by Sharon Green
Derand went on to describe some of those plans, one or two of which could be considered downright silly. Derand’s father knew that as well as anyone, but he still meant to see if he could make them work. One of those ideas, that women’s skirts be shortened to mid-calf length, set all the men chuckling while the women pretended to be embarrassed. A number of the women in his father’s kingdom were outraged, but even more seemed to like the idea. If the new style took hold and managed to spread, there would be very few men who weren’t grateful for the improved landscape.
The talk turned to other amusing things then, and there was a good deal of chuckling and outright laughter. Derand joined in with most of his attention, but part of him wondered why the girl hadn’t yet appeared. She should have been awakened in enough time to bathe and dress, which in turn should have let her be with them already.
He began to turn, to gesture a servant over and send the man to find out what was keeping her, when he suddenly discovered that sending anyone after her was completely unnecessary. The girl had arrived, but she stood alone in complete silence to one side of the room. She wore a gown of cream-colored lace that was exquisite, but it seemed that only her body stood there. Her spirit and soul had apparently disappeared elsewhere, and that disturbed Derand. He completed the gesture of calling over a servant, and when the man reached him he stepped aside with him for privacy.
“How long has Princess Elissia been standing there?” he asked the man, keeping his voice low. “Did you see her arrive?”
“Yes, Your Majesty, I did see her arrive,” the man answered at once. “She arrived a number of minutes earlier, but made no attempt to join everyone else. Would you have me tell her that you’d like to speak to her?”
“No, I’ll tell her myself,” Derand answered just as another servant announced that dinner was ready to be served. The announcement hadn’t seemed to reach the girl wherever her inner self had gone, so he might as well use that as his reason for speaking to her. He moved over to stand not far from her, and when it became clear that she hadn’t even noticed his approach, he spoke.
“Didn’t you hear the announcement telling us dinner is ready?” he asked, and she started just a bit to show that she’d finally returned. “I thought I’d have to go looking for you after all, but a servant said you arrived some time ago. I’m glad to see that you’re already learning to obey me, but you should have come over to join everyone else. Let’s take our places at table now.”
He offered his arm, and after the smallest hesitation possible she took it. He’d tried to put warmth and approval into his voice, an effort to bring the life back to her pretty face, but it hadn’t worked. She hadn’t even responded to his comment about her obedience, which he’d been sure would have gotten her angry. Nothing seemed to touch her, and that wasn’t good.
“You’re looking really lovely tonight,” he said after a moment as they followed the others into the dining room. It wasn’t a lie, and maybe that would reach her. “If you’d come over to join the rest of us, I could have bragged about the beauty of my bride. I’m probably the envy of every man in the realm now.”
That time he got a small reaction, but not the one he’d been expecting. She flinched as though she’d been touched with the point of a knife, and then even that was gone. Rather than add anything else, Derand decided to keep silent. He had no idea how he could have hurt the girl with what he’d said, but didn’t care to take the chance of doing it again. Better to keep quiet and hope she came out of it on her own
But she didn’t. Everyone worked very hard during the meal to keep up a lighthearted conversation, but they might as well not have bothered. The girl made no effort to join in or even to listen, ate almost nothing of the food put in front of her, and didn’t even touch her wine. When Duke Rolan made his toast Derand hoped she would acknowledge it, but when she didn’t he was forced to do it himself. At that point she seemed to hear what was going on, but showed no interest in commenting or reacting.
Escorting her back into the salon changed nothing, but Derand hadn’t really expected it to. He left her for a moment to get himself a glass of the brandy he’d begun to feel a real need for, and when he turned back it was to discover that she’d gone. No one else seemed to have noticed that departure, but once they did all the happy enjoyment dissolved into nothing.
“That couldn’t really have been Elissia,” Duke Rolan protested, his wife showing a film of tears in her eyes. “I’ve never seen her that quiet and detached, and I hope I never see it again.”
“I was certain she would respond when Rolan pointed out that she’s now a queen,” Abtrean said, sounding and looking as downhearted as the rest of the group. “Any other woman alive would have brightened at the very least, but I don’t believe she even noticed – or cared if she did notice. So what else can we do?”
“I haven’t the faintest idea,” Ostrin responded, clearly one step removed from tears himself. “I can’t bear seeing her like that, but I don’t know what to do to change her back to the way she was. Possibly she’ll pull out of it after a good night’s sleep.”
Ostrin made no effort to look in Derand’s direction, but Derand knew the man’s last words were meant for him. Under other circumstances he might have resented the intrusion, but right now he simply nodded.
“I’ve already come that same conclusion myself,” he admitted more heavily than he liked. “Actually, it’s no more than a hope, but it’s certainly worth trying. If you’ll all excuse me now, I’m going to retire. My lords and ladies, it was a pleasure to meet you.”
Derand barely noticed the bows and curtsies as he turned away and strode to the door, his mind occupied with more important matters. He would see how the girl behaved tomorrow, and if there were no changes he would have to rethink his position. If he took her with him as she was, she wasn’t likely to live very long. Annulment of the marriage might turn out to be his only option, and if that were true then he’d do it. But he wished he understood why he felt so horribly disappointed
Elissia awoke slowly, at first not understanding why her people hadn’t gotten her up at the usual time. Then she remembered what had happened yesterday, and the depression returned to her. It wasn’t as heavy as it had been, but it was certainly still there.
“And probably will never leave again,” she muttered as she got out of bed. For some reason it seemed more than a little late in the day, and when she went to a window and looked out she found her impression had been right. It was closer to lunchtime than to breakfast, a circumstance brought about by how long it had taken her to fall asleep. At first she’d been certain her “husband” would come for his due, so she hadn’t even tried to sleep.
After quite a lot of time had passed it became clear that he wasn’t coming, or would appear, after a few more hours, too drunk to accomplish anything. That was hardly a crushing disappointment, but sleep had still taken its time to arrive. And now here she was, faced with another day she had no interest in living through.
Elissia left the window after a few moments of staring out without actually seeing anything, rinsed her face and hands in the water basin, then began to dress. Her maids usually helped with that, but their help wasn’t really necessary and she didn’t particularly care what she looked like. A black skirt and gray tunic fit her mood, even though both items were made of silk. Something rougher and uglier would have been more appropriate, but she didn’t happen to have anything like that. At a different time she might have made plans to acquire what her wardrobe lacked, but now
Once dressed she left her bedchamber, intending to send for a pot of tea. But Demmin, who’d been in her service longer than any of the others, managed to speak first.
“Your Highness, His Majesty your father left a message to be delivered once you awoke,” Demmin said, his dark eyes filled with concern. “He asks the favor of your company at lunch, as he wishes to speak with you.”
Elissia felt the smallest flash of annoyance at hearing that, but being
annoyed was pointless. Her father wanted her gone from his kingdom, and there was nothing to be done about it. If having her listen to more of why leaving was such a good thing made him feel better, she might as well consider it something she owed him and let him do it. After all, it would hardly be going on for much longer.
Lunch was being taken in one of the small, informal dining rooms, and Elissia arrived to find no one but her parents and the savage already there. A buffet table had been set up with dishes of food and pitchers of drink, so she walked over to pour herself a cup of tea. That was when they all noticed her arrival, it seemed. Once she had her tea and turned away from the buffet with it, she found her father standing not far away and staring at her.
“Are you all right, Elissia?” he asked then, his expression showing what was certainly supposed to be concern. “Are you feeling better after a good night’s sleep?”
“Certainly, Father,” Elissia answered, paying more attention to her tea than to the conversation. “I’m fine.”
Her father hesitated, as though expecting her to add to what she’d said, but there wasn’t anything to add. The silence dragged on for a moment, and then her father sighed.
“My dear child, I can’t bear to see you like this,” he said, sadness and defeat of some sort clear in his voice. “After lunch we’ll discuss the marriage – and the possible ending of it.”
Elissia would have exclaimed aloud in surprised delight – if she hadn’t noticed that note of defeat. Her father really did love her, it seemed, and had decided to keep her out of the clutches of the barbarian even if it meant needing to endure her presence himself. But that would solve only part of the problem, leaving the rest for her to see to on her own.
“Thank you, Father, I’d appreciate that,” she said, forcing herself to show something of a smile. “But don’t worry about having to suffer because of your thoughtfulness. I’ll make sure that you don’t.”
That brought a frown to his face, but before he could speak they were interrupted. One of the palace servants came running in, and then hurried over to them.
“Your Majesty, you must come quickly,” the man said breathlessly. “Two members of Prince Gardal’s escort have returned, and they’re badly wounded.”
“What?” her father exclaimed, all other thoughts forgotten. “Where are they?”
“With the physician,” the servant replied, then immediately began to lead the way out of the room. Elissia’s father followed at once, of course, but Elissia was right behind him. If something had happened to Gardal no, she refused to believe that. Something had happened, but her brother was all right. He just had to be
It took only a few minutes to reach the physician’s precincts, where the activity had reached a level of frenzy. Everyone seemed to be hurrying around, and it took more than a moment before they were noticed. The new arrivals made no effort to intrude, of course, not when there were probably lives at stake, but finally someone came over to them.
“One of the men seems to be out of danger,” the medical assistant told them after bowing to his king. “The other is much more seriously hurt, and Dr. Marday is using all his journeymen to help. The first has been demanding that he be helped to your receiving room, Your Majesty, as he has something of importance to report. Would you care to follow me?”
Elissia saw her father gesture without speaking, so the assistant led off toward one of the rooms used to care for the sick and hurt. He entered the room first rather than standing aside to let everyone else go first, and the reason for that became quickly apparent. The man lying with bloody bandages on the bed tried to get to his feet to bow, but the medical assistant, who had already moved to his side, refused to allow that.
“Don’t be a fool, man,” Elissia’s father said at once when he saw that. “You can stand and bow once those wounds are healed. Just tell me quickly what happened and where my son is.”
“He’s been captured,” the man croaked out, pain clear in the lines of his face. “Distal and I are the only ones of the escort still alive, and it took us much too long to get back here. There were three times our number, Your Majesty, and we don’t even know who they
are.”
“Are you sure they weren’t Prince Waysten’s men?” Elissia asked at once. “I’ve never trusted that man, and disliked the idea of Gardal visiting him. It would be to Waysten’s advantage if my father had no heir, since he’s long wanted to add our kingdom to his own.”
“Taking over my kingdom would not be as easy as all that,” Elissia’s father stated, just as he always had. “But discussion on that point is for another time. I want to hear about everything involved in the attack.”
“We were on our way out of Prince Waysten’s city when it happened,” the wounded man said, clearly struggling to stay conscious. “Prince Gardal was all but ignored during his time at the palace, and had managed to speak to Prince Waysten only once and that for no more than a few minutes. Prince Gardal decided he was wasting his time so we left, and we were almost to the city’s gates when they fell on us. They were dressed all in black and showed no insignia, and they knocked out Prince Gardal before putting the rest of us to the sword. Then they disappeared again, and a minute or two later most of the gate guard rode up. They did some searching, but couldn’t even find the direction the attackers had taken.”
“I don’t like the sound of that,” another voice put in, and Elissia turned her head to discover that the savage had followed them. “My elite guard wears all black, and when they’re not in the midst of battle they also don’t show any insignia. Is someone trying to suggest that I’m the one behind the kidnapping?”
“Waysten would like nothing better than to have people believe that,” Elissia said firmly when it looked like her father was about to deny the suggestion. “He’s been looking for an excuse to expand his kingdom ever since his father fell ill and he was named regent. If he makes people believe that the Federated Kingdoms now has designs on the other kingdoms around it, he just might be able to get those other kingdoms to unite under his banner. Then he’ll attack the Federated Kingdoms with the excuse of doing it before they decide to attack. After that he’ll take over his allies one by one until there’s no one left to oppose him as High King of everything.”
“He’s a fool if he thinks I’ll just sit back and let that happen,” the savage said with a sound of scorn. “I think it’s time I paid a visit to this Prince Waysten.”
“And I think we need to discuss this,” Elissia’s father said before Elissia could announce that she meant to go after her brother. “My son’s safety is at stake here, after all, and that has to take precedence over everything else. You rest easy now, my friend, and let your wounds heal. Your message has been safely delivered, and you have my eternal gratitude for accomplishing that. If not for you, I would know nothing about my son’s plight.”
The man nodded and tried to say something, but he’d come to the end of his strength. Elissia saw him fall back unconscious, and the medical assistant bent to him immediately.
“He should be all right,” the assistant said after a moment, his full attention still on his patient. “He should have passed out long ago, but refused to let it happen. Now that he’s been relieved of his burden, he should be able to get the rest he needs.”
“Make sure he wants for nothing,” Elissia’s father said, then led the way out of the room. They made a small and silent parade back to the dining room, but Elissia’s mother was no longer there. Elissia realized she must have returned to her apartment and taken to her bed when she heard that her son was in danger, and that was the first thing Elissia’s father took care of. He sent her word that their son still lived, and then he walked to the buffet and began to choose his meal.
“The first thing we’re going to do is eat, and then we’ll talk about what happened,” he said to Elissia and the savage as he directed a servant to fill his plate with what he pointed out. “It isn’t possible to be lucid and rational on an empty stoma
ch, so we’re not even going to try.”
“All right, Father, I’ll agree to that,” Elissia said, suddenly realizing that she was very much in need of food. “But as soon as we’re done I’m leaving. Talking about the problem here won’t do anything to find Gardal.”
“You’re leaving?” the savage said, staring at her in an odd way. “What do you expect a woman alone to be able to accomplish? My men and I are slightly better equipped to handle this, so we’ll be the ones to take care of it. We’ll find out who’s holding Gardal and get him back, and then whoever’s behind this will find his plans ruined.”
“Prince Waysten’s behind this, and you and your men will be useless,” Elissia pointed out before following her father to the buffet. “Do you think anyone will cooperate with the people they believe took Gardal in the first place? When I get there I’ll ask a few discreet questions, and by the time I get the answers my father will have an armed force waiting outside the city. This is our problem, so we’ll be the ones to take care of it.”
“So in your opinion I’m not involved in any way at all,” the savage said, the beginnings of annoyance to be heard in his voice. “My own opinion doesn’t happen to match yours, especially when you consider the fact that you haven’t even asked my permission to go off on this jaunt. Or didn’t you expect me to think I had a say in that?”
“What say could you have?” Elissia asked over her shoulder after gesturing to what she wanted of the food. “Our marriage is about to come to an end, and none too soon to suit me. That means that what I do is none of your concern, so you needn’t worry about it.”
“Ah, I see,” the savage said, his tone showing nothing of satisfied understanding. “Your father mentioned the possibility of ending our marriage, so you’ve decided to take the idea as something already done. Well, it isn’t done, and it isn’t going to be. I’m the one who’s heading out after Gardal, and you’ll wait here for me to get back. Is that stated clearly enough for you?”
