject to his whims. Better to make him come to her here on neutral ground.
Fürst Karl and his guards would keep her safe on the island. She had faith in the prince’s protection. Perhaps instead of asking him to help her run away, she should ask him to shield her from her father’s vengeance. The king wouldn’t harm the royal prince of another country, would he? And once he’d let her go, then she could live quietly somewhere else.
A strange loneliness caught her at the thought. She’d grown accustomed to living with Karl, despite his overbearing ways. He had made her feel safe, in a way she’d never felt before.
As her ladies undressed her, Serena realised that the dress was looser. She’d grown thinner after the days without good food, and one of the ladies sent for a tray of refreshments.
But it was the hot bath that sent her mind spiralling into heaven itself. The water had been scented with essence of lavender, and she leaned back, allowing another maid to wash her hair.
‘Your Highness,’ one maid ventured, ‘Lady Hannah bid us welcome you and if there is anything you need, you’ve only to ask.’
‘I don’t believe I know anyone named Lady Hannah,’ Serena said, frowning. ‘Is she from Lohenberg?’
‘No, Your Highness. She is the daughter of an English Marquess and will marry Fürst Michael in another week.’ The maid’s face brightened as she described the plans for the royal wedding, with arches of lilies and roses, along with dozens of attendants. ‘Her dress is the most beautiful ivory silk I’ve ever seen.’
A creeping suspicion tangled in her stomach. Serena had never heard of a prince named Michael.
‘This man, Fürst Michael,’ she began. ‘Is he Karl’s brother?’
The maid nodded. Her cheeks flushed as she ventured, ‘Your Highness, what are your instructions regarding the possessions of your … husband? The footman Bernard thought, perhaps, the adjoining bedchamber?’
The young woman wouldn’t meet her gaze, and Serena hesitated. So much had happened, she knew well enough what it must look like, living alone with Karl. If she told the women to put Karl far away from her, then her reputation would be tarnished. The small lie would benefit both of them.
‘Yes, I think it would be best to put his clothing in the next bedchamber,’ Serena answered, wishing she could stop herself from flushing red.
‘Very good, Your Highness.’ The maid curtsied and departed to take care of it. From the excited expressions on their faces, she could tell they were bursting to ask questions about her non-existent wedding. But she would give them no explanation.
She sank deeper into the water, washing herself with the soap they’d given her. The maid’s revelation, of another prince, bothered her. No one had told her of a brother, and she didn’t doubt that Karl had known about it.
‘I wasn’t aware that Karl had a younger brother,’ she began, waiting for more a
nswers.
The comb stopped moving. ‘Fürst Michael is the true heir to the Lohenberg throne,’ the woman said quietly. ‘I thought you’d heard the news … that your husband was not the legitimate prince.’
The bathwater suddenly seemed to grow cold. ‘No. I wasn’t aware.’
He’d lied to her. All this time when he’d claimed he wanted to marry her … it was because he wanted to become a prince again.
Serena’s eyes burned, but she would not cry. He’d been telling her the truth, when he’d said he was a bastard who was only using her. She hadn’t believed it until now.
Karl stood in the bedchamber that adjoined Princess Serena’s. One of her maids had moved his belongings inside. He rubbed the edges of his cheeks, knowing he looked like a man who’d lived among wild animals. A valet awaited his orders, and he bade the man to fetch shaving supplies. Another brought out clean clothing, as well as a basin of water.
While the valet shaved him, his gaze focused upon the adjoining door. Why had Serena given the order for him to remain nearby? It made little sense at all. From behind the door, he heard the sound of ladies talking to the princess.
And then he heard the telltale splash of her bathing in the tub. His imagination conjured up the image of her smooth skin sliding beneath the water, the slight ripple against her bare breasts.
He grew hard, thinking of her. Right now, he wanted to order everyone out, to throw open the thin door that lay between them.
His valet had said something, but Karl was certain he’d misheard the man. ‘What was that?’
‘My lord, the cook has asked if you and your wife would prefer salmon or beef for luncheon?’
His wife? Now where had that come from? Had the servants made an assumption of their own?
He tested his theory with a question of his own. ‘Who told you of our marriage?’
His valet reddened. ‘Her Royal Highness told her ladies of your elopement.’
So that was the reason for the adjoining doors. She’d lied to the servants, in order to protect their reputations.
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