Ginny Hartman (10 page)

Rosalind laughed nervously. “So you believe in faeries, do you?” she asked, trying to make her voice sound light.

“I do now.”

She dropped her gaze to the ground below before apologizing. “I'm sorry. It's the sun, it just...enlivens me.”

“Then I pray the sun shines down on you all the days of your life.”

Rosalind's head snapped up as she looked into his face, attempting to decipher if he was merely teasing her, but his expression was serious. There was a shadow of a beard on his face that hadn't been there the previous day, and his hair was mused from sleep and his normally clear, blue eyes had darkened with an emotion Rosalind didn't recognize. She watched his gaze drop to her lips. With a shock, she realized he wanted to kiss her. Even more alarming, she wanted to kiss him back.

Her heart thumped loudly against her chest as she waited long, painful seconds for him to act. As his face came near, his hand stretched forth, lightly touching the fabric of her gown as he traced the curve of her hip. His hand slid effortlessly over the silky material of her dress, as he whispered huskily, “I prefer this dress to the other one.”

“I figured my mother would as well. She would not be amused if I arrived in a dirty, crumpled gown.”

Suddenly, Terric stiffened, his shoulders squaring as he took a step away from her. Rosalind wondered what she had said, what she had done to cause him to withdraw. Unsure of what to do to make the magical moment of promise return between them, she turned from him to hide the disappointment she could feel marring her face. “We should arrive in Peltis by nightfall, am I correct?”

“Yes, Your Highness. But not if we don't hurry. I'll finish breaking camp then it'll be best if we get on our way.”

“Aye,” she mumbled, “I agree.” But truthfully, she didn't. She wanted nothing more than to go back in time to the moment he had almost kissed her and make it happen, to finally know what his lips would feel like pressed against her own.

***

Terric rode the first few miles furiously, angrily. That was the second time he had almost kissed Princess Rosalind but had been forbidden to taste her sweet lips. The first time he had sensed that his advances had frightened her, but this time she had seemed eager and willing. If it hadn't been for the comment about her mother, he would be holding her in his arms, kissing her the way he had been yearning to do since the night of her entrance, instead of galloping furiously across the forest.

He cursed himself for wanting something that couldn't be his. There wasn't time in his life for a woman or for pleasures of the flesh, especially if that flesh belonged to a princess. No, he corrected himself, she was now a queen. Only she didn't know it, wouldn't know it until they reached Peltis and King Cedric informed her of her parent's deaths. Her mention of wanting to please her mother had sent him reeling—though he had been ordered not to tell her regarding their deaths, he suddenly felt dishonest for not correcting her when she spoke of her parents, of letting her continue on as if a major tragedy hadn't just occurred in her life.

One part of him wanted to prolong their time together, to draw out their journey so that she could stay the carefree girl she was for just a while longer. Another part of him wanted to run Stephen into the ground, racing to Peltis as fast as he could so that he could be out of her presence, so he could stop thinking about her, stop worrying about how the knowledge she would soon receive would destroy her cheerful disposition. He wished to only ever see her as how she had been in the forest clearing—beautiful, confident, blithesome.

Several times Rosalind tried to draw his attention, but he would kick Stephen in the flank, urging the horse to gallop faster all the while pretending as if he couldn't hear her. He knew he wasn't being fair to her, but he wasn't sure how he could possibly explain to her his sudden mood change without breaking his vow to King Cedric and telling her why he was really sent to fetch her.

It wasn't until Rosalind had fallen asleep in the saddle, her slight body slumping against his chest peacefully, that he slowed Stephen to a trot. Clutching both reins in one hand, he used the other to gently brush stray strands of hair from her face. Her lips were slightly parted as she breathed, but she seemed completely unaware of his touch. He leaned down and boldly placed a tender kiss to her forehead, a sudden urge to protect her surging through his being.

He continued to hold onto her tightly, until she roused in his arms, causing him to reluctantly let her go as he once more took a rein in each hand.

“How long did I sleep?” she asked, looking up towards the sky to try and determine the length of time.

Not long enough
, he thought. “Only for a while. I'm about to stop for a spell so Stephen won't give out on us. We can take a few moments to stretch, but then we must be on our way again.”

A small waterfall cascaded off of a jutting rock in the side of a hill, giving them a source of water to quench their thirst. Both he and Rosalind partook of the fresh spring water before leaving Stephen to lap up his fill. Terric stretched his legs then reached both hands high above him in the air as he tried to stretch out the stiffness that was settling into his bones. The sound of horse’s hooves in the near distance disrupted him, causing him to place his body in front of Rosalind's as a shield. He instinctively felt for his sword, one hand wrapping protectively around the hilt.

He watched as a man approached. He recognized the horse immediately—it was his brother's destrier. Relaxing slightly, he waited as Aeden pulled the horse to a stop in front of him and dismounted.  Aeden pulled off his helmet, revealing chestnut colored hair much lighter than his own dark locks. He wished he could be glad to see his brother, but something in his gut told him that this wasn't merely a pleasure visit.

Aeden tipped his head towards Rosalind, greeting her respectfully before turning towards Terric. “Brother, I'm so glad I caught you. I bring word from the king.”

“Word from my uncle?” Rosalind asked, curiously, stepping out from behind Terric.

“Aye, but tis for my brother's ears alone.” Aeden answered her with a smile.

Turning to Rosalind, Terric informed her that he would only be but a moment before he walked a ways off from where she was standing, far enough away that she would not be able to overhear their conversation.

As soon as he was convinced they were out of earshot, he turned to Aeden, “What is this about? Is King Cedric safe?”

Aeden spoke lowly, “This isn't about the king; he's safe. There has been another attack. Just before we escorted King Cedric and his family from Brantonwall Castle, Princess Rosalind's little brother Colin was targeted.”

Terric looked at his own brother oddly. “Is he hurt, or worse?”

“Fortunately he's fine, albeit a little frightened. We're not entirely sure that the attack had anything to do with the one that killed the boy's parents.”

“You think it's mere coincidence that on the heel of his parents getting killed, somebody comes after him?”

“It does sound logical, but remember the first attack was on King Cedric. King Eustace and Queen Constance happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. King Cedric believes that the attack on Colin is a result of somebody being aware of the lesser king's death and seeking for a way to eliminate any heir entirely as a way of overthrowing the throne.”

“Makes sense,” Terric conceded.

“But that means that Princess Rosalind is not safe as well. Whomever wanted to see her brother dead could very well want her harmed too. It's not safe to bring her back this way. King Cedric sent me to instruct you to take her someplace safe. She has to go into hiding.”

Terric sighed. “How am I supposed to explain the sudden change in plans to her? It's already a strange circumstance we are in. There's no way I can force her into hiding without a plausible explanation. She thinks we are going to Peltis to deliver her to her parents.  And where do you suppose I take her? Drambil Castle will be too obvious a location.”

Aeden nodded in acknowledgment. “King Lawrence is on his way back to his territory as we speak. His defense has been doubled, and once he arrives home, they will send for backup defenders. I believe she would be safe there, but King Cedric doesn't wish to risk it.”

“Did he say where he'd like me to take her? I'm not comfortable being away from him at a time like this. The sooner I get back to him, the better.”

“He was hoping you had some ideas,” Aeden said, hopefully.

“Well I don't,” Terric growled. “My mind has been on other things.”

The brother's stood in silence, Terric mulling his unfortunate luck and Aeden trying to think of a solution. After a few terse minutes, Aeden offered his suggestion, “Why not take her home?”

Terric, still not thinking clearly, turned on his brother. “Are you daft? I just took her from there and can't very well take her back. That's likely the unsafest place she could go.”

Aeden laughed, but Terric failed to see any humor in the situation. “Someone is irritable.”

“With good reason,” Terric snapped.

“Aye, I suppose you're right. But I wasn't speaking of returning her to her home, but rather, why not take her to our home, Emerson Castle, to mother?” Terric's head snapped up, as he looked at Aeden curiously. “No one would think to look for her there and Mother and Gwendolyn would be grateful for the honor of housing a princess.”

“Queen,” Terric interceded.

“Aye, queen. That's going to take some getting used to.” Terric silently agreed. He still had a hard time remembering that she was no longer Princess Rosalind.

Rubbing his scruffy jaw while he thought, Terric contemplated the idea of taking Rosalind to his mother. The idea had merit, for any enemy to the kingdom would not think to find her there. And, as Aeden had said, his mother and sister would be more than welcoming to Rosalind. Now, he would just need to think of a way to tell her that their plans had changed. He tried several ideas out in his head, but each one was more ridiculous than the last. Finally, he turned to Aeden, “I will do as you suggest. I will take her to our home. But I can't think of a single plausible excuse for our change of plans.”

“I can't help you there. I had the entire journey here to try to think of a course of action for you both, but I too failed to think of a valid explanation.”

“Then there's no other way. I'm going to have to tell her the truth.”

Aeden sighed. “The King thought you might say that.”

“Well what does he expect? His niece is a smart girl; she will not tolerate gallivanting all over Darth without a valid explanation. Nor would she be confident with my decision to abandon her at a stranger’s home without good excuse.” When Aeden glanced over his shoulder, Terric realized that the tone of his voice had risen and that, if he wasn't careful, Rosalind was sure to hear him. Softening his voice, he continued, “I see no other way.”

“In that case, King Cedric told me to tell you that he grants you his blessing in telling her. You are relieved of your oath.”

A strange combination of relief and dread furled within Terric—he was grateful to not have to lie to Rosalind anymore, but dreaded more than almost anything telling her the truth. She should never have had to hear such awful news from him, somebody she hardly knew.

Once more Aeden was speaking, and Terric was grateful that his brother had a clear head and could think rationally at this time, for his own head was occupied, his heart in turmoil. “The quickest way for you to get her to Mother will be for you to cut across Darth. It would take entirely too long to try and go around.”

“I can't ride the princess across the kingdom without causing suspicion. The entire kingdom would be alerted that something was amiss.

“Tis true. I will ride into town and fetch you some disguises while you inform Princess Rosalind of her parents’ demise. Then I must be on my way back to Peltis and to the king. As soon as you get her safely tucked away, you must come to Peltis, but be careful. Be discreet.”

“Yes,” Terric was speaking, agreeing to his brother's directions, but his mind was far away. He watched absently as Aeden mounted his destrier and rode off into the forest, trying to muster up enough strength to do the hardest thing he had ever been required to do.

Chapter 11

With a Heavy Heart

Terric watched Aeden until he could no longer see him amidst the thick trees of the forest. Inhaling deeply, he forced himself to turn around and walk towards Rosalind. She was standing next to Stephen, rubbing his neck and mane with her soft, delicate hands. Terric paused, watching as the sun filtered over her from above. Her dark hair shimmered in the sun; her skin looked healthy and golden. A faint smile played at her lips. She appeared content. He tried to memorize the way she looked at that exact moment, knowing that in seconds, that girl would no longer exist. Hating himself for the task he was about to perform, Terric took a hesitant step forward.

Rosalind peered over her shoulder as he drew near, her face breaking into a heart stopping smile. Terric paused, reaching up and rubbing the back of his neck nervously. He wasn't sure how to start, where to begin. How did one tell somebody that both their parents were dead? For the first time since becoming a defender, he hated his job, hated the position that he found himself in.

“Your brother already left?” Rosalind asked, breaking the silence.

“Aye,” he choked out in response, unable to say more. His throat felt as if it was constricting.

“Did he bring good news with him?” she asked innocently, oblivious to what the visit had really been about.

Terric stood rooted in his spot. “Nay, he did not.”

Rosalind's hands stilled. After a brief pause, she let them fall to her sides, as she walked slowly towards Terric, her eyebrows scrunched together. “Is everything well with my uncle?”

“Rosalind,” he squeaked, hardly able to speak, his throat was so dry, “your uncle is fine. For now.”

She exhaled in relief, “Then what could be wrong?”

Again, she was so oblivious it physically hurt Terric. “There was an attack a few days ago at Brantonwall Castle; your uncle was targeted...”