by Vicky Savage
“Always.”
His hand trails lightly down my abdomen to the top of my waistband. My belly quivers at his whisper soft touch. At last. Our time has come at last. I inhale sharply, and …
Wham, wham, wham! Someone pounds on Ryder’s door.
I squeeze my eyes shut. No freakin’ way this is happening again.
“Princess Jaden! Princess, are you all right?” a man shouts.
The door crashes open and in rushes Patrick, dark eyes blazing, hand on the hilt of his sword. When he sees Ryder and me half-dressed on the bed, his face turns a deeper shade of coffee, and he drops his eyes, bowing low.
“Patrick, what the hell are you doing?” I say.
“I beg your pardon, Your Highness. I saw a woman flee the house. I feared for your safety. I humbly apologize. I shall wait outside.” He quickly backs out the door, head bowed, eyes glued to the floor.
Ryder and I look at each other like did that really just happen? Then we both burst out laughing.
Putting a hand to my forehead, I say, “Oh man, I’m so sorry. I had no idea he was following me. Guess I’d better make sure everything is all right.”
Ryder stands and takes my hands, pulling me from the bed. I wrap my arms around his waist.
“We shall have our night soon,” he says still grinning.
“God, I hope so.”
Retrieving my sweater and boots, I sit on the edge of the bed and put them back on. Ryder slips into a shirt and tugs on his own boots.
“I’ll ride with you to Warrington Palace,” he says.
“You don’t need to do that.” I stand and smooth my messy hair with my hands.
He tucks a loose strand behind my ear and kisses me sweetly. “Yes. I do.”
We find Patrick waiting outside. He has Gabriel with him. “I apologize again, Your Highness,” he says. “I did not realize this was Chief Blackthorn’s house.”
“It’s all right Patrick. What are you doing here? How did you find me?”
“I check on your horse each night, and when I discovered him gone, I tracked you here.”
“You check on my horse?”
“Yes, and the Skorplings.”
“But why?”
“They are yours, and I am in service to you. I protect you and yours.”
This surprises and touches me. “That’s pretty good tracking in the dark,” I say. “You must be part Unicoi.”
He smiles. “My mother was half Unicoi, but it was not difficult. I believe this is yours.” He holds out the box for my katana which I discarded along the roadside.
“Oh yeah, thanks. I was in a hurry.”
Patrick clears his throat and lowers his eyes. “Again, I apologize for interrupting you,” he murmurs.
Now I’m blushing. Geeze, that’s not what I meant.
Ryder attempts to stifle a grin. “Excuse me for a moment. I will get my horse,” he says, placing a hand on my shoulder. “Will you ride with me?”
“Yes,” I readily agree. The first day Ryder and I met, we shared an incredibly sexy horseback ride together—even though he was trying to kidnap me, and I was terrified of him. Riding home with him in the dark sounds deliciously inviting.
The trip to the palace goes much too quickly. Being back with Ryder is so awesome that the rest of my problems don’t seem insurmountable anymore. I’m not willing to let him go just yet. “Walk me to my room?” I ask when we reach the stables.
Ryder glances at Patrick, who is busying himself with the horses. “I will see you safely upstairs, but then I must get back to the village. Nobody knows where I am.”
We tread softly on the steps. It’s nearly three a.m., and the palace is hushed and still. Ryder stops at my threshold to kiss me goodnight, but I pull him inside. “Stay with me for a while,” I say.
“I shouldn’t, Jade. It will appear as if I spent the night in your room.”
“I don’t care.”
“I believe your mother would. I know you do not wish to upset her.”
Crap. “All right, but at least wait while I change, so you can tuck me into bed.”
He smiles. “I will gladly tuck you into bed, love.”
I hurry to my closet. I’ve given up wearing the princess’s old-fashioned, long nightgowns in favor of her silky underdresses. Slipping on an ice-blue one, I throw a shawl around my shoulders for warmth. Ryder is sitting in a chair by the fake fireplace waiting patiently. I crawl into his lap and lay my head on his shoulder.
“I’m so happy,” I say. I can’t remember the last time I felt this kind of peace.
“As am I.” He kisses my hair.
“Maybe I’ll sleep tonight. I haven’t really slept since that first day when we argued.”
“Neither have I. Most nights I end up at the lake.”
“Wait, you mean our lake?”
“Yes.”
“That’s so sweet.” I nestle deeper into his chest, and thankfully he doesn’t stir. We sit and stare at the twinkling crystal logs, lost in a shared reverie.
* * *
I’m awakened by someone rapping on my door. The silver-pink glow of the room tells me it’s early dawn. I climb gingerly from Ryder’s lap. Despite my best efforts, my stirring wakes him. He rubs the sleep from his eyes. I open the door a crack and peer out at Ralston, a look of impatience on his face.
“Jade, you’re not ready. Are we not traveling to Unicoi Village this morning?”
Swinging the door wide, I wave him inside. He catches sight of Ryder in the chair. “Oh, well, I see there is no need. Good morning, Ryder.” He looks at me questioningly.
“Sorry, Rals. I decided I couldn’t wait. I went to Unicoi last night.”
“You did what? Alone?” His expression is horrified.
“Well, I was alone at first, but Patrick found me.”
“Good heavens, Jaden. Must I camp outside your door to prevent you from acting so impetuously?” He takes the chair next to Ryder’s. “I hope you’ll have better luck than I have getting her to act responsibly, my boy.”
Ryder laughs. “I don’t believe that is very likely.” He rises from his chair. “I must be going. We arrived quite late. I’m afraid we fell asleep. I do not wish for this to reflect badly upon Jaden.”
Ralston stands also. “I’ll walk with you to the stables. Perhaps that will deflect some of the gossip.”
Ryder lifts my hand and presses his lips to the inside of my palm. Raising his eyes to mine, he says, “May I call on you this afternoon?”
“Yes,” I say brightly. “And please plan on staying for dinner. Mother has been clamoring for your presence.”
“I shall. I believe we have a wedding to plan.”
The thought makes me shiver all the way to my toes. “That we do. See you this afternoon.”
Once they’ve gone, I climb in between my acres of cool sheets and drift into a peaceful slumber.
TWENTY-SEVEN
I’m having a lovely dream about Ryder and the lake when I’m shaken awake by Maria, a stricken look on her face. “Princess, are the Skorplings with you?”
“Huh? The Skorplings? No.”
“Do you know where they are?”
I bolt upright. “What do you mean? Are they missing?”
“Someone left the door to the nursery open, and they are nowhere to be found. We have searched the entire first floor of the palace. I was reluctant to disturb you, but I thought they might be with you.”
I throw off my covers. “Who saw them last? We need to search the rest of the palace. Has anyone checked the kitchen?”
“We have checked the kitchen. I took them their dinner around eight o’clock last night and put them to bed afterward. But, I swear I closed the door behind me.”
“I’m sure you did, Maria. Someone else must have gone in there. Get Patrick for me. He checks on them sometimes. Maybe he saw them.”
Dashing to the closet, I throw on pants and a sweater. I rinse off my face and finger comb the tangles from my hair. Nothing
like a swift kick of adrenaline to get you going in the morning. Where could Fred and Ethel be?
The sizeable search party is made up of servants and some Royal Guardsmen. I join the group on the palace’s upper floors, which contain mostly offices and storage space with doors that are closed and locked at night. Each door is unlocked, and each room thoroughly scoured, but to no avail.
After two hours of hunting, we all reconvene on the first floor to report our findings. No trace of Fred or Ethel has been found outside the nursery. Two windows on the second floor stairwell landings had been propped open for air circulation. It’s possible they escaped through one of those. We divide into two groups to search the palace grounds. It’s agreed that Patrick and I, along with some Royal Guardsmen, will search on horseback, combing the trees and bushes calling for them. Ralston and a contingent of servants will cover the stables, barns, and other outbuildings. I stop at the kitchen on my way out and pick up a few of Fred’s favorite muffins in case I need to entice them out of a tree.
The search is long and fruitless. We return to the palace around noon, hungry, exhausted, and downtrodden. Cook has laid out a buffet of crusty rolls, sliced meats, and fresh salads, along with icy pitchers of tea and lemonade. I know by her worried eyes that the old softy is distraught over the Skorplings’ disappearance, even though she constantly threatens to make Skorpling stew out of them.
Ralston, Patrick, and I heap our plates high with food from the long tables in the kitchen courtyard, and wander over to eat at a table under the trees. The courtyard is crowded not only with searchers but also with the workers assigned the task of destroying the Unicoi firearms. While we were searching, they were breaking down guns and rifles, saving the metal for scrap and sending the wood to be incinerated in the foundry ovens.
“What do we do now, Rals? Do you think we can get any help from, you know, the agency.” I cut my eyes to Patrick who is concentrating on shoveling food in his mouth. I’m really not supposed to talk about IUGA in front of anyone. Nobody other than Asher and the Cleadians know that Ralston works for them.
He shakes his head. “I’m afraid not. At any rate, they probably do not have such information. Perhaps Ryder would lend us some Unicoi trackers.”
“That’s a good idea. I’ll send word to him.” I nibble at some potato salad. It’s exceptionally good, but my mind is elsewhere. “Something’s been bothering me all day,” I say. “It just doesn’t feel right—Fred and Ethel wandering off like that. Am I being paranoid, or is it possible they were stolen or deliberately set free?” In the deepest darkest corner of my mind, I’m suspicious of Uncle Harold and his henchmen.
Patrick stops chewing and looks over at me. “If I may, Princess, I’ve been wondering the same. I was not here to check on them last night. Perhaps someone took advantage of that.”
Ralston opens his mouth to say something, but before he can speak, Osrielle bursts into the courtyard, tears cascading down her face. Her crinoline-lined skirts billow out behind her. She hurries to me and throws her arms around my neck. “Oh, Cousin, it is so terrible. Where could Fred and Ethel have gone? Do you think they’ll come back?”
I wrap my arms around her. “I don’t know, Ozzie. I hope so.” She sobs uncontrollably in my arms. “Sweetie, I’m sure they’re fine. Is something else wrong?” I hold her at arm’s length, searching her face.
“They were my only friends. I just want to go home, Jaden. I miss my mother so much. I hate it here. I want to go back to the farm.”
“Have you spoken with your father about this?”
“Yes.” She sniffles, wiping her nose with her hand. “He says we can’t leave because we have important business here, and I might be queen someday. But I don’t want to be queen ever.” Her voice is loud and shrill. Several others in the courtyard swivel around to look at her.
“Oz, have you told your mother you want to come home?”
“Father won’t allow me to write to her. He says she’ll have to come here if she wants to see me. But I miss her. Please, Cousin, talk to Father for me. Please tell him to send me home. He’ll have to obey you.”
Her misery is palpable as I hold her close, peering helplessly over her shoulder at Ralston. He tilts his head toward the kitchen door. Uncle Harold strides toward us, his face tense.
“There you are, Osrielle. What is all this?” he says.
Oz pulls away from my embrace, wiping her tears with her fingers. She stares at the ground. “I miss Fred and Ethel,” she says in a small voice.
“Please pardon the interruption, Princess. Has the search turned up anything promising?” Uncle Harold asks.
“Not really,” I say, weighing whether or not to mention Oz’s outburst. I decide this is not the best place to question him about her unhappiness. “We’re calling in some Unicoi trackers this afternoon, though. If anyone can find them, they can.”
Uncle Harold lifts his pale eyebrows. Do I see a flicker of concern in his eyes, or is it just my imagination? “Ah, trackers. Excellent,” he says. “Although, it’s been hours since the Skorplings escaped. I’m not certain there is much left to discover.”
I half-smile at him. “You’d be surprised at what they can find. They’re pretty remarkable.”
“Yes well, Jaden, I wonder if I might have a word with you at some point this afternoon? I realize it is the Sabbath, and normally I would not ask you to break it, but there is a minor point of business which requires some attention before morning. May I impose upon you at your convenience?”
“Yes, sure. I have a few things to do after lunch, but I could meet with you at three.”
“Wonderful. Shall we say my office at three o’clock?”
“Actually, let’s meet in Mother’s office.” I want him on my turf.
“Certainly. Thank you.” He turns to his daughter. “Osrielle, come now. Let us allow the princess to eat in peace.” He bows and takes Osrielle’s hand leading her back toward the kitchen door.
“Bye, Oz,” I call. She gives a small wave of her hand.
I catch Ralston’s eye. “Are you believing all that?”
“Poor child,” he says. “I fear her father’s ambitions are causing her great unhappiness. I can only imagine what her mother must be going through.”
“Aunt Judith wouldn’t allow Oz to stay if she knew how miserable she is. I’m sure of it. I’ll mention it to Mother. In the meantime, I wonder what Harold wants to see me about.”
“One can only imagine,” Ralston says, lifting his eyes skyward. “But do not feel pressured into anything, my dear. If you are uncomfortable with the subject matter, simply tell him you will take the matter under advisement. If he tries to pressure you, just dismiss him.”
“Good advice, Rals. Thanks. I think I’ll clean up and get that message off to Ryder.” I hoist myself up from the table. Patrick and Ralston immediately rise. “Sit, sit,” I say and head off to my room.
Dashing off a quick note to Ryder, I explain that the Skorplings have gone missing and ask if he can spare one or two trackers to help with the search. Adding a line about how much I’m looking forward to seeing him this afternoon, I’m tempted to write “xoxo,” but I don’t think he’d get it, so I just say Love, Jaden. I instruct the messenger to make certain Chief Blackthorn receives it as soon as possible.
A long luxurious bath pushes my worries about the Skorplings temporarily out of my mind. Ryder will be here in a few short hours, and nothing can dampen my happiness tonight. We’re back together again, and as unbelievable as it seems, soon we’ll be married. That’s so weird. We’ll live together and sleep in the same bed every night. I suppose he’ll move into my room. I try to imagine what it will be like sharing a room with him—his clothes scattered among mine; his hairbrush in my bathroom. It’s over-the-top incredible. I can’t stop a silly grin from spreading across my face. Holding my breath, I sink beneath the water and giggle for joy.
Dressing for dinner tonight may be a little tricky, I realize as I dry off and slip
into my robe. I want to look hot enough to take Ryder’s breath away. But, I also want to look kick-ass regal and commanding so Uncle Harold will know he’s not dealing with a push-over. I gaze at the selection of dresses in my closet trying to channel Coco Chanel, but after twenty minutes or so, I’m forced to throw up my arms in defeat. This is way beyond my set of fashion skills. I open the door to the hallway, and a butler magically appears.
“May I help you, ma’am?”
“Yes. Find Maria for me, please.”
Maria arrives still flustered and apologetic about the Skorplings’ disappearance. I assure her that no one blames her and that everything is being done to locate them.
