Page 23 of The Accidental Prince (Accidentally in Love #3)

T he fierce heat consumed the small hut, and Karl suspected Father Durin had used oil to speed up the flames.

He took Serena’s hand and ran outside with her, while the other men coughed and stumbled from the flames.

All around them were armed men while the priest held his own weapon.

As promised, he’d managed to recruit the forces they needed.

When they reached the circle of men, Serena kept close to his side. “Who are these men?”

“I sent Father Durin to hire men we could trust. I couldn’t have gotten you out without help.” She rubbed her arms, and Karl drew her cloak tighter around her.

“He hasn’t forgotten his days as a castle guard, has he?” she predicted in a low voice.

“No. And I trust him,” Karl admitted. The priest had once been a strong fighter, and his decision to take holy vows had not diminished his skills.

“What will happen to the men who tried to kidnap me?” Serena risked a glance at the men. Father Durin’s hired soldiers had surrounded them.

“Until the king’s men arrive, They’ll remain imprisoned. Bernard and Samuel will bring back forces from Lohenberg within another day or so, and They’ll stand trial for their crimes.”

“They needed the money,” she said quietly. “They were starving.” With a breath, she added, “Instead of punishing them, I think we should show mercy.”

He reached out and touched the dried blood on her forehead and his gaze grew rigid. “They hurt you.” Mercy wasn’t a word in his vocabulary, when it came to those who harmed someone under his protection. Taking a defenseless woman, for any amount of money, was unforgivable.

“Not that badly.” Her eyes met his, the fire reflected within the green. “For a while, I was afraid you wouldn’t find me.”

“I would always find you.” He reached out and took her hand in his. For a moment, her eyes stared into his, but her silence held a yearning that echoed his own.

Her palms were cold, her body shaking with exhaustion. She needed sleep and warmth right now. With her hand in his, he led her to his waiting horse. “I’m taking you back to the abbey, since it’s closest.”

“Alone?” She looked uneasy about the prospect. It was understandable, given the earlier attack.

“We’ll take a few men as escorts, and there will be additional guards within the hour,” he promised. “Durin will send them, once he’s handled the matter of your captors.”

When he boosted her up on the gelding, Karl swung up behind her. “The three days aren’t over yet, Princess.”

She didn’t meet his gaze when he held her close, trying to warm her. As they rode away, the air was heavy with smoke.

It was your fault they took her , his conscience taunted. You never should have left her alone.

He’d mistakenly believed they were well hidden from their enemies.

It had been an error of pride, one he intended to correct with the men he’d hired.

Tonight they would have a dozen men guarding the perimeter of the gates, and perhaps in the morning, Bernard would return with supplies from Lohenberg.

As he held on to Serena’s waist, his mind plagued him with thoughts of what might have happened to her. She’d been completely at their mercy, and he worried that she hadn’t shared everything that had happened.

The horse covered miles of shoreline until they reached the narrow forest path toward the abbey. Serena rested her back against him but didn’t speak a word. Only when they reached the gates did Karl dismount and lift her down. Since she wore no shoes, he continued to carry her inside.

“Please, put me down,” she protested.

“Not yet. You haven’t any shoes.” He brought her within the large hall with the Gothic windows, before he crossed over to the winding staircase. For a moment, he eyed it, considering what to do.

“If you try to carry me up those narrow stairs, you’ll knock my head against the wall,” Serena warned. “I can walk.”

She was right, and he saw no choice but to let her down. When her bare feet touched the ground, she winced at the cold.

Karl followed her up the stairs to the chamber, noticing the abrasions around her ankles from the ropes. And yet, as she walked, she carried herself like the princess she was. Her posture was straight, her hemline gently lifted as she ascended.

But he scented the fear around her and the way she seemed to be holding herself together by the barest thread. He blamed himself that they’d taken her. The injuries were his fault for not protecting her well enough. And no matter that they’d achieved a rescue, he couldn’t forget his failure.

When she opened the door to her chamber, Karl spied the straw mattress on the floor.

He’d forgotten how meager her accommodations were, for he’d deliberately kept everything austere.

He’d meant to provoke her into agreeing to the marriage.

Instead, it made him feel like the bastard he was, for treating her like this. She hadn’t deserved any of it.

His gaze fixated upon the mattress while his mind went through an ordered list of how to best handle the situation.

“If you’ll build me a fire, I’ll be comfortable enough,” Serena said.

Her expression had Go Away firmly written on it.

He wasn’t about to extend her suffering for another night. Not when he could offer her something better.

“You’re not sleeping on that tonight.”

She sent him a confused look but followed him outside the chamber, down to the largest chamber where he’d spent the previous night. Karl pointed inside his own room. “You’ll sleep here.” Though the bed was small, at least the coverlet was warm.

Serena turned and stared at him. “You had a bed last night while I slept on the floor?”

He ignored the question and began preparing a fire in the hearth. From behind him, he heard her approach. “Answer me, Fürst Karl. Did you sleep there?”

“I did.” He stood while the fire struggled to catch hold of the tinder. Behind her pale complexion, he saw the anger rising. There were no excuses for what he’d done, and he didn’t bother attempting an explanation. “I made the wager intending to win. By any means possible.”

Her eyes glittered like shards of ice. “And you thought that would make me want to marry you?”

“I’m a bastard, Serena.” He admitted the truth, even knowing she wouldn’t take it for its true meaning. “I always have been.”

She stared at him, shaking her head. “I know you rescued me tonight. And perhaps you think I owe you a debt. But—”

“You’re not going to marry me,” he finished. “And you’d die before considering it, wouldn’t you?”

She stared at him in disbelief, as if she couldn’t find the right words to respond. But neither did she deny it.

“I’ll sleep in your old chamber tonight,” he informed her. “In the meantime, I’ll bring you something for your wrists and ankles. And food.”

She moved nearer to the fire, huddling as close as she dared. Just as he was about to leave, she admitted, “Today was yet another reason why I don’t want to be a princess any more.”

In her eyes, he saw the downtrodden look, as if she had little hope remaining. There was nothing he could say to convince her otherwise, for she’d already given up. If she wanted nothing more to do with him, so be it.

He left her in search of warm water and bandages for her wrists and ankles. All the while, he tried to convince himself to simply send her away. Let her live her own life, since that was what she wanted.

But she was innocent of the ways of the world. Someone would take advantage of her naivety and exploit her weaknesses.

He tore off a piece of bread from a loaf and slammed it on a tray, along with some wine. The problem was, he didn’t want to send her off by herself. Despite her wishes, he wasn’t about to return to Lohenberg as a defeated man.

Karl returned to her chamber with a tray he’d arranged, as well as an old pair of Durin’s shoes. It wouldn’t do much, but it made him feel as if he could make amends for what had happened.

When he entered the room, he found her sitting in the same place. Her hands were clenched around her knees as if she couldn’t get warm.

“Here.” He handed her a cup of wine and the bread, not entirely certain how old it was. While she ate and drank, he turned his attention to her feet, lifting the hem of her gown to her ankles.

She froze at the touch of his hands and pulled her feet away. “You needn’t bother. They’ll be fine in the morning.”

He ignored her and dipped a cloth in the water, washing away the dried blood from her ankle. She gave a slight gasp at the cold water, but held still. Her feet were dirty, and when he started to wash them, she winced.

“I’m sorry,” she managed. “It tickled.” She reached for the cloth from him, but he wouldn’t relinquish it yet.

Instead, he rested her bare foot upon his knee and washed the top of her foot and ankle, moving down to the sole.

Her feet were delicate and bruised, the ankles reddened from where her captors had bound her.

She stared at him in silence, as if she couldn’t understand why he was doing this.

“It was my fault they took you,” he said quietly. His hands moved over her other foot, washing the dirt away, and he felt the rise of goosebumps over her skin. “I won’t let it happen again.”

She acknowledged his promise with a nod and said, “I’ve stayed here too long. It’s not safe, and I need to leave in the morning.”

“Not yet. We have our wager to finish.” He handed her the shoes he’d borrowed. They were too large, but she put them on without complaint.

“Karl, I don’t think—”

“You gave your word. Just as I gave mine,” he reminded her. “One more day, and at the end of it, you’ll wed me. Or I’ll take you away myself.”

Her gaze turned serious, and she tucked her feet beneath her skirts. “I never know what to expect from you.” She gripped her hands together, adding, “You’re not like the other princes I’ve met.”

“Spoiled and arrogant?”

“Not spoiled. But arrogant, sometimes.” From her tone it almost sounded like a compliment. “And ruthless.”