‘Don’t move,’ he warned, rolling her to her back and easing back. ‘I want this to be better for you.’
He continued the rhythmic circular motion, and she pulled back, arching hard as the sensations deepened. ‘Karl,’ she breathed, not understanding what he was doing. But he held back, tormenting her, until she instinctively moved against him, forcing him to penetrate her in shallow thrusts.
‘Look at me,’ he ordered, and she forced herself to open her eyes. He stared at her, and said, ‘You’re the best thing that ever happened to me, Serena. Worth more than any kingdom on this earth.’
A dark, punishing heat kept driving her harder, and she couldn’t control her breathing from coming in quick gasps. He lifted her hips, suckling against her aroused nipples while his hand worked her below. She cried out, pushing back against him, but he kept up the rhythm until his caress exploded through her in a pulsing storm of release. The pleasure tore through her as he penetrated her fully, her body clenching his silken shaft.
As he entered and withdrew, she held him close, feeling him fill up her heart as well as her body. She’d fallen in love with Karl, and it made her all the more determined to keep him safe.
With their bodies joined, he pushed her past the brink once more, until she gasped with the pleasure of it. She revelled in the broken wildness of him as he thrust against her and at last surrendered to his own desire. He lay on top of her, their bodies damp with perspiration.
He held her tightly, his mouth against her ear. ‘I’ll not let them take you away,’ he swore. ‘No matter what happens.’
She didn’t let him see the tears forming inside her. For if anything happened to him, she couldn’t forgive herself.
When they arrived back at the manor house, Karl kept Serena’s hand in his. Within moments, dozens of soldiers emerged from the surrounding hills, riding toward the house.
He stopped walking, his hand tightening around hers. He saw the masked fear upon her face, and although she’d pinned her hair back beneath her bonnet, her face remained flushed from their lovemaking.
Serena gripped his hand and took a breath. ‘I’m going to speak to my father, if he’s here.’ Her face was unnaturally pale, her eyes troubled.
A bad feeling snaked into his gut. He didn’t know what she intended to do, but he was going to remain at her side, no matter what. ‘Don’t make a choice you’re going to regret.’ He leaned in and kissed her softly, trying to remind her of what there was between them.
Although she kissed him back, he sensed surrender in her demeanour. ‘My choice has nothing to do with what I want. Only what I have to do.’
‘Fight for the life you want,’ he urged. ‘And I’ll fight with you.’
She sent him a sad smile. ‘I am fighting. But in my own way.’
From the misery in her eyes, he knew exactly what she was planning. ‘You can’t return with him. He’ll only hurt you.’
‘Sometimes defeating your enemy means walking into the fire.’ She touched his cheek, and he lowered his forehead to hers. ‘I’m going to publicly announce my abdication. If the entire kingdom knows my wishes, he’ll have no choice but to let me go.’
‘Do you think I’d let you put yourself in danger like that?’ His hands moved down to caress the pulse at her throat. ‘He tried to strangle you.’
Serena took his hands in hers, looking steadily into his eyes. ‘I won’t let myself be afraid of him any more. If you care for me at all, you’ll trust me to slay my own dragons.’ With one last kiss, she pleaded, ‘Stay away. And I’ll come to Lohenberg, as soon as I can.’
She stepped out of his arms and continued walking toward the house. Did she believe he would stand by and let her leave? That he would act like a coward and let her return to a king who had broken her ribs and nearly killed her?
Clearly, she didn’t know him at all.
Chapter Sixteen
The king was already inside the manor house, and Fürst Michael and his fiancée Lady Hannah were entertaining him in the parlour. A sick feeling rose up inside Serena at the sight of her father, but she quelled it. If she remained polite and obedient, it might not go too badly. Against the far wall, she spied Captain Feldmann. The look on the man’s face held dissatisfaction, as if he hadn’t wanted to perform this duty.
As soon as he caught sight of Serena, the king rose to his feet and opened his arms. ‘My daughter, I am glad to see you are safe and unharmed.’
She went into the embrace, playing the role he wanted before the prince of Lohenberg. But as his arms came around her, his fingers dug into her shoulders in a tight warning to say nothing.
Even so, she met the stare of Fürst Michael, whose face was grim. His gaze drifted toward the door, and Serena discreetly shook her head. So long as Karl remained absent, she might be able to leave without her father being the wiser.
The king released her from his false embrace and took her left wrist in his hand. ‘I’ve ordered your belongings packed and placed within my coach. We will travel together back to Badenstein.’
‘Yes, Father,’ she said, feeling the uncomfortable grip of his hand. For the benefit of the fürst and Lady Hannah, she added, ‘I didn’t expect you to come all this way from Sardinia. I meant to return home in another day or so.’ His fingers curled so harshly around her wrist, she knew the skin would bruise within minutes.
‘You should come to Lohenberg instead of returning to Badenstein,’ Michael offered. ‘Our wedding will take place next week, and it would be a great disappointment if you did not attend. We would like to offer your family the hospitality of the palace for the next few days.’
The fürst’s suggestion was an offer of sanctuary that gave her hope. ‘How very kind of you.’ She ventured a smile, but her father’s expression remained angry.
‘That won’t be necessary.’ He motioned for his servants to move toward the door. ‘After what happened with the former prince, you must understand why my daughter cannot show her face in Lohenberg. She was ruined by your brother, and amends must be made.’
‘They could still marry,’ the fürst suggested. ‘Karl has been granted an honorary title and estates by our father. He will be an advisor to both myself and the king.’
Her father didn’t smile. ‘A marriage between my daughter and Karl would be inappropriate. I will send emissaries to Lohenberg with my instructions regarding compensation for the abduction of my daughter.’
‘I wasn’t abducted,’ Serena insisted, but her father’s eyes darkened in a warning to remain silent.
The king ignored her words. ‘I’ve arranged for another betrothal between the princess and Freiherr Albert von Meinhardt. Given her … conduct with the former prince of Lohenberg, an immediate wedding will be necessary to quiet the gossip.’ He offered an apologetic smile to the fürst, but Serena didn’t miss the threat beneath it. ‘I presume I can rely upon you to handle the dissolution of her former betrothal with discretion. Unless you believe it necessary that we bring formal charges against your brother.’
Fürst Michael simply stared at the king and spoke not a word. Inside, Serena was so very cold, she could hardly breathe. Her corset was laced tightly, and she felt dizziness hovering on the edges of her consciousness. Another marriage, so soon?
It shouldn’t have surprised her. No doubt this had been the freiherr’s proposition, as soon as he’d gotten word of Karl’s illegitimacy. Serena disliked the older man, who was little more than her father’s pawn. She supposed the man was trying to ingratiate himself with the king.
With a slight push toward her ladies, her father bade Serena, ‘Prepare yourself for the journey.’
Lady Hannah tried to follow, but Serena shook her head. She couldn’t bear the kindness right now, or she would burst into tears. If she was with strangers and other servants, she could hold her fragile feelings together.
As the ladies dressed her in a travelling gown, Serena couldn’t stop thinking of the afternoon she’d spent in Karl’s arms. The merest b
rush of fabric against her sensitive skin evoked memories of his body upon hers.
Don’t think of it, she warned herself. Otherwise she would start crying and never stop. She didn’t regret making love with him for a single moment. The intimacy they’d shared was something she would bind up inside her heart, holding it close.
‘Are you ready, Your Highness?’ one of the women asked, and Serena nodded her agreement. Though it was growing dark, she understood that her father would waste no more time in bringing her home.
One of the ladies picked up the blue gown and asked, ‘Shall I pack this in the last trunk?’
Serena nodded. Although the gown had grass stains upon it, she didn’t care. It was something she would keep for always.
Her mind blurred when they went downstairs and she said her goodbyes to the fürst and Lady Hannah. ‘I’ll write to you,’ Serena told her. ‘And perhaps we’ll see each other soon.’
Lady Hannah exchanged a look with Michael. ‘You are always welcome.’
‘Take her to the coach,’ her father ordered. Captain Feldmann moved behind her, while three footman escorted her outside.
Serena took a moment to look around the island, casting a longing look toward the shoreline. Though it felt as if she were surrendering to her father, it wasn’t that at all. Until she returned to the palace, she had to feign obedience. She’d made many mistakes, but it was time to mend those she could. And that meant weathering the storm that lay ahead.
When she stared out at the horses and coaches, she caught a glimpse of movement near the back of the garden wall. Karl stood there, staring at her. The fierce look on his face spoke of a man who had no intention of remaining in the shadows.
Her courage faltered, and she sent him a silent plea not to interfere. She could endure her father’s disapproval and whatever lay ahead, so long as she knew Karl was safe.
‘You Highness?’ the footman prompted, and she forced her gaze back to the coach. She walked away, trying not to steal another glimpse of Karl.
After the footmen opened the door to the waiting coach and helped her inside, Serena rested her head against the small window, steeling her courage. She didn’t believe that Karl would stay hidden, and it worried her, not knowing what he would do. She’d almost believed she’d find him hidden inside the coach, just as he’d done when he took her from the palace.
She closed her eyes, taking a breath for the strength she needed. Though she didn’t know how long it would take her to break free from Badenstein, she promised herself that she would do everything possible to manage it.
Within a few minutes more, the door opened to the coach, and the footman helped her father inside. As soon as the king settled across from her, his clenched fist shot toward her. Serena tried to avoid the blow, but pain exploded in her face. With both hands, she tried to shield herself.
‘Stupid girl,’ he growled. ‘Did you believe you could run away with your lover and not get caught?’
She said nothing, but neither did she look at him. Instead, she kept her arms over her face, shaken that he’d caught her unaware. The horses began to pull the coach forward, and though her father was cursing and blustering about all the reasons why she’d drawn shame upon herself, she ignored him, letting his words flow over her like meaningless air.
Within another minute, the coach lurched and swayed. A heavy cracking noise resounded, and Serena reached for the door, just as it flew open.
Karl moved inside and pointed a loaded revolver at her father. ‘Get out of the coach, Serena.’
‘What are you doing?’ she whispered, stunned that he would attempt such a thing.
His strong arm encircled her waist while he pulled her free from the coach. ‘Kidnapping you again.’ Karl set her down, and Serena was shocked to realise that he’d dismantled the wheels. The entire front of the coach was resting on the ground, while the back end was elevated.
When he saw the reddened mark on her cheek from where the king had struck her, his anger turned thunderous. ‘You aren’t going to take her back,’ he informed the king. ‘After what you’ve done to her, I wouldn’t mind pulling this trigger.’
Whether or not Karl knew it, the king’s men were already encircling them.
She closed her eyes, knowing he’d just sentenced himself to death. Karl couldn’t possibly outrun or fight the three dozen guards her father had brought with him. And an ember of fury smoldered inside of her.
Didn’t he understand that she’d been trying to save him? The tears broke free, for he’d ruined everything. ‘Why would you do this?’ she choked out, as he backed away from the coach, holding her hand.
‘Because you wanted me,’ he said against her ear. ‘When no one else did. My family didn’t give a damn what happened to me when they learned who I really was. But you were willing to sacrifice yourself for me.’
His hand came up to her cheek, touching the tears away. ‘Me. A bastard unworthy of the ground you walk on.’
She saw the guards closing in, and he murmured, ‘My horse is waiting by the back garden. If you run, right now, I’ll hold them off. Bernard can take you in the boat, away from the island.’
‘You’ll die,’ she whispered, and the burning anger kindled higher. She was seething with it, barely containing her temper.
‘It doesn’t matter,’ he said quietly. ‘Not if you’re safe.’
‘Stop it. Just stop it!’ Her voice rose higher, and she seized the revolver from his hand. It was heavy, but the weight of her rage spurred her on. ‘Does no one here believe I have the ability to think for myself?’ She cocked the weapon and aimed it at the guards. ‘My own father believes I’m nothing but a helpless pawn, to be used as he sees fit. And you—’ She whirled, the revolver still in her hand. ‘You don’t trust me to solve my own problems.’
He raised his hands, wary of her weapon. ‘I was trying to save you.’
‘Perhaps I don’t need saving!’ she cried out. ‘Did you ever think that I wanted to face him on my own? That I needed to drive out my own demons?’
She could hardly see through her own tears, but she pointed the gun toward the guards. ‘I’m in love with you, Karl. And I will not stand by and let you die. I won’t do it.’
The stricken look on his face spoke of a man who couldn’t believe what he’d heard. She gathered what was left of her composure and ordered, ‘You’re going to leave me now and return to the house with your brother.’ To the soldiers, she demanded, ‘And you are going to let him go.’
‘Arrest him,’ the king commanded. ‘Former Lohenberg prince or not, he’ll face charges for what he’s done.’
Serena gestured with the gun, toward the Lohenberg guards who were arriving with Fürst Michael as their leader. ‘You’ll not raise a hand against him.’
She returned the revolver to Karl, and whispered, ‘The days we spent together were among the happiest I ever had. If you love me at all, you’ll save your own life so that I may come back to you one day.’
‘Don’t go with him, Serena,’ Karl warned. ‘If you leave, he’ll never let you go.’
‘It’s my choice to make,’ she said, taking his hand. ‘Unless I stay, these men will suffer for my actions. And so will you.’ She studied her father’s guards and saw the loyalty in their eyes. As she’d hoped, they stepped aside, giving Karl a clear pathway to join his brother. If he took this chance, she could save him.
‘Please go,’ she whispered, before she left him standing there.
After the princess had departed in a separate coach from her father, Karl turned to face Captain Feldmann. ‘I’m not leaving her,’ he said.
The man shook his head. ‘You don’t understand how much power the king holds. Your life isn’t safe if you come to Badenstein.’
Karl stared at the guards. ‘You stood back and allowed the king to beat his own daughter. You, who were sworn to protect her.’
‘There was nothing we could do,’ the captain answered. He ordered his men to follow the king’s entou
rage and cast a final look at Karl. ‘The princess wanted you to leave the island. I would suggest that you follow her wishes and return to Lohenberg.’
His brother Michael rode closer, keeping his own guards near. ‘Let them go, Karl. I’ll talk to our father and see what can be done.’
Karl mounted one of the remaining horses. ‘Talking won’t save her from the king’s fists. I’m going after her.’
Michael urged his horse forward and moved beside him. ‘You’re not alone in this, Karl. Let us help you.’
His brother’s words were an offering he’d never expected. And although Karl held little faith that König Sweyn would lift a finger to help him, he understood that his brother was trying to make amends for what had happened.
‘Try, then. But know that I’m going to steal the princess away from Badenstein. Or die in the effort.’
After travelling through the night without stopping, Serena arrived back at the palace, feeling broken apart. Her ladies brought her back to her room, and she knew that, come the morning, her father would not hesitate to punish her. She’d humiliated him before his men, and at gunpoint, no less.
She was beginning to wish she’d kept the revolver.
‘Is my mother asleep?’ she asked her lady-in-waiting Katarina.
‘Yes, Your Highness. Shall I awaken her? She’ll want to see you.’
‘No, it can wait until the morning.’ Her mother was ill, and Serena wanted nothing to interrupt her sleep. ‘What about my sister?’
‘Princess Anna asked me to inform her as soon as you arrived.’
Serena nodded her permission and sat before her dressing table while one of her ladies brushed her hair. Another helped her to undress, and when she was in her nightgown, Anna burst in.
‘I can’t believe what happened. Oh, Serena.’ Anna flung her arms around her, and Serena nodded for her ladies to leave them alone. ‘Are you all right? Was it as terrible as I imagine it was?’
Her emotions swelled up inside her, but Serena managed to keep herself from weeping. ‘The fürst of Lohenberg escorted me. He said you sent him a letter.’
The Accidental Prince Page 20