Rachel Rossano - The Theodoric Saga

by The Crown of Anavrea

  Silently Labren prayed that she would not scream. Instead her lips yielded to his and she hesitantly relaxed against him. She tasted better than he had imagined. Her soft lips tempted him to deepen the kiss. Holding back, he chose instead to run his hand up her back and into her wonderful hair.

  The sound of footsteps in the room outside brought his mind back to the danger at hand. He did not think it was Atluer out there. Maybe one of the children knew about this hiding place and told the men.

  Reluctantly he relaxed his hold on Eve and drew his mouth away from hers. She let out a soft gasp and then fell silent. She trembled, but made no more sounds.

  The catch on the cabinet’s outer doors opened. He tightened his arms around Eve and prayed. Father, Kurios, please spare us. Heartbeats pounded in his ears as he strained to listen.

  Thoughts scrambled about in his head. He had to save Eve. He had no hope if captured, but Eve might avoid death. If he could convince them that she was his mistress or a young girl he had brought to entertain him, maybe they would leave her here in the Professor’s care. Of course they would watch her for a time to make sure she was not carrying his child. They would not know that there was no chance of that yet.

  He strained his ears and waited to hear the lock on the panel releasing, but it did not move. Instead, someone tapped lightly on the wood.

  “Han sent me up after a platter for Abrigail.” The voice was muffled wood between them, but Labren recognized the voice of one of the students. The boy continued. “The messenger came ahead of the envoy with Prince Ireic. He came to give us time to prepare for the arrival of the prince and his company. Han will be bringing food up to you after everyone is settled for the night. I am going now.”

  Labren heard him scramble to his feet and close the cupboard doors. The muffled sounds of a box being moved and a squeaky hinge penetrated the wood. Finally the storage room’s door banged shut.

  “What about your leg?” Eve’s concerned voice broke into his thoughts. “This immobilization is going to make it stiff. You need to exercise it every day in order to get the full use back.”

  “I guess it will have to wait. I will do those exercises that the Professor gave me when Atluer brings us the food.”

  Carefully, he stretched his good leg back behind him. Where was that back wall? His bones ached and he needed to move again. Eve rolled away from him as he shifted and did not roll back. Uncertain how to reach out to her verbally, he groggily settled into his new position. “I am going to try to sleep. Please wake me if you hear anything.”

  A barely audible positive response came from Eve’s side of the box. Labren began to quiet his thoughts for sleep, but her state of mind bothered him.

  Eve faced the wooden panel that separated them from the rest of the house. She pressed her palm hard against it to remind herself it was there, hidden from her eyes by the complete darkness. She was afraid of herself.

  When she and Labren first met, she feared his death and worked to prevent it. Then once he regained consciousness, she worried he would force himself on her like the men that visited the tavern would have. Something about him made her trust him enough to marry him, though. Perhaps the lack of lust in his gaze or the respect and distance he gave her daily.

  During the time since then, she learned to trust him completely. Right now, she never wanted to be separated from him again. Even hiding in a small hidden space in the attic of a school would not daunt her. Now, she realized, she wanted his touch. Eve pressed the wood harder. More than just being held at night and brief embraces during the day, she desired him. The question was did he feel the same about her.

  A tear ran down her cheek before she could catch it. Surprised, she tried to catch the next one with her sleeve. The action reminded her of Sandra’s rebuke that morning when she had tried to rub a spot off her face with the end of her sleeve. Apparently a noble woman would have used her lace handkerchief. That memory only brought to mind the many other times in the past weeks she had done something wrong. The tears flowed unchecked. Why would he want her? Once he had the crown, he would have his pick of the sophisticated women in the capital. Why would he want a commoner, a runaway slave?

  “Eve?” Labren’s voice was soft and hesitant.

  She swiped at the moisture on her cheeks and did not respond.

  He moved closer and laid a hand on her shoulder as he asked, “Are you all right?”

  “I am fine,” she said to the wall.

  “No,” Labren slipped his arm around her waist and moved so close her heart jumped. “You do not sound fine.” As he brushed her hair away from her face, he caught a stray tear. “Oh, Eve.”

  He rolled her over to face him, his fingers brushing away her tears. “I am so sorry, Eve.” Deep regret filled his voice as he held her tight. “I should not have kissed you like that. I broke my promise. You weren’t ready. I should be shot for forcing myself on you. I promise it will never happen again unless you say. Do you believe me?” He surrounded her with his presence. “Please believe me, love,” he pleaded. “Please, Eve, give me another chance. I need you. I would never hurt you.” He buried his head in her neck and clung to her.

  Cautiously Eve put her arms around him. He was so big and strong, yet he needed her. Eve could hardly believe it. She hesitantly touched his hair, barely brushing it with her fingertips. He did not move, not even to breathe. Slipping her hand into his thick hair, Eve finally whispered. “I love you.”

  Labren’s head came up so fast it startled her. Swiftly he rolled her over and pinned her to the quilts, supporting his weight with his hands. “I wish I could see your face.” He loomed over her. “Say it again. Please, Eve, say it again.”

  Not sure if he was angry or not, Eve timidly whispered, “I love you.”

  “Oh, Eve!” He sounded happy, but she was not sure yet. His next statement decided for her though. “I want to kiss you.”

  He paused as if asking for her consent, but she was too overwhelmed to speak. He wanted to kiss her again.

  “Eve?”

  She reached up and took his face in her hands and pulled it down to hers. His kiss was gentle, but sweet. When he drew back, she almost followed, but he prevented her. Afraid he was disappointed, she reached out to touch his face. A day’s worth of scruff brushed her fingertips as he turned to kiss her palm. He moved over so that he was on his side and drew her close. She could feel his breath against her cheek. After a few moments he finally spoke.

  “I love you, Eve.” His voice trembled a little. “You are my precious wife.” He kissed her and this time he did not pause.

  ~~~

  Chapter V

  A long time later, they heard the door unlock followed by footsteps. They both tensed.

  “I think it is Atluer,” Labren assured Eve.

  After a few quiet shuffling sounds, the cupboard doors opened. The panel moved aside to reveal Atluer’s worried features.

  “Oh, good.” He offered a hand to Eve as she scrambled toward him. “Turic said he had delivered the message, but you did not respond. I was concerned. The cubby is designed for one, not two. Olof insisted there would be air for two, but I…”

  Eve gained her feet and immediately stepped away from the hole. Her hand shook as she reached for the back of the closest chair, but Labren could do nothing about it until he managed to get out himself. He told his leg to move, but it protested vehemently that it would not.

  Atluer didn’t bother waiting for him. Reaching in, he gripped Labren’s forearm. Labren returned the grasp and they both worked to pull his reluctant body from the cupboard. His leg throbbed as he swung it out into the room. He eased his weight onto it only to have it give out.

  “Whoa!” Atluer caught him as he sank toward the floor. “Eve, would you clear that chair?”

  She folded back the dust covers for two of the chairs and a couch. Labren, with assistance, claimed the closest. Atluer began distributing steaming plates of food and pouring beverages from a laden tray. In t
he golden glow of an oil lamp and a dusty candelabra, the food looked delicious. The smells made his mouth water and his stomach growl. Labren shoveled a heaping forkful of stewed vegetables into his mouth and savored the tastes as they blossomed on his tongue.

  “Your brother, Prince Ireic, is here,” Atluer announced.

  He handed Eve a steaming cup smelling strongly of peppermint. She set it on the floor.

  “I know.” Labren bit into a chicken leg, savoring the moist texture despite the urge to satiate his starving stomach. “Turic told us.”

  Atluer set a mug at Labren’s elbow. “What you don’t know is that he wants to see you tonight.”

  Labren coughed, almost choking on his chicken. “Who told him I was here?”

  Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Eve lower her plate. She swallowed carefully without looking up.

  “The Professor told him. I am to take you to see him as soon as you have finished eating. Are you okay, Eve?”

  Labren turned his full attention to his wife. Her normally pale skin had taken on the shade of white porcelain. Setting down his plate, he reached for her. Atluer moved faster. He barely caught her falling plate as she slumped against the side of her chair.

  Mentally cursing his leg, Labren got on his one knee and pulled himself to her side. “Do you have any cool water?” He asked Atluer.

  Atluer shook his head and rescued the rest of the dishes. “I’ll get the professor?”

  Finding her pulse in her neck, Labren moved on to rub her wrists. “Is he in bed?”

  “No,” Atluer replied, as he cleared off a nearby couch. “He is downstairs waiting with Ireic in the back parlor.”

  Atluer lifted Eve from the chair and transferred her gently to the couch.

  Frustrated at his inability to help, Labren pulled himself to his feet using a nearby trunk. He didn’t like the way her head lolled back against Atluer’s arm.

  “If Ireic wants to see me tonight, he is going to have to come here. I am not leaving her.”

  “I understand.” Atluer left, locking the door behind him.

  Labren eased himself to the floor at her side. His hands swallowed up her cool fingers. He rubbed them gently. Please, Kurios, let nothing be seriously wrong with her. He stoked her cheek with his fingers. She was so pale she rivaled the dust covers’ hues. Now that he was looking at her carefully, he realized she had lost weight since their arrival. Maybe she had not been eating lately. Racking his mind he tried to recall her eating habits of the last few days. He knew she ate, but he wasn’t sure about the quantity. She worked so hard to take care of him, she probably neglected herself.

  Labren smoothed back a stray hair from Eve’s face. That was going to change. It didn’t matter if his leg ached to the point of tears, she needed looking after too. “I am sorry,” he whispered. He leaned over and gently kissed her smooth forehead.

  His heart leapt when she stirred, turning her face toward him.

  “Labren?” She sighed.

  “Yes, Eve.” He smiled as she opened her eyes and looked up at him. “I am here.”

  She slowly smiled back. “I dreamed that we were going to meet your brother.” She shifted slightly.

  Labren continued to stroke her cheek with the back of his fingers. He was just opening his mouth to explain that her dream was reality when Atluer returned with Professor Olof and Ireic behind him.

  “She is awake,” Atluer announced upon opening the door.

  “Good.” Olof waved Labren away so he could examine Eve. “This should only take a few minutes.” He bent over her and began asking Eve questions in a lowered tone.

  “Need a hand up?”

  Labren met his brother’s eyes across the offered hand. Ireic had grown a great deal over the five years since Labren last saw him. The slender young prankster was now a sturdily built, grown man. Accepting the help, Labren rose to his feet.

  “Hello, Ireic.”

  “Hello, Trahern.” Ireic smiled slightly and nodded a solemn greeting.

  “Need a shoulder?” Atluer asked, appearing at Labren’s side.

  “Definitely.” His thigh continued to throb and the muscles in the rest of his leg ached. Gripping the offered support, Labren let Atluer guide him toward the door.

  Cloth-draped chairs clustered against the wall. Atluer left Labren leaning against a sturdy stack of trunks to uncover a few and Ireic assisted. Labren took the opportunity to study his half-brother.

  Ireic’s brown eyes bore a resemblance to his mother’s and his solid frame hinted strongly of her side of the family. However, only these two features stood out as non-Theodoric. Labren did not remember his own mother. He had been told that she gave him the shape and color of his eyes and his natural grace. Yet, their father could have no doubt that these two men were his sons. They shared his dark coloring and hair. Labren found himself looking at a face similar to his own and wishing he knew his brother better.

  Atluer returned to assist Labren to a chair.

  Ireic, following Labren’s slow progress, finally spoke. “Is the damage permanent?”

  Labren could not see his face, but the tone of his voice indicated genuine concern.

  “Olof says I will limp the rest of my life, but a cane is not inevitable. At the moment I am recovering from a secondary fever.”

  “And the lady?” Ireic took a seat across from him.

  “Eve? She is my wife.”

  Ireic’s eyebrows rose, but only for a moment. Labren couldn’t help feeling encouraged. If Ireic accepted her, there would be hope for a familial relationship.

  “I have come to offer you a pardon.” Ireic looked down at his clasped hands. “Father is dying, though he refuses to acknowledge the fact. He ordered me on a progress along the border two weeks ago. I sought the council of his advisors and we decided I had best obey. Father has become volatile and even more mean-spirited these last few months. The nobles think he is feeling guilt; I believe he is frightened of death.” He paused to swallow.

  Labren sympathized with him, but his heart didn’t stir at the news. Kurios, give me wisdom. Then reluctantly he added, Please give my father peace and, if is Your will, knowledge of you.

  Pulling himself together, Ireic continued. “I have overwhelming public support and should have no trouble assuming power in the end. The country and the nobles want peace after all of the scandal.”

  Labren could understand that wish. A liege placing a price on his crown prince’s head must have caused trouble among the nobles.

  Ireic took a deep breath. “The problem is I don’t want the throne.” He looked up, meeting Labren’s eyes. Fear and uncertainty lay barren for Labren to read. “That is the other reason I came to you. I was not trained to be a king, but you were. The crown was taken from you because of my mother’s influence over our father. I do not believe you did anything wrong and many at court agree.

  “If I endorse you, I doubt anyone would challenge your ascension.”

  Ireic’s gaze pierced Labren to his heart. A strand of hope among the fear, the hope Ireic had pinned on his big brother coming to rescue him.

  Labren turned his face away. This wasn’t a surprise. Olof warned him. Of course, all the warnings and time in the world would not make this any easier.

  “No.” His voice came out more softly than he expected. He lifted his eyes to meet Ireic’s. “I will tell you why.

  “For years now, I have been an outlaw with an invisible brand on my name and face. I lost all my family ties both in Anavrea and here. I had nowhere I could go and be at peace, no one I could call friend. Even then, I served my country in disguise. I was a soldier and then a spy. Each time, when my past came to light, I was chased off with threats of physical harm.

  “I was coming to you to seek a pardon, renounce my claim on the throne, and gain a chance at peace. Once gained, all I desired was a home for my wife and me. Then, I intended to keep in touch with you for the sole purpose of letting you know when the Theodoric line was secure.


  “I cannot be at peace and be on the throne.”

  Atluer approached and interrupted. “I am sorry.” He nodded apologetically to Prince Ireic before turning to Labren. “Olof wants to speak to you, Trahern.”

  “I don’t think I should move much at the moment.” Labren shifted his leg slightly and grimaced.

  “Stay where you are,” Olof instructed as he approached. Narrowly avoiding a trunk, he offered Ireic a half bow. Ireic acknowledged it with a nod.

  “Eve is worn through. She is showing signs of extreme fatigue and lack of nourishment. The stress of the last couple of hours probably brought about the collapse.” He regarded Labren with solemn eyes. “I also suspect she has not been getting adequate sleep. She will not tell me what the root problem is. I got nowhere when I tried to get a promise that she would relax. If she does not get some restful sleep soon, she is going to tumble into hysteria.”

  Labren nodded. “If you can provide us with a quiet room and a bed, I will try my best to get her to sleep.” He indicated the cupboard. “I can guarantee she will not get any restful sleep in there.”

  “She is claustrophobic?” Atluer asked.

  Labren nodded.

  “I don’t see why they could not sleep in a normal room tonight.” Ireic offered. “My men do not have to search the house again. If you can hide them in the servants’ quarters, I see no reason they should be in danger.”

  “The men searched that part of the house this evening,” Atluer agreed. “Abrigail and Stephen don’t use the back most room and the servants’ stair to the kitchen will be right outside in the hall.”

  With that settled, there was only the problem of getting them there with minimal sound. Labren watched Atluer return to Eve to explain the plan while Olof and Ireic discussed strategy. It was a short conversation. Afterwards, the professor left briefly to inform Abrigail of the change in plans.