Knight's End (The Knight Trilogy) (18 page)

“My father
is
kind, but he doesn’t understand me. I can’t spend my life as a trophy. I want to
be
somebody, really
matter
to the world. I can’t do that as Ma
rchioness
of
Summerslade
,” she told him.

Aston nodded.
“You’re welcome to stay with me until you figure out where you want to go,” he offered.

“Thank you
, Aston. I really appreciate it,” Jade replied, sitting up and moving closer to him. She wrapped one of the two blankets covering her around his shoulders, shielding him at least
partially from the cold. She wrapped her own blanket tighter around herself as Aston pulled the rabbits from the flames and began cutting them up.

After eating, Aston joined Jade under the blankets again, pulling her flush against his chest. She was so small; it was as if she were made to fit into his arms. Aston tucked her head under his chin again, loving the foreign feeling. In all his years as a knight, he’d never found a woman that touched his heart the way Jade did. She was kind, smart… beautiful. She was everything a man could hope for.

He knew he couldn’t keep her. She was a princess, born with a duty to her country. He was no more than a soldier; right now he wasn’t even that. He would have to find a way to send her back to Adion once winter was through. For now, he just wanted to spend as much time with her as he could.

“If we had no winter, the spring would
not be as pleasant: if we did not sometimes
taste adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.”
- Anne Bradstreet -

Jade was getting used to waking at
dawn. She was even becoming
better at tacking her horse. In the short amount of time she’d spent with Aston, she’d learned so much about herself
and the world beyond the palace
. She’d learned that someone could grow close to your heart in
a single month
. She’d found that the food you eat doesn’t just appear when you ring a bell; s
omeone has to prepare it
. Also, she’d learned that sunrise and sunset were the most beautiful times of the day, times that she’d always missed when she’d lived at the palace.

If s
o much could change in such a short
amount of time, what
would an entire winter with Aston do to her?

She finished packing her satchel and attached it t
o Edward’s saddle
. Aston was covering their fire, hiding their tracks; Sterling was already tacked and ready to go.

“Will we make it to Delgrab’s before nightfall?” she asked, finishing with Edward and tucking her hands into the sleeves of her blouse. Winter was just beginning, but already the air was too cold for her liking. She dreaded the day ahead, but if she knew she would have a warm fire and four walls around her by nightfall, she knew she could manage.

“We should, as long as nothing holds us up,” the knight replied, looking over his shoulder at her
before swinging into the saddle with practiced ease
. Jade followed suit, mounting Edward, before the two exited the forest and returned to the main road. She found herself taking everything in; the trees wer
e all gold, red, and brown. The thin patches of grass visible beneath the snow were
withering away.

“It’s so beautiful,” she said aloud, more to herself than as actual conversation.

“It is, isn’t it?” Aston replied. He looked behind himself at Jade, slowing Sterling down so he could ride beside her. “Don’t you ever venture
outside your palace?” he asked, raising a brow in surprise.

She shook her head. “I used to rid
e Bella in the spring and
summer, but winter was always such a busy time. We had King
Roland
’s ball and all of the servants took time away to see their families. I spent my winters inside, reading books in
the library or helping Matilda sew in between lessons,
” she answered.

“
Who’s Matilda
?
And you sew?
” Aston asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

Jade laughed. “
She’s my maid. Well, she was.
She said her mother taught her
to sew, and when I was young, she helped me to learn
. She made the majority of the dresses in my closet,” she replied, smiling. “I wish things were different. I wish my father would let me marry who I wanted so I could go home.”

“That would be best,” Aston said,
not meeting her eyes.

Jade
turned to
the knight, but he
kept his eyes trained on the road ahead, his mouth a firm line
. Had she hurt his feelings, talking about home? “When we clear your name, you can go home
too, Aston,” she said, hoping to make him feel better. If anything, it seemed to make
him more distant
.

“Of course, Jade,” he
stilted.
They rode in silence for a while, Jade wondering what her knight was thinking
about and wishing he would share a little bit more of himself in the time they had left together.

*
*

Richie entered Delgrab’s clearing shortly before dark. He jumped from his horse and raced to the door, pounding on the hard wood surface. Delgrab answered
it
, looking over the boy’s head in confusion before looking down.

“Oy, Richie! What are you doing here, s
on?”

“I found a letter that I wanted to give to Aston. He said I couldn’t go back to our clearing until he sent word for me. I thought maybe he would come here and you could give it to him
.
”
Richie
pulled the letter from his pocket and held it up for Delgrab to see.

With a chuckle, Delgrab took the letter from Richie and put it in his back pocket, watching as the boy ran across the clearing and climbed back on his horse.

“Te
ll Aston I say hi! Oh, and Lady
Jade, too!” Richie called over his shoulder as he left. Shaking his head, Delgrab went back inside. Aston had done a good thing, taking that kid under his wing. It seemed even Richie knew how lucky he was.

*
*

             
Jade
sighed a breath of relief
when Delgrab’s cabin came into view. She pushed her heels into Edward’s sides, coaxing the horse into a run. Aston did the same, making a race out of it. He let
Jade win, of
course, but her laughter and
smile were more than worth it.

             
Delgrab and Alys came
out of the cabin as soon as the horses
neared it, both sporting heavy bags.

             
Aston frowned.
“Where are you two going?”

             
“Alys and I are going to spend the winter at her parent’s home in Fridel,” Delgrab answered.

             
“We thought you two might like somewhere private for the winter,” Alys added.

             
Jade’s eyes widened.
“You want us to stay here?” she asked Alys. The motherly woman nodded, a smile gracing her features. Jade smiled and turned to Aston. “Can we?”

             
“You’re sure it’s okay?” he asked Delgrab. At his friend’s
pointed
look, Aston laughed. “I was just making sure,” he said.

“You two have fun. Oh! Before I forget, Richie gave me this letter for you.” Delgrab reached in his pocket and pulled the letter out, handing it to the knight.

Aston
jumped down from Sterling. He grabbed his friend in a firm hug.
“Thank you
, Del. You have no idea how much this means to me,” he said, grateful he wasn’t going to have to keep his princess out in the cold all winter.

“Thank you so much
, Alys,” Jade said, jumping down from Edward
hugging the woman.

“We need to go if we plan to reach Fridel by nightfall, Alys,” Delgrab announced,
taking his wife’s bag
and heading into the forest. Alys gave Aston a quick hug before following her husband.

Jade looked at the cabin, her eyes shining. An entire winter with Aston in a cabin? She could handle this. She hoped.

Aston took Edward’s reins from Jade and took their horses to the stable in the back, leaving her to wander into the house.

“The Rogue isn’t going to go after Talbot until winter is over,” Aston told her when he walked in.

Jade turned to look at him.
“How
do you know that?”
Aston held up the letter
. “What does it say?”

“King
Roland
’s wife is still going to host their winter ball. She said her husband would be dishonored if she stopped the tradition.”

Jade’s eyes lit up. “Can we go?” she asked excitedly.

Aston only looked at her.
“You are a runaway princess and I am a traitor. I don’t think a winter ball full of royalty is
the best place to go.”

“King
Roland
makes everyone wear masks. It’s like a …. a masquerade! It would be perfect for us!”

The knight shook his head. “I don’t know, Jade. It doesn’t sound like a good idea to me. Talbot, Donn, and your father will all be there. Surely someone would recognize us.”

“Please, Aston! If someone recognizes us I’ll protect you… somehow. I really want to go,” she said, batting her eyes at him and pouting.

With a sigh, he relented.
“Okay, we can go. We don’t have anything to wear, though,” he said.

Jade sat back for a moment before coming up with a solution.
“I can sew! I’ll go into Fridel tomorrow and buy material and buttons and I will make us costumes!” she exclaimed.

Laughing, Aston nodded at her.
“Okay, okay, but I don’t wear red,” he said.

Jade nodded and smiled, excited. She couldn’t wait to get her hands on some material! She had the perfect idea for their costumes.

*
*

Aston left Jade alone for a bit that night to hunt. She found firewood outside beside the cabin, stacked up against the wall. She brought a fair amount inside and started a fire in the hearth, placing more in the
wood box
under the make-shift stove. When Aston returned, she helped him cook for the first time.

Alys’s kitchen was filled with fruits and vegetables, things she and Delgrab had picked and then left for Jade and Aston to use. Jade put carrots, potatoes, and rabbit meat into a large metal pot and set it to simmer, making stew for the night. Then she and Aston moved to the couch while dinner cooked.

“Tell me
more about yourself, Aston.”

Aston looked over at her and shrugged. “There’s not much to tell
.”

“Come on, Aston. You didn’t come into the world the way you are now. You had to grow up somewhere.”

“I grew up in Fridel. My father and baby sister still live there. I can’t imagine what they must think of me, knowing I’m a traitor,” the knight answered,
turning
away.

Jade placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
“You aren’t a traitor, Aston. I plan on proving that.”

He nodded at her before continuing.
“I used to spend my summers out here, with Delgrab. His father owned this cabin before Delgrab did. He decided to move the
family into town one winter but
Delgrab wanted to stay here. He and I spent every day out in this forest, playing around and making up games like kids do.” Aston smiled as he remembered. “I always told Delgrab that I would be a real knight one day, but he never believed me.”

“But you made it,” Jade said, loving his story. Her Aston had been a kid once, playful, with dreams. Now he was a proud man with a ruined reputation.

“Even if you do prove to King Donn that I’m innocent, I won’t be a knight anymore,” Aston told her, as if reading her thoughts.
His face turned somber as he continued.
“It will be hard to convince everyone in Fridel that their prince is a coward. No one will want to believe it.”

“I wouldn’t say Talbot is a coward,” Jade replied, taking his hand. “He was just more worried about ruining his own reputation than he was about yours.”

“That sounds like a coward to me,” he told her
, shifting slightly in his seat. He was too comfortable sitting there with Jade’s hand in his. He had to remember this was ending soon. 

Clearing his throat, Aston stood and went to the kitchen to check on dinner. An entire
winter
locked away in a cabin with his princess? What mess had he gotten himself into?
Already
her nearness was affecting him. He needed to distance himself from her, but that would be impossible in this small home. Aston knew he was falling for Jade, but he didn’t want to. He wanted to send
her home to Adion, make her marry Duke Aeron’s son and go back to the life he had before.