Page 47

“This way,” he says as he takes my hand. It’s an intimate action I would resist with anyone else, but with him it feels totally natural, and in this moment I fantasise about being a younger version of myself, happily being led to a secret place of intimacy by my lover.

Awakening. The word sounds in the back of my mind, and I wonder if this sort of fantasising is what the prince was talking about.

Barra’s fingers tighten around mine and I feel him take my weight as he helps me negotiate a large gap between two stones.

Strong, solid, protective, dependable. These are the cornerstones of Barra and I feel blessed he is willing to deploy these parts of himself for my benefit.

The sky is darkening when we squeeze our way between two gigantic boulders and find ourselves in a clearing. I notice a ring of stones in the middle of it with two small stones in the centre and one outside. I instinctively know this is a sign from Aaran and I also think I know what it means.

“Does he wish for us to remain here?” I ask Barra.

He looks at me, a surprised expression on his face. “Yes, he is nearby and will join us presently, but for the time being he wishes for us to remain here.”

I sit on a large, flat stone and take in my surroundings.

The ground in the clearing is even and, thankfully, grassy.

There are a few bushes and three scraggy trees, by the side of which runs a small stream.

It means there’s wood for a fire, water and a place to sleep which makes it as good a place as any to wait.

The sky is darkening and night will soon be upon us. My heart flips in my chest at the thought of the prince out there in the Craglands all alone. Barra walks towards the trees. “I’ll get a fire going for us,” he announces as he starts to collect twigs and branches from the ground.

I jump up and start to make my way over to help him when he raises his hand. “No, Queen Elinor, please rest,” he insists. “The journey has been arduous and you didn’t get any sleep last night.”

I ignore him and start to pick sticks up from the ground.

“I’m fine,” I inform him, “but the nights here at this time of the year can be bitterly cold and I’d prefer to have a fire going sooner rather than later.

So the quicker we can get that going, the better.

Plus, it’s not so long ago you were laid up in your sick bed, and I know you are greatly recovered from your injuries, but you too must be weary. ”

He smiles a tight smile. “Fine,” he agrees, as he smashes a large branch in two with his foot, “let us not waste precious energy bickering and light the fire.” His smile loosens and broadens. “I have to admit to being more hungry than weary.”

The flames of the fire leap into the night sky as I take the meat, bread, cheese and wine from my knapsack.

“Mmmmm…” Barra groans appreciatively as he savours the first mouthful. “I think I shall marry the castle’s cook.”

I laugh at his merry expression and emphatic pronouncement. “You might want to check about that with her husband first,” I advise him.

He places his hand on his heart, affects a sad face and in an overly dramatic fashion announces, “Such a cruel world, to finally find the woman of your dreams only to discover she is wed to another.” He plops another piece of bread in his mouth and smiles broadly.

I laugh and it feels good to enjoy a lighter moment in this gloomy place. “Never mind,” I declare, “I’m sure your dream lady waits for you somewhere out there, or perhaps you have a sweetheart back in Ellerban?”

He shakes his head. “There’s no-one special waiting for me back in Ellerban. My life as one of the prince’s elite soldiers was not conducive to forging any sort of meaningful relationship. Plus, I always had a sense the one meant for me was elsewhere.”

He looks directly into my eyes as he says the last sentence and I can’t help feeling there is a deeper meaning to his words. I take a drink of wine and try to settle my racing heart back down.

“How interesting,” I muse, “do you therefore believe in destiny?”

He grins. “Without a doubt. What about you?”

I stare into the flames of the fire as I ponder his question. A few short weeks ago my answer would have been quite different to the one I offer now. “I think destiny plays a part in our lives, but I also believe there are times when we must be brave enough to make our own destiny.”

“Hmmm…” he replies, as he takes a generous drink of his wine. “That’s a most interesting answer, especially for a queen.”

I’m puzzled as to how he thinks my answer is most interesting, especially for a queen. “How so? I ask.

“As a queen I would imagine you are completely the mistress of your own destiny. Who would challenge you?”

I smile ruefully into the flames. “Alas, if only it were that simple,” I reply.

“The crown is weighted with duty and expectations, formalities and tradition. Even as I sit here, a grave threat lies against me and my people. It is one I had hoped to change by being brave enough to shun tradition and make my own destiny with the co-operation of the prince. However, if I don’t find him soon, all that will be undone, and for the sake of my people I fear I must submit to my fate. ”

His expression deepens and becomes serious. “Fear not, Queen Elinor, Aaran and I won’t let you down. We shall return the prince to you by the rise of the midday sun.”

His words are so heartfelt and his expression so sincere, I feel the flicker of hope I’ve been carrying since we left the castle burst into a flame. “Thank you,” I whisper, as a wave of weariness washes over me.

We sit in silence, watching the flames dance with the darkness.

I sip my wine, grateful for the heat of the fire upon my face as I feel the chill of the night at my back.

The night is well settled in around us when the silence is pierced with a singular howl.

Then slowly, one by one, a string of howls surround us.

I instinctively move closer to Barra and throw more sticks on the fire.

“The wolves you mentioned,” he observes.

I nod in reply. “Yes, and it would seem there are plenty of them.”

“Interesting,” he says in a low voice.

This isn’t quite the response I expected. “Interesting?”

“Yes. The prince has an affinity with wolves. Each time Aaran and I found him on the mountain he was in the company of wolves.”

I’m so shocked to hear this, I nearly drop my goblet of wine. “What?” I ask, fearing I misheard him.

He smiles at my shocked reaction. “The prince,” he says, “he has a natural affinity with wolves. This is good, Queen Elinor, because if the wolves are nearby it means the prince probably is too.”

“You believe no harm will come to him?” I ask, desperately trying to control the anxiety flaring in my chest.

“I think we have more to fear from them than the prince,” he replies.

“And Aaran?”

He laughs. “The wolves have more to fear from him than he from them.”

The last of the howls stops and an eerie silence settles on the chilly night air.

“We should sleep close to the fire and to each other,” he suggests, “just to be on the safe side.”

I nod. “Yes, of course, but what about Aaran? Shouldn’t he be here with us by now?”

He pours some more wine into my goblet. “He’ll make his presence known when he’s ready. He’s probably close by making sure we’re safe from the wolves before he retires for the night.”

I drink the rest of my wine, comforted by the heat of the fire, and it’s not long before the combination of both begin to take effect, and I feel my eyelids grow heavy.

Soon, I feel a heat of another kind and my body being supported by a strong, yet soft structure.

I snuggle into it, hungry for the warmth it provides and the feeling of safety it brings me.

“That’s right, Queen Elinor,” Barra’s soft voice whispers. “I am your most loyal servant and your shelter. Take from me what you need.”

Strange he should mention what I need, because in that moment I have an overwhelming need to feel his lips on mine.

I open my eyes to find myself snuggled into his chest, his strong arms wrapped around me, keeping me safe.

He’s looking down at me and I get the impression he has been watching me fall asleep in his arms.

My eyes connect with his and in that unguarded moment the feelings he has hinted at having for me are laid bare. Desire, mixed with affection, shines as bright as the flames from the fire. He quickly goes to turn his head and I can feel his embarrassment.

“No,” I whisper, as I reach my hand up and turn his face back to mine, “don’t look away from me.”

He doesn’t resist my touch and his eyes look deep into mine, telling me of his nervousness and apprehension. I feel my heart melt a little at how unsure he is and the fact he doesn’t try to hide it behind any bravado.

“Kiss me,” I command him.

He doesn’t move and for a moment I wonder if he heard me, but then he bends his head and places a kiss of such aching tenderness upon my lips I feel my head spin.

He begins to pull away but I reach out, place my hand behind his head, and press his lips back to mine.

I feel him smile and it’s as if I’ve given him the permission he was seeking.

He kisses me again, and this time it’s with all the fervour and passion of a man who is finally getting the one thing he has secretly longed for.

His lips press against mine with an insistent need, demanding and hungry.

His arms tighten around me, pulling me closer to him so there is nothing between us, only the war cloth and leather of our uniforms.