The River Maid (30 page)

“
Just like when we first met,” he said, smiling weakly. “You keep rescuing me.”

She smiled back. “
You keep needing to be rescued.”

“
I was supposed to rescue you.”

“
You did.” His eyes closed and his breathing sounded laboured. “Christian, please don’t leave me.”

“
I won’t ever leave you,” he said, his voice barely more than a whisper. “I’ll stay with you always.”

Shivers racked his body. She needed to get him out of his wet clothes, but she was powerless, trapped here in the river.

“Please don’t die,” she said, willing him to open his eyes.

She put her arms around him to keep him warm and rested her head on his chest, below his chin. His arms came round to hold her. Adrianna was afraid to move. He was delirious; he didn
’t know what he was doing. She didn’t want to move. She wanted to stay like this, with Christian holding her. She wondered if Gaspard was still alive. She had no way to help him either. As a mermaid she was helpless. Christian was going to die and there was nothing she could do.

Chapter Thirty Four

She lay there for hours. Christian
’s arms were limp by his side. He had stopped holding her hours ago. She listened for him to take a breath, holding her own while she waited for him to take another. Blood still trickled slowly from the wound on his shoulder. Cold from lying half out of the water, she lay against him for warmth. Hearing something, she raised her head from his chest.

“
Adrianna! Christian!”

She pushed herself up. It sounded like Gaspard.
“We’re over here,” she shouted back.

She didn
’t recognise the man on the horse who appeared; only his clothes told her it was Gaspard. His face was swollen and bruised, making him almost unrecognisable. Blood had dried down his face and his right eye was swollen shut. He all but fell off the horse and staggered over to her. He walked like he was in pain, half-doubled over where they had beaten him.

“
Christian was shot,” she said as Gaspard knelt down by Christian. He drew back the prince’s jacket and ripped open his shirt to examine the wound. “Will he live?” she asked, fearing the answer.

“
If we get him to a doctor.” Gaspard’s breath came in short pants.

“
How far is it to St Goarshausen?”

“
Half a day perhaps.” Gaspard took out a handkerchief and pressed it against the wound. “What happened to the ship?”

“Lorelei destroyed it.”

Gaspard shook his head in disbelief. “I will go and find something to move him. Will you stay with him until I get back?”

“
Of course.” There was nowhere for her to go anyway.

“
Don’t let him die.”

He struggled to drag himself back onto his horse, but eventually he managed to get himself up into the saddle. He gave her a last look before he rode away. She lay her head back down on Christian
’s chest.

“
Gaspard has gone for help,” she told him. He couldn’t hear her, but she could pretend that he could. “He’s alive.” She knew Christian would want to know Gaspard wasn’t dead. “You promised me that you wouldn’t leave me alone, remember. You can’t die. If you do you will break your promise.” He didn’t stir at her words. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I was afraid of what I was feeling for you. I was afraid I was becoming like Lorelei.” 

She didn
’t know how much time passed before she heard a rattle of wheels. At any other time, she would have laughed at the sight of Gaspard driving a cart. He had no idea how to make it stop. He said whoa, but the horse, a heavy draft horse with black and white spots, carried on. The horse was almost in the river before it finally stopped.

“
I gave the farmer all the money I had,” Gaspard said as he climbed stiffly down. “He has enough money to buy twenty carts, but if it saves Christian’s life it will be worth it. How is he?”

“
He’s still unconscious.”

Gaspard grabbed the front of Christian
’s jacket and pulled him into a sitting position. “I’m sorry, my friend,” Gaspard said as he hoisted him up onto his shoulder. He stumbled with him to the cart and laid him down. Climbing in, he dragged him further in. Adrianna winced at seeing Christian so roughly handled, but there was no other way. Gaspard came back to stand before her. She knew he was thinking about what to do with her.

“
I can’t stay in the river,” Adrianna said. “Lorelei will kill me.”

“
I’ll come back for you.”

“
No.” She could spend an eternity alone here in the river, or she could spend whatever time she had left with Christian. She held out her arms.

“Are
you sure?” Gaspard asked. “I won’t be able to stop.”

She nodded, hoping she looked braver than she felt. “There’s nowhere else for me to go.”
It was her choice; she chose Christian. It wasn’t that she was worth less than him, or that she didn’t value herself. There was no other way. She couldn’t stay in the river, not now, and she couldn’t stay on land. She would keep Christian alive. Gaspard picked her awkwardly up. Luckily, the cart was close as he couldn’t have carried her far. He set her down next to Christian and covered her tail with a rough woollen blanket. She pushed herself up and lifted Christian’s head into her lap.

Gaspard climbed into the driver
’s seat and flicked the reins. She held onto Christian as the cart bounced, keeping pressure on his wound. He groaned, but she hushed him.

“We’re going home,” she told him.

~~~~~

Hours passed. Her tail felt tight and uncomfortable from being out of the water, but she said nothing to Gaspard. They travelled all day. Her arms ached from holding Christian in place. He thrashed around, making his wound bleed. She tried to soothe him and keep him still, hushing him and whispering soft words. When she reached down to rub her tail, her hand came away covered with iridescent scales that had flaked off. She rubbed them between her fingers and they crumbled into dust. That wasn’t good, she thought.

It was almost dark by the time she saw the town in the distance. She recognised the hills and rocky cliffs; she had stared at them from the river often enough. It felt like a thousand years had passed since she had left and yet nothing looked different. She was finally home.

Gaspard took them around the back of the town and up the winding path to the castle. The cart creaked and the horse slowed its pace, straining under the weight as they climbed the hill. A stable boy came out of the stables, a rake in his hand, as Gaspard guided the cart into the courtyard of the castle. 

“
Fetch a doctor,” Gaspard said. His voice was dry and raspy. “The prince has been injured.” The boy gaped at Gaspard for a moment and then dropped the rake and ran off into the castle.

Gaspard climbed slowly down, wincing in pain, one hand pressed to his side. The princess, Christian
’s mother, rushed out, breathless from hurrying.

“
Gaspard, you’re back! I’ve been so worried. What happened to you?”

“
Christian is hurt,” he said, interrupting her. “I’ve sent a boy for the doctor. We must get him inside.”

The princess let out a cry when she saw Christian lying pale and lifeless in the back of the cart. She barely looked at Adrianna; all of her attention was fixed on her son.

“He’s so cold,” she said, touching his forehead.

“We need to get him warm,” Gaspard said. He gently took Christian from Adrianna’
s arms, careful to leave the blanket covering her tail. “I will come back for you, mademoiselle,” he said to Adrianna in a soft voice. “Wait here and do not let anyone see your tail.”

Gaspard carried Christian into the castle. The princess hesitated, finally noticing Adrianna, before following him in.

Adrianna waited, trying not to shiver from the chill in the evening air. She reached down under the blanket and touched her tail. It felt dry and rough. She examined her hand and found more scales had flaked off. She lifted up the blanket. Her tail that had once glistened now seemed dull, the scales clouded and grey.

Gaspard finally came hurrying back.
“I had the servants draw a bath for you. I’m afraid the water will be hot. I haven’t told Marie about what happened to you. She’s still in shock over Christian.” She wrapped her arms around his neck as he picked her up and carried her into the castle. He struggled to hold her high enough so that her tail didn’t sweep the floor and he was soon panting from the effort.

“
How is Christian?” she asked.

“
Alive. We’re waiting for the doctor now. He should be here any moment.”

He carried her along a hallway and up a grand staircase. Despite living in the town all her life, she had never been inside the castle. She had only seen it from a distance and curious, she looked around at the tapestries and coat of arms on the wall. This close to Gaspard, she could see how badly he had been beaten. Both his eyes were swollen into slits and bruises and cuts ran down his neck and disappeared under his shirt. His arms trembled with exhaustion and the strain of carrying her. She felt him stagger under her weight and then straighten. The servants that passed them looked at her curiously, but they quickly averted their eyes, too well trained to stare. Luckily, none of them were from the town so they wouldn
’t know who she was.

Gaspard nudged open the door with his foot and carried her into a bedroom. Before the fireplace, a huge metal bathtub was filled with water, the surface steaming. He lifted her in. The warmth surrounded her, sinking deep inside her. She gave a blissful sigh.

“I have to go and check on Christian,” Gaspard said, wincing as he straightened. “I will be back. I need to explain about you to Marie and see that the servants are kept away.”

The poor man could barely stand. She heard him lock the door behind him as he went out. A candle on the dressing table was the only light in the room. She was afraid to look at her tail. She remembered being afraid to look at it once before, when she had first lost her legs. Taking a deep breath, she sat up and pulled up the dress and looked down. The scales had lost their lustre and her tail seemed more grey now than green. It felt rough and coarse under her hand, not smooth as silk as it had once been. More scales came away at her touch. She closed her eyes. She had been so desperate to get her legs back, but now she feared she could lose her tail and be left with neither.

Chapter Thirty Five

Gaspard paused outside the room where he had placed Adrianna. He closed his eyes and tried to breathe through the pain in his chest. He took short breaths, trying not to breathe in too deeply. Lifting Adrianna had been agony, but there had been no one else to do it. He walked slowly, one hand on the banister, conscious of his ribs with every breath. Like a snail, he made his way up the stairs to Christian’s room. The doctor was just removing the ball from his shoulder when he entered. Marie waited anxiously at the foot of the bed, one hand against her mouth to muffle her soft cries.

The doctor looked up as Gaspard came in.
“Perhaps she should wait outside,” he suggested.

Gaspard took Marie and gently drew her out of the room.
“Come, Marie. We should let the doctor work. We can wait downstairs.” 

Marie stiffened under his touch.
“I trusted you to keep him safe.” 

“
I’m sorry, Marie. I tried.” Gaspard suddenly felt weary, the strain of the last three weeks catching up with him. Sleeping outside and the long days spent riding had been too much for him. He took Marie down to the drawing room where he eased himself into a chair, wincing at the pain. Marie didn’t sit. Clearly agitated and frantic with worry, she paced the room.

“
What happened to your face?” Marie asked.

“We were
attacked.”

“How did this happen
? General Ducasse wrote to me and told me that Christian had been injured, but that was months ago. How did he get shot?”

“
It’s a long story. You might not believe it all.” He could scarcely believe it himself.

“T
he girl in the cart. Who is she?”

“
Her name is Adrianna. She used to live in the town.”

“
You found the girl that disappeared? The one that Christian thought he saw in the river that night.”

“
Yes, we found her. She was in Paris”

Marie turned to face him, a frown creasing her brow.
“What was she doing in Paris?”

“
She was taken there by the French. Have you heard about the mermaid at the French court.”

Marie finally stopped pacing and sat down. “I heard about it, everyone has, but
I wasn’t foolish enough to believe it.”

“
Adrianna is the mermaid,” Gaspard said, his voice grave. “She had her legs stolen by Lorelei.”

Marie opened her mouth, speechless.
“You cannot expect me to believe that.”

Too tired to try and convince her with words, he struggled painfully up from the chair. 
“Come with me.” He limped up the stairs. Taking out the key, he unlocked the door. He had locked Adrianna inside, afraid who might see her. Not wanting to frighten her, he opened the door slowly. She lay in the bath, asleep, one hand tucked under her chin. The candle was still alight. Marie stepped into the room. Her eyes widened when she saw Adrianna. She went up to the bath and looked down. She stared for a long time at the tail, half sticking out of the water and the fins draped over the side of the bath. Adrianna slept, too exhausted to stir. 

Marie followed him out, a stunned expression on her face. He locked the door behind them. She said nothing as they went back down to the drawing room. Gaspard poured brandy into a glass and pressed it into her trembling hand.

“How is it possible?” she asked.

Gaspard lowered himself into a chair.
“Lorelei was a mermaid. She lived in the river below the town and fell in love with Christian. She stole Adrianna’s legs so that she could be with Christian and left Adrianna as a mermaid.”

Marie shook her head slowly in disbelief. “
The townspeople talk about Lorelei. Some of the fishermen claim they’ve heard her singing. They think her spirit is haunting the river.”

“
They might be right. We believe that Lorelei is still alive. She’s a mermaid again, although Adrianna doesn’t have her legs back.”

“I forgot to tell you.
Soldiers came here looking for Christian. A French captain called Fournier led them. He said he would be back.”

“
You don’t have to worry about Fournier. He can no longer hurt anyone and Napoleon is too busy fighting the Prussians at the moment to come after us. We will be safe for a short time.”

“
But only a short time.”

Gaspard nodded gravely.
“The French will come after Adrianna. We must leave as soon as Christian is able to travel.”

The French wouldn
’t just come looking for Adrianna; they would be looking for their missing ship as well. He couldn’t believe Lorelei had destroyed an entire ship and killed dozens of men. The mermaid’s power was immense and far beyond what they had imagined. Now, they had an enemy on land to contend with and one in the river. 

There was a knock on the door and a maid came in, the doctor behind her.  Marie immediately rose.
“How is he? Will he live?”

“
I’ve removed the ball from his shoulder and closed the wound,” the doctor replied. “He has a slight fever, but he’s young and strong. There’s no reason why he will not pull through.”

“
Thank you,” Marie said as the maid showed him out.

Marie pulled out a handkerchief. She turned her back to him so he wouldn’t see her cry. He didn
’t have the patience anymore to worry about propriety. After the events of the previous three weeks, he was far beyond caring about that. He went to her and drew her into his arms. She didn’t resist. She rested her head on his shoulder. It felt wonderful to finally hold her like this, despite the pain every time he breathed in.

“
I still can’t believe any of this,” she said, her voice thick with tears.

“
Christian is home and safe. That’s all that matters,” he said softly.

“
What will you do about the girl?”

“
I don’t know. She cannot go back to the river. Lorelei will kill her if she does. Nowhere is safe for her now. Christian will want to help her. They’ve become close.” He hesitated, unsure of how much to say. “I believe that he cares for her.”

Marie pulled back. She looked scandalised.
“But she’s not human.”

“
Underneath, she’s just a girl who has been through a great deal. She saved Christian’s life that night when he jumped into the river after Lorelei, and again when he was shot.”

She cupped his battered face with her hand.
“Thank you for bringing my son home.”

“I just
wish I had brought him back safely.”

“
You should go to bed,” Marie said. “You’re exhausted.”

He didn’t object.
He would worry about the French and what to do about Adrianna tomorrow.

~~~~~

Adrianna rested her arms on the edge of the bathtub. From the light outside the window, she guessed it was midday, but no one had come to see her. She wondered if she had been forgotten about. With nothing to do, she worried about Christian. If he was dead…

She heard the key turn in the lock and Gaspard entered, his battered face warped and swollen. It pained her to see Gaspard
’s wounds, knowing he had received them because of her.

“I’
m sorry, mademoiselle,” he said, closing the door behind him. “I overslept.”

“
Is Christian alive?” she asked. She held her breath as she waited for him to answer.

A smile split his bruised face. “
He’s alive. He has a slight fever, but he will be fine in a few days.”

“
I’m glad.” She smiled in relief.

“I’ve brought
someone to see you.”

She frowned, wondering who he could mean. He disappeared and came back with her mother. Adrianna let out a sob at seeing her. Her mother seemed to have aged since she had last seen her. The grey extended all the way down her braid and the lines around her eyes were more pronounced, cutting deep grooves into her face.

Her mother looked at her tail in amazement. “Adrianna?” she asked, as if unsure whether it was truly her.

Unable to speak, Adrianna nodded through her tears and reached out to her mother. Her mother sank to her knees beside the bath and threw her arms around her, hugging her tight. Water sloshed over the floor, but neither of them cared.

“I thought you were dead,” her mother said. She was crying as well. Gaspard left them, shutting the door softly behind him.

“
I’m sorry,” Adrianna said as she cried.

Her mother pulled back, but kept one of her hands.
“Gaspard came to me this morning. He said that you were alive. He told me what happened. I knew Lorelei had done something to you. I tried to tell them, but no one believed me.” She looked at her tail again. “Oh, Adrianna.” She shook her head in disbelief and wiped the tears from her eyes. “Gaspard told me, but I didn’t think it could be true. Is there no way to get your legs back?”

Adrianna shook her head and wiped her own tears away. “
Lorelei is the only one who knows how and she won’t help me.”

“It doesn’t matter.
All that matters is that you’re alive and that I have you back.” She squeezed Adrianna’s hand.

She didn’t have her back and she never would as long as Adrianna remained a mermaid. But she couldn’t tell her mother that; it would be too cruel.

“What will happen to you now?” her mother asked.

“
I don’t know. I can’t stay here. It’s not safe. The French will come looking for me, but I can’t go back to the river.” She gripped her mother’s hand. “No one can know what I am.”

Her mother nodded.
“I won’t tell anyone. But can I come and see you again? I can find a reason to come to the castle.”

“
I would like that.”

She hugged her tightly. The front of her dress was wet, but she didn
’t seem to care. “Monsieur Gaspard said that they took you to Paris. You saw the Emperor.”

“
Yes.” It was a world away now. A lifetime ago. She had seen so many things.

Later, after her mother had left, Gaspard came to see her. He hesitated by the door.
“I didn’t know if I had done the right thing by bringing your mother to see you.”

She smiled at him sadly.
“I’m glad you did.”

“
Is something wrong, mademoiselle?”

“
No.” She couldn’t meet his eyes. He came over to stand beside her. She lifted her tail out of the water and draped it over the edge of the bath. “I was out of the water too long.”

Out of the water, it was clear just how bad it was. Her fins were ragged and dull. Scales floated in the water and her tail smelt of rotting fish. At his touch more scales flaked off.

He drew in his breath. “We will make it better.”

“
You can’t. It’s not healing. It’s getting worse.”

“
I should have stopped.”

“
If you had stopped Christian would be dead.” She took a steadying breath. “It’s all right, Gaspard. This was my choice. And besides, I couldn’t have stayed in the river anymore with Lorelei there.” She sounded braver than she felt. Inside, her stomach was knotted in fear. “Please don’t tell Christian. He would only blame himself.”

“We will find a way to get your legs back,” Gaspard vowed.

He sounded so sure, but she didn’t think there was a way.