“Why would someone try to kill me?” he asked after a while, his voice a whisper.
“Unless you have some dark secrets in your past I don’t know about, because of me, love.”
“This isn’t your fault, Pip,” he said firmly, suddenly realizing how Philip would blame himself, and he couldn’t let him. “It isn’t.”
“Maybe not, but someone tried to hurt you because of me. Because you are my lover and my betrothed, and all they have to do to hurt me is hurt you.”
Philip’s low voice was harsh with pain and reproach, and Amory ached for him. He burrowed closer, snuggling into Philip. Hoping the closeness would help. “It still isn’t your fault. It’s theirs. I love you, Pip, and I choose to stand beside you. This changes nothing.”
“I should send you away from me. To keep you safe.”
Amory held on tighter. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m not so weak that I need to be sent away for my own good, so don’t even think of it. I’m here with you. I’ll always be here with you.”
“You’re not weak at all.” Philip sighed and hugged him close. “I want you here with me.”
“Good. So what do we do now?”
“We’re going to find the man who tried to kill you, but until we do, we’re going to be a lot more careful. We’re going to give this person far fewer opportunities to get at you.”
“Pip.”
“I’m not going to lock you up or send you away, but we are going to take some sensible precautions until we figure out what’s going on. More guards with you when you go out, for one. I love you, Amory, and I am not going to lose you if there is anything I can do to prevent it. Please don’t argue.”
There was that please again. And he really couldn’t argue. Philip proposed taking sensible precautions. A little more caution, a little more thought as to what he did. There was nothing wrong with being careful. He had no desire to be killed and no desire to cause Philip more worry. Philip was scared enough for him.
“I won’t argue. But you have to be careful too. If someone is trying to hurt you through me, they may decide to go after you directly. Please don’t argue with me, Pip. I couldn’t bear it if anything happened to you.” He stared into Philip’s eyes, willing him to see his determination.
“All right. We’ll both be more careful.” Philip kissed him, long and deep. “I couldn’t bear to lose you either.”
THE GUARDS scoured the small wood but didn’t find the rider who had tried to harm Amory. Amory made no protests about the increased number of guards accompanying him on his outings from the palace, for which Philip was grateful. It eased his mind to know Amory was protected when he left the palace, and since he knew it eased Amory’s mind as well, Philip didn’t protest additional guards on his own outings.
But days passed and nothing happened. No more attacks. Philip hoped that meant the guards’ presence acted as a deterrent. Maybe whoever was behind the attack would give up because he couldn’t get at Amory. Amory, he knew, was more likely to doubt the original attempt had been anything other than an accident as time went by. Philip couldn’t believe that. The action was far too deliberate to have been an accident, and whatever Amory wanted to believe, there were too many reasons someone might want to harm him.
Philip wished with all his heart it wasn’t true. For someone to want to harm Amory because of Philip was horrible, wrong. But Amory’s relationship with Philip was the only reason someone would have to do so. Amory possessed no enemies of his own that either of them could think of. Philip doubted Amory had any. There was such a gentle sweetness to him, such love in him—no one should want to harm Amory. And no one would if Amory hadn’t agreed to marry him.
“Maybe he wasn’t trying to kill you,” Philip mused one day. Every time his mind was unoccupied or drifted away from whatever he was doing, he thought about what had happened to Amory, turning everything over and over.
Amory looked up from the papers he was reviewing while he slouched in a chair across from Philip’s desk. “That’s what I’ve been saying all along.”
“No, I don’t mean that. I don’t think it was an accident.” He tried to think of how to explain his sudden thought. “I think he rode at you deliberately, but maybe the aim wasn’t to kill you. Maybe the goal was more about injuring and scaring you.”
“Scaring me?”
“Yes, scaring you enough so you would leave.”
“Leave you?” Amory repeated. “Nothing could scare me enough to make me leave you.”
Warm pleasure flowed through him at Amory’s words. “But he wouldn’t know that. It’s strange and far from foolproof as a method of murder. If this was about pushing you to break our betrothal and leave—”
“Because whoever this is doesn’t want you to marry me.”
He nodded. “Then injuring and scaring you could be what he wanted. Of course, if you were killed in the process, he probably wouldn’t have been upset either.”
Amory reached across the desk and took his hand, as if he could see how much saying that shook Philip. “No, I suppose he wouldn’t have been. But it didn’t happen. I suppose the theory makes sense. There are people who think this marriage is a bad idea, though I can’t see most of them resorting to tactics like those.”
Something in Amory’s tone made Philip sit up straighter. “Amory, has someone said something to you?”
“No, not really. A veiled remark or two, some looks. I’ve heard some whispers at parties and so have Adeline and Etan.” Amory tried to reassure him, knowing how upset Philip would be. “It’s fine.”
“It’s not. Not at all.” And how had he not known what Amory was dealing with? Knowing Amory, the situation was worse than he made it seem.
“It is, Pip.” Amory held Philip’s gaze, letting him see Amory’s sincerity. “It doesn’t matter what they say. It doesn’t matter what anyone says. I’m not going anywhere.”
“All right,” he said after a moment. He raised Amory’s hand to his lips. “I wish you’d told me. I wish you didn’t have to hear anything like that, but all right.”
Mischief sparked in Amory’s eyes. “What might scare me away are all these lists.”
Philip groaned and looked down at the papers he was supposed to be reviewing when he’d gotten bored and started thinking about the attack again. Lists, all of them. “Who knew getting married involved so many lists?”
“Not me. Guests, food, decorations….” Others were compiling everything for them, but he and Amory needed to approve everything.
“All the parties leading up to it. And fittings for all the clothes we’ll need for the parties and the wedding.”
“Then scheduling the events on the day of the wedding.” Amory waved more papers. “Did you know there’s going to be a parade we have to ride in?”
He almost laughed at the look on Amory’s face. “Yes, but I’d like to take that off the schedule. It sounds needlessly risky to have you in the open.”
“Surely there will be guards around us at the parade.”
“Yes, but I’m still not sure I like the idea.” He hated the idea of Amory so exposed. “And….”
“And?”
Philip sighed. Amory was going to tease him. “The security issues are my main concern, but also… it’s going to be nearly Midwinter so it’s going to be cold out there.”
Amory’s lips were twitching and his eyes dancing, but he didn’t laugh. “You are such a cat.”
“Hmph. Do you have any desire to be out in the cold in an open carriage for that long?”
Amory’s expression slipped into something Philip could only call affectionate indulgence. It should have annoyed him, yet somehow it didn’t. “Not at all. So why didn’t you eliminate the parade from the beginning?”
He sighed. “It’s tradition. For a hundred years at least, the newly married royal couple has been paraded around the city so they can be seen by everyone. I’ve been told people come in from the surrounding countryside for a glimpse. People would be ve
ry upset if we didn’t make ourselves seen. I thought maybe we could go out on one of the balconies or the palace walls and wave, but I’m not sure it would work.”
Amory nodded. “We’ll do whatever you think is best.”
Of course Amory understood. Philip needed his subjects to see their marriage as any other royal marriage, so he needed it to be traditional in all the little ways. And part of him wanted the trappings of it for Amory, illogical as that was, since Amory would have been happy with something much simpler. Philip probably would have been happy with the same thing.
“Thank you.”
Amory smiled the sweet smile Philip loved so much. “You’re welcome. Now, should we go through the rest of these lists?”
He sighed again.
Neither he nor Amory was good at planning a wedding. As days went by, the details, the lists, the intricate protocol began to make them both crazy. Philip wished they had someone to push some of the planning over to, but they didn’t. Elodie was too young and flighty for them to rely on her. Philip’s aunts might have been able to help, but his uncles still weren’t coming anywhere near the palace so his aunts hadn’t either.
They muddled through, relying heavily on the palace staff. They fit in time to go over lists and requests, for meetings about protocol and planning, all around other duties and responsibilities, and in Amory’s case, studies. Philip would never have imagined Amory would spend so much time reading and studying when he’d seemed so reluctant to take classes in the first place. Philip admired his dedication.
However, as dedicated as they both were, the constant activity began to wear on them. Philip felt it, and he could see it in Amory’s eyes as well. When, a little over a week before their wedding, Philip woke to a bright sunny day, he called a halt to meetings and planning, to everything for a while. He and Amory needed some time to themselves. While he would prefer that time be spent in bed all day, he knew someone would only interrupt them. But they could take advantage of the weather instead and go for a long ride. They would be surrounded by guards for security, but they would be out of the palace, together and away from everything.
Amory agreed eagerly, so eagerly that Philip laughed. But that didn’t stop them from changing into riding clothes and hurrying out of their suite before someone could catch them with something they needed to see to right at that moment. They were holding hands and laughing like children by the time they reached the courtyard in front of the stables. Philip was suddenly reminded of their time at Alzata. They hadn’t managed more than one other visit in the months since their first trip, which Philip regretted. He wished they could go there, but so close to the wedding a trip to Alzata was impossible. After the wedding, they would visit for a few days as a sort of wedding trip, as much of one as they could ever take.
It couldn’t come soon enough for him.
Less than a month until they would be at Alzata again. And married. The thought of them married was enough to make him smile. Amory looked at him and smiled in return. Philip wanted to kiss him right there, but stable hands brought their horses out. Maybe after their ride they would have time to go back to bed.
Amory’s eyes widened as if he could see the thought in Philip’s eyes, and maybe he could. Amory knew him so well, it was almost frightening. Amory nodded and turned to the horses. “Ready?”
“Let’s go.” Philip went to his horse, aware that Amory was walking to his own, and as he was about to mount up, everything went mad.
Star shrieked, and Amory shouted. Philip whirled around in time to see Amory, just settled into the saddle, fly off the horse’s back as she reared up. For an instant, Philip froze in shock and terror, his whole body going cold as Amory flew up and then crashed down onto the cobbles of the courtyard.
“Amory!”
He scrambled over to where Amory lay, so still, and dropped to his knees beside him. He was afraid to touch Amory, afraid to check… but then Amory drew in a shuddering breath and groaned.
“Amory.” The first word was a whisper, but then he shouted over his shoulder, “Get a healer!”
He didn’t hear the reply as he turned back to Amory, whose dark eyes were fluttering open. It was the most beautiful thing Philip had ever seen, those eyes opening. “Amory, love, don’t try to move.”
“Wasn’t planning to.” Amory tried for a smile, but it came out closer to a grimace.
“Well, if you can be sarcastic, it can’t be too bad.” He managed a smile for Amory, despite wanting to weep when he heard Amory’s pain-filled whisper, seeing him lying on the cobbles.
Amory started to laugh, but it turned into a whimper, and Philip hushed him gently. “Shh. The healer will be here soon, love. Everything is going to be fine, I promise. I’m here.”
He gave in and gently brushed Amory’s curls off his forehead before cupping his cheek with careful fingers. He probably shouldn’t touch Amory, but he thought they both needed the contact, and it seemed he was right. Amory let out a long shuddering breath at Philip’s touch, his face relaxing the smallest amount. Philip hoped that meant having him near was helping.
A moment later, Jadis and two other healers arrived at a run. Jadis dropped to his knees on Amory’s other side. Not sparing a glance for Philip, Jadis laid his hands on Amory’s chest and closed his eyes. Philip waited as patiently as he could, stroking Amory’s cheek, looking down into Amory’s pain-glazed eyes. He was trying his best to keep his terror from showing on his face. He didn’t want Amory to see his fear. Amory needed to stay calm.
Finally, Jadis opened his eyes. He looked up at Philip. “It isn’t anywhere near as bad as I feared.”
Relief crept into the edges of Philip’s consciousness but couldn’t completely replace fear.
Jadis looked down at Amory. “Amory, I know it doesn’t feel like it now, but you were very lucky. I’m going to help you with the pain, and then we’re going to take you inside and get to work healing you, all right?”
Amory looked like he was about to nod but thought better of it. “Yes.”
“Good. Here we go.” Jadis laid his hands on Amory again and closed his eyes. Philip watched Amory and was rewarded by the easing of some of the tension in Amory’s features. When Jadis opened his eyes, he motioned for the other two healers to help him load Amory on the stretcher. Philip was forced to let go of Amory while they did, even though he wanted to cling to him, willing him to be all right.
Once Amory was on the stretcher, he bent and brushed his lips over Amory’s forehead. “Everything is going to be fine. Jadis is going to take good care of you.”
“Love you,” Amory said.
“I love you too.”
He watched as the healers carried Amory away and tried to pull himself together, to function through the sick fear choking his breath and freezing his limbs. He didn’t think he would ever get the image of Amory flying through the air, the sickening sound of him hitting the ground, out of his head. But Jadis said Amory’s condition wasn’t too bad. Amory would be all right. He had to be all right.
“Cousin. Philip.” Etan was at his side, his hand on Philip’s arm steadying. Philip hadn’t noticed him arrive, but he was grateful for Etan’s presence.
“Etan.” He couldn’t go on, couldn’t force any other words out. He was supposed to be enjoying a leisurely ride in the countryside with Amory before taking him to bed, not waiting to see if Amory survived and in what condition.
Etan gripped Philip’s arm more firmly. “It’s going to be all right. Amory was awake and talking to you. That’s good.”
“Yes.”
“The palace healers are the best in Tournai. They’ll take good care of him.”
“I know.” He took a deep breath. “I know.”
“Let’s go inside. I’ll wait with you.”
He nodded. “I don’t understand what happened. Amory is an accomplished rider, and his horse is well-behaved.”
“Your Highness, my lord.” The voice came from behind him and Etan and belonged to one o
f the more senior stable hands, Philip saw when he and Etan turned. The man continued speaking when Philip nodded. “I think I know why the horse acted that way. I was unsaddling Star, and I found a few of these under her saddle blanket. There are some deep scratches there.”
Philip took the object the stable hand held out to him without thought, hardly noticing the pinpricks of pain where it touched his fingers. It was a small seed pod, bluish in color with sharp spines. The tree that produced these pods was indigenous to Tournai and common on the palace grounds. He stared down at it as his mind slowly turned over the implications of finding such a thing under the saddle of Amory’s horse. Where it would cause Star pain enough to make the usually well-behaved horse shake her rider from her back.
“Someone did this deliberately.” Etan gave voice to the thought that was surfacing through the fog of fear and anxiety in Philip’s mind. “It couldn’t have been an accident.”
“No, it couldn’t. Someone tried to hurt Amory, again.” More than hurt him. He saw Amory flying through the air again but blinked the image away. “Who saddled the horse?”
“I don’t know, Your Highness,” the stable hand said. “With preparations for your wedding and the upcoming holiday, there have been more people in and out of the palace and the stables. I saddled Your Highness’s horse myself, but I don’t know which hand saddled Master Amory’s.”
Rising frustration and rage brought an almost welcome relief from gripping fear. “How can you not know—”
Etan’s hand on his shoulder stopped him from shouting at the cringing stable hand. “We’ll find out who saddled Amory’s horse. In fact, we’ll find out everyone who was near Amory’s horse today. Someone must have seen something, if nothing else.”
Philip nodded, and spoke to the stable hand. “All the stable hands are to stay here until they’re spoken to. In fact, no one leaves the palace grounds.”
“Yes, Your Highness.” With a bow, the man disappeared into the stables.
“Let Captain Loriot speak to them,” Etan said, anticipating Philip’s desire to talk to everyone himself. “It’s what he’s here for, and you are in no shape for it.”
The Prince's Consort (Chronicles of Tournai Book 1) Page 20
