Lost Princess (2 page)

When we reached his horse Max took my arms roughly and threw me onto the horse’s back, making the animal prance and snort. I was on my stomach over the horse, and didn’t have time to move at all before he was up in the saddle behind me. I struggled automatically, the saddle front digging into my belly, and he hit my behind smartly with his hand to still me. My rear stung, even through my traveling dress. I made myself be still, although it wasn’t easy. For I was unlike every other female I had ever met in that I had never in my life been struck by anyone. Until now.

The ride back was uncomfortable in the extreme, and we were almost back to the castle when I said in a desperate voice, “I’m going to be sick!“Max wound his hand into my hair and yanked up my head, using my hair to pull me somewhat upright. I struggled not to scream as the pain in my scalp became unbearable. I twisted and used my hands until I was sitting sideways in Max’s lap. He let go of my hair then, and I gasped with relief at both the release of my hair and the cessation of the saddle digging into my now-turbulent stomach. I closed my eyes and concentrated on not throwing up on Max. I knew in my heart that whatever had stayed his hand thus far would end if I did that.

Max went to the front of the castle and smoothly dismounted, causing me to be dropped down into the dust by the stairs. Unable to catch myself to stay on my feet, I threw out an arm and tried to break my fall only to have the rough stone stair scrape up my arm, drawing blood all along it. Max didn’t seem to notice, although he had to have heard my cry of pain. He simply took my hair again and hauled me to my feet, no doubt pulling some of the hair completely out. Tears of pain and fear were wetting my face now, and I wondered dully what he would do next. The dungeon? A cell with desperate doomed men was not something I even wanted to consider. If I were raped all night, would I welcome my execution at the dawn?

Speaking tersely to someone, Max dragged me to his rooms at the top of the stairs on the second floor of the castle. Once inside he threw me away from him and I fell onto a rug that graced the floor next to his bed.
Couldn’t have the Regent getting cold feet in the winter, could we?
I thought inanely.

I writhed around until I could see Max, standing where he’d been when he threw me to the floor. There was no doubt in my mind he was furious, and I had seen him plenty angry before this. But his deadly anger had never been directed at me.

I knew the Regent Maximus as well as anyone seeing that I’d been his ward these last three years since my father died. I had only spoken to him a handful of times in those years, but I was observant, and I’d seen how he dealt with anyone who dared cross him. I’d seen him kill with his bare hands, and had still not truly been afraid of him until this day.

“I would like to leave you in the dungeon to the men there to enjoy, if such a thing is to be found in you. But in deference to your father, I won’t. I will, however, offer you a choice. I will let you decide your own fate, Katrina of Faralee, so listen carefully.“He took a step towards me, and I struggled not to flinch away. He looked at me for so long I wondered if he was reconsidering his choice on the dungeon. Finally he spoke, “You can be tied up here for the night and meet the dawn with the rest of the condemned to give your excuses to God in heaven, or…” And here he paused, his slate eyes burning into mine. “You can bind yourself to me for eternity, or until one of us dies, as my wife.”

I thought for a moment I had heard him wrong, but then realized I hadn’t. Put myself under this man’s thumb for the rest of my life? One of the best things about being here was he didn’t seem to notice me at all. So much so that I think if it had just been me who had run from the castle, he wouldn’t have cared and certainly wouldn’t have come in person to collect me. But Callista was beautiful, desirable, titled and wealthy. She was going to be 18 next week, and would be given to someone as a wife, whoever Maximus, as her guardian, chose.

Misty, one of the kitchen maids, had told Callista she’d heard Max saying he was going to give her to Simon of Sabuque, that fat old lecher who was so disgusting that the very thought had given Callista nightmares. Callista was my cousin, albeit a distant one, and as her elder by nearly a year I felt responsible for her. So I’d talked her into leaving, running off back to Faralee where we would hide out until they stopped looking for us. I had memories of friends there, and hoped we would find them and they would help us.

Callista, usually not one for daring adventures, agreed, and off we’d gone. We’d assumed that the search wouldn’t include the haunted city, but in that we’d been horribly mistaken. Now we were caught, and I was given the choice of wife or death.

Maximus had been married before. One lady had died three years ago, not long after I’d come to live here in the castle. Max had treated his pregnant wife as if she was a burden he was forced to bear. She was a beautiful lady, delicate and feminine. She had died, along with the child, during the birth. It wasn’t all that unusual, but it wasn’t the first time Max had lost his wife and child. His first wife had died two years before that trying to give birth, although I’d never met her.

The stories told were that Maximus was cursed to lose his wife and never have a son to carry on his title. He’d been on the hunt for a wife, and no doubt could have forced one, but no one was volunteering for the role, seeing it came with such a severe time limit, not to mention an extremely difficult man. I could be wife number three to feed the curse. It was a daunting thought.

I was a female of quick mind and an even quicker tongue, and suddenly my inability to speak disappeared. “That is hardly a choice, my lord. While your wives do not live long, I would still probably be alive come next week.”

Max could have been made of stone for all the emotion he showed. “Possibly,” he said ominously. “Is that what you choose?”

I nodded.

“Then get off the floor,” he said as if I’d thrown myself down. “Return to your quarters and prepare yourself as you need. Tomorrow we will wed, and tomorrow night you will get some of the punishment you so richly deserve.“I felt myself both blush and shiver. I knew, sort of, what would happen, but I’d assumed it would never happen for me, so I’d never much paid attention to it when people talked. I’d thought spinsterhood was to be my life and had actually been pleased about it. Callista had promised me she’d ask that I come live with her and her husband once she married, and we could continue our close friendship. It had sounded ideal. Now I was not only going to have a husband, but a husband who frightened me half to death, as he did everyone. And punishment? What had he meant by that? I’d seen girls and boys, men and women alike whipped in the hall for some misdeed, but I didn’t think that is what he’d meant, although I was by no means sure. He seemed to be alluding to something that I, as an unmarried lady, wouldn’t know about. His smile was cold, and again I shivered under his gaze.

I rose off the floor, swaying a little. I nodded my agreement to his words, as if I had any choice in the matter, and turned to go.

His voice, lower now and silky with threat, stopped me. “And Katrina, if you run again, I promise you that what you would receive would far exceed anything I’ve offered thus far.“I didn’t turn around, not wanting to see the face that threatened me. I nodded again, and again started towards the door. I left with all due haste, and nearly ran down the halls until I reached the room I shared with Callista. I went inside and shut the door, ignoring the look of shock at my crazed behavior by the serving maid who was walking by. I leaned against the closed door, panting and trying to collect myself.

I almost screamed when Callista threw herself into my arms. “Oh Kat! I was so scared when we left you with him.”

I gave a shaky laugh. “I’m still alive, as you can see.”

Callista grinned at me. “And with your skin intact.”

“Yes.” I thought about that.

“Kat, tell me what happened? I thought he might really hurt you. What punishment will be yours?”

I suddenly realized I wasn’t the only person in trouble here. “Callie? What did Devlin do? You aren’t harmed?”

Callista’s eyes met mine. “No. Not at all. Devlin…was angry, yes, but…well, he scolded me, and warned that he wouldn’t be able to shield me if I ever did anything like this again.”

My eyes widened. “You were scolded? That’s it? Ohh, you definitely got the nicer brother.”

Callista gave an unladylike snort. “As if there was any question of that! Devlin has always been kind to me.” She looked away, out the window. “He seemed different though, today. I think we really scared him by running. He truly sounded worried.”

“About you, perhaps. I doubt he even knows who I am,” I said.

“He knows you!” Callista returned. “We talked about you on the way back.“I thought of them having a nice conversation while I was riding across the saddle on my belly trying not to retch. “He knew right away it had been your idea to run—I didn’t tell him, I swear! He insisted I tell him why we’d done it, but when I said you were trying only to save me from being given to Simon, he didn’t seem to know that the Regent (again, she said this in a whisper) had planned to do that. Maybe he doesn’t share that much with Devlin.”

“Or maybe he never planned to give you to him as a wife at all.”

Callista and I both spun around at the voice behind us. The wretched door to our room was always coming unlatched and swinging open, and we had paid no attention, for we were at the end of the curving tower corridor and only people intent on finding us happened by. Devlin was standing in the doorway, looking amused at our shocked expressions.

“Devlin!” Callista gasped. “You frightened me half into my grave!”

His dark eyes glinted. “Next time you are talking about me, keep your voices down.”

“Oh.” Callista blushed to have been caught so. “I apologize, my lord.” She suddenly seemed to realize what he’d said. “Your brother never planned to marry me to Simon?”

“He says not, and as his brother, I have no choice but to believe him.” Devlin limped into the room and leaned his shoulder against the wall, looking at us askance. “I could ask how you got such an idea in the first place? Or did you just tell me that in order to give your escapade some reason?”

“I wouldn’t lie to you,” Callista said as if such a thought was unthinkable. Maybe to her it was. I, on the other hand, would lie if I had to. Better a liar than a corpse. I could certainly ask forgiveness for the lie, but only if I was alive to do so. It seemed quite understandable to me, but I doubted Callista would see it the same way.

Devlin said, “I am sorry if I’ve besmirched your honor, my lady.” There was an amused lilt to his voice.

Devlin, brother to the Regent, was his heir at this time since there was no child to inherit. He was Max’s twin, born only minutes after Max, but forever the younger brother, the weaker brother, the kinder brother. He’d never been strong, had almost died several times before becoming an adult. Stories said he hadn’t walked until he was four years old, hadn’t yet talked when Max was completely verbal, and was idolized by his older brother. Devlin was the only thing in this world Max truly seemed to care about. A change seemed to come over Max when his brother was near, making him fairer, more tolerant, and more human. Or as close to human as the Regent Maximus was able.

Devlin had never married. No one really knew why this was, but perhaps since he was crippled, he didn’t have those same sorts of desires and didn’t want a wife. This seemed to be the prevailing theory, for everyone agreed that if Devlin wanted a woman, Max would see to it that he got her.

Max had tried again and again to find a wife for Devlin, but finally Devlin had put his foot down and said if Max didn’t stop, he would leave the castle and live elsewhere to escape his nagging. I had actually heard him say that to Max, and believe me when I say that if anyone else in the world had said something similar to the Regent, he’d have been killed where he stood in less time than it took to blink an eye. But this was Max’s brother, and Max had merely shaken his head and taken Devlin’s words to heart. And at that point, no more prospective wives had shown up at the castle to await Devlin’s approval.

Devlin’s disabilities were not such that I even noticed them anymore. His left arm didn’t work completely, but it worked well enough for most things, and Devlin was said to be very gifted with his right hand when using a sword. He also had a problem with his left leg, and it caused him to lurch some when he walked. And of course he had weakened health, catching every cold and fever that came around in the winter. He seemed to be healthier than he used to be, but maybe I was just used to it now.

Callista nodded her acceptance of his apology, and his eyes turned to me. “Lady Katrina, did my brother breathe fire on you? I would apologize for his behavior, but I’ve grown weary of doing such, and since he doesn’t plan to change, it seems fairly useless.” He frowned as he looked closer at me. “What happened to your arm? You weren’t hurt before, were you?”

I looked at my scraped-up arm, which had stopped bleeding but looked uglier now than it had when it had first happened. “I fell when your brother dismounted.” I shrugged, embarrassed. No doubt the whole castle would be talking about my shame. Not that once they heard I was to become wife number three they wouldn’t forget that in a hurry with such a new juicy tidbit to chew. “It looks worse than it is. I’ll go wash off the blood.”

Devlin looked at me as if I was hiding something, which I suppose I was.

“He was angry,” I said, not sure why I was defending Maximus.

“My brother lives on anger,” Devlin said. “It is his food and drink.” He turned to include Callista in his regard. “Whatever possessed the two of you to think you could get away with running? You both have seen how Max is now. In the past few years his ruthlessness has sharpened to a point where he has become almost cruel. You had to know he wouldn’t let such a thing occur.” He was just looking at me by the end.

I shook my head. “I … I don’t know. You’re right, of course. It was stupid of me to think we could outsmart him.”