by Holly Law
“Anyone in the city could direct him to it. If he doesn't come to claim you before he leaves I will see you home safely.”
“Seems like a lot of bother for you.”
“My honor requires it of me.”
“This honor of yours seems to make life much more difficult for you.”
Corden laughed. “It does. Particularly in matters concerning you, but it is a worthwhile effort, so I do not mind.”
The inn proved to be just as she remembered it. It was bustling with activity and had a warm, welcoming feel. She noted that it was populated mostly by Corscans. None of them wore armor and Elara noticed Corden removed his helmet when they stepped inside. He went to the desk and talked to the woman behind it briefly. As she had the last time, she looked a bit overwhelmed by Corden and stammered her replies.
“Looks like you found your pretty girl again, Corden,” a man called from a table. A broad grin was on his face and he looked vaguely familiar to her.
“More like she found me, Rushal,” Corden replied. Elara noted Corden's grin was just as broad. He seemed glad to have her there and Elara didn't pretend to understand it.
“Going to knock him off a cliff again, Elara?” the soldier named Rushal asked.
“I don't think I'd do that to Scratch again,” Elara replied, feeling baffled by his use of her name. His easy demeanor made her feel like she was being greeted by an old friend.
The man laughed. “For an apple that horse might dump his master willingly. Oh, that reminds me, may I have a private word with you, Corden?”
Corden sighed and made a face. “I don't suppose it could wait until morning?”
“Sorry to intrude on your time with your pretty girl, but waiting until morning would be a poor choice.”
“Follow us up then.” Corden led them both up the stairs.
“Are you staying for good this time, Elara,” Rushal asked her politely, “or are you just here to taunt Corden a bit more?”
“I wasn't even planning on seeing Corden when I was in town,” Elara confessed. “I just kind of stumbled onto him.”
“Onto my horse you mean,” Corden corrected.
“I take it you're not here then to beg him to take you as his bride again?” Rushal observed.
“The thought never even crossed my mind.”
Rushal grinned. “You'll give him a run for his money. Nice to see him have to work for a girl. Normally, they just flock to him.”
Corden unlocked his door and let them both in first. The room was just as she remembered it. Everything was in its place and there was a pile of paper on the desk. Rushal flopped on the couch and looked relaxed. Corden started loosening the straps on his armor. As he slipped the metal plates off he asked, “So what did you need to see me about?”
Rushal's eyes flickered toward Elara. “You wish me to speak with her here?” Rushal asked slowly.
Corden looked at Elara for a long moment. His eyes held hers and she found she couldn't look away. “I think I'll trust her,” Corden said finally.
Rushal inclined his head respectfully. “It's your head. A Brogden noblewoman came to the town today and was demanding to speak with whoever was in charge. We tried to parade General Isken in front of her. She didn't believe he was in charge for a minute.”
Corden frowned as he sat down in a chair to remove the metal around his legs. “That surprises me. General Isken is very competent and known for his skill. The world knows he is one of the finest generals in it. Why didn't she believe he was in charge?”
“She claimed to have heard there was one of a certain rank in charge. Ever since you brought Elara home, there have been rumors of your presence bouncing around the country. I think the noblewoman came to see if it was true.”
“Is this noblewoman anyone of consequence?”
“My sources tell me she is Princess Viora, the eldest daughter of King Liech.”
“That complicates matters,” Corden said and sighed. Elara felt stunned by that news. Elara had heard of the princess of Brogden. She had never seen her but Lady Elisa had spoken very highly—and with a hint of jealousy—of her beauty and charm.
“I thought I remembered you meeting previously.”
“A little more than a brief meeting at that.”
“How do you wish us to proceed? We can either tell her you are here and will meet with her or continue to try to convince her she is mistaken.”
Corden thought for a long moment. “She seems fairly certain I am here. Perhaps it would be best to meet with her face to face. I am going home in another month anyway.”
“When should I arrange the meeting for?”
“The morning I suppose. Invite her for breakfast.”
“Do you want me to arrange for another room for Elara? Her presence might make things more awkward between you two.”
Corden gave a short laugh. “More awkward for Viora perhaps, but not me. Elara could make things easier for me if she is willing to cooperate. I suspect I know what Viora is after and I would like to get rid of any ground she stands on. At the moment, there is no way for me to refuse her without it being considered a dire insult. She would know I would have no cause to refuse and given my honor I would have to accept.”
“You think she would push for a marriage treaty?”
“Wouldn't you if you were in her place?”
“It does seem likely.”
“The thought of being married to Viora is unpleasant to say the very least. If she were to believe I was already married however, that would get rid of most of the ground she is standing on.”
Rushal laughed. “That could be interesting. But everyone knows your bride here escaped from you. It's becoming quite the legend. I'd be surprised if it's not being talked about in Silcor yet.”
“Well, I would be inclined to accept her if she came back to me, which conveniently enough Elara did show up yesterday.”
“Just what exactly is it you want me to do, Corden?” Elara asked him, feeling very wary.
“Mostly sit in here and look pretty,” Corden told her with a grin. Whatever plan he had he was enjoying already. “I need you to pretend to be my wife. I simply need you to be here as I discuss business and not flinch when I refer to you as my wife.” Elara still felt wary and Corden seemed to realize that. “No tricks, Elara. Even a prisoner-bride has to go through a wedding ceremony. That won't happen and I will have no illusions of it being otherwise. I'll even have a pretty dress made for you tonight. Will you help me out with this?”
“I suppose so,” Elara said hesitantly.
“Excellent. Is there any other news I need to be aware of, Rushal?”
“Nothing too urgent.”
“Good then I have some business to attend to.”
“Business?” Rushal laughed and looked at Elara. “More like you want some time alone with your freed prisoner-bride. But I can't blame you. I'll go pass on the message to Princess Viora. I suspect I'll be seeing you around, Elara.” Rushal bowed politely and left.
“I already talked to the woman at the front desk about getting you a dress for tonight,” Corden informed her once Rushal was gone. “If you want to go bathe it should be waiting for you when you get back. I'm going to go either find your brother or leave a message for him with the rest of your party. I should be back by the time you're done bathing—if you take as long as you did last time. Thank you for doing this for me, Elara. I appreciate it.”
“I just hope you're not getting yourself in trouble.”
Corden grinned. “Nothing too serious. Trust me this is far better for me than the alternative.”
“Lady Elisa always had good things to say about the princess,” Elara commented hesitantly.
“Consider the source. I have met Princess Viora. We even courted briefly before I began my time as a serf. Trust me, all the prettiness and charm is on the surface. She is not what I would call pleasant. She is manipulative and selfish.”
“And you're not?” Elara asked with some surp
rise and then wished she had not.
For the first time, Elara saw some hint of anger on Corden's face. “No, Elara, I do what needs to be done. There are many people I think of beside myself. It begins to become clear why you refuse me. Is it something personal I have done to draw this criticism or is this merely what you wish to think of me?”
“I…” Elara began and floundered. But then she did find some response. “By doing this to her aren't you being as manipulative as you accuse her of being?”
“Perhaps,” Corden conceded. “But marrying her would do no one but her any good. Corsca would suffer for it, I think.”
“And so would you.”
“Yes,” Corden admitted. “I would suffer a great deal. Do you find it wrong to be a bit selfish where marriage is concerned? I do not wish to be married to one who would make me miserable. I don't wish to be married to one who would marry me simply for my title. I have avoided that my whole life. I refuse to give into it now. Please excuse me, I wish to find your brother.”
'Lord' Daliscas
Elara found the bath just as pleasant as before and as Corden anticipated, he had returned by the time she was done. “I found your brother,” Corden informed her as soon as the door was closed. “He was just on the street outside the inn. He was coming to ask if I could help find you.”
“And what did he think of me staying here?” Elara asked him.
“He was completely fine with it. He will come and get you tomorrow afternoon. Did you expect him to be otherwise?”
“Well, no, I suppose not,” Elara confessed.
“He asked me if I convinced you to marry me yet. He seems to be hopeful on that respect,” Corden asked sounding amused.
Elara flushed in embarrassment. “That would be my brother. He was pestering me about you before we were even in town.”
“Oh was he? And here I thought you were completely opposed to the idea.”
“I didn't even plan on trying to see you when I was in town.”
“Out of a real lack of desire to see me or to spite your brother for all his pestering?”
“A bit of both, mixed with some doubt you would even be here.”
“Then I am glad you got lost so I could see you. Though you probably would have seen me anyway. I had received a report from one of the gate guards that you were in the city. I wouldn’t have let you leave without saying hello. There is a dress for you in the other room. Go get changed and I will have dinner brought up.”
Elara went into the other room and closed the door. The dress was as fine as the last one and just as comfortable. Elara wondered how much she was indebted to Corden. He had made no issue of it, but she still worried about it. She went back into the other room and sat on the couch to wait for Corden.
Corden came up carrying two plates of food. All of it smelled wonderful and she looked at it hungrily as he placed it on the table before her. “Eat up,” he told her. Elara did eat and found it tasted even better than last time. “That could be a problem,” Corden observed, watching her.
“What?” Elara asked confused.
“Let's eat at the table. I think I need to teach you how to eat correctly.”
“How can you eat incorrectly?” Elara asked confused.
“Trust me, you don't want to eat like that in front of the princess tomorrow morning,” Corden told her, looking amused. He took her plate and carried both of them over to the table. He pulled out a chair for her. “Please sit.” Elara sat wondering what was wrong with how she was eating. In a few brief moments, Corden had more knives and forks set before her than she had ever seen. “Don't be offended by any of what I have to say, Elara. You eat like a serf and that doesn't go along well with eating with nobility. I don't want you to feel embarrassed tomorrow or to suffer any criticism from Viora because of it.”
“You eat so different?”
“In public, yes. In private, I am inclined to eat just like you. Now first, sit up straight for me. Hands off the table.” What followed was an uncomfortable number of directions that Elara didn't fully understand. Dinner became a much slower occasion and Corden seemed satisfied by the end. “I'm glad you're a fast learner.”
“Now, what would be your normal reaction to seeing someone of Viora's rank?” Corden asked after swallowing a bite of food left on his plate.
“I don't know,” Elara confessed. “We kneel before our lord, but someone of her rank wouldn't normally come anywhere near a serf.”
“So you would probably fall to your knees just on principle then?”
“Yes.”
“Stay on your feet when she comes in. Don't bow or curtsy or anything else. Don't feel you have to concede to anything she says. If she says something you disagree with, then disagree with her, just like you would any girl in your village.”
Elara gave a short laugh. “You're going to get me in trouble, Corden. She could have my head for the disrespect you want me to show her.”
“Ordinarily, yes,” Corden agreed, “but she is going to be convinced we're married and no wife of mine would treat her as a better or even an equal.”
“But she's a princess!” Elara objected.
“A foreign princess of a country that is mostly under Corscan control. Any respect I choose to show her is up to me. She is considered insignificant. A daughter of a lesser king. There are provinces in Corsca larger than what her father has left to rule. A minor lord at best now and one who will probably be dead in a few months. And most likely she will be, too.”
That declaration made Elara uncomfortable. She knew the war against Corsca was not going well, but she hadn't known it went that badly. “I didn't realize Brogden was doing that badly,” Elara confessed.
“Your country is split in two, Elara. We achieved that within the first month. We have been in your country for nearly six months. If things keep going so well, Brogden will no longer exist within three months.”
Elara flinched. “And what happens to the serfs in all the places you take over. We hear nothing from anyone we knew in places you now control.”
“That depends,” Corden frowned as he looked at her. “Those that resist we kill. Otherwise, we relocate them.”
“Relocate them?”
“It is an old Corscan policy that is effective. Every village is split up and the serfs are sent to other serf villages in Corsca. It helps new provinces to remain stable.”
“That's horrible,” Elara said, feeling numb knowing what the fate of her village would be. “And what about the debt serfs have to their lords?”
“When they are transferred to the land of a new lord their debt is changed to that of the average serf in Corsca. Some will find it less, others more. You really find this so horrible?”
“You expect me to find it pleasant to know my family will be forced out of a village we have lived in our whole lives?”
“I can at very least promise you, Elara, that if I do not manage to take you for my bride before that happens, I will have you placed in my personal lands. Though I hope things go more pleasantly for us. I don't like this topic. We have to get you ready for tomorrow.”
“There is more?” Elara asked, feeling wary.
Corden laughed and some of the tension went out of the room. “Much more, Elara, and I won't even touch on it all before you meet the princess in the morning. The very least I can manage is for you to look the part. I talked to a local seamstress and something passable should be here by morning. As should some of the little extras I arranged. I also talked with the wife of one of my officers who used to be a lady's maid. She will be here early to help you. But for now we will have to settle for helping you move correctly.”
“Not only can I not eat correctly, now I can't move correctly?”
“Not for what you are trying to be, no. Some women spend their whole lives trying to be what I need you to pretend to be, Elara. You're not going to manage it over night, but you should be passable by morning. Ideally your mannerisms would be better than Viora's, but at
least the pretense of this arrangement includes how recent you are to being my wife.”
“I'm becoming more and more thankful I am not.”
“The perks that go with it normally make it worthwhile, but let's start with making you walk correctly.”
Elara always wondered how Lady Elisa managed to move so elegantly. Now Elara knew it took a great deal of effort. It frustrated Elara completely and finally she demanded, “Do I have to do this?”
“You did agree, Elara,” Corden reminded her. “It's a bit late to back out. Think of it this way, when you get back to your village you can boast that you learned to eat and walk to rival any princess and queen in the world. That's worth something isn't it?”
Things clicked together in Elara's head at that moment. All the little hints of who Corden was suddenly made sense. She felt small and her stomach turned into a giant uncomfortable knot. “You're royalty?” Elara found herself asking, but she already knew the truth of it.
Corden looked at her for a moment before he spoke. “Yes, I am,” he told her simply. “Now, let's get back to work.” Elara suddenly found herself much clumsier and Corden seemed confused by that. After another ten minutes worth of work, he was clearly frustrated by the effort. “I know you can do better than this, Elara. You were making such wonderful progress, what happened?”
“I think I would rather not do this,” Elara said numbly.
“Why? You are more than capable of this. You'll do fine as long as you keep trying. I know I'm asking a great deal of you, but I will make it up to you, I promise. Just try your hardest for a few more minutes then I'll let you get some sleep, alright?”
“Who are you exactly, Corden?” Elara asked him.
Corden looked at her for a long moment. The question seemed to surprise him. “Is that what is bothering you?”
“Yes.”
“I can't tell you who I am, Elara. For my own safety, outside of Corsca I will not be addressed by my title.”
“Does Princess Viora know?”
“Yes.”
“Then aren't I likely to find out tomorrow anyway?”
“Perhaps, but…” Corden sighed and sat down on the couch. “I am enjoying how informal things are between us, Elara. I don't want to lose that. There are very few people in the world who I can be informal with. You are already reacting poorly to the knowledge that my blood is even royal. I don't want it to become any worse. Please, Elara. Let things remain as they are.”