Ryen shook her head. “Do not let him.”
Jean Claude looked away from her toward the bright moon. “Ryen. I thought you were dead. I – I cursed myself…”
Anguish twisted Ryen’s heart. “Father –”
He shook his head. “Then the ransom came to Dumas. Oh, Ryen. I was wrong. I never should have betrothed you to him. I did not realize what I had done until I thought you were gone.”
Ryen stepped toward him.
“Please,” Jean Claude said, holding up his hands and bowing his head. “Let me finish. I will never see you again. You will not be able to return to France. I must disavow you, Ryen.”
Ryen raised her chin. “I understand.”
Jean Claude shook his head sadly. “I will not see my grandchildren grow and become fine warriors. Most importantly, I will not see your happiness.” He lifted his head to her and Ryen saw the tears glisten in his eyes. “I want you to be happy, little one. I have failed you.”
“No, Father,” Ryen stressed. “You have made me strong.”
“I have hurt you,” he insisted. When Ryen shook her head, he added quickly, “Do not deny it is so. I have seen the agony in your eyes.”
“Do you see agony now?” she wondered.
“No,” he replied with a sigh. Hesitantly, he reached out and took her hand in his own. “My child.”
Ryen watched the play of emotions over his features. Sorrow crept its way into the somber scowl he wore; regret rent his brows into a furrow. Finally, these emotions dissolved and acceptance speckled his relaxed features. He suddenly looked old. Old and tired.
Tears glistened in her eyes. She would never see him again and she wanted to say so much. Tell him how much she would miss him.
“You love him.” It was half statement, half question.
“With all my heart,” Ryen replied.
Jean Claude nodded. “As I did your mother.”
He nodded his head and a sad smile twitched the corner of his lip, longing filling his eyes. But there was something else there, too. Beneath the pain and the acceptance, Ryen saw it. It was the same look he had bestowed on Lucien and Andre so long ago. As he gazed down at her, his eyes glowed, a slight grin on his lips. Pride puffed up his chest. “You are a fine knight, Ryen,” he said sincerely. “You always have been.”
Tears welled in Ryen’s eyes and she threw her arms around his strong shoulders. For a moment, she enjoyed the feeling of his embrace. “I love you, Father,” she whispered finally.
She felt him squeeze her tightly.
“Ryen,” a voice from behind her called softly.
She stepped away from her father and turned. Another hooded figure, taller and broader than she, stood waiting in the shadows. Ryen saw the glint of a sword beneath the robe he wore.
“We must go.”
Ryen nodded at Bryce and turned back to her father. His hands dropped to his side, but she caught one of them and held it tightly. When she stepped back, he did not release her hand. Only when she had taken another step did he relinquish his grip on her.
Ryen took one more step backward, watching her father, trying to memorize his face. Then she turned and walked into the shadows where Bryce waited. Her head was bowed for a long moment, and when she looked up at him, he nodded and gently touched her cheek. Then he reached around her to pull the hood up over her head. He grasped her hand tightly. “Our war is finished, Angel,” Bryce whispered.
Together, the Angel of Death and the Prince of Darkness disappeared into the shadows of the night…
###
About the Author
Laurel O’Donnell has won numerous awards for her works, including the Holt Medallion for A Knight of Honor, the Happily Ever After contest for The Angel’s Assassin, and the Indiana’s Golden Opportunity contest for Immortal Death. In 1993, The Angel and the Prince was nominated by Romance Writers of America for their prestigious Golden Heart award. O’Donnell lives in Illinois with her four cherished children, her beloved husband and her five cats. She finds precious time every day to escape into the medieval world and bring her characters to life in her writing.
Thank You
Dear Reader –
Today’s challenging world of ebooks has so much for the reader to choose from. It’s both a gift and a challenge. How do you sort through what’s out there and find a gem? I hope you found a gem with the adventures of Ryen and Bryce. I enjoyed bringing them to life. The nonstop action and the heart pounding romance was a joy to experience and discover. Thank you for choosing The Angel and the Prince. I hope it transported you into the wonderful world of adventure, medieval pageantry, and love.
Please keep an eye out for my other books:
THE LADY AND THE FALCONER
A KNIGHT OF HONOR
MIDNIGHT SHADOW
CHAMPION OF THE HEART
And my novella:
THE BRIDE AND THE BRUTE
I hope to entertain you with new exciting tales in the near future.
Visit my website at: http://www.laurel-odonnell.com/
Laurel O’Donnell
Table of Contents
THE ANGEL AND THE PRINCE
Praise for The Angel and the Prince
Title Page
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty One
Chapter Twenty Two
Chapter Twenty Three
Chapter Twenty Four
Chapter Twenty Five
Chapter Twenty Six
Chapter Twenty Seven
Chapter Twenty Eight
Chapter Twenty Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty One
Chapter Thirty Two
Chapter Thirty Three
Chapter Thirty Four
Chapter Thirty Five
Chapter Thirty Six
Chapter Thirty Seven
Chapter Thirty Eight
Chapter Thirty Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty One
Chapter Forty Two
Chapter Forty Three
Chapter Forty Four
Chapter Forty Five
Chapter Forty Six
Epilogue
About the Author
Thank You
The Angel And The Prince Page 42