Page 11

Chapter

Eleven

T wo guards were waiting outside the door, and Cassius dismissed one, not eager to have a trio trailing after him through the castle. Flora kept pace with the other guard, giving no sign that she noticed the whispers or the stares she was eliciting from everyone they passed.

Cassius noticed, though. And it bothered him much more than it should. He had to work hard not to glare darkly at every gawker. He knew the best way to take the power out of gossip was to ignore it. But it was strangely hard where Flora was concerned.

When he reached the king’s study, he knocked once before letting himself in. The king was seated behind an enormous walnut desk, his brow heavy as he scanned a letter.

“Father.” Cassius closed the door behind him, relieved to find the king alone.

“Cassius.” King Aelius looked up, his expression not relaxing at the sight of his son. “What brings you here? ”

“I want to speak to you about the alliance,” said Cassius, not one to beat about the bush.

“Did I not tell you yesterday that we must await the investigation?” his father said.

“Yes.” Cassius lowered himself into a chair. “But while the investigation proceeds, can we not continue preparations? Surely we wish to be ready to move forward quickly once we have all the information. I think we should communicate with the Siqualian crown, at the very least. I don’t even know for certain whether the delegation made it back to Sindon without further mishap.”

“They did.” His father laid the parchment flat against the surface of the desk. “This letter is from the Siqualian king.”

“What does he say?” Cassius leaned forward.

“It’s a strange letter.” King Aelius’s frown deepened. “I’m not sure I like his tone.”

“What do you mean?” Cassius asked cautiously. “Does he offer us insult? Does he believe we are behind the attack on his daughter?”

“It’s possible.” The king cast his eyes over the letter again. “He doesn’t say as much. But nor does he take responsibility for failing to prevent the attack from occurring on his soil.”

“What does he say of the alliance?” Cassius asked tensely. If Siqual was determined to withdraw from it, it would be near impossible to fulfill the terms of Lord Armand’s cursed tether.

“He expresses willingness to continue negotiations,” the king said dismissively. “But I can see no urgency to do so.”

“Father, you must reconsider.” Cassius placed his fist on the polished wooden surface of the desk. “ I believe it is of utmost importance to secure this alliance, and that we would be wise to act swiftly.”

“The weaker party to an alliance might scramble to secure it,” King Aelius said coolly. “We have no need to do so.”

“But, Father—”

“I found his mention of your new guard to be strange,” the king interrupted him.

The words effectively stopped Cassius’s protests. “Strange in what way?” he asked uneasily.

“He says he trusts the princess’s bodyguard is being well cared for, as befits a member of the Siqualian royal guard. But then he says that he does not object to the transfer becoming permanent as a gesture of their willingness to continue working toward an alliance.” The king looked up at him. “As though we have need of the services of some scrawny Siqualian girl!”

A trickle of something unpleasant went over Cassius. It took him a moment to realize it was sympathy for Flora. It seemed the Siqualian king was perfectly ready to cast her aside. Perhaps he was not as convinced of the wisdom of a female bodyguard as Flora had made it sound.

The memory of her face as she accused him of speaking of her like an item to be gifted between kings flashed before his eyes.

“It’s a very strange sequence. One moment seeming to threaten retribution if the girl is harmed, the next telling us to keep her.” The king laid the letter flat again. “I begin to think the Siqualian king is a halfwit, which does not endear me to the idea of an alliance with him.”

“He’s not a halfwit, Father,” said Cassius wearily. “I suspect he wants to simultaneously use her position with his royal guard as an opportunity to demand Siqual be respected, and offer her services as a sign of goodwill in place of the apology he should have given regarding the attack on his territory.”

The king considered this. “You’re likely right,” he announced, his tone scornful.

Cassius shifted in his seat. He wasn’t right, he was making excuses he thought his father would believe. Much more likely the veiled threat about treating Flora well had been a reference by the Siqualian king to the fact that she was forcibly taken from the delegation without their consent. But Cassius had no intention of telling his father that. He could only be grateful that the Siqualian king hadn’t said it in as many words. The other king would have assumed that King Aelius knew about the tether, and would therefore have expected King Aelius to recognize the unspoken disapproval of it. It seemed Prince Theodore had taken Cassius’s hint and persuaded his father not to cause a diplomatic incident over the bodyguard’s unfortunate situation.

A situation which, in itself, the Siqualian king clearly didn’t care about. Not if he was ready to give Flora to the Carrackian crown.

Cassius winced. As if she was a gift to be given, just like she’d so furiously claimed.

“Is that all it says?” Cassius asked.

“More or less,” said his father. “Just other irrelevancies, like the princess sending her regards to her old guard.”

“I will inform her of it,” Cassius said.

“You will not.” His father frowned at him. “You are not an errand boy to the Siqualian king, Cassius, and I shouldn’t need to remind you of it.”

Cassius was saved the need to reply by a knock on the door. The reprieve was anything but welcome, however, when the new arrival turned out to be Sir Keavling.

“Ah, come in.” The king waved his new favorite in. “Your arrival is timely. We were just discussing the matter of the alliance.”

“Indeed, Your Majesty?” Sir Keavling bowed to both the king and the prince. “Is there new information regarding the attackers?”

“Not yet,” said the king.

“Ah.”

Sir Keavling’s politely furrowed brow perfectly conveyed his confusion at the topic being open in those circumstances. It was masterful, Cassius reflected bitterly.

He angled his body away from the nobleman, deciding to ignore him. “The preparations I mentioned, Father.”

“I told you, Cassius.” The king sounded impatient. “We have no need for haste. It is the Siqualians who stand to lose if the alliance does not proceed.”

Cassius fought his frustration, struggling to think of a way to reach his father.

Again, his response was forestalled by Sir Keavling.

“I see your new bodyguard is on duty again, Your Highness.” The man’s voice sounded faintly amused. “She has remarkable stamina, it seems. Does she never have time off duty?”

“What’s that?” The king frowned at Cassius. “You mean to say she’s shadowing you again today? Cassius, you cannot trust her. I know you don’t think her capable of—”

“Capability has nothing to do with it,” Cassius said impatiently. “She’s not a spy, Father, she’s a guard. And she’s not always on duty, that’s absurd. She wasn’t on duty overnight.”

“Wasn’t she? ”

The remark from Sir Keavling was said so politely, Cassius was sure his father wouldn’t have picked up the insinuation. But he did, and it enraged him. He wouldn’t be surprised to learn that Sir Keavling had been asking questions of the servants.

He longed to confront the nobleman as to why he was so interested in Flora, but focusing on the issue was the opposite of what he wanted. He stood.

“You will notify me as soon as there’s any update regarding the investigation?”

“Naturally,” his father said, not looking up.

Irritated, Cassius strode from the study, moving blindly down the corridor in a familiar route. He was most of the way to the training yard when he realized the problem. He came to a halt, turning to face the two guards keeping pace with him.

One of whom was Flora. A young woman. He could hardly take her to the training yard. And yet he couldn’t go without her. It was all very frustrating.

“Is all well, Your Highness?” the other guard asked.

“Of course,” said Cassius. “I’m in the mood for a bout or two at the training yard. Your services won’t be needed there. You’re both dismissed.”

While the guard acknowledged the order and turned away, Flora stared at Cassius in silent consternation. At a pointed look from him, she started to walk away as well.

“Oh, Flora.” Cassius spoke as if the thought had just occurred to him. “Some instructions were received for you from the Siqualian king.”

The other guard checked his steps for only a moment before realizing that the words weren’t addressed to him and continuing on his way. Once he was out of hearing range, Flora spoke .

“I thought you’d forgotten. You’re a convincing actor, Your Highness.”

He grunted, but he was prevented from replying by the appearance of a pair of servants around the nearest corner. It would look strange if they stood there talking.

“Come on,” he said quietly, beginning to walk again.

Flora kept pace, her voice low as well. “I assume the talk of instructions from Siqual was just an excuse?”

“Actually, my father did receive a letter from the Siqualian king,” Cassius said. “Princess Miriam sends you her regards.”

“Poor Mim.” Flora smiled ruefully. “She’ll be worrying, and probably blaming herself.” She glanced up at him. “Was that all?”

“Well…” Cassius hesitated. He wasn’t eager to tell her the other message relating to her. But she had the right to know. “There was more. The king expressed his willingness for your change in role to become permanent.”

Flora cast a quick look up at him, and he caught a moment of distress before she shuttered her features.

“I see,” she said quietly. “It seems my time serving as Princess Miriam’s bodyguard has come to an end.”

“I’m sorry,” Cassius said.

“Don’t be.” Flora shook her head. “I knew my time was limited once the betrothal was proposed. It’s not as though I have any reason to keep working in the castle in Sindon once Mim is gone, and it was always unlikely that I’d be allowed to continue guarding her once she—but wait!” Her eyes lit up. “That was before we knew anything of Carrack. Now I’ve met you, and you’ve seen me in action. It will be your decision, I suppose, once Miriam is your wife. Will you let me guard her once she lives here?”

Cassius’s heart jolted uncomfortably at the hopeful look in her eyes. He hated to disappoint her, but the answer rose unyielding to his lips.

“No.”

She looked hurt, and there was unfortunately no way to soften his response.

“I wouldn’t support that, I’m sorry.”

Flora lowered her gaze quickly. “I understand, Your Highness,” she said quietly.

Do you, though?

“Shall I take up a position at the far end of the yard?” Flora went on, her voice still formal. “Will that give you enough space for what you need?”

“What?” Cassius looked up, surprised to realize they were at the training yard. He hadn’t consciously decided to continue there after using it as a story to dismiss the other guard—his feet had simply carried him the rest of the way. “No, it’s all right. I don’t need to train now. I don’t wish to subject you to the training yard.”

“Subject me?” She raised an eyebrow. “In Sindon, I trained daily with the other guards.”

“Did you?” He was surprised. He’d imagined her spending all her time with the princess.

“You thought I was a lady-in-waiting pretending to be a guard,” she said, the accusation uncomfortably accurate. “You’re mistaken.”

She stalked away from him, her offended manner endearing, if he could ignore the real hurt he’d seen in her eyes.

Cassius followed, not eager to test the bounds of the tether. Flora took up a position on one side of the yard, leaving him free to speak with the senior guard currently supervising those in training. A large weapons chest stood between them, a separation Cassius was glad of. The constancy of their proximity was intense.

The trouble was, he remained painfully aware of her, which was why it was difficult to concentrate on his conversation with the head guard when he heard someone hail her.

“Hello, love. So you’re the new guard on the prince’s detail, are you?”

“That’s right.” Her cool response carried through the hush that had fallen over the nearest combatants.

“Fancy a bout with me, sweetheart?”

The man’s tone had Cassius frowning, and he turned around to see who was speaking so freely. The guard who’d approached Flora was young, shirtless, and handsome, curse him. It was clear from his manner that he hadn’t noticed the prince’s presence.

“A tempting offer.” As usual, Flora was perfectly in control of the situation.

“Go on, love.” The guard winked. “See if you can touch me with those pretty hands of yours.”

Cassius moved forward, his brow stormy, but Flora replied before he could intervene.

“If I must.” She blinked innocently. “You’ll go easy on me though, won’t you?”

The man’s grin broadened. “No promises.”

“Weapons?” Flora had become businesslike.

“Ladies first, of course,” her challenger said courteously.

His interest caught, Cassius melted back as Flora strode to the weapons chest. She considered her options with a serious expression before her face suddenly brightened. She dove in and emerged with a pair of matching poles, not much longer than her forearms, each ending in a long, slim paddle. They were carved of wood, and each paddle seemed to be one seamless piece.

Murmurs and chuckles went around the now-sizable crowd of onlookers. They grew in volume as the man opted to retain the sword with which he’d been fighting before.

“Don’t do it,” one of the watchers said. “Where’s the victory in besting a waif like that? Leave the lass alone.”

“Nah, if she wants to prance around as a guard, she better fight like a guard,” another retorted.

Flora ignored both of them, her focus on her opponent. “Ready?”

“For you, love? Any time.” The man winked again.

The gesture wasn’t even complete when Flora sprang into action. She leaped not toward the guard but away, her hands moving like lightning as she swung the poles into motion. They were soon a blur, the paddles creating a breeze that lifted her hair from her shoulders and sent it streaming behind her.

“I’m not frightened of a bit of wood,” the guard told her with a grin, brandishing his sword.

“I’m glad.” Flora’s voice was tight with concentration, but her tone remained casual. “Fear isn’t much of an asset for a guard.”

The guard lunged, his sword flicking forward in a move that Cassius had to admit was neat sword work. He thought for certain it would get through Flora’s defenses, but he was wrong. She ducked down, one leg sliding out to the side to enable her to get low, as she thrust her head in the opposite direction, dodging the incoming blade.

Contrary to his expectation, she didn’t lose her balance—in fact, she was able to keep one paddle spinning, the hand holding it pushed out in the same direction as her head. The other pole was still, but as the guard lunged past her, she flicked it outward, catching him in the midriff.

He let out a grunt, but pivoted neatly, bearing down on the still-crouching girl.

Flora wasn’t done. Before Cassius’s eyes, a column of dirt rose from the ground between the fighters, shooting straight into the guard’s eyes. He let out a curse and floundered. It was only for a moment, but it was all Flora needed. She sprang to her feet, sliding one pole expertly through her belt and plunging her free arm toward the other guard, all while the second paddle kept spinning. Cassius watched in horror as Flora closed her hand around the naked blade in the other man’s hand and yanked it free with a strength that made no sense for her lean frame. She threw it behind her with a clatter as she took a stride forward and, almost too quickly for Cassius to see, hooked one foot behind the stranger’s ankle.

Next thing Cassius knew, the guard was flat on his back on the dirt of the training yard, Flora’s knee on his bare chest and the small blade from her side at his throat.

He stared in shock as she threw away her remaining pole, then flicked him—hard—right in the Adam’s apple.

“And that,” she told him sweetly, as he made a choking sound, “is all the touch you will get from these pretty hands of mine.”

With the words, she was gone from her opponent, who was still staring stupidly upward. There was a hushed silence in the yard, into which his now-raspy voice issued.

“I think I’m in love.”

Roars of laughter went up from the onlookers, followed swiftly by cheers and whistles for Flora’s performance. Cassius took a step toward her, but in a moment, he could barely see her as every guard in the area mobbed her .

“All right, all right.” He waded in, the men falling back as they realized who was approaching. “Leave her alone, she’s supposed to be on duty.”

“My apologies, Your Highness,” Flora said quickly. “I thought you said my services wouldn’t be required while you trained.”

“You’re not in trouble,” he told her, exasperated. He seized her hand, lifting it and turning it over twice, confused to see unbroken skin. “But the blade…”

“Oh, I was using a cushioning enchantment,” she told him cheerfully. “Very temporary and very localized…but highly effective. Those paddles stir up a formidable amount of power.” She shot a cheeky grin at the guard she’d bested, who’d picked himself up by now. “When wielded skillfully, that is.”

The man’s eyes were shining as he approached. Flora held up a hand.

“No, I’m not going again, so—”

“No, you misunderstand,” he told her. “I don’t want to fight you again. I can acknowledge myself bested. Do you want to dine with—”

“No.” The refusal came from Cassius this time, his tone unyielding. “Absolutely not. Get back to your training.” He scowled. “And fire and blood, man, put on a shirt.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

The guard cast one more regretful look at Flora before complying. Cassius dismissed him from his mind, his focus on Flora.

“Point taken,” he told her. “You’re not a lady-in-waiting masquerading as a guard.”

Her gaze was a little too innocent. “I wasn’t trying to prove anything to you, Your Highness. Just defending my good name. ”

He eyed her. “I suppose I can’t train here now, can I? We’re already too much of a spectacle.”

“No, of course you can, Your Highness,” she said, repentant. “I’ll stay out of trouble, I promise.” She sent him that swift, open smile he found so endearing. “I’ll be glad to. Fighting with magic takes a lot of energy.” She rolled her shoulder. “And I don’t think that constitutes resting my shoulder as the physician instructed. I got a little carried away.”

Concern flared within Cassius, but she didn’t give him a chance to express it.

“Speaking of which.” She frowned. “You shouldn’t be sparring either, should you?”

“I’m fine,” he said dismissively. “I suppose I should take you back to your room to rest, but—”

“But you need to let out some tension after what I assume was a very unproductive conversation with your father.” She nodded sagely. “I understand, Your Highness. I’m in no hurry to retire.”

She moved dutifully back to the wall, leaving him free to strip off his jacket and take up a sword. He was quick to accept the first guard willing to challenge him, and within moments he was in position. Normally he would remove his shirt, which after all wasn’t designed for fighting, but he didn’t feel he could do so with Flora watching. Particularly not after admonishing the other guard for it.

He and the guard were satisfyingly well-matched, and the bout lasted a solid ten minutes. Cassius took a few blows—at one point his opponent unknowingly slammed a shoulder into Cassius’s still-healing arm—but he gave as good as he got, and the man never managed to land a hit with the sword. Cassius didn’t mind the light bruises that would likely form. They were worth it for the release that came from a solid bout, especially after so long on the road without the opportunity to practice.

He was donning his jacket again when he overheard the murmur of a man behind him.

“She’s very attached to His Highness, isn’t she?”

Irritation flared in Cassius, and he spun around to find two guards watching Flora with interest.

“The guard in question is no more attached to me than any other guard I’ve ever had. It is the role of a member of my personal guard to stick close to me when on duty.”

“I meant no offense, Your Highness,” the guard said quickly. “I’ve just never seen a guard react that way to you sparring with us here in the training yard.”

Cassius frowned, his gaze traveling to Flora. “What do you mean? React what way?”

“She sort of lived the whole bout with you, Your Highness,” the guard said. “She winced every time you took a hit.”

Something icy trickled through Cassius’s awareness with the words. He was a fool! Unforgivably so. Without another word, he strode over to Flora.

“Come on,” he said curtly, his throat strangely tight as he left the training yard, Flora in his wake. He walked all the way to his rooms in tense silence, stopping only once he’d ushered her inside and followed her.

“Is all well, Your Highness?” she asked, sounding alarmed.

“No, all isn’t well.” He rounded on her. “That was inexcusable.”

“I apologize.” She held herself stiffly, not sounding repentant. “I didn’t mean to offend you. I’ve just found that words aren’t very effective in silencing those who would seek to exploit the fact that I’m a woman. Showing them why they should take me seriously is much more useful.”

“What?” It took him a moment to comprehend. “No, I don’t care about you sparring. I’m talking about me, not you! Tell me the truth—did you feel pain every time I took a hit in my bout?”

“Oh.” She bit her lip, clearly not wanting to answer.

“Flora.” He could hear the warning in his voice.

So could she, apparently, because she deflated. “Yes, I did.”

Which meant she’d felt twice the pain he had. He closed his eyes for a moment. “Why didn’t you say something?”

“In front of all those guards?” He opened his eyes again to see her staring at him. “I thought you wanted to keep our tether quiet.”

“You could have sent me a signal, or…” Cassius trailed off, putting a hand to his forehead. “Why am I blaming you? It’s not your fault.” He looked her in the eye, wondering why it was suddenly hard to find his voice. “I’m sorry, Flora. Because I was only sparring and knew I was in no true danger, I didn’t even think about whether it would activate that part of the tether.”

He walked forward, putting a hand on her good shoulder. “The arrow wound, the exhaustion of using magic to fight, then this…you must be in a great deal of pain.”

“It’s nothing I can’t handle,” she said gruffly.

Cassius felt a growl escape his throat without his permission. “I don’t like it,” he said. “I don’t care what you can handle. You shouldn’t have to.”

She just gazed back at him out of eyes that he realized up close looked as weary as he felt. Cassius’s mind spun out of control as the events at the training yard raced through his memory. That fool guard, the offensive way he’d spoken to Flora…the admiration in his eyes when she’d put him in his place.

It had been impressive, but looking into Flora’s eyes now, Cassius hated all of it. It wasn’t what he wanted for Flora. He was convinced it wasn’t what she wanted for herself. He didn’t see a guard who was born to fight. He saw someone who was running, although from what he wasn’t sure. Someone who was playing a part, and suffering constantly for Cassius’s entrance into her charade.

The desire to protect her from the world rose up inside him, as overpowering as it was pointless. He was the chief cause of her griefs and hurts. And he couldn’t see a way to extricate them from their tangle. His father was stubbornly blocking the only way out.

And, more frighteningly, he found his own interest waning in sealing the alliance and freeing them both. He gave his head a shake. He couldn’t think like that. He had to move forward. For his sake, for Flora’s…for the stability of the Peninsula.

“You should go,” he said, the words gruff and abrupt. “Rest in your room until lunch.”

Flora didn’t ask any questions. She pulled away from him and practically fled the room, leaving Cassius alone with thoughts more tumultuous than he could ever remember them being in his life.