Aislainn nodded hesitantly. “I suppose so. I don't have another choice. I don't have anywhere else to go, and he says he'd find me if I tried to run away. To be honest, I'm surprised he even lets me go to the pub. This is the only time I have to myself. When I'm not with Lyneah, he always demands my company.”
“You can't go back there,” Roderick said, a bit harshly. “You can't go back to him.”
“But I really don't have a choice! I need my job, and I don't have a lot of money, and I don't have anywhere to stay. I'm stuck.”
Roderick's jaw twitched as he listened to her argument. His fists clenched when he thought about King Roen laying his hands on her. “You don't understand, Miss Cumberland. I'm not letting you go back there. I won't. You're coming home with me, I'll give you a place to hide, and that's that.”
“But Roderick, I--”
“No. No protests. Knowing what I know, hearing what I heard... there is absolutely no way I'd let you go back to the castle. It wouldn't be in my nature to let you return to a horrid situation like that, do you understand? Now that I know what's happening, I'll protect you in any way I can.” He sounded more sober and clear-headed than he had in many days. “I'll watch over you all day, if I must, but I won't let you go back to a place where a twisted old man is hurting you. You'll be safe with me, I swear.”
“But Roderick... I...” Aislainn was reluctant to complete her thought. She wanted to tell him she wasn't worth it, that she didn't care what happened to her, but she couldn't do it. Deep down, she wanted him to help her.
“If saving you gets me out of the pub for once... you can't really say no, can you?” Roderick grabbed the bottle of rum, tucked it under his arm, and rose from his chair. “If I can save you, you'll be saving me too.”
“But what about Princess Lyneah? I can't leave her alone! She needs a friend right now. I can't just abandon her!”
“She'll be fine, I'm sure. Ki... Lyneah is a smart girl.” Roderick bit his tongue when he nearly called her by her true name. Perpetual drunkenness wasn't conducive to him keeping his story straight. In a way, he was looking forward to being sober again.
“Roderick, are you absolutely sure you want me to come with you?” Aislainn had strong reservations, but her aversion to King Roen was even stronger. If Roderick wanted to help her—if he was demanding a chance to help her—she would be a fool to pass it up. “I don't want to be a burden on you.”
“It's not a burden. I need a reason to live again,” Roderick said. “Perhaps it's a bit presumptuous of me to say this... but you could be my reason.”
Aislainn's cheeks warmed at his words. “Very well, Sir Roderick. I'll come with you. But if you end up in danger because of me, I may never forgive myself.”
Aislainn followed him out of the pub and onto the busy street, where she kept her eyes on the pavement. She wanted to believe the worst was behind her. She wanted to believe King Roen would never lay a hand on her again. But it was difficult to hope for the best when her life was a series of failures and misfortunes.
“This is the day we turn our lives around, Miss Cumberland!” Roderick exclaimed as they headed to his cottage. “This is the day I stop hoping I'll die in my sleep.”
“Do you really hope that?” Roderick's back was facing her, so he missed her frown.
“Occasionally. Right after I was suspended, I kept hoping I'd drink enough alcohol that I'd never wake up... but it didn't work. When a man's lost everything, he starts to make bleak wishes.” When they passed an elderly homeless man, Roderick flicked a coin in his direction. Aislainn's company had him feeling more generous than usual. He felt renewed, as if she'd somehow managed to breathe new life into him. She had given him a fresh sense of purpose. “Anyway... you'll be safe with me, Miss Cumberland. I swear on my life.”
“Please, call me Aislainn,” she requested as he opened his cottage door. “It's odd to hear you call me Miss Cumberland. There's really no need to act so formal. I barely know you, and yet... I feel like I know you so well.”
“Because you've seen me at my worst, most likely.” When they entered, Roderick turned on an oil lamp, illuminating a small but finely-decorated sitting room. For a bachelor who spent most of his days in a pub, his cottage was remarkably tidy. “From now on, Aislainn, you'll only see the best of me. I don't mind if I fail myself, but if I failed you, I'd be infinitely more disappointed.”
“Thank you, Roderick.”
He ignored her gratitude and continued his speech. “There's a guest room that hasn't been used in ages. You're welcome to stay there, of course. If you want to leave the cottage, that's fine, but I'd rather go with you... to keep an eye on you. If King Roen found you after all this, I would be--”
When Aislainn suddenly threw her arms around him, catching him in a hug, Roderick's words died in his throat.
Twenty
There was no one left in the castle that Kitt considered a friend. Doon was gone, having left on a lengthy mission. She hadn't seen Miles in days, so she assumed he went with his captain. Roderick was still suspended, and for that reason, he wasn't allowed within the castle walls. More recently, Aislainn had disappeared. If her handmaiden found a way to escape from King Roen, Kitt was glad, even if she was incredibly lonely.
Because her friends were absent, Kitt was forced to have supper with several people with whom she would never be comfortable. When she entered the dining room, everyone was already seated. Queen Loreina was sitting between Marius and a man named Simbe. Officially, Simbe was a stable boy, but if he was joining them for supper, Kitt assumed he was one of Loreina's recent lovers. King Roen and his advisors were also seated, as well as Prince Malik, who stood up and greeted her with a kiss when she entered the room. Kitt knew he wanted to kiss her every bit as much as she wanted to kiss him—which was none—but she understood why he did. It was important to put on a show for the king and queen.
When she sat at the table, she overheard part of a conversation between Loreina and Roen.
“So that little bitch of a handmaiden is nowhere to be found!” Roen grumbled. “I didn't think she'd actually run away. I wasn't treating her that poorly.”
“My men will help you find her, Roen. We'll scour the town and drag her back to you.”
“Then you'll have to work quickly, Your Highness.” As he spoke, the king moved a leg of lamb to his plate. “My son and I are leaving in two days. And we'll be taking the princess with us, of course.”
Kitt nearly choked when she heard what he said, and she hadn't even taken a bite of her food yet. When Malik turned in her direction, his brow was pinched with concern. “Are you alright, Lyneah?”
“Um... yes.” Suppressing her cough, Kitt reached for a slice of bread. “I just didn't realize I'd be leaving the castle so soon.”
“Does it displease you?” Malik leaned closer to her ear and whispered, “I know our marriage is a bit... unusual... but I'm looking forward to showing you my country. You'll love it, I'm sure.”
Kitt wanted to agree, but she was already picturing a place where whipping boys and slaves were clogging every street corner. It probably wasn't a realistic vision; nevertheless, being relocated to King Roen's country was a terrifying thought. If she was forced to leave with Malik, was it too much to hope that Doon would find her and bring her back?
“I suppose I could get you another handmaiden, Roen,” Loreina suddenly spoke up. “I'm sure the other one wasn't too terribly special.”
“Ah, but she was lovely!” Roen's teeth tore into the lamb meat as he lamented his loss. “I'm sad to see her go. Real damn sad! If I close my eyes, I can still imagine that dark, soft skin under my fingers.”
Kitt's gaze wandered to Roen's hands, which was an unfortunate mistake. His knuckles were impossibly hairy, and his fingers were thick, sausage-like and covered in grease. When he started licking his fingers, Kitt had to turn away, because she suddenly felt ill. The more she knew about him, the more grotesque he was to her.
As she sawed
the lamb chop on her plate, Queen Loreina asked, “How are you enjoying married life, Lyneah? Prince Malik? Is it everything you hoped it would be?” She tossed her hair over her shoulder and took a bite. “To be honest, I hated to be married. And I mean no disrespect to my dear, departed husband, of course.”
“I'm quite happy with the arrangement,” Malik said. “Princess Lyneah is a lovely woman and a wonderful wife. I couldn't ask for anything better.”
As King Roen wiped his greasy hands on his waistcoat, he said, “Good! Had you answered any other way, I would have been forced to punish you.” The waistcoat was constricting his immense stomach, but he wanted to eat more food, so he partially unbuttoned it.
“And how do you feel about Malik, dear? Is he a good lover? Or an adequate lover, at the very least?” Apparently, Loreina didn't shy away from asking uncomfortable questions. Under the table, her hand stroked and squeezed Simbe's muscular thigh.
“He's... decent.” Though Kitt answered the queen's question, she didn't think it was her business to ask.
“Decent? Oh dear. It seems you'll have to try harder, Prince Malik!” Loreina teased him. “Or... perhaps you won't.” She shoved another bite into her mouth and leaned forward, resting her elbows on the tabletop. As she studied her daughter, a mischievous smile played upon her lips. “Lyneah... the other day, I was trying to remember the name of your very first boyfriend. Do you recall it? He was only the son of a baronet, so he wasn't a suitable match for you, but I remember he was very aesthetically pleasing.”
Even if she wasn't sitting next to a man who was supposed to be her husband, Kitt would have considered it an awkward question. And, of course, she didn't know the answer. “I'm... afraid I can't recall.”
“Oh, don't be silly! You were sixteen or seventeen at the time. His hair was brown, but slightly gingery. Oh, and he had the most amazing blue eyes!” Loreina's fingernails tapped against the table as she pondered the boy's name. “You do remember, yes?”
Kitt shyly shook her head. She hoped this young man wasn't too terribly important to Lyneah, or forgetting him would arouse suspicions.
“Well then... what was the name of your second boyfriend?” Loreina asked. “As I recall, he was quite a bit older than you. He had black hair, a hint of a goatee...”
Loreina's interrogation had Kitt feeling more and more uneasy. She tried to focus on her food, but her stomach was churning. “I would rather not discuss my past relationships while sitting next to Prince Malik, Mother. Surely you can understand that?”
“Mother!” As she repeated the word, Loreina exchanged glances with Marius, who chuckled snidely. “My dear, could there be a reason why you don't remember the names of these men? A very good reason?”
“I... don't want to discuss them right now,” Kitt repeated. “Can we please just eat?”
Loreina suddenly slammed a fist against the table, which made her dinner guests jolt with alarm. “Don't play me for a fool... Lyneah. You see, I recently heard a troubling bit of news about you.” The queen tossed another bite into her mouth and chewed aggressively. “More specifically, I heard you were in Sheepsgate, raising an army to stand against me. But how could you possibly be in Sheepsgate while I'm sitting right across from you?”
Kitt's fork slipped from her hand, clattering against her plate. Her body was suddenly frozen, as were her lips. Loreina knew the truth!
“You're an impostor. A sham!” Marius suddenly barked at her. “I suspected it for some time, but I wanted to be certain. I'm confused, though. Are you conspiring with Francis Doon? Did he find a passable look-alike and decided to use you for reward money? Or are you conspiring with Lyneah? Did she leave you here so we wouldn't keep searching for her?
“I...” Kitt turned in Malik's direction. She expected him to be angry, but he only looked concerned for her. His gentle expression gave her a tiny bit of relief. “I don't really know what to say.”
“Are you saying what I think you're saying?” King Roen spoke up. “Is my new daughter-in-law not the princess?”
“I'm afraid not, Roen. We were tricked, as were you,” Loreina explained. “If Marius is correct, this girl has been pretending to be Lyneah for weeks now. We aren't sure what her motivations are, but you can rest assured, she will be punished.”
It was Doon's fault. Everything was entirely Doon's fault. Nevertheless, Kitt cared about him, and she didn't want to incriminate him. She had to keep her answers vague. “I'm sorry, everyone. I'm sorry I deceived you.”
“Who are you conspiring with?” Marius demanded an answer. “Who? Tell me! If you tell us now, we won't have to torture the answer out of you!”
The cold dread in Kitt's heart made her body feel numb. She couldn't move or speak. She was petrified.
“Well then... if this girl isn't the true princess, then my son is no longer married!” King Roen declared. “Malik was meant to marry the princess, not a fake and a fraud. I declare the marriage null and void!”
“Of course, Roen,” Loreina agreed in an eerily lilting voice. “No one would disagree with that. And I should apologize to you, of course. I should have seen through this ruse. I am sorry for what your son has had to endure.” The queen motioned for her guards to step forward, and when they did, she flicked her fingers in Kitt's direction. “Take this girl to the dungeon! She is not the princess. She is an impostor, and she will surely be hanged for this!”
When the guards stepped forward and roughly dragged her from her chair, Kitt shrieked. “Malik!” she gasped the name of the only person who might have been on her side. “Malik... please! You know me better than anyone here! Don't let them do this to me!”
Malik shook his head. Kitt knew his biggest secret, and while he hoped she wouldn't share it, there was no way he could stand against his father on such an important matter.
“Actually...” Loreina tapped her chin and grinned. “Hanging is so boring! I should cut off your head instead. It would give me great satisfaction to lop off the head of a girl who looks identical to my detestable daughter!”
“Again, we should torture her first,” Marius casually suggested. “If you break a few fingers or cut off a few toes, we'll get her to talk. And once we know who she's conspiring with, they can join her in the gallows.”
“Or guillotine!” When Loreina corrected him, she sounded a bit too excited.
One of the guards was so forceful, he ripped the collar of Kitt's dress as he pulled her to the door. Then he shoved her down the hall so hard, she dropped to her knees on the marble floor.
“Get up.” He grabbed her torn collar and hoisted her to her feet. She barely regained her balance before he gave her another shove.
“This is it... this is how I die...” Kitt whispered to herself.
And she had Francis Doon to thank for it.
Twenty One
After several hours of sword practice with Francis Doon, Tobias had improved by leaps and bounds. Both of them were dedicated to his training for different reasons. Doon wanted to help a friend of Kitt, and he enjoyed playing with swords. Tobias had proven to be a worthy pupil, worthy of his time. Tobias was determined to prove his usefulness, both to Lyneah and to himself. His muscles ached and his entire body was screaming in resistance, but he knew it would be worth it in the end.
A few hours into their training, Doon gave Tobias a second sword. Doon, with a single blade in hand, unleashed a whirlwind of blows on his student. Tobey had impressive reflexes, and he was getting better at blocking. His counterattacks, however, were too predictable, so Doon spent a great deal of time trying to coach him on the element of surprise, and how to obtain it.
Kieran, Tobias' former instructor, had been watching Tobias' progress from afar. When he saw Tobias rubbing his arms, Kieran thought he needed a break, so he interrupted their lesson. “Tobey!” Kieran slapped Tobias on the back so hard, he nearly dropped one of his swords. “What's this cuddling nonsense I've been hearing about?”
“Uh... wh-what?” Tobias temporar
ily sheathed his swords and dragged a hand through his hair, which was wet and slick with perspiration.
“You and the princess. She told me she sneaks into your tent and cuddles you at night. Cuddles.” Kieran shook his head, as if he was ashamed by the word. Within seconds, Tobey's cheeks were raging red. “I need to give you some advice, man-to-man. What I'm going to tell you is so important, I'm even going to tolerate the company of Francis Doon.” He sent a sneer in the direction of the man who killed his brother.
“Can you make this quick, McCray? I was in the middle of an important lesson,” Doon complained. “Of course, you're welcome to stay if you think your skills need improving.”
“My skills are just fine, thanks.” Kieran sprayed spit in the direction of Doon's feet, but the pirate didn't seem to care. “As for my advice, I need you to listen carefully, boy. At some point, you need to stop the cuddles and make your move.”
“I... uh...” Tobey didn't know how to respond.
“Sometimes, if you're lucky, the girl will make the first move... but more often than not, you need to be the man and get it done.” As his advice continued, Kieran clapped a hand on Tobias' shoulder and squeezed. “You need to let her know you're interested. Give her a sign. Grope her leg or... or suckle her neck. You know, something like that. You might surprise yourself. One minute you'll be kissing her neck, and the next moment, you'll have her breast in your mouth, and she'll be begging you for more.”
Doon pulled a cigarette from his pocket and rolled his eyes. To him, Kieran's “advice” was nothing but a waste of time.
Tobey was red-faced, shocked, and still silent.
“Of course, this is a useless conversation if you're already shagging Carol Cassady,” Kieran continued. “Are you shagging her?”
Sky Pirate (Belles & Bullets Book 3) Page 12
