The Carnelian Tyranny: Savino’s Revenge (43 page)

“This isn’t good.” She turned to stare at the fiery orange sky tinged with hues of pink and purple. “And what about Ga
spar?”

“He too has disappeared without a trace, but I would not worry about
him.”

“That’s what you said about Sa
vino.”

He slipped his arms around her waist. “Do not worry, my love. We shall find both of them soon and they shall be brought to jus
tice.”

“I hope so.” She stood in silence, pondering all that had happened in the recent weeks and
days.

“Is there something
else?”

She let out a deep breath, nodding. “As a matter of fact, there is. What Eman did this evening makes me question my own judg
ment.”

He cocked his head at her. “In what
way?”

“I killed a man. Now, two days later, it’s only just now starting to sink in, but I actually killed
him.”

He brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes. “That man walks again. He is not
dead.”

“But I still killed
him.”

“You had no choice. He was going to kill us
both.”

“I don’t really know if I can be queen. To have the responsibility of deciding who lives and who dies frighten
s me.”

“You are not planning to walk out on me now, are you?” He gathered her in his arms, hugging her firmly to him. “You are a compassionate woman and that is one of the things I love most about you.” He kissed her softly on the cheek. “So allow that compassion to guide your decis
ions.”

“But how do I move past what I
did?”

“By remembering what is important and forgetting the
rest.”

“How do I forget something like
that?”

The lines of his face softened to reveal the stunning grin she had come to love, and there was a glint of mischief in his green
eyes.

“I may be able to help you with that. At least tempora
rily.”

Slowly, he took her face in his hands and drew her close, kissing her long and full on the lips. His body felt warm and solid against hers, and strong arms dropped down to her waist, holding it firmly as if they would never let her go. All of the fear, pain and uncertainty from the past few weeks melted away in the kiss that had the power to comfort and reassure without w
ords.

As their lips slowly parted, he pulled away and opened his eyes to gaze solemnly into hers. “Focus on our future together, Maraya. We have so much to be thankful
for.”

“I love you so much, Da
rian.”

“And I you,” he breathed, closing the distance between them once again. They stood on the rampart and gazed out toward the seaport below, the sky filled with beautiful streaks of orange, pink, yellow and purple. She could not remember seeing a more beautiful sunset since the first day she had arrived in Carn
elia.

CHAPTER 40

RECOMPENSE

Over the next several days, the palace was a flurry of activity with preparations for Queen Maraya’s coronation. Darian took every opportunity to express his love and appreciation for not only her, but for his family, his friends and everyone else he cared about. And just like all of them, he was grateful for the second chance he had been given. The dead were buried and the lost were mourned. Marisa and Darian found strength together, both of them learning to lean on the other for help in carrying them through the pain and loss they had all suff
ered.

In the late afternoon on one of these days, Marisa stood alone at the window, watching the snow drift down onto the balcony and thinking about the past year of her life when a soft knock at the door interrupted her thoughts. She opened the door and sm
iled.

“What are you hiding behind your
back?”

“May I come in first?” Darian a
sked.

“Of course.” She laughed, stepping a
side.

“I saw this and thought you might like to enjoy the last few rays of the Wounded Heart.” He placed the terracotta pot on the table and put his arm around her, pulling her close. Together they watched the light inside the scarlet tendrils slowly dim and
fade.

“What did you think when you sa
w it?”

He shook his head, incredulous. “It is difficult to describe. I had given up all hope. I had lost my love, my best friend, my kingdom and I was about to lose my life. But, when I saw this flower blooming in that pit of despair, everything changed in an instant. Somehow I knew I would get a second ch
ance.”

She buried her face in her hands, weeping so
ftly.

“What is it?” he asked, caressing her
arm.

“I just wish my parents could have been here to see all this. You and me, Marcus and Marino. What would my mother have thought about that? She was so sad all those years thinking that her baby was dead, but he’s a
live!”

He lifted her chin to meet his gaze. “I wish that my father could have known you,” he whispered softly. “But some things are just not meant to be. This we must ac
cept.”

“You’re right,” she said, sniffling. “You’re always r
ight.”

“We have each other. For that I shall always be than
kful.”

“Me
too.”

He brushed the hair out of her eyes, kissing her so
ftly.

“Are you ready for your coronation tomorrow?” he whispered against her
lips.

“I guess, as long as I don’t screw up any of my l
ines.”

“You only have two. I do and I
will.”

“Then I guess I’ll be okay. But I still wish you were being crowned alongsid
e me.”

“As do I, but we are not married. When we are, then I shall be crowned as well. But only as your token king, I might
add.”

She giggled. “Why
aren’t
we mar
ried?”

“You are asking me?” he exclaimed, his eyes widening. “You were the one with cold
feet!”

“They’re pretty warm and toasty now.” She lau
ghed.

“As long as you are ready to marry on my birthday, I shall remain a happy man in
deed.”

“Hmm—then you won’t ever forget our anniversary ei
ther!”

“I shall
never
forget our anniversary, dea
rest.”

“Maybe I should get that in wri
ting.”

He moved in closer, but their kiss was interrupted by an urgent knock at the door. He opened it to find Arrie standing there, shifting impatiently. “Your Highnesses, you must come down at once!” He panted heavily as if he had just run up ten flights of st
airs.

“What is it, Arrie?” Darian a
sked.

“Have you—seen Matilda?” he asked, breathless. “She needs to be there for him!” He raced down the hall, banging on her door. “Matilda, come qui
ckly!”

“What’s this all about, Arrie?” Marisa peered down the corridor at
him.

“Lord Arrigo, what are you hollering about?” Matilda asked as she opened the
door.

“Bruno is alive!” Arrie shouted, unable to contain him
self.

“What?”
They exclaimed in un
ison.

“Well come and
see!”

They followed Arrie down the corridor steps, through the main vestibule and into the Knight’s Hall. Lifting their skirts to prevent them from tripping, Marisa and Matilda were practically running by the time they got to the Crimson antechamber. Matilda made it there f
irst.

“Bruno!” she exclaimed, seeing his tall, muscular frame sprawled out across the settee. When he didn’t rise to meet her, she ran over and threw herself on top of him, engulfing him in a warm hug. “You are alive,” she whispered, softly kissing his c
heek.

“That I am, my beauty,” he said weakly, gazing into her eyes as if she were the only person in the world. “I refuse to allow death to take me away before we have the chance to finish what we sta
rted.”

“But—how did you escape?” Darian asked, incredu
lous.

Bruno shook his head. “It was awful, Your Highness. After the arrow clipped my side, I fell from the horse and rolled off the road into a ditch. I must have blacked out because I awoke several minutes later with a horrible headache and a flaming pain in my side. There was chaos all around me. But the warriors’ first priority seemed to be going after the healthy men who were all trying to escape and, thankfully, they did not notice me down in the d
itch.”

Darian brought over a couple of chairs for Matilda and Marisa to sit in. Matilda reached out to take Bruno’s hand as he recalled his harrowing or
deal.

“I knew I was badly wounded, so I lay very still, pretending to be dead. I waited until most of the warriors had gone after the men before moving around to assess the situation. Then I saw three of them fanning out among the bodies, slicing each of the heads off and throwing them onto the wagons. I knew they would find and kill me eventually, so I had to think of something
fast.

“There was a pile of headless bodies not too far from me. Then I noticed that the warrior who was closest to me was actually working his way away from me. I knew they would be back around to check and make sure they had everyone’s heads, so, when their backs were to me, I moved toward the headless bodies, burrowing underneath them until only my legs were sticking out. I lay very still, making sure that I could still breathe and was able to see what the warriors were d
oing.

“Incredible,” Marisa rema
rked.

Bruno nodded. “By Garon’s mercy, it worked and, although they moved past me several times, they did not discover that I was still alive and still had my head. They were there collecting heads for a long time, at least until after dark and, when I finally heard the wagons rolling away, I waited for a little while longer until I heard nothing but the snow owls hooting in the forest. It was then that I knew it was safe to come
out.

“I found a horse grazing on some winter grass and tied him to a tree. After I removed the arrow, I gathered up as many cloaks as I could from the bodies and laid them on the ground in a pile. Laying several more on top of me, I was able to keep warm for the night and even sleep a little, but not
much.

“Later the next morning, I got on the horse and rode back towards Crocetta, but I only made it halfway to Andrésis before I knew I needed help. The wound was becoming infected and I was developing a fever. I came upon a farmhouse and stopped. I explained to the farmer what had happened and he and his wife and daughter took me in and cared for my w
ound.

“My fever increased and I began to hallucinate. The farmer fetched a doctor who put some
arrino
root salve on my wound and then it began to improve. My fever went down and I started to feel better, but I was not well enough yet to leave. A few days after that, I was determined to get on my horse and come back to Crocetta, but the farmer wouldn’t hear of it until I was fully he
aled.

“Yesterday, I was able to convince them that I was well enough to leave and so I did. But, by the time I reached Andrésis, I was ready to collapse. I stayed at the Blue Boar last night and left early this morning. And here
I am.”

“Bruno, you have no idea how happy we are to see you back here safe and sound,” Marisa said, putting her hand on his. She looked at Matilda and smiled. “But now I think you need some time alone to rest and recover and you two have some catching up t
o do.”

“Indeed we do,” Bruno said, grinning at Mat
ilda.

“Glad to have you back, my friend.” Darian took his hand and shook it warmly. “Anything you need, just let us
know.”

Bruno gazed lovingly at Matilda. “I have everything I need right
here.”

CHAPTER 41

PENANCE

“I just can’t believe he’s alive,” Marisa said to Darian as they entered the Jade Room after dinner. “This makes up for so much of the wrong that has happened during the past few w
eeks.”

Darian gave her a sad smile, his gaze dropping to the floor. She knew that he was thinking about the friends and comrades he had lost. She moved up close to him, slipping her arms around him and hugging him tight. “I’m so sorry about Luca. I know how much he meant to
you.”

“I still cannot believe he is gone. I have lost so many of my friends from my Academy years, but none as close as Luca. He was the brother I never
had.”

“I wish I could have gotten to know him be
tter.”

“I am so afraid of losing you that I sometimes find it difficult to enjoy what we
have.”

“Don’t say that. If our relationship was able to make it through these horrible few weeks intact, it can withstand anything. If you don’t take the risk, you’ll never take the tri
umph.”

“That is not what I meant. I know that nothing can ever separate our love again. But I have also learned what life is like without you. And I do not ever wish to live through that a
gain.”

“That’s the control freak talking,” she whispered. “Let i
t go.”

A mischievous grin crept across his lips. “There is one thing I plan on never letting go.” He closed the distance between them, covering her lips with his
own.

As he pressed against her, drawing her ever closer, her body seemed to melt into his. She deepened the kiss, losing herself completely in the love she felt for him. Just when she was starting to think it would never end, there was a firm knock at the
door.

She pulled away, laughing. “Oh, no, not a
gain!”

“Are we never to have a moment alone?” Darian asked in irritation. He opened the door, biting his tongue and looking away in disbelief when he saw Savino standing there, his face expec
tant.

“Uh, I apologize for my intrusion,” Savino began, “but I was wondering if I might have a word with Her Highness?” He glanced over Darian’s shoulder, his blue eyes peering eagerly into the
room.

Marisa draped a heavy cloak around her shoulders, offering him a warm smile. “Of course you can, Savino. I was just about to take my evening walk. Would you like to come wit
h me?”

Darian gave her a silent look as if he couldn’t believe she was asking, but in the end, he said not
hing.

“Yes, that would be—nice,” Savino answ
ered.

On her way out the door, she kissed Darian on the lips and smiled at him mischievously. “Don’t you go anywhere, young
man!”

“Not a chance, woman!” He gave her a devilish grin before tossing Savino a warning g
lare.

Slipping her arm through her cousin’s, Marisa led him down the corridor and out into the main courtyard. They walked up the stone steps on the western wall, finally reaching the top of the rampart. The cool breeze from the mountains blew through her hair and she felt so happy to be a
live.

“I enjoy taking a stroll along this wall. It puts things into perspective when I’m up here, giving me a clear view of the kingdom I’m responsible for ru
ling.”

He smiled nervously. “Your Highness, I have not yet had the privilege and opportunity to speak with you alone. I am, in fact, very grateful that you are even speaking t
o me.”

She turned to face him. “Savino, it’s in the past. You are forgiven. That’s a lesson from Eman I won’t ever forget. Neither should
you.”

“You are truly a gracious woman. I don’t think I shall ever understand why he did what he did, but I am eternally grat
eful.”

“It is pretty amazing,” she agreed. “So, what did you want to speak to me a
bout?”

He looked at her sheepishly. “Nothing specifically, I just thought that it would be nice if you could get to know me before you are crowned. Before you become too busy with your royal duties to spare me the time of
day.”

She smiled. “I’ll always make time for
you.”

“You are most kind.” He looked away, staring out across the expanse of mountains covered in snow. His long, aristocratic nose flared in the cold breeze and his short-cropped, blonde hair rippled in the
wind.

“Is something bothering you? I may not know you very well, but I’m sensing that you don’t feel completely at ease wit
h me.”

His gaze turned to hers. “Ah, yes, that is precisely the problem. You do not know me. At least not the
real
me. And I seem to recall that the last time we were together at Abbadon, you forced me to do all the talking, remember?” His lips curved into a s
mirk.

She smiled, remembering. “Yes, I guess I
did.”

“All joking aside, I should very much like to get to know you—the real Marisa.” His blue eyes twinkled as he spoke. “I find you a very fascinating woman and am quite eager to hear about this other world that you have been livin
g in.”

As she listened to him speak, she had to remind herself that it was Savino. He was so different from the madman she had known over the past few months and it was difficult to believe he was even the same person. Matilda was right. The real Savino was nothing like the arrogant, selfish man who had ruthlessly wound people around his fi
nger.

“Savino, you and I have a lot in common. Our mothers were sisters and the same blood runs through our veins. I’ll never be too busy for you and I want to get to know you—the
real
you.”

“You do not know how happy I am to hear you say that, cousin,” he drawled. “It shall take a long time before people place their trust in me again. Just look at Da
rian.”

“Darian is just being cautious. He wants to forgive, but, at the same time, he’s afraid that you’ll fall back into your old
ways.”

“I am determined never to let that happen to me again.” His eyes glazed over as he remembered the unspeakable terror. “I was in a living hell. Those horrible beasts controlled my mind as their evil coursed through my veins. My body obeyed their every command while my mind was powerless to sto
p it.”

“Don’t.” She covered his hand with her own. “You’re protected now by the power of Eman. You won’t ever go back to being that—that,
thing
you
were.”

“No, I shall not.” His gaze dropped. “However, one curse remains that shall plague me for the rest of my
life.”

“What c
urse?”

He pulled his hand away from hers and moved over to the stone wall. Leaning over it, he stared down at his intertwined fingers with a pained expression. “Wherever I go, I shall always be remembered for the awful things I have done. And rightly so, I suppose. Perhaps, I deserve to never be forgiven for the pain and suffering I have caused. I cannot retrieve what has been lost; nor can I remove the condemnation from people’s hearts. I am destined to live a solitary life, I
fear.”

“You don’t know that. Where I come from, we have a saying, ‘time heals all wounds.’ In time, people will forget and mov
e on.”

“No.” He shook his head sadly. “They will not. And, more importantly, history shall never forget. By the time my awful deeds finally start to fade from people’s memories, I shall be an old
man.”

“Savino, what are you sa
ying?”

“I know that I do not deserve it, but I still wish to find love. But the tragedy is that I shall never find a woman who can love me for who I am without knowing what I once
was.”

She touched his arm. “That’s not true! You’re smart, witty, and remarkably handsome. I see great potential in
you.”

“Yes, but do you not see that I cannot go back to being the man I once was before I became Savino the monster? Even if I should find a woman who could love me, no father will let his daughter near me ever again.” As he gazed at her with clear blue eyes as beautiful as a tropical sea, she knew that she was seeing the real Sa
vino.

She took his hands in hers and closed her eyes, choosing her words carefully. “If there is one thing that I have learned over this past year, it is that everyone, no matter who you are, no matter what horrible things you have done—everyone gets a do-over with G
aron.”

“Do-over?” He looked at her, puz
zled.

“Yes. It means that you have been given a second chance. Eman has forgiven you. Garon has forgiven you. I’ve forgiven
you.”

He shook his head sadly. “I could never be forgiven for the things I have done. They are too horrible—too unforgive
able!”

“No! Don’t you see that you must believe Garon is willing and able to forgive you or you will never be free? It’s time for you to forgive your
self.

“I do not know if I
can.”

“Savino, listen to me now,” she pleaded, cupping his face gently in her hands. “You are free. But you must accept that freedom yourself. I cannot accept it for
you.”

She closed her eyes, breathing in deeply before opening them again to focus on him. “Don’t allow the future you think you are doomed to have ruin the one that could be better than you could ever possibly ima
gine.”

He let out a short puff of air but said nothing as his eyes welled up with tears. And when she saw the expression of relief in his face, she knew that these words were the exact ones he needed to
hear.

“Cousin, this is your do-over,” she whispered, her voice cracking with emotion. “You will never be given another chance like the one you have just been given today. So honor that gift by going out there and making the most o
f it.”

She stared at him in earnest, and what she saw in him made her eyes mist over. He pulled her into a tight embrace that touched them both down to their very souls. This was the man whom had brought her to the depths of hatred and back again, but she was able to forgive him. Overcome by powerful emotions that were being exchanged in that one hug, she began to sob into his chest. He stroked her hair gently, and in that moment, the two of them reached a deep understanding that needed no words. They were family and were bound by blood, but now they had been bound by something even de
eper.

They were bound by forgive
ness.

“Arghh, now you’ve got me crying again,” she said, laughing through tears. “I swear that I’ve never cried as much in my life since I’ve come to Carn
elia!”

“Tears are a good sign, Your Highness,” he remarked softly. “It means that you care. Never confuse tears with weak
ness.”

“I’ll have to remember that,” she said, wiping her
eyes.

He smiled at her. “You remind me so much of your mother. Queen Elyse was so beautiful and strong. And she had a heart of gold. I shall never forget the kindness she always showe
d me.”

“That’s what Darian says. It’s so strange to hear you both talk about her when I hardly even knew
her.”

“I have a feeling you will be an even better monarch than she was. And she was the finest queen in generat
ions.”

She released his hand, smiling contentedly as they continued their stroll along the wall. And as she enjoyed the fresh air and magnificent view across the sea of trees and white-capped mountains, a calm sense of peace washed over her for the first time in mo
nths.

And for several minutes, neither of them spoke as they both enjoyed the contented silence that always seems to follow an incident of reconciliation. Savino was the first one to break the sil
ence.

“I do not suppose that you would reconsider marrying me? I mean the
real
me?” he asked as a naughty smile crept across his
lips.

She laughed. “Savino! Re
ally?”

“So, your answer is no again?” He shrugged in mock disappointment. “Well, I could only assume that our engagement was serious since you did give me a ring, after
all…”

“What
ring?”

“This ring.” He held it up for her to
see.

“Oh!” She laughed, taking it from him.
“That
ring!”

It was the one from Darian’s collection that she had exchanged for the Carnelian ring while he was asleep. When he smiled at her, his eyes were flirtat
ious.

“Somehow, I do not think my cousin would be amused to discover that his fiancée was, in fact, engaged to his cousin using his own Crimson Academy
ring.”

“No, he would not be amused!” She laughed. “After all we’ve been through, I’m afraid he’s never gonna let me out of his sight. In fact, he’ll probably put the old ball and chain on me the second we’re mar
ried!”

“I think it is marvelous. I, for one, shall be happy to see the two of you married. By the way, just when is that t
o be?”

“His birthday—the thirtieth of the eighth m
onth.”

“That only gives you what—seven months? Will it be enough to plan a royal wed
ding?”

“I sure hope so, because, otherwise, we’re gonna e
lope!”

He pulled her into a warm embrace. “Thank you for listening, dearest cousin. And for your friendship which I shall always treasure. For what you have done for me and for this country I shall always be grateful, and I shall endeavor to earn your trust and respect in
full.”

She cocked her head at him. “Even though I did kill
you?”