Lost Princess (17 page)

He moved me, helping me turn so I was now lying next to him, uncoupled. “Such a surprise,” he said so softly I thought I might have misheard him. I started to ask if that’s what he said, but he shushed me, moving me so I was curled around him in the way we usually fell asleep. I let the day end, sated and sleepy.

Chapter Thirteen

 Disappointment hit me the next morning as I woke alone. I knew now how Max had felt when I’d been gone and didn’t begrudge him his anger. I wasn’t angry, but well, I was a little hurt. Silly, I know. Max had already been so much more than I’d ever hoped he’d be. I wasn’t sure he actually liked me—unless we were in bed, and then I was feeling pretty confident that he was pleased. I know I certainly was.

I took a change of clothes and went up to the bathing chamber. It looked like the women were mostly finished, and I made my washing quick. I hurried down to breakfast, but Max wasn’t there yet, thankfully. So at least I wasn’t late.  I saw Devlin, but walked about looking idly for Max, and thought I heard his deep voice in that same office where he’d taken me. I went to the door and hesitated, wondering if I should interrupt or not.

“My lord,” I heard Callie’s soft pleading. “Please.”

I froze.

Max’s voice was low and mean. “You were warned, Callista, what would happen to you if you spoke to her of this.” He seemed to be getting angrier as he spoke. “Not to mention you helped her run from me? You had one task—one! Keep her safe.”

“I know, my lord, I’m sorry,” she almost whimpered.

“Yet I allowed Devlin to see to your punishment, so I could concentrate on Katrina, and I strongly suspect that it was absolutely nothing. Am I correct?”

I could almost imagine Callie with her lip in her teeth, her beautiful face looking up at him with tears in her eyes.

“He…he was angry.”

Max made a sound of disgust. “My brother doesn’t get angry.” His voice sounded as if he was moving about the room. Pacing?

“And now my brother—he…asked for you.” Max sounded angrier than ever. “For you! Should I tell him your background, my lady? I chose Gregory for you because I thought you two would suit,” he sounded mocking.

“My lord, no!”

Max gave her a snort. “You want my brother? What have you been up to, you manipulative bitch? You knew—
knew
you owed me your very life!”

“Yes!” Callista had broken down. “I knew, and I know it now. I’m sorry!”

“If I cannot trust you I cannot even give you to that bastard Gregory. You know far too much that could be extracted from those sweet lips of yours. No, you’ll go, all right, but not to him.”

I shivered as I realized it sounded like Max was going to kill her. I couldn’t fathom the rest of it—secrets I’d never suspected, obviously, but no matter what I couldn’t just let Max…I thought of Devlin, and turned to run full out to where I’d seen him. I ignored the startled stares as the lady of the castle ran like a three year old from a bad dream. Devlin caught my arms as I nearly threw myself at him. “My lord, please!” I was pulling on him, trying to get him to follow me.

“Katrina? What….”

“Please, my lord! Your brother!“Devlin didn’t ask any more questions, just followed me as fast as he could. I led him to the doorway and pointed. He frowned and listened.

Max was saying, “…for a time. You’ve far outlived your usefulness.“Callie’s soft pleading sounded as if she had no real hope now.  The moment Devlin realized who was in there he pushed open the door. I didn’t have time to get out of the way as it swung wide and Max and Callista turned to us in surprise.

Devlin strode in. “Max, what is this?” I’d never heard Devlin sound like this.

Max looked at his brother, letting out a deep breath. Then his eyes fell on me. “Katrina, Devlin, go. This doesn’t concern you.“His look and tone was such that I’d automatically started to turn to leave when Devlin stopped me with a hand on my arm.

“No, Max,” he said evenly.

Max glared at us. I swallowed, thinking he looked, well, he looked deadly.

“Devlin….” he began.

“No, Max.” Devlin shook his head. “I’ve always done as you wished—but not this time.”

Max made an angry noise in his chest that sounded almost like a growl.Callista was on her knees, as I’d suspected she’d be. With a sudden burst of spirit, she rose to run to Devlin, but Max caught her and threw her to the ground.

“Stop it!” Devlin said, limping to Callista to kneel awkwardly at her side. “What could she have done that would deserve this?”

Max gave a harsh laugh. “Will you tell him, Callista?“Callie looked up at Devlin and lowered her head into her hands, sobbing. Max looked down at the two and then snapped at me. “Wife, leave us.”

“Max,” I started. In three strides he was in front of me, tall and magnificant. “Leave,” his voice was as cold as I’d ever heard it. I simply stared at him, trying to reconcile this furious leader with the man who had shared passion with me last night.

Devlin said, “Tell me.” He looked at Max, and then at Callista. “What have you kept from me now, Maximus?”

Max looked back at Devlin, then shot me an angry look. Had I any sense at all, I’d have left as he’d commanded, but my feet seemed to be stuck to the floor. “Callista is not who she seems. She is, quite frankly, a traitorous bitch to whom I gave a second chance.” He looked down at Callista as if waiting for her to protest. She didn’t even look up.

I couldn’t help it—there was so much misery in the room I had to do something. Devlin was with Callista, so I went to Max and wrapped my arms around his waist.

He grabbed me in order to push me away, but then he just…didn’t. Slowly his hands loosened until one fell away and the other went to my hip to hold me there against him. I looked up at him, and he simply shook his head at me. Some of the fury seemed to have left him, though.

Devlin said softly, “Callista?”

“I’m sorry, my lord,” she said yet again. “It’s true. I didn’t deserve the chance he gave me, and I…I thought…Katrina became my friend, not my…I love her like a sister.”

“Max, explain,” Devlin said a little guardedly.

Max leaned against the desk. His arm was still around me. He looked down at me. “This may be one of those ugly surprises you dislike,” he warned me. “I want you to go but will not force you. Make your choice.”

“I’ll stay,” I said decidedly.

He sighed as if he’d expected as much. “There is too much here to go into right now. Devlin, have them serve breakfast without us.”

Devlin shook his head, looking at Callie. “I won’t leave her with you.”

Max gritted his teeth. “Katrina will stay. Surely you trust her if not me.”

Devlin rose and nodded stiffly. He walked out, leaving the door wide open.

Max snarled at Callista, “Rise off the floor and find a seat. Cease your crying or I’ll….” He stopped as I tightened my arms around him. He began again, “Sit, Callista. Enjoy your station while you have it.”

I watched Callista slowly and unsteadily stand up. I would have gone to her, but Max’s arm tightened, holding me against him. As much as Callista needed me, I thought Max needed me more. Not that he’d ever admit that. And it wasn’t really me he needed, but someone who believed in him. That’s how it felt to me in that tense room.

Devlin was back in minutes and closed the door tightly behind him. He noted that Callista was seated and sat in another chair. He seemed calm but reserved, as if he dreaded the news to come.

Max settled himself more against the desk, me tight against him. “Callista is not a lady. She had her lands and title stripped from her when I found out she helped her sister bed other men.”

Callista nodded as he spoke.

“Her sister was my second wife,“Max said in an emotionless voice.

Devlin looked over at Callista. “Is this true?”

“Yes, my lord,” she said softly.

“What?” I said. “Callie? You…but you told me all about your family, and they…”

“I’m sorry, Kat. I lied. I had to.”

Devlin’s eyes turned to Max. “Why did she have to lie, Max?”

Max said tightly, “Don’t you dare look at me as if I have been cruel, brother.“I wondered if he would have said that to anyone else. He truly cared about Devlin. Maybe…maybe someday he’d feel like that about me.

Devlin said, “Tell me you were not cruel, then.”

Max said slowly, “Callista aided her sister when we visited her home. She made a scene, engaging my attention, so that my wife could go off with another. Once I discovered my wife’s true nature, I went back to her house to find out who else had known. Her father, of course, had known when he gave her to me she was no virgin. I killed him,” he said bluntly. Callista winced.  So Callista’s father had died. But Max had been the one to kill him. Dear Lord.

“Callista here, threw herself upon my
mercy
,” he bit out. “She swore to me she would serve in whatever capacity I wanted for as long as I wished. She swore that she would show me she deserved my trust as her sister had not. She managed to stay my hand, and I told her I wanted her here, at the castle, where I could keep an eye on her.” He looked down at me, his voice softening a bit. “Katrina, you had joined me here some months before, and you were always sad, always looking off into space as if your heart had been broken.“I hadn’t ever known he’d realized I existed. I could barely believe it. He’d known how saddened I was by my father’s death and had wanted to help.“I had Callista come to befriend you. You two were of an age, and she’d recently lost a parent as well.” His voice turned harsh. “I told you she was a distant cousin of yours, so her interest in you would seem natural.”

Devlin was looking at Callista. He said in a calm voice, “None of this explains why you are so angry with her now. Has she not been a good friend to Katrina, as you’d hoped? Did she not protect your future wife?”

Max said, “Callista, tell Devlin here what you told my wife on the night before she and I wed.“Callista shook her head, “I cannot remember.” But her eyes said differently.

“I remember. I had come down to see that Katrina was where she ought to be, not making another attempt at running away.  I wanted to tell her I’d guarded the hallway from her room, so she would understand such an attempt would end in failure. But your door was open, so I listened to your advice to her, Callista. You began by warning her she couldn’t challenge me. You told her I was the kind of man who would enjoy breaking her.” His voice let everyone know just how much he disliked that. “You made her so very afraid of me, so dispirited that she was barely cognizant of our wedding the next day.”

Callista swallowed as Devlin turned to look at her. “Why would you do that?”

“I…” her eyes darted to Max. “He scares me. I knew that Katrina wasn’t the obedient woman he expected, and I thought if she understood how dangerous he was, she might walk more carefully.”

Devlin said to Max. “Her method was poor but her motives were pure.”

“Were they?” Max asked. “Was this not a chance to get a bit of revenge on me?”

Callista looked miserable. “I…maybe, my lord. I don’t know.”

“And tell me of the advice you’ve given her for when she and I are together. Tell me how you told her some false story about how I was going to give you to Simon LaBuque.”

I stared at Callie, wanting her to deny this.

She avoided my gaze. “The advice…was wrong, but as I’ve never been married, I only asked others. I think they knew why I asked and lied to me. But Simon—yes, I made that up.” She looked up at Max. “I’d seen you watching her, my lord, and knew you would soon move to become her Consort. It only made sense given the present political situation.”

Now she met my eyes, hers pleading for understanding. “I didn’t want him to have you, Katrina. He killed my father! I thought with your habit of speaking your mind, you would anger him into killing you too. I had to remember that whatever else you were, you were royalty, and I thought…you deserved better than him,” she jerked her head towards Max.

Max gave a harsh laugh.

I felt like my world had again turned upside-down. “Why didn’t you just tell me the truth?” I asked softly.

Callista burst out, “I couldn’t. I lived only at his whim. If I did anything to anger him, he’d promised I’d get the death I should have received for helping my sister to play him false.”

She glanced up at Max. “I never wanted to do that, my lord. But my sister was…difficult when she didn’t get her way.”

Max snorted.

Devlin rose. “I think—”

Max interrupted him. “And yesterday, did you not tell her I would bed other women?“Devlin looked down. 

Callista nodded wearily. “Did I lie, my lord?”

Max suddenly let his arm drop from me and pushed me away to stride up to Callista. “You foul bitch, you’ve done nothing but try to sow discontent between Katrina and myself.”

“Not always,” I said suddenly.Max turned to me, breathing heavily. I made my voice soft, not wanting to push him any further. “My lord, she has not been to me what you had wished her to be. And I understand you feel betrayed by her. And yes, maybe she was overly harsh in her judgment of you. But she has been my friend. She’s supported me, laughed with me, and made the years here bearable—more than that—she made this place my home. She’s been pleased that we have mostly gotten along especially,” I shot an embarrassed glance at Devlin, “at night when we’re together. She might have done the things you accuse her of, but I know she loves me, and I love her like the sister I never had.”

I gestured over to Devlin. “Don’t tell me you two never argue, never disagree?” To Devlin I said, “Do you not feel that occasionally it might be great to just crack him on the head?” Max looked at me, speechless. “But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t love you, my lord. And just because I get angry, say and do things I probably shouldn’t, it doesn’t mean that I don’t love you as well.”

Devlin said, “Don’t hurt Callista, Max.”

Max drew in a great breath as he stood over Callista. “You must have an angel who watches over you,” he said to her.

Callista said, “My lord?“He turned away from her as if he couldn’t look at her another minute. “Go, Callista. Just leave now before I change my mind.“Callista didn’t wait to be told twice. She rose and barely had time to look at me before she opened the door to flee. Devlin took a step after her, but Max turned. “Don’t, brother. She doesn’t deserve you. And you, well, you deserve someone much better than her.”