Page 5

Chapter

Five

C assius would have liked a moment to compose himself after leaving Flora in the room. But as soon as he stepped into the corridor, the guards flanking his doorway sprang to attention.

“I wish to speak with Lord Armand,” he said tonelessly. “Fetch him.”

As one of the guards trotted away, Cassius leaned back against the closed door to his room and tried to gather his thoughts. Upon learning Flora’s identity, his first instinct—after the basic one of putting some space and a solid door between himself and the young woman who’d been forcibly tethered to him—had been to confront Lord Armand and throw the consequence of his meddling in his face. But as his first shock ebbed, doubt crept in.

Would Lord Armand be chastened, as he ought to be? Or would he, in his usual idiocy, interpret Flora’s hidden identity as another offense by Siqual against Carrack’s honor? It wasn’t as though Lord Armand would have any sensible solutions to offer regarding the immediate situation. No one would have a sensible solution because there wasn’t one. They could only make the best of things for the night, and sharing the truth in that moment would make the task harder, not easier.

“I’ve changed my mind,” Cassius said abruptly, pushing himself forward off the door. “I’ll retire.”

“Shall I send His Lordship in when he comes?” the guard asked.

“Certainly not.” Cassius greeted the suggestion with distaste. “As I said, I’ve changed my mind. I don’t wish to speak to him.”

“What…what shall I tell him, Your Highness?” The poor guard looked bewildered.

“You need tell him nothing,” Cassius said smoothly.

He withdrew back into the room, forgetting that politeness required him to knock, much as the action would have puzzled the guards.

He needn’t have worried. Far from being caught out by his entrance, Flora appeared to be asleep.

On the floor.

Cassius stood just inside the door, scowling at her inert form curled up in front of the fire. She looked like a house cat.

Was she feigning sleep? Perhaps not—it had been an exhausting day. She looked so slight, curled up on the rug. How had he ever been fooled into thinking her a man, even a young one? He was tempted to lift her into the bed while she slept, but after a moment’s reflection he discarded that idea. He knew she was safe from him, but he wanted her to feel safe as well. Waking to find him moving her sleeping form wouldn’t aid that cause.

He lowered himself into the chair he’d occupied earlier, his head pounding. Exhausted and infuriated, he longed for sleep, but that relief was far from him. Leaning his head back against the wall, he closed his eyes and tried to gather his thoughts as he ran one hand methodically through his hair.

The soothing motion had its effect, and he felt his agitation calm. The movement had another effect as well. Into the stillness of his mind came the faintest awareness of the magic being stirred up by the motion of his hand. He did his best to focus on the sensation, using the ability that he wished he’d developed more.

There it was. Faint but pervasive, he could sense it. The tether that bound him to the young woman sleeping by the fire. If he felt it, then she must feel it much more strongly given her advanced training in magic. Did it intrude even into her dreams?

Cassius opened his eyes, staring up at the ceiling as anger overtook him. How dare Lord Armand? The inconvenience was bad enough, but the humiliation was galling. Cassius was mortified at how weak Lord Armand’s interference had made him appear. And that mortification brought anger in its wake.

What must the Siqualian prince and princess think of him, a crown prince who couldn’t even control his own delegation?

What would his father think?

That thought had a sting. He knew he shouldn’t let his father’s pride dictate his actions, but he hated to picture his father’s response to his predicament. When he’d thought Flora a boy, he’d worried that the king might think Lord Armand’s actions no great matter. It was much harder to predict the king’s reaction given her revelation.

Briefly, Cassius toyed with the idea of asking Flora to don her disguise once again. Perhaps with his help, she could conceal the truth for as long as —

No. He cut off the train of thought. Maintaining the deception in a foreign court was an indignity he couldn’t in all honor ask her to suffer. And he didn’t relish the unscrupulous conclusions people would draw from his deception when the truth inevitably came out.

Cassius leaned forward, his eyes drawn to the figure on the rug. Flora was breathing deeply, evenly, as if she hadn’t a care in the world. He was convinced now that she really was asleep. Silently, he stood and moved around her, allowing himself a better view of her face. Her features were at rest, her hair still flowing freely. It was brown like Princess Miriam’s, but not as full. It lay limply over her shoulders, with the exception of a strand that had fallen across her face. He fought back a strange impulse to shift it and reveal her features.

It wasn’t necessary. He could make out her high cheekbones, full lips, and straight brows. And the nose that turned up ever so slightly at the end.

Irritation spiked through him again. This was what Siqual called a bodyguard? This was the protector assigned to keep him safe?

But the annoyance couldn’t last, not when she looked so very peaceful. In spite of his tension, he could feel weariness tugging at him as he listened to her steady breathing. Carefully, he moved away from the fire. He was still dressed in his stiff brocade jacket—not the most practical for travel, but designed to make a good first impression on the Siqualian royals.

Reassuring himself that Flora was sound asleep, Cassius divested himself of the jacket and hung it over the back of the chair. He cast one rueful look at the bed. He would sleep far better in it, but he was determined. He had to show Flora he wasn’t going to be persuaded to treat her like a male guard. So he wouldn’t be sleeping on the bed.

Of course, stretching out by the fire next to her wasn’t really any different from sharing the bed. He bit back a laugh as he remembered the blush that had overtaken those high-boned cheeks when she’d thought he was suggesting they do just that. In that moment it had been hard to believe he’d ever bought her illusion.

Resigning himself to the chill of the air so far back from the fire, Cassius threw down a spare blanket at the foot of the bed and lowered himself onto it. It wasn’t so bad. Or at least it wouldn’t be if not for the thought that Lord Armand was no doubt sleeping like the dead on a comfortable bed.

Curse the nobleman and his officious meddling.

The unanswerable question of how to navigate his dilemma pushed back against the sleep he longed to sink into. He simply couldn’t bear for his father—not to mention the rest of the court—to learn how much he’d been made a fool of.

A resolution, a little hazy around the edges due to encroaching sleep, formed in his mind. He wouldn’t ask Flora to conceal her face or her form. But that didn’t mean they had to make all the details of their predicament known. He would speak to Lord Armand first thing.

With that small sense of taking back control of the situation, Cassius allowed himself to surrender to his exhaustion, and drifted into sleep.

Cassius’s sleep was unsettled, and he’d assumed he would wake first. It was therefore a surprise when he emerged from sleep to see an empty rug before a dying fire.

He cast his eyes around to see Flora standing to attention by the door, trying—at a guess—to look like she hadn’t just been watching him sleep.

Well, he’d watched her sleep the night before, so he wasn’t in a position to criticize.

“Good morning,” he said. Her only reply was to deferentially lower her head. She looked tense, almost angry.

“Flora? Are you all right?” he asked, bemused.

She took a moment to answer, then drew in a breath. “You should have slept in the bed, Your Highness.”

Cassius grinned. Was that what was bothering her? If she’d hoped to prove herself more stubborn than him, she’d be disappointed.

“I told you I wouldn’t, so I don’t know why you’re surprised,” he said, propping up one elbow and resting his head on his hand as he studied her. “You woke early.”

“I’m a guard, Your Highness,” she reminded him. “It’s part of the training.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Are you, though? I was thinking during the night, and I still find it hard to believe the Siqualian king and queen assigned the role of their daughter’s bodyguard to a twenty-year-old woman whose build is as slender as a cypress.”

There was that blush again. It was endearing, honestly. Cassius had to hold back a smile.

“I’m not Princess Miriam’s only guard. As you saw, she has much…burlier ones surrounding her at all times.”

Cassius chuckled. “Certainly no one could accuse you of being burly.” He studied her face. “Tell me the truth, Flora. Do Their Majesties know that you’re a woman?”

“Of course!” Her shocked reply convinced him that she was telling the truth. “They’re perfectly aware of it.” She paused. “They have their reasons for allowing me to fill the role of bodyguard.”

“No, don’t try to be aloof,” said Cassius. “It doesn’t suit you at all.”

He thought he saw her lips twitch, and he allowed his own smile to show.

“What are their reasons?” he pressed. “Given you’re my bodyguard now, I think it’s reasonable for me to ask for details.”

She gave him a pointed look. “I thought you said that you didn’t consider me bound to be your bodyguard, Your Highness.”

“And I thought you insisted on filling the role anyway,” he countered.

She was silent for a moment. He had her there.

“How about I step outside, Your Highness?” she said.

He straightened a little. “To go where? I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to show yourself to the guards until we have our stories straight.”

“But wouldn’t you be more comfortable to continue this discussion after you’ve had the chance to…freshen up?” She fought valiantly to keep her eyes fixed on anything but him.

Cassius glanced down at himself. His tunic was ruffled and fully unlaced at the front, and his hair, which came down almost to his shoulders, was no doubt in disorder. But it wasn’t like he was unclothed. Which made her reaction all the more entertaining.

“Not at all,” he told her. “I’m perfectly comfortable as I am.” He lifted his brows. “Am I making you uncomfortable?”

She released a breath, her shoulders lowering slightly. “Well, of course I’m uncomfortable, Your Highness. But it’s not you making me uncomfortable so much as the tether itself.”

Taking pity on her, Cassius pushed himself to his feet and strode over to the chair to retrieve his jacket.

“We’re in agreement there. Our situation doesn’t look much better in the daylight than it did last night, does it?”

“No, Your Highness,” said Flora forlornly.

“But it’s no worse, either,” Cassius went on. “I’ve given some thought to how to handle things, but first I want an answer to my question. Why in the Peninsula would Their Majesties assign you to be Princess Miriam’s bodyguard?”

Flora sighed. “If you must know, Mim convinced them.”

“Mim?” He raised an eyebrow.

Flora just shrugged. “We attended school together in Torrens, and we were friends long before I was her guard. At the academy, the students treat each other much the same regardless of status. Magic craft was my area of special focus, and when she returned home at the end of our two years, she convinced me to accompany her, then convinced her parents that I was a good candidate for the role of personal protector.”

“Huh.” Cassius thought all this over. “I didn’t know the princess had attended school in Torrens.”

“It’s not uncommon for royal children to spend some years of their education in another kingdom on the Peninsula to strengthen ties.”

“Yes, I’m aware of that.” Cassius couldn’t keep the amusement from his voice. “As you may recall, I was myself a royal child.”

“My apologies, Your Highness,” said Flora quickly, looking chastened.

“It’s all right,” he laughed .

He considered her, his mind going over her explanation of how she’d gotten her role.

“I’m surprised Princess Miriam had so much influence on her parents’ decision about guards.”

“Oh, well, as to that…” Flora’s eyes betrayed the grin she was trying to keep from her mouth, and Cassius’s interest was immediately piqued. “She had a little assistance. You’re right about her influence, but Crown Prince Xavier has a louder voice.” She really did grin at that. “In more ways than one.”

“How did she enlist his help?” Cassius asked, fascinated.

“That part wasn’t hard,” Flora informed him. “He’s always sympathetic to the desire for more freedom. The difficult part was figuring out how he could best make his argument seem his own, so that their parents didn’t realize it had come from Mim.”

“And that argument was…”

Flora’s eyes sparkled with mischief, giving a light to their dark brown that changed her features considerably. “That while rotating guards were fine, having a young and strong man as the princess’s personal protector was simply begging for him to fall in love with her, or her with him. That would be their nightmare, frankly.”

Cassius laughed aloud, surprised and impressed by the creative way the princess and her brother had gotten what they wanted.

“It’s a perfectly plausible scenario,” Flora shrugged. “She’s beautiful, and she has a kind manner that warms people to her.” She gave him a smile that was almost timid. “I don’t think you’ll have cause to regret your marriage alliance, Your Highness.”

The assurance should have been welcome, but instead it made Cassius uncomfortable for some reason, so he changed the topic.

“Thank you for the insight. To return to our own situation, I propose that we don’t advertise the existence of the tether.”

Flora tilted her head to one side. “Is that feasible?”

“It might be, if we’re smart about it,” he said. He cast an eye over her. “But first we need to think of some more basic matters. Like getting the rest of your clothes.”

“That would be welcome,” Flora said, brightening. She cleared her throat. “I also need to…”

“Freshen up?” Cassius’s voice was rueful. “So do I. I suppose we’ll have to do so within twenty feet of one another, with what privacy we can.”

Flora winced. “This is going to be very awkward.”

“It is,” Cassius agreed, although strangely he felt increasingly less ill-at-ease. “But I’m sure we can manage. Can you afford to wait until we’ve spoken to Lord Armand?”

A shutter went down over her eyes at this mention of the architect of their predicament.

“Of course, Your Highness, I will suit your convenience.”

Cassius held back a sigh. As if any of this was even vaguely convenient for him. He strode to the door, opening it only enough to put his head out into the corridor. The guards on either side of the doorway sprang to attention, their eyes on him.

“Please summon Lord Armand to my room,” he said curtly. “I wish to speak with him immediately. And once you’ve brought him, go straight to the camp where the rest of the guards are waiting and bring back my new bodyguard’s belongings. ”

He closed the door without waiting for a reply, then turned back to Flora.

“Allow me to apologize in advance,” he told her.

She looked bemused. “For what, Your Highness?”

“For Lord Armand. He’s certain to be insufferable. I regret the necessity of you witnessing the conversation.”

She said nothing, and before long, a smart knock at the door announced the nobleman’s arrival. Cassius opened the door, ushering Lord Armand into the room swiftly in the hope that the guards outside wouldn’t yet catch sight of Flora.

“Good morning, Your Highness,” the nobleman started, sounding maddeningly well rested. “I trust you passed a pleasant—”

The words died abruptly on his lips as his gaze shifted to Flora, who was standing at attention in a very guard-like posture and studying him expressionlessly.

“Who? What—?”

The nobleman’s disjointed words sent a surge of petty satisfaction through Cassius. It wasn’t often Lord Armand was at a loss for what to say.

“What do you mean who ?” he asked smoothly. “Don’t you recognize Princess Miriam’s bodyguard, whom you tethered magically to me without seeking consent from either me or her, or in fact seeking any kind of authorization?”

“I…but, Your Highness, I…” Lord Armand’s eyes seemed in danger of falling from their sockets. “But he was a…”

“ She was a bodyguard, dressed according to her role.” Prince Cassius’s face was deadpan.

“She was dressed as a man,” contradicted Lord Armand. The shock on his face began to give way to anger. “A gross deception has been practiced upon us, Your Highness. It is an insult to—”

“Stop speaking.”

Cassius spoke the two words slowly and deliberately, his voice dripping with cold fury. Even Flora straightened her posture a little. It was a tone he didn’t use often, but it was past time for Lord Armand to learn that Cassius was no spineless, powerless puppet prince. He was the future ruler of Carrack, and he deserved his subjects’ respect and obedience.

Lord Armand fell silent at once.

“If you were about to invoke some imaginary offense to Carrack’s honor, you would be wise to think before you speak,” Cassius said dangerously. “The last time you claimed an imaginary offense, you responded by crafting an illegal enchantment.”

“Not illegal, Your Highness,” protested the nobleman weakly. “I had authorization from—”

“You had no authorization,” Cassius cut him off brutally. “Your actions were illegal, and you are well aware of it. My father’s authority in matters of magic craft is absolute within Carrack, but we were in Siqual. And you had the audacity to direct your enchantment at a member of the Siqualian royal family’s guard. Whatever instructions my father gave you to defend Carrack and myself, I do not believe for a moment that he intended you to subject me to such embarrassment and inconvenience.”

“It wasn’t my intention to do so,” Lord Armand tried.

“But it was the result.” Cassius didn’t let him speak. “In more ways than one. Your illegal act forced my hand in withdrawing immediately from Siqual in order to protect you from arrest and incarceration which, quite frankly, would have been justified. You weakened Carrack’ s position in alliance negotiations. And I need hardly add, in light of subsequent revelations, you have subjected me personally to incredible indignity. I don’t know what other name I can give to being forced to have a young woman shadow me through every aspect of my daily activities, not only surrendering my privacy but announcing to the world that Carrack considers her services necessary for my protection.”

Keeping his expression stern, Cassius stole the ghost of a glance at Flora. She was unsuccessfully fighting down another faint flush. She hadn’t asked for this debacle, and he knew the words were discourteous to her. But he needed to speak in a language Lord Armand would understand, and talking about the lack of consideration he’d shown a random Siqualian guard was unlikely to discompose him.

Not that he was as discomposed as Cassius would have liked.

“Your Highness,” he said, a hint of wheedling in his voice. “You are understandably upset by this revelation. But there would be no great indignity if the Siqualians had not intentionally deceived us about this girl’s identity by—”

“Intentionally deceived us?” Cassius repeated incredulously. “Do you mean to suggest they dressed her as a boy to try to bait us into abducting her by means of an illegal tethering enchantment? That suggestion is too puerile for even such an imbecile as you.”

Lord Armand looked like he wasn’t sure whether to be offended or mortified by the insult. Either way, it had reached him, which made Cassius think he should have dispensed with politeness much earlier.

“Make no mistake, Lord Armand,” Cassius went on, when the nobleman remained silent, “the fault is on our side. And my father will share my displeasure when he learns that your actions exposed his son and his kingdom to ridicule.”

The nobleman looked pale now. “Your Highness, I beg you to believe that was not my intention. I deeply regret the inconvenience you’ve suffered, and I implore you to believe that it would be a misrepresentation to suggest to His Majesty that my actions were motivated by anything other than the utmost loyalty to Carrack.”

Cassius regarded him, pretending to soften. “Perhaps we can simply forget the whole thing if you can lift the enchantment.”

Lord Armand threw an uneasy glance at Flora. “I wish I could, Your Highness. But I spoke the truth when I told you that the enchantment is now independent of me and will run its course regardless of my will.”

“It would endure even if the architect of the enchantment were executed?” Cassius wasn’t actually angry enough to seek Lord Armand’s execution, as he suspected the nobleman knew.

Judging by the way his face blanched, Lord Armand had a kernel of doubt.

Cassius didn’t mind.

“It would make no difference, Your Highness,” Lord Armand said quickly. “The enchantment is a force of its own now.”

“Flora?” Cassius turned to her. “Does this align with what you know of tethering enchantments?”

“Yes, Your Highness.” Her face was expressionless, like a true guard. It felt strange to Cassius, now that they’d shared such casual conversation…not to mention shared the same floor for a very uncomfortable bed.

With a sigh, he turned back to Lord Armand. “And its course will be run when the alliance is sealed? ”

“That’s correct, Your Highness,” Lord Armand said. “I will devote myself to furthering that alliance. If we can seal your marriage to Princess Miriam swiftly, the enchantment will lift, and the matter will be resolved.”

Cassius pretended to think about it. “Perhaps it would not be necessary for my father to know of the tethering enchantment if it was only to be of a short duration.” He spoke slowly, as if the idea was occurring to him for the first time. “Unless the guards report it.”

“None of them witnessed the enchantment, Your Highness,” said Lord Armand quickly.

“I have not mentioned its details to anyone,” Cassius mused.

“Nor have I.” The nobleman was looking optimistic. “It is not my habit to gossip with guards.”

“Perhaps it is possible.” Cassius frowned as if unconvinced.

“Leave it to me, Your Highness.” Lord Armand was delightfully ready to take charge. “I will make discreet inquiries and ensure that any hint of what occurred is dismissed as wild rumor.”

“Very well,” said Cassius austerely. “You are dismissed.”

“Yes, Your Highness.” On his way out, the nobleman cast a surreptitious look around the space, his eyes passing from the still-made solitary bed to linger on Flora with more speculation than Cassius would like. But in his chastened state—new territory for the overconfident lord—he asked no questions.

Cassius felt some of his tension leave with the nobleman, and he turned to Flora. She was letting out a long breath, her eyes closed. They flickered open to find Cassius looking at her.

“May I speak freely, Your Highness?”

“Of course,” he said. “In fact, you can consider yourself to have permanent permission to do so when we’re alone.”

She nodded in acknowledgment before saying, “You were right. He is insufferable.”

A laugh escaped Cassius. “He always is,” he assured her.

“And not nearly as smart as he thinks he is,” Flora went on. “I can’t deny that he’s incredibly skilled in magic craft.” She gestured between them. “He must be to have created this accursed tether. But like so many men of high position, his pride blinds him to how easily he can be manipulated. That’s hardly a sign of intelligence.”

Cassius was silent, considering her with lowered brows. Her observation was uncomfortably astute. For months past, Cassius had wrestled with the realization that his father’s pride was a weakness that made the king easily manipulated by any who discovered it. Somehow it bothered him much more to hear it from Flora’s mouth than from his own mind.

“I’m sorry if I offended with the implication that you were manipulating him,” she said, her tone becoming more formal as she took in his expression.

“Of course I’m not offended,” Cassius assured her. “I was absolutely manipulating him. Very intentionally.”

“And very skillfully,” Flora said, relaxing. “He’s no doubt congratulating himself on convincing you to keep his actions quiet.”

“Yes.” Cassius frowned. “It does gall to have him think he’s the one who conceived the idea. But being heavy-handed would have achieved less.”

Flora shrugged. “What does it matter what he thinks? You know your own role in what happened. If the opinions of others can damage your pride in yourself, then there was something amiss with your pride in the first place.”

Cassius could think of no reply to these words. This young woman certainly kept surprising him. He was curious about her story—she spoke as if her conclusions were based on her own experiences.

“I hope nothing too dire comes of it all.” Flora muttered the words as if to herself, frowning pensively.

“What do you fear?” Cassius pressed.

She shifted her gaze to him with a sigh. “Thinking not just about Siqual’s interests but the wellbeing of the region, I can see the benefit in downplaying the tether and avoiding the diplomatic crisis it could lead to. But…” She wrinkled her face slightly. “But it would have made it much easier to explain why I’ll be always near you until the alliance is sealed. I suspect people will draw their own conclusions.”

Discomfort shot through Cassius as he took her meaning. “I’ll do all I can to protect you from any…malicious speculation.”

Flora gave him a wry look. “I appreciate the sentiment, Your Highness. But in my experience, attempts by royalty to quell rumors about themselves are generally pointless. If anything, they have the opposite effect.”

“Lessons gleaned from your time in Siqual, I take it.”

Cassius’s attempt to change the topic failed. Flora ignored the comment, instead letting out a sigh.

“Well, it doesn’t matter. I have no reputation to lose in Carrack, after all. As long as we don’t emphasize my connection to the Siqualian crown too strongly, there shouldn’t be any great damage.” She glanced at Cassius. “Unless you think your reputation stands to suffer? I know nothing of how much integrity Carrackians expect of their prince in these types of matters. ”

“I’ve already given you my word that I’ll conduct myself with honor toward you.”

Cassius’s reply was a little curt, and he turned away on the words. The truth was he felt ashamed. When concocting his plan to hide the tether, he hadn’t considered the likely assumptions people would make about Flora as she shadowed him more closely than a guard should. And her practical response to the possibility of being slandered stood in painful contrast to his own reaction. Especially after what she’d said about pride, he didn’t want her to know the truth—that his plan wasn’t intended to avoid a diplomatic crisis so much as to save face in front of his father.

He was grateful for the distraction provided by a knock at the door. Flora’s belongings had arrived, and Cassius was quick to step outside to speak to his guards and give her some privacy.

When the door to the room opened, he almost did a double take, Flora looked so different. She’d changed into a simple brown leather gown that only went down halfway to her knees. Under it she wore a deep purple tunic with long sleeves and a hood, and sturdy leather breeches. Her forearms sported leather bracers as well, and he could see a blade strapped to one hip.

She somehow managed to look very much like a guard and yet surprisingly feminine at the same time. It was an unexpectedly captivating effect.

If Cassius was taken aback by Flora’s altered appearance, it was nothing to the reaction of the other guards present. None of them managed to hold back their sounds of astonishment.

“Ah yes,” said Cassius, recovering himself quickly and speaking with an unconcerned air. “My new Siqualian bodyguard will accompany us again today.”

The guards continued to stare wordlessly. Cassius strode swiftly away, Flora tailing him closely and the other guards hastening to catch up.

He didn’t blame the guards for their reaction. Flora looked like a completely different person, with her hair released, her face uncovered and her shape clearly that of a woman. She must have removed the bindings she’d mentioned. Was he a fool to think he and Lord Armand could pass off the whole disaster as a diplomatic transfer of a bodyguard?

Was he a fool to think he could navigate the whole complicated situation without catastrophe for either himself or his new companion?

It was going to be a long journey back to Crandell.