Just Ella

by Annette K. Larsen

  I panicked at the thought of Gavin being involved in the telling of it. “Who else would tell it? I’m the only one who knows the whole story.”

  “Neither of us knows the whole story, but together we could paint a clear picture.”

  Once again—shock. He would accuse Jeshua of planning my kidnapping? He would admit to carrying it out? “Do you have any idea what my father would do to you?”

  “He couldn’t do anything to me. If he wanted me punished, he would have to turn me over to Tride authorities. A criminal must be punished in his own kingdom, except in cases of murder. If I had killed a Dalthian subject, then he could do with me whatever he liked, but other than that, he must seek retribution through my own monarchs.”

  “And is that any better? You are talking about accusations against your own prince.”

  “I’m hoping that once your father hears the whole story, he won’t be inclined to turn me over—that he will instead seek retribution against Jeshua. I was, after all, following a royal command, and your father knows what that means. Perhaps we will be able to make him see the situation clearly.” He didn’t appear optimistic, but he did look determined. “Either way, I’ve done Jeshua’s bidding long enough.”

  The enormity of what we were considering overwhelmed me. “But my family is only here for two days. If we do this, then it has to be…”

  “Now,” he stated.

  I sucked in a deep breath, trying to keep my composure. I tried to think through our options—whom we should tell, and how. I had to tell my father, but should we tell only him? No, Kalina needed to know, and it would be easier to get it out all at once and not have to repeat ourselves. I also decided I wanted my mother there. She would help my father keep a level head.

  “All right,” I said, after I had worked through the details in my head. “I will get my father and mother and Kalina. We need a place to meet where we won’t be disturbed or overheard.”

  “All the guests are on the main floor, so we can go up to the library. Do you know where it is?”

  “Yes.” I had hidden there quite a bit during our visits here over the years.

  “Gather your family as quietly as possible and meet me there. I’ll go up directly so I can avoid Jeshua. How will you get your sister away from him?”

  This was easy enough to answer. “Marilee.”

  It was easier than I had expected. My parents and Kalina were all tired enough that they welcomed the idea of getting away from the commotion for a while. It wasn’t until I was leading them up the stairs that their curiosity piqued.

  My father stopped. “Ariella, what is going on?”

  “There is someone I would like you to speak with.”

  “And it couldn’t wait until after the festivities?” He sounded alarmed and I couldn’t blame him; this was entirely out of character.

  “I believe the information he has needs to be heard as soon as possible.”

  “Ariella,” Kalina interjected, “if this has to do with matters so important that Father needs to be involved, then surely I don’t need to be here.”

  I looked at her, guilt crashing through me. “I’m afraid this concerns you more than anyone.” This caught her attention and she started moving forward again. My parents moved on reluctantly, but my father’s questions continued.

  “What is this about, Ariella?” he asked as we reached the second floor.

  “My abduction.”

  My father grabbed my arm, pulling me to a halt. “You have said very little about the situation since it happened, and now suddenly you need to discuss it?” He seemed a bit angry, but also worried.

  “There is a man waiting for us in the library who has information concerning it.”

  My father started breathing angrily through is nose. Then he strode quickly to the library door, towing me along with him. My mother and Kalina caught up with us and slipped through the doors, not knowing what to expect. The king closed and locked the door, then turned to the seemingly empty room.

  Then I saw him. William stood very still beside a chair with his feet apart, his hands clasped behind his back and his head down.

  “Father, Mother, Kalina. This is Sir William.”

  He raised his head, brought his feet smartly together and bowed to each in turn. “King Forrester, Queen Lorilai, Princess.”

  Kalina curtsied, my mother stared, and my father glowered.

  I walked over to stand a little ways from William, so that I could face my family. “Before William tells you what happened, I need you to know I trust him and he is giving us this information at great personal risk to himself.” I felt as though I should have said more, but I couldn’t think what or how to say it. I looked at William and he began.

  “I’ve had a close association with Prince Jeshua for many years. His parents were good friends with mine and we grew up together. First we were playmates, then friends. After my parents died, I ended up relying on the grace of the royal family. The king helped me in my ambitions for knighthood, but it came at a price. Jeshua leveraged the debt I felt toward them and started asking favors. I am no longer so much a friend to him as I am a convenient way for him to get what he wants, to accomplish his designs without having to do much himself. We still act as though we are on friendly terms, but his purpose for keeping me around is to do his dirty work.

  “When Jeshua was informed that Princess Ariella had no intention of accepting his planned proposal, he became quite put out. He started to obsess over it; I don’t believe he had ever before been denied something he wanted.” He paused and swallowed, knowing we were coming to the pivotal point. “In an attempt to win the princess’s affections, he commanded me to take her captive and deposit her at a predetermined location, where he planned to find and rescue her.”

  Kalina paled, her eyes moving rapidly, but seeing nothing as she tried to sort through this information and what it meant. My mother stood unmoving and stared at me, a hand on my father’s arm, disbelief frozen on her face.

  I saw my father silently building his fury, not quite knowing where to direct it. “And you carried out these orders?” he asked in a voice of stone.

  “Yes, Sire. It was a royal command.” William’s voice shook just slightly under the terrifying gaze of an angry father.

  My father then turned to study me. His face looked somewhat bewildered, and also horrified and disgusted. “This man took you?” It sounded more like an accusation than a question.

  “Yes, Father.”

  “And yet you stand beside him? You–” His eyebrows shot up as he remembered. “You danced with him earlier. Did you know then…” He paused for a moment, trying to get a grip on his next words. “What do you expect me to say to this?” he asked me, then turned his fury on William. “You held her captive?” he demanded.

  “Yes.”

  “Tied her up, forced her onto a horse, and took her away?”

  William swallowed. “Yes, Sire.”

  “And yet she stands beside you?” I couldn’t tell if his anger or his incredulity won out. “Of her own free will? Or do you hold her captive again, forcing her to say these niceties about you? Have you threatened her?” He thundered and advanced, but I stepped in front of him.

  “I am not being forced, Father. I know this is all very backward, but if you would just consider for a moment.” He could have easily brushed me aside and pummeled William, but he stayed himself long enough for me to speak. “Jeshua gave the order, Father. Jeshua.”

  He finally tore his glowering eyes from William and focused on me. He seemed as though he were in pain. Suffering the pain of betrayal. “Jeshua? He did this, he… you told us you had heard his voice.”

  The guilt that leapt to his eyes left me unable to say any more than, “Yes.”

  “Why would he do that? How could he stoop…” He trailed off at the incomprehensibility of it. “Jeshua had my daughter abducted?”

  “Yes, Sire.”

  “Why?”

  I saw that William
was reluctant to engage in conversation with my father, so I explained. “It seems he thought if he had a chance to appear as though he were a hero—if he had the opportunity of being my rescuer—he thought I would accept his proposal out of gratitude or hero worship.”

  “But that didn’t happen?” he asked and I shook my head. “What went wrong?”

  I took a breath. “I need to start at the beginning.”

  I told him everything. I told him all the details I could remember—how the men didn’t look like criminals, how William had never hurt me, how he had protected me as much as possible. I told them about the horses, the tree, the rope, the fear, the climbing, the pain… and then I got to Gavin. And I told them all of that too: how he had seen me and followed the tracks, how he had planned to report back to the guard which way I had been taken, but then ended up finding me. I told them of his helping me out of the tree and then coming upon the conspirators. I told them all the conversation I could remember, about my suspicions that they were carrying out Jeshua’s orders, and then of Jeshua himself appearing.

  “You knew?” Kalina’s voice surprised me. “You knew it was Jeshua and yet you told no one.”

  My eyes were brimming with tears of guilt, realizing how close I had come to letting Kalina marry a man capable of such deceit. “I didn’t think anyone would believe me. And I never…I never thought he would court you. I told him. I told him when I spoke to him after I came back. I told him I knew it was him. I thought he would go away; I thought he would never show his face in our home again, but…”

  “But he did, and you still didn’t tell us.”

  “I had never seen his face and everyone thought it ridiculous when I said his voice sounded like Jeshua’s. Then I convinced myself that it wasn’t so horrible a thing as I had thought. I told myself since I hadn’t been physically hurt—since his only objective had been to win me over—that he was only a fool, and perhaps not dangerous.” I saw sympathy in her eyes as a tear streaked down my face. “I thought I would be accused of slandering his name for jealousy’s sake. There was no one to confirm my story. I—” I stopped speaking, not wanting to defend myself. That was not the point. I had come here to tell them the truth, not to justify my mistake.

  “There was someone to confirm your story, Ariella.” My father pointed out after a moment of silence.

  “Yes, but I had no idea William would be willing until tonight when—”

  “Ariella,” he interrupted. “The young man who did rescue you could have supported your story. Why didn’t he come forward?” This wasn’t an accusation, and it wasn’t a slight against Gavin’s character. It was an honest question.

  I laughed. I was so tired and emotionally wrung out that his suggestion seemed funny to me. My amusement was short lived—cut off by the tears clouding my vision at the thought of Gavin being able to approach my father in any capacity. I took a deep breath to center myself before answering. “He wanted to. He suggested we come to you and tell you what happened, but I told him no.” My parents appeared confused. “Would you have put any credence in what Gavin had to say?” I could see my father thinking it over. “Just imagine what it would have looked like if Gavin and I had shown up together, accusing Jeshua of such an outrageous crime.” My father remained silent, probably unable to reassure me of what might have happened. “But I should have come to you myself. I know that, and I am sorry. I just didn’t want to cause more problems for him.” I swallowed, forcing myself to add, “And I didn’t think you would believe me.”

  No one spoke. There was so much to consider—so many more questions to ask.

  “So what now?” Kalina was the first to break the silence. “What do I do now? Because, clearly, I’m not getting married.” I looked at her and saw the betrayal she felt. “I am engaged, Ariella. I would have married him and you would have let me?” I ran to her then and wrapped my arms around her. I couldn’t express my sorrow or my relief, so I just hugged her and she squeezed me with a fierceness I had never witnessed in her before.

  We finally broke apart when my mother took control. “We will leave. That is all we can do. Prince Jeshua is royalty and cannot be punished; thus we will have to be content with his never being allowed within our borders ever again. We shall go as soon as the ball is concluded.”

  “Jeshua will need to be told,” I pointed out.

  “I’ll take care of it,” my father said, but I saw his jaw twitching in fury as he thought of a confrontation with Jeshua. Out of all of us, I believe my father had been the most deceived.

  “I’ll do it,” Kalina volunteered. We all turned to gape at her. “I want to face him. I want to be the one to break it off. I don’t want to be the hapless victim.”

  “Kalina…” my father started in a doubtful voice.

  “I can do this, Father. I want to do this.” My father was about to shake his head. “I need to do this.”

  My father closed his eyes and nodded, acquiescing. Kalina turned to me and held out her hand. “You need to do this, too.”

  I took a breath and held it for a moment, fortifying myself before I let it out, and grasped Kalina’s hand with my own.

  “And you all expect me to say nothing to him?” My father asked, quiet fury seeping into his voice. “You expect me to be satisfied when he has suffered no consequences?”

  “Forrester...” my mother placated.

  “It was my daughters he hurt!” His fury was growing; we could all feel it. “And I cannot stand by and do nothing. I would be justified in bringing an army against him.”

  “But you won’t.” I was surprised to hear Kalina say this, but unsurprised by my father’s response.

  He jabbed a finger at me. “He had her kidnapped. That is a crime against my kingdom, against my family.” His breathing was labored. “I cannot stand by.”

  “Yes, you will.” Again, Kalina’s response was measured and confident. “Because you know, father. You know what the result would be, what the price would be.”

  His jaw shook in anger.

  “And you are wise enough to know that though it might be justified, that would not make it right.”

  He let out a harsh breath, and with it came some of his fury. Kalina’s words had made him pull back. I was stunned by not only her insight, but her courage as well.

  “And what of this man?” My mother’s rancor was obvious. I turned to see her scrutinizing William, confusion and indecision written all over her face.

  My father took a deep breath and fixed William with a piercing stare. I had seen him do this many times before. He had a sort of gift for judging the character of his subordinates. He took several long moments to make up his mind.

  Then he turned to me. “I leave this man’s fate in Ariella’s hands. She is the only one qualified to make this decision.”

  I blinked in stunned surprise. The idea of my father turning such a decision over to me had never entered my mind. However, I didn’t take long thinking it over. I knew what my decision would be.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  The Bend in the Road

  FIVE MINUTES LATER found Kalina and me in Jeshua’s private study, still hand in hand, standing across from Jeshua himself, who tried to cover his nervousness with curiosity and amusement. He was unsuccessful.

  “Well, darling, what’s this about?”

  “I am not your darling,” Kalina replied bluntly, and Jeshua’s smile faltered. “I’ve just been informed by two very reliable sources of your role in Ariella’s abduction.”

  Jeshua’s eyes widened and he unconsciously shifted into a defensive stance.

  “You are a liar.” Kalina’s voice was calm. “You are a fraud. And I will not be connected with you any longer.”

  Jeshua took a moment to draw himself up, then demanded, “Might I ask who these two very reliable sources are?”

  “I am one,” I stated. “And William is the other—William, who will be taking up residence in Dalthia, where you will no longer be welcome or even perm
itted.”

  “And what in the world should stop me from running him through this very hour?” he asked, with a menacing glare.

  “This is your kingdom, Jeshua,” Kalina replied, perfectly calm. “Or at least it will be. We are not going to interfere with your rule. We are not going to make accusations; we are not going to slander your name with the truth of your actions—so long as you never cross within our borders ever again.”

  “I am a crown prince; I can do whatever I please,” he spat.

  “And I am a princess and will do what I please. And it does not please me to marry you.” Kalina’s temper flared and it was gratifying to see the effect of it on Jeshua. “However, it would very much please me to go downstairs right in the middle of this lovely celebration and publicly humiliate you by leaving in the middle of it.” She paused, letting the threat of public humiliation prick at his pride. “Instead, we will wait until the ball ends, and then leave quietly. You may tell your people we parted amicably.”

  Jeshua stood there, seething, his nails digging into the palms of his hands. “You will regret the day you tried to dictate anything to me.”

  “I very much doubt that.” Kalina spoke my thoughts aloud, and then we both turned and left the study. Our father and mother were waiting for us just outside, along with William, who didn’t seem to know where he fit. We all walked to the great hall, my parents’ arms linked, and my arm linked with Kalina’s. William walked silently, and I allowed him the space to sort through what was happening. Before we reentered the dance, William excused himself to gather his things, since he would be leaving with us.

  We didn’t see Jeshua again. I guessed he remained in his study, angry and brooding. That was fine with me. We finished out the dancing. I joined my father for the last dance, while Kalina danced with William—though she did so in a daze. Lylin, Marilee and Lorraina remained blissfully unaware of what was going on until the event had ended.

  We all gathered in the suite of rooms we had been given for accommodations and Kalina was the one to explain the situation. My sisters cast curious and astonished glances at both me and at William as the truth was told. Then we all arranged to have our things packed away and made our way out to the waiting carriages. Since Lorraina, Marilee and Lylin were not sure if they trusted William, they rode with my parents in the larger carriage, while Kalina and I were thankful for the opportunity to ride in silent contemplation with William. None of us said a word throughout the entire ride, which took all night, though none of us slept. There was too much to consider. William had a new life ahead of him. Kalina was back to being single and had to deal with the reality that the man she thought she loved did not exist.