The young man took a deep breath and gave a small nod. “I love this country, and I will do all I can to make sure it is not destroyed.”
“That’s good enough for me,” Raulin said, clapping him on the shoulder. “Anyone else?”
“I’m not satisfied,” Mikael said. “He has risked nothing to be here. What’s to stop him from running home to Mommy and then running to the King? Didn’t I hear this young man intends to wed the King’s daughter?”
“Is this true?” Raulin asked
The younger man nodded once and sighed. “I have asked permission to court the Princess Ursula.”
“Then I vote we send him away,” Mikael said. “He has too much reason to be loyal to the King.” He sat next to Honoria.
“My interest in Princess Ursula is because I am not loyal to the King,” George Evan said.
Mikael spun around to look at him, and even Brother Raulin silently found himself more curious about this young man.
“Explain yourself,” Mikael said. “Words are cheap and yours seem to have little meaning.”
“King Jonathan is a tyrant who is only concerned with his own power and keeping the throne. To anyone who spends time at the palace and has even the smallest amount of sense, it’s clear he is losing his Abilities. He stole my grandfather’s land, land that should have been inherited by my mother one day.”
“And passed on to you,” Honoria said quietly.
George Evan tipped his head toward her in respect. “Yes, that is true and only strengthens my resolve to see this injustice righted.”
“You call it injustice,” Mikael said, “but perhaps that is just a matter of perspective. The King must have given a reason for taking the land.”
“My grandfather, Stanislas, Rieravo of Comeaux, is ill.” George Evan swallowed. “In his mind. He has forgotten his Abilities, his family, even himself sometimes. My parents chose to have him live with us and hired caretakers to work the land. All of this had nothing to do with the royal family, nor did it interfere with my father’s service to the throne and the country. At some point, however, it became clear to the King the Rieravo’s land was rich in strategic metals, but was being farmed rather than mined.”
“And that’s why the King stole it.” Mikael rubbed his well-trimmed beard. “A standard Jonathan ploy. I suppose he gave some excuse about your grandfather being unable to care for the land due to his illness.”
“Yes, sir. That’s exactly it.”
Mikael spoke up. “The boy has as much reason as any of us to see Jonathan off the throne, but the Brotherhood is not a vengeance society.”
“I am not here to see our King removed from the throne,” George Evan said. “I am here to see that justice is served. My family’s inheritance is gone. I don’t believe that will change, but, like my father before me, I am here to see that no other family suffers similar injustice.”
Kylan stepped forward. “George Evan is a strong Fauna Sensitive, which is an Ability that is in short supply in our little company. Thibault is not with us, but his skill in this area is not as strong, so I believe the Margrave will be a welcome addition.”
Mikael bowed slightly in George Evan’s direction. “I apologize for my hasty dismissal. You’re welcome to join us.”
“I would be proud to have George Evan in the Brotherhood,” Honoria said. “He will be an asset.”
“I’m glad that’s settled,” Raulin said. “Let’s get down to business.”
****
“Mariana, wake up.” The Queen’s voice came through Mariana’s bedroom door. She opened her eyes to see she was in her own bed in the palace. “Mariana, wake up. It’s your wedding day.”
The Queen pounded on the bedroom door. Mariana threw the satin covers off and sat up on the edge of the bed. Today she was to marry the man of her dreams, a man who loved her in spite of her Insensitivity.
She went over to the wardrobe where her wedding dress hung. It was the same dress her mother had worn when she married the then–Cognate Prince Jonathan. Mariana ran her fingers over the handmade lace trim, and tears filled her eyes as she remembered how both of her sisters had refused to wear this dress because they said it went better with her coloring.
The knocking on the door continued. “Mariana, wake up. Mariana.”
She called for her mother to come into the bedroom, but no sound came from her mouth. Panic filled her chest. If she couldn’t speak, she couldn’t say the vows to the man she loved.
Suddenly, she couldn’t see his face in her mind. Who was she going to marry? What did he look like?
“Mariana!”
Why didn’t her mother come in and help her?
She hurried to the door, or at least she tried to hurry, but her feet felt so heavy and each step was like walking through pudding.
“Mariana! Mariana!” The pounding grew louder, and the voice changed.
It was the Sahdeer of Valentine on the other side of the door. Today was the day she was to marry him.
She tried to scream. The doorknob began to turn.
He would come in and take her away.
Mariana panicked and tried to find a way to escape. She searched for another exit, but as she spun around, the fabric of the wedding gown got caught on her thrashing arms and surrounded her until she thought she would suffocate amidst layers of satin and lace.
Just as she decided suffocation would be preferable to a life with Pir Leo, she opened her eyes.
“Mariana, wake up. Someone is here to see you.” Adindira’s voice.
She stared at her surroundings as her heartbeat slowed. This wasn’t the palace; it was Rianaer’s room in Adindira’s house.
“Mariana?”
“I’m awake,” she called and disentangled herself from the bedclothes. “I’m getting dressed.”
She changed into one of the dresses Adindira lent her, ran a brush through her hair, and opened the door.
“Who is here? Is it my father?”
Adindira shook her head. “I think you’d better come into the living room.”
Confused, Mariana followed her. When she stepped through the door to the main part of the house, she stopped and her heart sped up.
Orlando stood in the center of the room, a bouquet of flowers in his hand. He wore a clean white shirt with buttons down the front and pants with creases. His hair was freshly washed, and Mariana thought she caught a whiff of some kind of fragrance from him.
“What’s this all about?” she asked, bemused.
“Mariana,” Orlando said, dropping down to one knee. “I know you are the Progenna, third daughter of the King of Valborough, and I am a mere pig farmer, but would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
“I don’t understand,” she said. “I thought…”
Orlando interrupted her. “Please, let me finish.” He swallowed, and Mariana’s heart thudded against her rib cage.
He ran his finger under his collar, and a sheen of perspiration covered his forehead. If she didn’t know better, she’d think he were proposing to the woman he loved. Mariana felt a surprising pang of disappointment she wasn’t that woman in truth. All of this was an act on both of their parts, and as she regarded the handsome man in front of her, she knew no one else would look at her that way in truth.
She glanced at Adindira, who shook her head. “Don’t ask me. I had nothing to do with this.”
Mariana turned back to Orlando who was still kneeling. “Please get up,” she said. “I already agreed.”
He shook his head. “I don’t want to start off our marriage like we’re setting up a breeding session to join our herds. If we treat it like a business decision, it’ll never look like a real marriage to the outside world. This may be the only wedding you get, Mariana. I don’t ever want you to regret anything.”
“The only wedding.” Up until this moment, she hadn’t realized if she married Orlando, there was no going back. She could never have it broken, even if her father were willing to do that, because tha
t would give him the leverage he needed to marry her off to whomever he liked. Even after the Sahdeer of Valentine’s death, there would be someone else.
“You don’t have to say yes.” Adindira approached her. “It’s not like you and Orlando are madly in love or anything.”
Mariana took a deep breath. “But we have to be, don’t we? I mean, it has to look that way to everyone.” She gazed at the man kneeling on the floor. “I suppose this was a way to make sure if anyone saw you coming here, they would suspect this was your intention.”
He met her eyes and shook his head. “Of course that’s not why I did this.”
Suddenly, tears filled her eyes. “You didn’t do this for your neighbors?” Her voice sounded small to her own ears.
“Mariana, I have never cared what the neighbors think. I did this for you.”
Now she swallowed. “For me? Why would you go through this kind of trouble just for me?”
“You don’t think you’re worth it for me to get cleaned up and dressed in my best clothes? I came here to ask you to be my wife. If you’re not worth that much trouble, who is?” He smiled at her. “Now, I am still waiting for the answer to my question. Progenna Mariana, will you marry me?”
Mariana took a step closer to him, his image wavering as she gazed at him through her tears. “Orlando of Talla, you saved me. Of course I will marry you. It would be my honor.”
He stood and pulled something out of his pocket. Adindira gasped when she saw him holding a small green velvet box. “That is your grandmother’s ring.”
“Dira.” He narrowed his eyes slightly at his sister, who cleared her throat and covered her mouth with her hands. Orlando gazed at Mariana. “This was my father’s mother’s wedding ring. He gave it to me on my eleventh birthday and told me it was for the woman I would marry.”
“He didn’t give it to your mother?” Mariana took the small delicate circle from his hand. On either side of the dark blue cabochon, silver leaves pointed out, their stems entwined over the stone.
“She…didn’t feel comfortable wearing it, so he said he would save it for their son.”
“But it’s so beautiful.” Mariana couldn’t take her eyes off of it. “I can’t imagine any woman not loving this.”
“Will you wear it for me?” He took her hand.
A bigger lump formed in her throat as she gazed at him. He might not be the man she imagined herself with, but at this moment, she knew she would be safe with him.
“Of course I will.”
Chapter Fourteen
When she and Orlando arrived at the palace later that day, the guards, many of whom Mariana had known her whole life, seemed reserved in their greetings. She’d expected relief and happiness at her return, but instead a few of the men refused to meet her eyes and two even walked away from her.
Heading toward the door of the residence, she bit her lip, wondering at this. Both she and Orlando had dressed as befitting royalty, or at least, honored visitors to the palace. She’d even worn the best gloves she could find in the village.
The dark rose tunic Orlando had changed into after he’d proposed to her was one of his mementos from his time in the army. The fabric was scattered with saffron yellow fish, the symbol of one of the western ports he’d fought to protect. All the men who had fought in that battle had been awarded the tunic for valor and honor. Mariana thought it would be good to remind her father Orlando had been a soldier.
The tunic suited him, and she was proud of the handsome man at her side. Her father had to believe she loved him.
Merec, the butler, opened the private door before Mariana had a chance to pull the bell. She thought he was going to smile when he saw her, but instantly his expression changed to his standard stoicism.
“Progenna, this is a surprise. I don’t believe the King is expecting you.”
“No, Merec.” Mariana was confused at his behavior. He’d never treated her like a stranger before. “Can you tell him I’m home?”
“The King and Queen were notified you were seen approaching the palace, and they request you and your guest wait in the visitors’ antechamber until they are ready to greet you in the throne room.”
Mariana scowled. “We don’t need to wait anywhere. I’ll just go up to my father’s library. I’m sure he’ll be there.” She moved in that direction but Merec took a step to block her passage.
“Begging the Progenna’s pardon, but my orders come from the King. He asks you wait in the visitors’ room. He will call for you when they are ready.”
“This is my home. I believe I am still the King’s daughter.” She did her best to imitate her mother’s way of speaking to servants to remind them of their place in the palace.
“Mariana, let’s just do as this man says,” Orlando said, placing his hand on her arm. “The King obviously is trying to make a point here, and it will only cause more problems if you push this. Waiting in the visitors’ whatever won’t hurt us.”
“Thank you, sir,” Merec said, tipping his head toward Orlando.
“It’s ridiculous, but fine.” Mariana raised her hands in a gesture of surrender.
Merec led them to the room where visiting foreign dignitaries waited before official audiences with the King and Queen. Ramone had once told Mariana the room itself was designed and decorated to emphasize the King’s role in world history and Valborough’s power.
Tapestries showing battle scenes hung on three walls, and several of them had been woven since Jonathan took the throne to include him. Glass cases held weapons and pieces of armor that were trophies from various battles, but Mariana knew her father hadn’t fought in all the ones he claimed to.
She wondered if Orlando was at all intimidated by seeing this war memorabilia.
He walked around the room, looking at everything, stopping at a few pieces to examine them more closely.
“Your father is not the warrior he claims to be,” he said after a moment, then dropped onto a black satin-upholstered bench in front of the fire. “I suppose if I were an ambassador from Burnley, I wouldn’t know that, though. I would probably be impressed.”
“He is the King of Valborough, by Virtue of his Sensitivities,” Mariana said. “That is something to be impressed with.”
“Not all countries choose their rulers that way. I wonder which is more impressive: leading a country because you are the strongest Sensitive or leading it because the people trust you the most.”
Mariana sighed. He was not a fan of the royal family, but right now was not the best time for his opinions to come out. “Maybe we could keep those comments to a minimum, at least until after I get out of the wedding to Valentine.”
Orlando stood, took her left hand, and held it up so his grandmother’s ring was right in front of her face. “You can’t marry him. You promised me you’d be my wife.” He kissed her cheek. The gesture made her feel safe, although she knew she was far from out of trouble at this point.
The door to the visitors’ room opened, and Merec spoke. “Their Majesties King Jonathan and Queen Alexandria will see you now in the throne room.”
That feeling of safety diminished as Mariana drew herself up to her full height, keeping hold of Orlando’s hand. “Thank you, Merec.”
The King and Queen were seated on their thrones when Mariana and Orlando entered the audience chamber. Mariana wondered if Orlando could feel her trembling.
“Let me talk to them,” she said. “They will be more receptive to me, I think.”
“No worries,” he muttered. “I’d just as soon not draw any more attention to myself than necessary.”
As she approached her father’s throne, Mariana noticed the Sahdeer of Valentine in the shadows of the gallery, a section of the room that contained chairs for her father’s advisors and any important dignitaries who might be visiting.
Her heart pounded against her ribcage, and any thought of safety disappeared. Her father had brought that man here to frighten her. However, he was in for a surprise.
/> Rather than being scared of Pir Leo’s ire, she was angry at her father’s attempted manipulation. After what she heard the other day at the waste dump, she knew everything her father did was for his advantage, regardless of anyone else’s feeling. She had hoped that didn’t include his children.
She and Orlando stopped about ten feet from the thrones, and she dropped into a deep curtsy, her canary-yellow gauzy skirt billowing around her. Orlando bowed.
As she rose, she stood as proudly as any time she’d represented the royal family and the kingdom. Her father might think she was his little Insensitive daughter, but he had forgotten he and her mother had trained her to be a Progenna.
“Mariana,” the King said, looking not at her but at Orlando, “we see you are in apparent good health. This is, of course, good news, but we are not pleased you felt the need to run away from home like a child.”
Before she could respond, he continued, “Who is this man dressed in the standard of my soldiers and a battle long since forgotten?”
“Father, this is Orlando of Talla. This is the man I want to marry.”
“What?” The King nearly jumped to his feet, but his wife’s hand on his arm stopped him. His face, however, grew quite red, and Mariana bit her lip. She’d seen him look like this before, and it was never a good sign. “He’s a commoner.” The King’s voice was loud and harsh.
“And as such, he has no Abilities,” Mariana said, “which is perfect for me. I know Pir Leo asked for my hand, but my heart belongs to Orlando.”
Her mother broke the silence. “You love this man, Mariana?”
“Yes, Mother.” Mariana knew Valentine had moved closer to the throne, but she forced herself to keep her eyes on her parents.
“He has no Abilities?” the King asked.
“How can he?” Mariana asked. “He is a commoner and, by definition, an Insensitive. He is a pig farmer in Talla.”
“Is this true, man?” King Jonathan regarded Orlando with clear distaste.
“It is, sire.” Orlando bowed his head once and raised it proudly. “I am a commoner and a pig farmer in Talla.”
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