An almost overwhelming compulsion to cross the room and open the door swept over her. She suppressed it. There was no comfort to be found in the empty bed that awaited her there.
At least her children’s supposed illness provided a reasonable explanation to the palace staff for the queen’s anxiety. Despite a lifetime of trying to suppress her fears, she felt entirely unable to hide her turbulent emotions now. She only wondered how long the trusted few who were in on the secret could keep up the illusion.
Louise hated the necessity of deceiving the people around her, many of whom had served her faithfully for decades. But she would not put her children at risk. Their safety came first. In that, she and the king were in complete agreement. They couldn’t afford for word to get out that both the prince and princess were alone somewhere in the forest, unprotected. Not when the forest was teeming with enemies of the kingdom.
The door opened behind her, and she spun around. Who would enter without knocking? Could it possibly be…?
King Richard entered and the queen only just managed to restrain a sigh of disappointment. Logically she knew that if Marie chose to return, the scouts, who had been positioned between Greenwood and the capital, would find her long before she reached her rooms.
Except that the familiar environment evoked such a strong image of her daughter. It seemed only natural to look up and find her walking through the door.
Even without the sigh, the king seemed to know what she was thinking. He crossed the room and wrapped her in his arms. She sighed and sunk against him, trying to absorb some of his strength. He had always handled the worry better than she did.
“The scouts?” she asked, wishing her voice didn’t sound so small.
She could feel his head shaking without moving her cheek from where it rested against his chest.
“I’m sorry, my dear, they haven’t found either of them.” He paused. “But you know we can’t get too near the camp, not until we’re ready to make a move. It might put them at risk.”
“I know.” Louise took a deep breath and stepped back. She had to be strong for the sake of her children.
She glanced up at her husband’s familiar, dependable face. “Do you blame me? For telling her?” She rushed the words out before she could lose her courage. She had been working herself up to ask for the last two hours.
“Oh, my dear, no!” Richard stepped forward and took both her hands. “I think events have shown us that we should have told her a long time ago.” He squeezed her fingers and smiled. “She’ll come back to us. I really do believe that. William, too. We’ll find them.”
Louise smiled back at him, forcing herself not to question his optimism. They made a good team – the stoic king intent on his duty and the gentle, emotional queen. With an arranged marriage, it could have turned out very differently.
She moved towards him, meaning to embrace him again when a knock on the door startled them apart.
“Come in,” called the king, as calm as ever.
Ferdinand entered the room. He grimaced when he saw that he had disturbed a private moment between them but saluted sharply anyway.
“I was told I would find you here, Your Majesty.”
His words were directed at the king, but it was the queen who answered. “Have you heard something? Have they found them?”
Ferdinand had been trusted with choosing the scouts. He had sent them out, as quietly as possible, to search for the missing royals with instructions not to venture past Greenwood. Louise knew they could trust William’s childhood friend implicitly. And it would have done no good trying to hide the truth from him anyway, since he had been the first to discover the prince’s absence.
“I’m sorry, Your Majesty, but it isn’t that. The scouts have had no success so far.” Ferdinand’s face looked drawn and tired, and the queen felt certain he was doing everything he could to find William and Marie. She couldn’t blame him for the failure.
“It’s Rangmere.”
The king raised his eyebrows, but his voice remained measured. “Not causing trouble again, are they?”
The queen closed her eyes and drew a deep breath. Trouble from their eastern neighbour was the last thing Northhelm needed right now. The new Rangmeran queen had promised peace, but it was hard to know if she was trustworthy. Her reign was still so new.
“I hope not,” said Ferdinand. “A royal delegation has arrived from Queen Ava and are seeking an immediate audience with you.”
“It could just be a new monarch looking to re-establish and strengthen diplomatic ties.” King Richard paused. “But I must admit the timing is interesting.” He turned and offered his arm to his wife. “There is, of course, only one way to find out. Shall we go to greet them, my dear?”
Queen Louise placed her hand on her husband’s arm and turned her gentle smile on Ferdinand. “Thank you for coming to find us, Ferdy. Will you accompany us?”
The major saluted again and fell into step behind them. Minutes later, the three of them entered the main receiving room.
The queen regarded the small group gathered there with some surprise. The old king had always sent large delegations, expensively dressed, with numerous ceremonial guards. Only six people confronted her now and, although dressed well, practicality had clearly been their primary wardrobe concern. She hoped it was a good sign.
At the announcement of the monarchs’ arrival, the whole delegation gave deep bows. When they straightened up, one of the men stepped forward.
“Greetings, Your Majesties, from Her Royal Majesty, Ava, Queen of Rangmere.” His friendly smile softened the formality of his words and confirmed the queen’s impression that this was a very different delegation.
“My name is Jacques, Count of Anhalt, and Her Majesty has entrusted me with not only her greetings but several important messages to you.”
Queen Louise regarded him closely. He looked serious, concerned even, but not agitated. Hopefully whatever Queen Ava wanted could wait until they had resolved their current crisis. The count introduced his companions, only one of whom stood out to the queen.
Ava had sent one of her personal guards with the delegation, a young woman named Evelyn. The name was familiar to the Northhelmian royals thanks to the regular reports from their ambassador in the Rangmeran capital. Evelyn had been a merchant caravan guard until recently but had been instrumental in helping Ava win the throne away from her brother. The ambassador’s reports of the merchant girl had been highly complimentary.
The queen examined Evelyn and had to admit that she gave a favourable first impression. Tall and athletic, the guard held herself with confidence. If Louise remembered correctly, Evelyn was also a close friend of the new queen. Sending one of her personal guard was already an unusual move; sending one of her innermost circle was a statement.
The queen’s scrutiny had not gone unnoticed. Evelyn stepped forward and gave a small half-bow in her direction. “I think you’d better hurry up and get to the point, Jake,” she said. The queen gathered she was talking to the count. “Their Majesties must be wondering what brings us here in such a hurry.”
Straight to the point. Queen Louise smiled. She had been right, she liked this girl.
“Of course,” said Jake, his expression turned serious. “I would have preferred to give you warning of our impending arrival, but Her Majesty heard word of strange doings in Northhelm and decided to send us without delay.” His concerned expression deepened. “Although, I must admit that we were already planning to come with minimal fanfare. If there are forces working against the Northhelmian crown, it’s best to keep word of our arrival as quiet as possible.”
Evelyn snorted and then looked apologetic.
Jake raised one eyebrow at her, but the queen could see the smile in his eyes.
“Sorry, Jake,” said Evelyn. “But this is a palace, and at least twenty servants have seen us already. I suspect that word of our arrival has already made it to half the inhabitants.”
Queen Louise hel
d back a smile of her own. “I’m afraid Evelyn is right. But I confess to being very curious to learn the reason you desire so much secrecy.”
All trace of humour dropped from Evelyn’s face. “I’m afraid that’s no joke, Your Majesty.”
“No, indeed,” said Jake. “There’s a reason Queen Ava sent Evelyn and me. We were recently involved in defeating a threat against Rangmere. Unfortunately, we only managed to chase it into Northhelm.”
Evelyn stepped forward. “We realise that your relationship with Rangmere has been strained in the past. Ava sent us to assure you that it wasn’t our intention to cause any harm to Northhelm. We’re here to pass on the information we have, find out what’s happening and then take any requests for assistance back to Rangmere. Whatever you need, Rangmere will stand with Northhelm.”
The queen looked between Jake and Evelyn. She was usually a good judge of character, and the pair seemed entirely genuine. It hadn’t occurred to her that the new Rangmeran queen might be a help rather than a hindrance in their current difficulties. She looked at her husband. He was steadily regarding the delegation.
“What sort of threat have you chased into Northhelm?” he asked.
Evelyn made a face and exchanged a look with Jake. “You see, there’s this jewel…”
Chapter 15
Marie found herself transfixed, mesmerised by the stranger’s gaze. Part of her hoped that he had truly only recognised her as a newcomer. But the rest of her knew the truth. A man who could plan so carefully would know what his own daughter looked like. She should have foreseen it.
For a wild moment, she wondered what he would do if she turned and bolted back into the trees. Before she could decide on any action, however, Lisa appeared and grabbed her hand, pulling her forward.
“This is Marie,” she said to R. “She’s already proven to be very helpful around camp.”
“Has she indeed? I’m so glad to hear it.” The stranger’s lips were smiling, although Marie still couldn’t read the look in his eyes. “But I must profess myself surprised. Where did you spring from, Marie?”
He said her name in such a familiar way that Marie had to repress a shiver. This man was a stranger to her, regardless of what her mother had confessed. She hated the feeling that he knew more about her than she did about him.
Lisa opened her mouth, presumably to answer his question, but Marie quickly jumped in. If he knew her true identity, then she had to do her best to keep Rafe out of the conversation.
“I recently found out that after spending my whole life working hard in the service of my kingdom, my own family have been lying to me.” She met his eyes, attempting a nonchalance she didn’t feel. “After that bit of news, a rebel camp seemed very appealing.” If she was right, and he knew her identity, then her words would make perfect sense to him.
Sure enough, his eyes lit up and he smiled.
“We provide a welcoming home for anyone who finds themselves dispossessed,” he said. “Come walk with me, Marie.” He gestured for her to fall in beside him.
Lisa gave her an excited look and squeezed her arm, clearly considering the invitation a great honour. She gave Marie a slight push, which almost caused her to stumble.
Reluctantly, she began to move towards the cave system at the stranger’s side. Just before they entered, her eyes found Rafe amongst the crowd. His gaze was locked on her, his expression sending a clear warning, but she knew there was nothing he could do.
She tried to send her own warning back. She could only hope he would stay out of it. After all, he had no idea what he was really mixed up in, and she didn’t want him putting either of them in unnecessary risk.
Rebels were still emerging from the various parts of the cave, but none of them stopped their leader. They did, however, throw many curious glances at Marie. Clearly any hope of anonymity amongst the crowd was long gone. Had she made a terrible mistake?
Glancing sideways, she tried to assess the man walking beside her. She was normally good at judging people’s ages, but his strange face defied her. She eventually decided that he was a little younger than her father. The king¸ she corrected herself, still not accustomed to her newly discovered lineage.
She could feel the strange pull of his presence even more strongly at close range and could hardly blame the villagers for their claims of bewitchment. Something about this man seemed unnatural.
She shivered.
“Are you cold?” R’s response to her small movement was immediate. “These caves are draughty, I’m afraid.”
“Yes,” agreed Marie, deciding to be bold. “I’m not sure they’ll be suitable for habitation come winter.”
It was clearly a leading comment, but she figured she didn’t have much to lose at this point. This stranger had been the one to set up the elaborate ruse that was her life. Undoubtedly, he had done so with a purpose. Which meant he was already predisposed either towards or against her, and she was presumably about to find out which one. She couldn’t imagine that anything she said at this point would affect the outcome.
He laughed, the high-pitched giggle at odds with his appearance, and smiled at her.
“No, I don’t suppose they would be. It’s a good thing I have no intention of still being here at wintertime.”
Marie repressed any outward sign of her surprise. She hadn’t expected such an open answer.
Despite her effort, he seemed to pick up on her emotion.
“There’s no need to dance around things, my dear Marie,” he said. “I have no desire to withhold information from my own child.”
Marie’s eyes flew to his, this time unable to keep the surprise from her face. He regarded her steadily, an enigmatic smile curling up his mouth. She glanced around, wondering if anyone had heard his words, but they had entered a smaller cavern she hadn’t seen before, and they were completely alone.
“You seem surprised, daughter. But I assumed from your words outside that your adoptive family had finally told you the truth.”
“Yes,” said Marie slowly. “They did.”
“Then let me assure you that I couldn’t be more delighted that you’ve come to find me. I’ve been watching you for years, and you’ve grown into exactly the sort of child I always dreamed of having.”
Marie hadn’t been sure what to expect, but it certainly hadn’t been this. His frank and complimentary comments threw her completely off-guard. She scrambled to think of an appropriate response.
“I can only imagine how many questions you must have,” he said. “Please, ask me whatever you want.”
She had certainly never imagined being offered such a carte blanche. And now that it was before her, she didn’t know where to start. Looking around wildly, she spotted a small stool and half collapsed onto it.
“Yes, yes,” said R, smiling, “please make yourself at home. This is my own personal cavern, and you are always welcome here.”
Marie examined the space curiously, her mind eager for any distraction. Several small stools dotted the floor and a simple pallet lay in one corner. A large wooden chest stood at the foot of the bed, its dark wood matching the dark wood of the single small table. There were no adornments or personal touches to give her any indication of the personality of the inhabitant.
R sat down on one of the remaining stools and gave her a bright smile that seemed more creepy than friendly on his bronze, leathery face. She successfully suppressed another shiver.
It seemed she had been given the perfect opportunity to discover the rebels’ plans, but her thoughts kept turning towards more personal questions.
“Why did you do it?”
Even as she said it, she realised it was a pretty nonsensical question. Apparently all of her hard-won poise had deserted her.
The man across from her raised his eyebrows. “I’m afraid you’ll have to be a little more specific. Do what, exactly?”
Marie took a moment to consider exactly what it was she wanted to know. “Make a deal with my mother. Give me away. Se
t up my whole life to be a lie. Take your pick.”
R looked down at his hands, which he had clasped between his knees. After a silent moment, he looked back up at Marie. His stance read penitence, but she wasn’t sure she could see it in his eyes.
“My dear girl, I never wanted to give you away. I merely desired for you to have the best possible life. And I saw a way to make that happen. Can you blame me for taking it?
“And as for turning your life into a lie – that wasn’t me. Your adoptive parents were free to tell you the truth at any point. It was they who chose not to do so.”
Marie watched him closely, wondering how much of what he said was true. Admittedly, her adoptive mother had said nothing about being constrained to lie to Marie. So perhaps he was telling the truth.
Thoughts of her adoptive mother brought another question to the front of her mind.
“Who is my mother? My real mother, I mean. I want to meet her.”
R looked down again and, when he looked up, Marie thought she could read real sadness in his eyes.
“Unfortunately, that will not be possible. Your mother died giving birth to you. If she hadn’t, I don’t know if I could have gone through with my bargain. She was a wonderful woman, and she loved you very much, even before you were born.”
Marie digested the news silently, wondering if she should feel grief for the death of a woman she knew nothing about and had only recently learned existed. She couldn’t muster up the emotion. If anything, she felt relief. One less emotional complication to deal with.
Perhaps she was becoming a horrible person now that she was no longer a princess.
“But who was she?” Marie asked after a significant pause.
“She was my wife, for all too short a time,” he replied. “But before that she was a tradesman’s daughter.”
“From Northhelm?”
“Certainly.” He sighed. “When it came to choosing a bride, I couldn’t help but be drawn back to my home.”
The Princess Pact: A Twist on Rumpelstiltskin (The Four Kingdoms Book 3) Page 10
