The King's Obsession

by Tanya Bird

  It was the only plan available, so she could hardly say no when they were prepared to help her. ‘Where will I go?’

  ‘My family has some land near Veanor, south of the village. It has a house on it, which is currently unoccupied.’

  Her heart seemed to stop beating. ‘Veanor? That is the other side of Syrasan, is it not?’

  Aldara placed a reassuring hand on her arm. ‘The farther you are from King Nilos, the better.’

  Petra looked down at the warm hand on her arm. Aldara had referred to her as an old friend. Mentors did not have friends, they had responsibilities.

  ‘Leksi will go with you,’ Tyron said. ‘He can keep you safe for now.’

  Petra looked up at the mention of the knight. The laughter outside died.

  ‘Again,’ Mako cried, but it seemed the fun was over.

  ‘Is he not needed here? For more important things?’

  ‘The mentor makes a good point,’ came Leksi’s voice.

  ‘He is very trustworthy,’ Aldara assured her. ‘Even if he does eavesdrop on the prince’s conversations.’ Outside, Leksi coughed. ‘He is very good at his job. There is not a man alive who could keep you safer.’

  Tyron looked across at his wife. ‘You do know I am still standing here?’

  Aldara suppressed a smile.

  ‘All right,’ Petra said. ‘There is a lot of personal risk for you in doing this. I am certain I will be more grateful once I have had time to process everything.’

  Mako burst back into the tent, and Petra’s gaze met Leksi’s through the gap once more. He did not look overly pleased by his new assignment.

  ‘The day you let my wife and I walk free from Masville was a great personal risk to you,’ Tyron said, catching hold of his son. ‘Aldara will pack some supplies for you.’

  Petra swallowed. She had just agreed to travel across a foreign kingdom with a man she had only known a few hours. ‘When do we leave?’

  Tyron glanced at Aldara before answering. ‘It’s best you leave now.’

  Chapter 6

  As if being sent to an isolated location for God knew how long was not bad enough, Tyron had rubbed salt into the wound by pulling him aside to lecture him on propriety. She was still on the run from the last man she shared a bed with, and he was quite capable of spending time alone with a pretty woman without it leading anywhere. Besides, no sensible man looked at a mentor in that way. They were the ones who prepared the other women, the ones it was perfectly acceptable to look at in that way.

  A realisation dawned on him as they headed for the horses. He was not going to be able to escape into the village for his usual entertainment. There would be no evenings off, no long drinking sessions ending in drunken songs and easy women. It was going to be a sort of test. Perhaps that was why Tyron was sending him. Well, he was not one to shy away from a challenge.

  ‘Are you all right?’ Leksi asked, glancing sideways at Petra. They were headed for the horses, and she was out of breath trying to keep up with him.

  ‘Fine,’ she panted.

  He could tell by her fatigued expression that she had still not slept. Charis walked in front, torch in hand to prevent them from stumbling in the dark.

  ‘Are the woods safe at night?’ Petra asked.

  Ah, so she was afraid. ‘You slept out in the open last night and nothing ate you.’

  ‘Not by choice.’

  A smile tugged at his mouth. Mentors had an answer for everything. ‘You are quite safe when you are with me.’

  ‘I too have a sword,’ Charis said, swinging around and almost burning them with the torch.

  Balancing their supplies in one arm, Leksi caught the boy’s hand with the other. ‘I’m sure the lady feels much safer now.’ He shoved the squire forwards and stole a glance at Petra, who looked as though she might fall down from anxiety at any moment. Soon she would be too tired for worry. They would be riding overnight, and he would have to keep an eye on her in case she fell asleep in the saddle.

  ‘Here we are,’ Charis said. ‘A gelding for the lady.’

  Petra came to a stop beside Leksi, her feet frozen in place as she stared up at the tall horse.

  ‘What’s wrong?’ Leksi asked. ‘I assure you he’s a calm mount.’

  She looked between the horses. ‘Am I to ride alone?’

  Leksi studied her in the dark. She was visibly terrified by the prospect. He supposed nine years locked in a castle did that to a person. ‘I could have someone else ride him, but that would defeat the purpose of this whole exercise, as you would still be here.’ She did not laugh—not even a hint of a smile. The wrong time for jokes, perhaps. ‘Why don’t you ride with me, and the gelding can carry our supplies.’

  He watched her exhale. ‘Only if you do not mind.’

  It was not ideal, but he suspected she would be fairly easy company if she could manage to stay on the horse.

  Charis helped him secure all the supplies on the gelding, and then Leksi mounted his horse and pulled her up behind him for the second time that day. She smelled of soap and bread, a vast improvement from earlier. She grabbed handfuls of his cloak.

  ‘Best you hold on properly,’ he said. ‘If you hold my clothes, you’ll choke me when you fall.’

  ‘Oh.’ She moved her hands to his waist.

  Once Charis was in the saddle, Leksi kicked his horse into a trot and they headed east towards the trees. Charis rode in front, lighting the way for them.

  ‘What happens if the torch goes out?’ Petra asked.

  Leksi smiled to himself. ‘Moments later, wolves descend, and we all die.’

  There was a short silence before she replied. ‘You do know I cannot see your face from back here to know if you are joking.’

  He turned his head to look at her. ‘Mentors. Such a serious bunch, aren’t you?’ When she did not answer, he faced forwards. ‘You are allowed to laugh out here beneath the trees. Your propriety is wasted on me.’

  ‘I shall keep that in mind if at some point you say something humorous.’

  He shook his head. ‘To answer your earlier question, I can find my way to Syrasan with or without light. All you have to do is hold on.’

  They fell silent then, each returning to their private thoughts as they cantered beneath tall oaks towards the border. Above them, bats flew and owls hunted for food. Twigs snapped and branches rustled around them. Whenever a bird took flight or a hare ran for cover, Leksi felt Petra jump behind him. He said nothing, saving her the embarrassment and him the headache of constantly asking if she was all right. She would need to toughen up, or at least learn to trust him.

  A few hours later, they crossed the border into Syrasan and the horses slowed to a walk. They emerged onto a wide road that would lead them west.

  ‘Let me know if you need to relieve yourself,’ Leksi said over his shoulder. ‘Otherwise, we’ll keep moving.’

  Charis rode up next to them. ‘I might need to go, my lord.’

  Leksi turned to him, a tired expression on his face. ‘You should be able to last longer than a few hours.’ Even in the dark, he could see Charis’s cheeks colour.

  The squire shifted uncomfortably in the saddle. ‘I was busy getting everything ready and forgot.’

  ‘You didn’t go before we left?’ He knew eight-year-olds who required less mothering. He pulled up his horse. ‘All right, go on.’

  The boy leapt from his mare and ran for the large tree at the edge of the road.

  ‘Hopeless,’ Leksi said. ‘Would you believe me if I told you he was fifteen?’

  Silence behind him.

  ‘In three years, I’m supposed to send him into battle. I would bet my horse he forgets his sword on the day.’

  ‘Perhaps you have forgotten what it is to be fifteen,’ Petra said, sounding sleepy.

  Leksi felt the weight of her head on his back. At fifteen, he had thought himself invincible and ready for war. He had taken risks that the older him did not want to think about. ‘I had control of my
bladder if that’s what you’re asking.’ Her head remained pressed against him. ‘What were you like at fifteen?’

  For a moment, he thought she had fallen asleep because she took so long to reply.

  ‘At fifteen, I attended the flag tournament and was presented to King Nilos.’ She yawned. ‘At fifteen, I was sold. At fifteen, I was the king’s Companion.’

  He frowned as he processed the information. ‘Fifteen? But coming of age in Corneo is sixteen, is it not?’

  ‘Yes.’

  The idea of a child sharing a bed with a king did not sit well with him. There were laws for a reason. ‘Why didn’t your father say no?’

  ‘We could not afford to say no. The king never asked my age, and the answer probably would not have deterred him.’

  ‘I’m trying to remember what the king looked like all those years ago.’

  ‘Does it matter?’

  ‘To a fifteen-year-old girl, it does.’ Silence. ‘Nine years is quite a sentence.’

  Charis came running back, scaring his own horse in the process. It leapt sideways, narrowly missing them. Leksi shook his head and resisted the urge to lean over and clip the boy. Thankfully, his own mount was not so easily spooked.

  They continued on their way until Leksi felt the weight on his back grow heavier. She was falling asleep. He thought about where they might stop for a rest. He had an uncle a few hours north of Arelasa, but was not keen on going south and adding more time to their journey. There was another option, but he had to consider whether it was worth the hassle. Perhaps pushing through was a smarter alternative.

  His question was answered a few minutes later when he felt Petra’s hands fall away and her head slide along his back. He reached back with one hand and caught her, and she woke with a start.

  ‘Sorry,’ she said, voice groggy as she straightened behind him.

  Leksi stopped the horse, and when he was sure she was fully awake, he dismounted. ‘Climb up onto the saddle,’ he instructed.

  She frowned down at him.

  ‘Trust me,’ he said.

  She hesitated before moving into the seat of the saddle. He slipped his foot into the stirrup and pulled himself up behind her. Threading his arms around her, he took hold of the reins.

  ‘What are you doing?’ she asked.

  ‘Making sure you don’t fall off.’

  She went rigid in the saddle.

  ‘I’m quite the gentleman unless a woman invites me to be something else. Since no such invitation has been extended, you can sit comfortably.’

  She softened in the saddle, and he kicked the horse forwards. ‘Charis, we’re going to stop at the house for the night.’

  The squire turned to him, visibly surprised ‘The house, my lord?’

  ‘That’s the one.’

  Petra looked between them. ‘Which house might that be?’

  ‘It’s around two hours north-west of here,’ Leksi replied. He wished there was somewhere else he could take her, but it was late, and people would ask questions.

  Petra turned in his arms. ‘Who lives there?’

  ‘My father,’ he replied, staring ahead.

  She faced forwards again. ‘Oh. Your family’s estate?’

  ‘It’s my father’s estate’ was all he said. Thankfully, for the first time in his life, Charis remained silent on the subject.

  They rode at a steady pace for the first hour, and when Petra could no longer sit stiff and proper in the saddle, he slowed his horse to a walk.

  The house was about an hour’s ride from Archdale Castle. Leksi had done that ride so many times as a child he was confident he could do it blindfolded.

  When they arrived at the front gate, he saw its hinges had rusted through and it was no longer in use. Weeds had claimed it. Every visit was more depressing than the last. The staff had slowly been reduced over the years until the only person who remained in the house was his father. The money had eventually dried up, or was more likely spent on drink.

  ‘Not what you were expecting?’ Leksi asked, reading Petra’s face.

  She closed her mouth. ‘It must have been rather grand in its day.’

  Mentors.

  They followed the muddy path all the way to the modest house. There was no light, no smoke from the chimney. Inside, a dog barked, and of course, Petra jumped at the noise.

  ‘This is where you grew up?’ she asked.

  Leksi stopped his horse, his eyes going to the front door, which was slightly ajar. He felt a pang of something resembling guilt as he tried to calculate the months since his last visit. ‘I spent most of my youth at Archdale.’

  Leksi dismounted and turned back to Petra to help her down. The dog burst from the house, running towards them. Petra stepped behind Leksi, pressing against him. He crouched down, and the dog stopped barking and began wagging its tail. He spent a few moments patting it before standing once more.

  Charis stepped up to take his horse. ‘Shall I put them in the stable, my lord?’

  ‘If it’s still standing.’

  The dog ran back inside.

  ‘There does not appear to be anyone home,’ Petra said.

  Leksi drew a breath. ‘Oh, he’s home.’ What he did not say was he would be passed out from drink by now. He would deal with his father in the morning. He gestured towards the door. ‘After you.’

  Inside, the house smelled of dust, lard, and fried eggs, and the floor was sticky underfoot. Leksi led Petra up a creaking stairwell that she was certain would not hold the weight of them at the same time. She exhaled when they stepped onto the landing at the top.

  ‘Wait here,’ Leksi said before disappearing into one of the rooms.

  Moments later, light filled the space and he returned holding a lantern. Petra could make out two bedrooms, and one of them appeared to be occupied. She looked up at Leksi, waiting for an explanation.

  ‘Don’t worry, nothing will wake him now. He surfaces in the morning.’

  Petra followed Leksi into the second bedroom without asking any questions. Inside, a veil of dust covered every surface, and the mattress was bare. She shivered. It was no warmer indoors than out.

  ‘You can sleep in here.’ Leksi walked to the end of the bed and opened the trunk, pulling out some linen and a folded blanket. ‘They are clean. I washed them myself last time I was here.’

  ‘When was that?’ She spoke quietly.

  He paused to think. ‘Going on a year.’ Placing the lantern on the table, he moved to make the bed.

  ‘I can do that,’ Petra said, stepping up and taking the linen from his hands.

  Leksi nodded and looked around the room. ‘I’ll leave the lantern here for you. Charis will bring you some water shortly.’

  She was about to object, to tell him he could take the lantern to find his way downstairs, when she realised she did not want to sleep in the dark.

  ‘Goodnight,’ Leksi said, stepping away and walking over to the door. He pulled it closed as he stepped through it.

  ‘Goodnight, Sir Leksi,’ she called, just before it clicked shut.

  After she had finished making the bed, she sat with the bag Aldara had packed for her and rummaged through it. It contained a nightdress, some undergarments, a few cotton dresses and a hairbrush. There was also a rolled-up towel, a sage and salt paste for her teeth and a small piece of soap inside. The princess had thought of everything.

  A knock came at the door and she went to open it. Charis stood holding a basin and a jug of water. He blinked against the light, visibly tired. ‘Can I get you anything else?’ he asked after setting the items on the small table by the window.

  She shook her head. ‘No, thank you. You go get some sleep. You look exhausted.’

  Alone again, she had a long drink, a quick wash, and then changed into the nightdress. She had just slipped beneath the blanket when she realised she needed to use the chamber pot.

  Sitting up, teeth practically chattering in the cold room, she looked around. She crawled to the end of t
he bed and opened the trunk. No sane person would store a chamber pot with their linen, but she was desperate to avoid going outside. No pot, just a pile of what appeared to be clothes for a baby. She picked them up, studying the beautiful stitching on the simple shifts. They looked new. She folded them carefully before placing them back in the trunk and closing it as she resigned herself to the fact that she would have to go downstairs.

  Wrapping her cloak around her shoulders, she picked up the lantern and walked barefoot over to the door, opening it as quietly as she could. As she crept across the landing, she saw the fire was now lit downstairs. Leksi sat in front of it, knees up, watching the wood burn. She walked as quietly as she could down the stairs, mindful not to wake Charis, who slept curled beneath a blanket against the wall.

  When she reached the bottom of the stairs, her gaze went to Leksi, who appeared to be either asleep sitting up or very much lost in his thoughts. For a moment she considered sneaking past and relieving herself on the grass so as to not to bother him. He deserved a few hours’ break after carrying her on his horse for most of the night.

  Shaking her head, she realised she was not brave enough to venture outside alone. She took a few steps towards him and was about to whisper his name when a low growl sounded. She froze as the large dog leapt to its feet and came for her, its bark deafening. A small scream escaped her just as Leksi reached out and grabbed the animal by the scruff of the neck.

  ‘Easy, girl,’ he said. ‘She’s with me.’ He looked up at her then, frowning. ‘What is it?’ His gaze flicked to his sword before moving past her.

  ‘Nothing,’ she replied, taking a step back from the dog, who continued to bare its teeth. ‘That is… I do not seem to have a… chamber pot.’

  Leksi relaxed. ‘Sit,’ he said to the dog, and it immediately sank to the floor.

  Petra hid her trembling hands behind her back, eyes remaining on the dog.

  ‘Don’t tell me you’re afraid of horses and dogs,’ Leksi said.

  She cleared her throat. ‘Most people are afraid of growling animals.’

  The knight gave the dog a quick pat before releasing his grip and standing. ‘She was just giving you a solid warning because you were sneaking up on me.’