The Lady's Choice

by Bernadette Rowley

  ‘He has not bedded you yet, then?’

  Benae nearly choked on the wine she had just taken a gulp of. In fact, she was feeling just a tad tipsy. If she did not escape soon, she would either say something she regretted or fall asleep in her goblet. ‘That would not be appropriate, Lord Korert.’ She smiled into his whiskery face.

  His paunch jiggled with his laughter. ‘Propriety didn’t stop you travelling alone with the squire, did it?’

  Suddenly Benae could not bear it any more. She stood abruptly, causing her chair to fall over backwards. Lord Korert leapt to his feet and righted her chair, looking startled.

  ‘I am afraid I shall have to take my leave,’ Benae said. She nodded to Lady Feolinde and Lord Korert, then stopped by the king and queen, who were seated at the head of her table, gave her thanks for their hospitality and swept from the hall.

  Back in her chambers, Benae endured Joletta’s ministrations but dismissed her as soon as she was dressed for sleep. A gust of wind shook the casement windows and she shivered. She adored cold weather but could not abide wind that sliced through clothes and left a person shivering. She had never seen the coast before but the brief glimpse of sand and waves she’d had from the cliffs as she arrived in Wildecoast had been enough to tell her that she could not have lived here. Benae preferred the quiet forests and rugged mountains of her northern home. Her people eked out their existence by reclaiming forest land for small farms, by woodcutting and by hunting the forest creatures. It was not an easy life for them and the past two seasons had seen harsh winters that made life on the smallholdings even more difficult. The dark elves were the last blight her estates needed and might easily amount to the end of her rule. Of course now it would be Jiseve’s problem, but she could not help worrying about her people.

  She sighed. If only she could talk to Ramón, but they could not risk being seen together, especially not now. Anyway, he planned to visit his family and she would be busy with fittings for her dress. Benae paced the sitting room of her chamber, the floaty hem of her nightgown swirling about her ankles. There was a ball planned for tomorrow, which would be more of an endurance test than tonight’s dinner. She felt like a caged beast, pacing up and down. Ramón, where are you? Do you wish you could speak to me right now?

  Ramón paced the stones of his small sitting room, occasionally pausing to stare south, through the gentle light of dawn, towards where his parents’ estate lay. He longed to visit them, knowing they would provide the foundation he needed. They would be the balm his restless spirit required after the turmoil of the past months. First Alecia then Benae consuming his thoughts, then the ambush on his party that had left him floundering. What he needed was a long talk with his father and mother. They would each know just the right advice to give him. And he wished to see his sisters.

  Nyon, older by a year, was wed to a senior apprentice of the city’s shipbuilder and already had three children. Alique was three years younger than he and one of Queen Adriana’s ladies-in-waiting. He would see her tonight at the ball. Then there had been Elinor, his twin, who had left such a gaping hole in his life and with whom he still felt a connection, even though she had been dead four years.

  From his window, Ramón could just see the whitecaps as they rolled in towards the rocky shore. How he had adored skimming over them in his sailing boat up until his recent posting to Brightcastle. The weather was too rough today for sailing but he hoped the seas would calm before his departure and he could feel the wind and spray in his face once again.

  Yes, he was just as restless as those waves this morning, trapped within the palace for another day to attend the ball. He knew he would most likely dance with Benae that evening and he was scared to do so. Friends! He was fearful that she would read the lie in his face, in his very body. His determination to keep their relationship platonic had lasted less than twenty-four hours. After spending days in her company, cursing the way she made him feel, now he missed her smile and wondered how she was faring. He suspected he could never be satisfied with friendship. Benae had seized a piece of his heart and made it her own.

  But Benae was not the only source of his unease. His whole purpose until recently had been focussed on finding Alecia and destroying Vard Anton. Now that goal was out of reach and even if he was able to resume his quest on his return to Brightcastle, Benae had made him see that Alecia might not hold his future. He no longer believed that Alecia was the only woman for him, so even when she returned – and he had to believe she would – the picture of himself and Alecia together was no longer clear. The foundations of his life had crumbled and he was uncertain where his future might lie. Ramón grabbed a linen towel from the washstand and headed for the bathing chamber. It would be quiet at this time of morning and would have been freshly prepared for the day’s royal bathers. The buzz of activity as he stepped into the hall surprised him. Maids scurried to and fro with trays and piles of linen and doors opened and closed on all levels. Perhaps the baths would not be as deserted as he thought.

  The baths were something of a novelty in the kingdom. They lay deep beneath the castle in the rock and were fed by hot springs that bubbled up from below. There was a legend that told of a dragon living within the springs but only children believed the tale. As Ramón walked down the corridor hacked through the mountain itself, past the flickering torches, he found himself remembering the fairy stories of his childhood. These dark passages were just the place a dragon might call home. He stepped into the bathing cavern and was immediately greeted by warmth and steam. The rock walls glistened in the torchlight and he inhaled deeply of the humid air. The huge pool was indeed freshly filled so he shed his clothing and stepped straight in. A bath maid stepped up and soaped his hair and shoulders. He dismissed the girl and sat for long moments submerged, revelling in the absence of sound and allowing the water to support him.

  But he could not lie beneath the water forever and reluctantly he pushed himself out of the pool and turned to collect his bath sheet and clothes.

  A small crowd of ladies stood in the shadows near the entrance to the baths and among them were Queen Adriana, Benae and – had the Goddess no pity? – his sister Alique. Ramón nearly choked on his gasp of shock and the ladies seemed frozen where they stood. His skin tingled as ten sets of feminine eyes slid over his skin from hair to toenails. Not even the dim light could hide him from them. He grabbed the towel and wrapped it around his waist.

  ‘I am sorry, Your Majesty, Lady Benae. I did not expect anyone here this early.’

  The queen’s eyes gleamed appreciatively. ‘Do not be sorry, squire. Stay and join us.’ Her gaze lingered on the part of his anatomy now concealed by the sheet.

  He looked at Benae, but not for long. Her mouth was still open, her eyes wide, as if she had never seen a naked man before. As he watched, her mouth snapped shut and she bit her lower lip. She stalked past him to deposit her towel on a bench set aside for the purpose.

  ‘Good morning, squire,’ she said, her voice cool.

  ‘Good morning, Lady Benae.’ Ramón swept his clothes up, bowed to the queen and her ladies and hurried from the cavern.

  He got more than a few stares as he returned to his chamber. One did not see a man clad only in a towel in the castle hallways every day. Once in his rooms, he dressed before the fire, slowly warming after the chill trip from the bathing room.

  Far from dousing the rumours flying about regarding himself and Benae, Ramón was certain that this morning’s debacle, where he had flashed his crown jewels for all to ogle, would bring fresh speculation about what might have occurred between squire and lady before they reached Wildecoast.

  Benae gritted her teeth and slid into the deliciously warm water. Of all the places to catch her first tempting glimpse of Ramón’s fully naked form, this was the last she would have anticipated, and certainly not in front of the stares of the queen and her ladies-in-waiting, one of whom was Ramón’s own sister.

  If the sight of Ramón naked before her had n
ot pushed all coherent thought from her mind, if his muscled form and glorious manhood had not set her heart thumping, she would have been mortified by the experience. As it was, mortification would have to take a back seat to . . . rampant desire. Even now, her nipples were tight with longing and the heat in her core . . . It seemed that just when she had mastered her wayward feelings, something always happened to force Ramón into her thoughts. She did not think she would ever forget the vision of his golden body burnished by the flames of the torches, glistening with hot water as it sluiced over his . . .

  She had to stop these thoughts. Benae closed her eyes and concentrated on steadying her breathing.

  The queen had other ideas. ‘Over a day alone with a man who has the physical attributes of a god and you say you were not moved, Benae?’ Adriana fixed her gaze on Benae and suddenly Benae felt like a mouse stalked by a cat. ‘I would not have been able to restrain myself, no matter how I love my Beniel.’

  Benae decided that did not warrant an answer.

  ‘What say you on the matter, Lady Alique? You are the squire’s sister, after all.’

  Benae swallowed and her eyes found the beautiful young girl the queen addressed. Yes, she had Ramón’s blond hair and sensuous mouth. She possessed his startling blue eyes as well, if Benae was seeing correctly.

  ‘I’m sure I do not know what to think, Your Majesty. My brother was not so well-endowed last time I saw him, but it is a number of years since I saw that part of his anatomy.’

  The other ladies-in-waiting tittered along with the queen and Alique.

  Adriana drew Benae away to a quiet corner of the bath, leaving the other ladies to a game of splash.

  ‘You are very quiet on the matter,’ Adriana said, her green gaze boring into Benae. ‘I am led to think you are not so unmoved by the squire as you would have us believe.’

  ‘I have told you, Your Majesty, nothing occurred between us. We were fighting for our lives. Ramón is a dear friend, no more.’

  ‘I do not think my brother-in-law would be pleased for you to have a dear friend who looked thus.’ She slid closer. ‘Listen, Benae, I do not judge you. I would not say no to the squire should he darken my chamber door, but you must be discreet. Jiseve is not the man to tolerate rumours about his wife.’

  The queen left her and glided back through the water to the other ladies. ‘Well, what a stimulating start to the morning, my dears. Let us hope this evening holds us in its thrall as well as the squire’s assets did just now. It will be an evening to remember.’

  Benae groaned inwardly. She agreed that the ball would be one to remember; it just remained to be seen in what way.

  Ramón was satisfied. The ball was now in full swing and he had managed to avoid Benae so far. The closest he had come was when one dance had finished and she had been two men away from dancing with him. He had promptly spun and taken the hand of the lady with him, leading her to the opposite side of the room. Ramón had no shortage of lovely young women ready to dance with him. Even the queen had claimed him for three dances, one of which was a waltz. He remembered her reaction to Vard Anton when she and King Beniel had visited Brightcastle. It seemed Queen Adriana had a wandering eye. At the time he had thought it was just Anton’s ability to have every female under his thrall, but it seemed that mere mortals like Ramón attracted her as well.

  He would not be honest if he said he was unflattered by her attention, but a ripple of unease set his teeth on edge. He did not want trouble.

  His sister Alique appeared before him. ‘Will you not dance with me, brother?’ she said, her gorgeous eyes dancing with mischief. She had always been the troublemaker of the family. ‘I think we have much to discuss.’

  ‘It is good to see you, Ali,’ Ramón said, standing and leading his sister onto the dance floor. Unfortunately, this dance too was a waltz, suited to intimate conversations. Braced for more questions, he swept Alique into the dancers.

  ‘It is lovely to see you too, Ramón, though I hope I shall not be seeing so much of you in future.’

  Ramón knew a flush was winding its way up his chest and over his face. Damn his reactions! If only he could be cold like other men. ‘I am so very sorry for that. Most embarrassing for you.’

  ‘Oh, I do not mind,’ she said airily. ‘I am quite in demand now because of you. All the ladies wish to talk with me about my gorgeous brother. Some of them even request me to organise a meeting between them and you. At the soonest possible opportunity, no less! And that coming from women who did not witness your display this morning. Rumours are certainly flying around this castle, brother.’

  ‘And I don’t suppose you discourage them, sister?’

  ‘Why would I? It is one of the most exciting things that has happened this autumn. And coming on top of your arrival with the unescorted Lady Benae Branasar, it has people even more inclined to whisper. Were you really attacked by the dark elves?’

  Ramón squashed the blast of anger at her words. ‘Yes, we were and people died. There is no cause to use tragedy to fuel gossip.’

  ‘People die every day, Ramón,’ she said, not a trace of distress on her face. ‘You always were inclined to the dramatic. What we all wish to know is what there is between you and the Lady Benae. I notice you have been careful to avoid her this evening.’

  Now he was furious. Alique had always been able to get under his skin. ‘I. Am. Not. Avoiding. Her,’ he said through clenched teeth. ‘We are friends, no more. You should know better than to accuse me of disloyalty to the prince.’

  ‘From what I hear, Jiseve Zialni doesn’t inspire much loyalty and so I thought perhaps this marriage of convenience was not exclusive. The old boy wants a son, after all. Who would care if it was not his?’

  ‘In the name of the Goddess, Ali!’ Ramón’s brain struggled feverishly to process her words. Was this what the court at Wildecoast was saying? ‘Benae is not even wed yet and you already have her unfaithful? She is loyal to the prince . . . and so am I.’

  Alique gazed up at him as if he had confirmed her suspicions, but he could not think of anything he had said that would have led her to that conclusion. ‘Thank you for the dance, Ramón.’ She curtseyed and swept back to the queen, leaving Ramón staring after her, oblivious to those around him.

  Finally, he turned to leave the dance floor and bumped into Benae. ‘I am sorry, my lady.’ He bowed and would have stalked away but she clutched his sleeve.

  ‘What is going on?’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘Let us dance,’ she said, moving into his arms as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

  It did feel good: her petite frame, her curves. Suddenly his mouth was dry. He straightened his arms to keep her at a safe distance. ‘It is good to see you again.’

  A brief flash of despair transformed her features and was gone. ‘I have missed your company.’

  Her eyes were liquid pools of emerald, but they were so sad. What had happened to the joyful lady he had first met only weeks ago? He felt himself falling into her gaze and hauled himself back. ‘We cannot enjoy each other’s company as we would both wish. The eyes of all are upon us.’

  ‘That does not make this easier to bear,’ she whispered. ‘I need you.’ Tears glistened in her eyes.

  Oh, Goddess, please do not let her cry. He ached to wrap her in his arms and hold her. But he could not so he swept her along, saying nothing, allowing her moment of weakness to pass. Benae was strong and she knew what must be done. The music swirled around them and he concentrated upon it, feeling the joyful chords, allowing the beat to surge through his body, willing her to do the same.

  The song ended and he led Benae from the floor to the buffet table. She lifted a glass to her lips and he was relieved to see her composure restored.

  ‘Do not fear for me, Ramón. I have my moments of weakness but I will prevail. Tomorrow the dress fittings begin and soon we shall be back in Brightcastle.’ She seemed to steel herself before continuing. ‘I shall wed
the prince and bear his children and there will be no scandal.’ She raised her gaze to his and he almost gasped at the raw longing she revealed to none but him.

  There was nothing he could say to set her at ease. ‘I promised the queen another dance,’ he said. ‘It won’t do to keep Her Majesty waiting.’ He bowed and walked away; downing the goblet of wine he carried in one long swallow.

  Chapter 12

  By the morning of her fourth full day in Wildecoast, Benae’s grip on her composure was fragile. Two days of dress fittings, where she had stood for hours to be measured, poked and pinned, had eroded her tolerance. Even worse, the queen or another female member of the nobility was always in attendance at her fittings. As much as Benae wanted to forget Ramón and his hold on her heart, she could not when his name was on the lips of every woman who visited with her.

  The lady keeping her company at the fitting that morning was Alique, Ramón’s sister. Benae tried not to look at Alique, for she reminded her so much of the squire, but the young woman kept moving into Benae’s line of sight whenever the dressmaker altered her position. Alique had been chattering about Ramón’s childhood.

  ‘How well do you know my brother, Lady Benae?’ she asked, her gaze altogether too penetrating for Benae’s liking.

  ‘Hardly at all, really, although we talked a little after the ambush.’

  ‘I should say so; there was no one else for you to talk to.’ She fell silent for long moments and Benae wondered what was coming next.

  ‘Do you find Ramón handsome?’

  ‘I do not see the point of this topic, Lady Alique. Can we not talk of something else? Perhaps my upcoming wedding?’ Benae hoped that would put Alique in her place but she had underestimated the girl.

  ‘How can you give up your life for such an old man?’ she asked. ‘There must be more to that story. I have heard your estate is impoverished. Is that the reason for your betrothal?’