Page 27 of The Accidental Prince (Accidentally in Love #3)
K arl walked alongside Father Durin in the fields, stopping to examine the soil. Although it was too soon to plant, the earth was muddy and covered in puddles with poor drainage.
He’d used the excursion as a means of clearing his head after the encounter with Serena earlier.
Watching her come apart beneath his hands had affected him worse than he’d imagined it would.
Even now, his groin ached, and the suffering was exactly what he deserved.
The more his mind tormented him with images of Serena naked in her bath, the more he wanted to return to the manor house and seduce her thoroughly.
He’d taken advantage of her lie to the servants that they were married. But now that she knew the truth about him, no doubt she hated him for the way he’d used her.
It’s nothing less than you deserve , his conscience reminded him. He’d been so centered on regaining a kingdom, he’d ignored all the rules of respectability. He hadn’t thought about her needs—only his own.
He still wanted her, even if he couldn’t be a prince. And although he’d forced her to kiss him, it hadn’t truly been against her will. Her hands had come up to touch his face, almost as if she wanted him, too.
Being with Serena had shifted the ground under his feet. Although he wanted a kingdom, even if he had the chance to wed another princess, he couldn’t do it any more. The only woman he wanted was Serena.
It seemed he was destined to lose everything he ever cared about. He knew better than to think she would accept a man like him. All he could do was protect her from her father, take her away from the island, and give her the life she wanted.
“The rainfall has been three times as bad this year,” Father Durin was saying. “But if we start the men digging ditches, we may be able to salvage the crops.”
“Has it always been this way?” Karl bent down to examine the sodden earth while he tried to recall what he’d read of agricultural drainage.
“No,” the priest answered. “But so many islanders have left, there aren’t enough men for the farming.”
Karl moved out of the fields, staring at the island. Long stretches of sand lined the shore, and the hills rose gradually, offering a breathtaking view of the sea. Although it wasn’t the intense blue of the Mediterranean, the rough waves had their own untamed beauty. “What else is here?”
The priest shrugged. “Not a great deal. No coal or gold, if that’s what you’re meaning.”
Karl walked alongside the older man for a time, letting his mind drift. Father Durin was speaking to him, but he didn’t hear a word the priest was saying. He could only stare out at the aggressive waves, wondering if Serena would want anything to do with him after the way he’d touched her.
Bastard that he was, he didn’t regret it. He’d loved watching her come apart, the water sluicing over her naked skin. He’d wanted more, even knowing he deserved none of it.
In the distance, he saw her surrounded by ladies. They were walking along the grass, and Serena carried a bright yellow parasol. Her gown was white, trimmed with yellow ribbons, and she reminded him of a slice of frosted cake.
He knew the moment she spied him, for she stopped walking abruptly. Karl shielded his eyes against the sun and watched her draw closer, trailed by the maids. She hesitated, staring at him as if she were contemplating what to say to him now.
“Your Highness?” Durin repeated.
Karl glanced back at the man. “Go on.”
“I was asking what you want to do about the men who attempted to kidnap the princess?” the priest continued.
Karl didn’t care what happened, as long as they were punished for their crimes.
The priest moved to his side and ventured, “I would suggest that, rather than a prison sentence, you allow them to exchange hard labor in return for a reduction in their punishment.”
“Why? They hurt the princess and might have done worse.” He didn’t truly see a reason for mercy.
Serena was holding on to her skirts as she trudged uphill toward him. Karl saw the determined look in her eyes and wondered what exactly she wanted.
“A great deal of these men can’t feed their own children,” the priest continued. “I know them, and I believe they regret their actions.”
“Possibly.” It was what Serena had said earlier, but he was less inclined to release her kidnappers.
By now, Serena had nearly reached his side. She slowed her pace at the sight of the priest, but he paid little heed to what Durin was saying.
Instead, he was staring at her flushed face and the white gown that covered her from collared throat to the floor-length hem.
Her bonnet was tied beneath her chin, and her gloves were spotless.
Though she spoke not a word about their bathing interlude, he caught the frown playing about her mouth.
The prim and proper princess had returned, so it seemed.
“Your Highness, someone has to reestablish the justice system here,” Father Durin was insisting. “Perhaps your brother, the Fürst—”
“Are you enjoying your walk, Princess Serena?” he interrupted, cutting off the priest’s words.
Serena sent a sharp look toward the priest. “I was. The weather is much nicer today.”
With a nod to her ladies, she bid them stand a short distance away to grant them a private conversation. “You were saying something about the justice system, Father Durin?”
As she walked alongside the priest, Karl could almost imagine her unspoken chastisement. Although she kept a pleasant tone in her responses to the priest, he could feel her discontent.
“We need intervention from the king,” Father Durin continued. “The supplies that arrived today will be a good start, but we still need more. For years, our petitions to the king went unanswered.”
“I never saw a single petition,” Karl remarked. “If they asked for help, we knew nothing of it.”
“It may be that the governor never sent them,” the priest admitted.
“What will you do now?” the princess asked, facing him. When Karl shrugged, she stepped in front of him. “You cannot ignore what’s happening here.”
He turned the question back on her. “And what do you suggest?”
Serena turned to face the ocean. “If it were my island, I would gather the townspeople together and have them select representatives to form a council.” Before he could say another word, she continued, “Attempting to grow crops upon this island is a waste of time. Let them plant their own gardens if they wish, but it’s better to bring in food from the mainland.
Allow Lohenberg to sell their supplies here. ”
“Forgive me, Your Highness, but how would the people pay for these supplies?” the priest interrupted. “There is little that the folk here can exchange for food.”
“They could exchange services. Many of the wealthy families would welcome the chance to spend some time on an island.” She described her ideas for cozy cottages lining the sea cliffs. In each dwelling, there would be the finest beds and linens, along with a caretaker, cook, and servants.
“It would never work,” Karl argued.
“Not yet,” she agreed. “But it would offer employment to many who can no longer farm.”
The idea struck him as entirely too fanciful and not practical. But he understood the inspiration. “Like the escape you were looking for.”
“Yes.” Her gaze turned to the sea, where a few ships bobbed upon the waves.
“You won the wager,” Karl kept his voice low. “Have you decided where you’ll go?”
Serena shook her head. “I thought about a Greek island or perhaps Italy. But you’re right. No matter where I go, they won’t stop looking for me.”
Though her complexion paled, she looked as though she were trying to be brave. “If I’m ever to gain my freedom, I have to face the king.” With a deep breath, she added, “I’ll stay here until then.”
“I’ll help you stand against him.” It was more than holding up his end of the wager; it was his desire to avenge her for what she’d suffered.
“No.” She sent him a regal nod. “Once it’s done, you can escort me to another island. That will be sufficient. In the meantime, I’ll leave you to discuss your plans.” She raised her hand to signal to her ladies, and they flanked her as they returned to the manor house.
Although her tone was cool, Karl didn’t miss the hurt and anger beneath it. She wanted nothing at all to do with him, believing that he’d only wanted her throne. It might have started out that way, but not anymore.
After they’d gone, Karl eyed the priest. “What do you think of her idea to revive Vertraumen’s economy? Impractical?”
Father Durin’s eyes narrowed and he ignored the question. “When are you going to marry her and stop living a life of sin?”
“When she says yes,” he countered.
The priest gave a heavy sigh of defeat and shrugged. “The princess’s idea holds some merit. There are enough abandoned homes that we might be able to renovate them. With appropriate funds, of course.”
“I’ll speak to my father.”
The priest’s face grew troubled. “Will he listen to you, now that you’re no longer the heir?” It was a valid concern.
“Vertraumen is still one of our provinces,” Karl answered. “I don’t believe the king will turn his back on them.”
“And what of you?” Durin asked. “Has he turned his back on you?”
Karl sent the priest a dark look. “He hardly ever noticed me. Even when I was the prince.”
Serena sat within the library, feeling restless. She’d watched the ships arriving on the horizon, and despite her resolution to stay here and face the king, the waiting was pressing down upon her nerves.
Even when she retreated to the garden outside, the ladies were there, hovering around her. She took no comfort from them, for it only reminded her of her father’s impending arrival. There had to be some way to occupy her time, or she’d go mad.
She stood up from the lawn and asked one of the ladies, “Who has been distributing the supplies to the islanders?”
“Bernard and several of the guards,” the woman answered. “They’ve been delivering grain for most of the morning.”